Quote from: jeff37923 on August 27, 2022, 09:43:27 PMWell, if you like science fiction and not science fantasy, then just about any setting can be placed in the Traveller universe. If you like science fantasy, then you are better off with Star Wars.

I would say, rather any story can be placed in the Traveller universe, there are often broad, sweeping setting details that don't fit but character's and plot lines are easy to fit in.

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?

That's pretty much left to the referee.  However, T5 and Marc Miller's Traveller Novel, Agent of the Imperium, feature chip jacks and recorded personalities that can be swapped in and out of them.  T4's Pocket Empires book had rules for raising the Tech Level of an entire planet.

I wrote a lot of rules for things like scientific research for my own Galaxies In Shadow rules because I generally feel it's a topic sfrpgs haven't developed much.  When people say having a rule for everything is a bad thing I generally think that GMs feel it's a bad thing because it takes away their ability to say 'no' to things they don't want to deal with.

Traveller is a really good system to play in the settings of certain sci fi books that are among my favorites.  If I were to run a game I'd keep the system, but use the setting of Poul Anderson's Poleseotechnic League, or Andre Norton's Zero Stone, Moon of Three Rings, and Solar Queen books, or Pournelle's Falkenberg's Legion books, or Weber & Ringo's "Empire of Man" books.  Or just build my own setting following the tone fo those books.  I'm most familiar with LBB and I'm not really familiar with the setitngs of the later books, but you wouldn't even have to remove much from the LBB setting, just add other things on top of it.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 27, 2022, 10:28:55 PM
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?

In short, it doesn't.

FTL comms really fucks up the OTU, because one of the lynchpins of the OTU is that communications only travel at the speed of the fastest ship. There are alternate FTL drives already covered in Mongoose Traveller (both versions) and if you want to borrow from T5, you can use a collector and power your jump drive without fuel (like the Annic Nova). Time travel rules and dimensional travel rules are in the MgT 1e book Psionics (so you can fuck around with Doctor Who bullshit). Transporter/Replicator technology is not covered because post-scarcity economies are impossible (there will always be something scarce). Downloading your intellect into another body has been around since Classic Traveller and is covered under androids as optional.

Of course, all of the above starts getting into science fantasy a la Star Trek.

Quote from: David Johansen on August 27, 2022, 09:48:47 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 27, 2022, 09:43:27 PMWell, if you like science fiction and not science fantasy, then just about any setting can be placed in the Traveller universe. If you like science fantasy, then you are better off with Star Wars.

I would say, rather any story can be placed in the Traveller universe, there are often broad, sweeping setting details that don't fit but character's and plot lines are easy to fit in.

It is really really hard to run Star Wars or Star Trek using Traveller. The game system does not emulate the genre very well.

HappyDaze, why are you asking these questions of us and not asking the guy who is going to be running your game?

Absolutely nothing. My assumption, based on public rhetoric, the rules and game were sooo wedded to the system I actually never considered using it for my own science fiction campaigns. Now I know CT inside and out and love the system for certain flavors of sci-fi I like to run, but I still see no use in the pedestrian setting known as the Third Empirium. I shit more interesting universes into my toilet bowl every morning. 

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 28, 2022, 01:14:25 AM
HappyDaze, why are you asking these questions of us and not asking the guy who is going to be running your game?

I'm looking for a broad array of input. I do plan to ask the GM for more specifics, but I was looking for some hope that the sci-fi elements would be strongly supported within the setting so that I'm not fighting it when I don't want to play a retiree boating about space in my space winnebago (the model of the two Traveller games I've played).

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 28, 2022, 05:09:17 AM
I'm looking for a broad array of input. I do plan to ask the GM for more specifics, but I was looking for some hope that the sci-fi elements would be strongly supported within the setting so that I'm not fighting it when I don't want to play a retiree boating about space in my space winnebago (the model of the two Traveller games I've played).

The sci-fi elements of the Charted Space setting have been well addressed, but the retiree concern sounds more like an issue with the rules, where all characters "muster out" by default. Rather than leaving a career at the end of chargen ask the Ref if they'd consider simply starting the campaign at the end of your PC's last term: still active Army, Navy, etc.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 28, 2022, 05:09:17 AM

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 28, 2022, 01:14:25 AM
HappyDaze, why are you asking these questions of us and not asking the guy who is going to be running your game?

I'm looking for a broad array of input. I do plan to ask the GM for more specifics, but I was looking for some hope that the sci-fi elements would be strongly supported within the setting so that I'm not fighting it when I don't want to play a retiree boating about space in my space winnebago (the model of the two Traveller games I've played).

You know, if your Referee can't make the game interesting, then it doesn't matter what game system or setting is used. Likewise, if you have had bad experiences in the past and are convinced that the game and setting is not for you, then it will suck regardless of how enjoyable it can be.

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 28, 2022, 05:52:42 AM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 28, 2022, 05:09:17 AM

Quote from: jeff37923 on August 28, 2022, 01:14:25 AM
HappyDaze, why are you asking these questions of us and not asking the guy who is going to be running your game?

I'm looking for a broad array of input. I do plan to ask the GM for more specifics, but I was looking for some hope that the sci-fi elements would be strongly supported within the setting so that I'm not fighting it when I don't want to play a retiree boating about space in my space winnebago (the model of the two Traveller games I've played).

You know, if your Referee can't make the game interesting, then it doesn't matter what game system or setting is used. Likewise, if you have had bad experiences in the past and are convinced that the game and setting is not for you, then it will suck regardless of how enjoyable it can be.

I think here it's more of the latter. The GM has been good in the past, but I'm having a very hard time finding interest in the Traveller setting. He has several other games he's discussed in passing that I'd be far more interested in playing. Another of the prospective players has said the same thing to me, and we're going to talk to the GM again on Monday. Unless the GM has a really awesome pitch and can make the setting and game theme seem interesting, I'm probably best off taking a pass on this.

Traveller is not the Third Imperium role playing game, although it can be.

The original version had no setting and liberally stole its rules tropes from the sci fi MWM had read over the years. There is nothing to stop a referee changing rules, building their own settings, whatever you want (in point of fact there is an example of building your own setting in LBB:0)

I have used CT plus a variety of bits borrowed from other iterations of Traveller and other games entirely to run a lot of different settings...
Star Wars, Star Trek, BSG, Blake's 7, Stainless Steel Rat, Deathworld, Dune, PFH Commonwealth and Confederation universes, The Culture and a few more that I can't think of at the moment off the top of my head.

As to the OTU, I have run adventures in an early version of the Third Imperium, during the Hard Times era following the Rebellion, and a Star Viking series of adventures in the TNE. My longest running campaign is a planet of the week type set up set during a long night.

What I like about Traveller is that it is pretty rules light and can be adapted to do just about anything I have thrown at it over the years.

Quote from: Anfelas on August 28, 2022, 08:02:31 AM
Traveller is not the Third Imperium role playing game, although it can be.

The original version had no setting and liberally stole its rules tropes from the sci fi MWM had read over the years. There is nothing to stop a referee changing rules, building their own settings, whatever you want (in point of fact there is an example of building your own setting in LBB:0)

I have used CT plus a variety of bits borrowed from other iterations of Traveller and other games entirely to run a lot of different settings...
Star Wars, Star Trek, BSG, Blake's 7, Stainless Steel Rat, Deathworld, Dune, PFH Commonwealth and Confederation universes, The Culture and a few more that I can't think of at the moment off the top of my head.

As to the OTU, I have run adventures in an early version of the Third Imperium, during the Hard Times era following the Rebellion, and a Star Viking series of adventures in the TNE. My longest running campaign is a planet of the week type set up set during a long night.

What I like about Traveller is that it is pretty rules light and can be adapted to do just about anything I have thrown at it over the years.

I would gladly play 2300 AD with the Traveller rules over the default Third Imperium. For that matter the only mainline Traveller that appealed to me was TNE with the RCES/Star Vikings, but my GM doesn't like that period.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 27, 2022, 12:46:53 AM
What makes the Traveller setting appealing to you?

HappyDaze,

It might be what it is not: it is not Star Wars or Star Trek, with all of the baggage and problems that those settings entail. But to be more precise, here's what I like:

1. Age of Sail. With No FTL comms, messages travel only as fast as the fastest ship, which creates a retro feel for a game set in the far future. Even moreso if the game is about piracy or privateering. It's possible to outrun any crimes you might commit, at least for a while.

2. Human-centric. Yeah, Traveller has aliens, but they seem more like NPC options to me. This takes the focus away from "What kewl powerz does my guy have?" and brings it closer to home. "Who am I, and what's going on here?" That taps into a larger issue than setting elements, more on the premise of the game, which is a separate conversation.

3. Not about tech. Sure, high tech is out there and the players might seek it out. Or not. But the default assumption is that the players start with a ship, firearms, and blades. It brings the game down to earth. Instead of looking for tech to solve every problem (e.g. Star Trek) players need to focus on schemes and plans.

4. Psionics. Many people hate psi, but I actually like it so long as it is low key and illegal. Again, no Kewl Powerz, this isn't a superhero game. But something that creates conflict and opens up adventure possibilities (e.g. Babylon 5.)

5. Small ships, but not starfighters. What I'm talking about here is that the standard setup is for the players start with a small ship (scout, free trader, lab ship, etc.) and start exploring the galaxy. It's not dogfights in space (e.g. Star Wars) or carrier battles (e.g. BSG.)

6. Nobility. It reminds me of Dune, with noble houses engaged in centuries-long schemes. Again, sort of a retro feel, opens up all kinds of campaign ideas.

7. Freedom. When I was younger, I looked at my first Traveller character and thought "44? Who wants to play a character who is that old?" LOL. But Traveller characters are RETIRED. They've done their time, worked for the Man, and now it's all about what they WANT to do rather than what they HAVE to do. Hopefully, what they want to do is go on adventures and make some money.


It sounds overdone by this point, and many Traveller grognards may balk, but the sci-fi franchise that checks a lot of these boxes is Firefly. Retired military takes legit jobs when they can, commits crimes when they must-- anything to keep the ship flying.