RE: Traveller PBEM
Hmmm... Not too many bites on a PBEM Traveller game, oh well, just as well...
RE: Space generation Programs
In the new (first/second) GDW Challenge magazine, there is a BASIC program for
generating Star Systems according to the guidelines of BOOK 6 SCOUTS. I have
yet to type it in, but some day...
RE: Traveller Chronicles:
If there is any interest, I have several tales of Traveller adventures which
I could post, if you think it would be appropriate. What do you think?
RE: Advanced Character Generation Procedure:
I myself, like them very much. They give more detail to the character so that
you can get a handle on it easier. Then you have to explain all the twists the
dice have but into your character! There is no such thing as an over specified
character. It's like a polynomial approximation of a function, more data
points = higher degree polynomials = more accurate. Of course the higher
degree polynomials are usually needed only for real convoluted functions, but
I've allways liked convoluted characters! I have more fun explaining the dice
rolls, then throwing the dice rolls out because they don't fit my (at times,
limited) imagination.
I'm also in favor of a larger number of 'smaller' scope skills. In my private
rule set, there are several different scope levels for skills depending on
whether you want your character to be passing good at an area of expertise or
*real* good at doing specific things.
RE: Skills in general:
I don't like the idea of a maximum number of skill levels attainable.
Traveller, as in the books, has the drawback that there is little or no skill
advancement. What's your ideas on skill advancement? I let characters have a
chance of increasing a skill every once in a while, and give them bonuses if
they've used that skill.
RE: emphasis on combat:
This is a problem for most 'games'. My campaign has very little problems with
that, but then the cast of characters are not your average save_the_universe
characters, either. Most of the have at least one handicap, and they
"adventure", just staying out of trouble, and get bigger and better, which is
what I think adventuring should be, success or death, as it is in many games.
The problem I have with combat is that I ***like*** combat, slugging it out,
etc... But Morally I have a problem with it. I try to make the right and
wrong sides pretty clearly defined (even if the characters don't know it at
first) so that every one has a 'moral' to the story.
The interesting thing about GDW Traveller et al games is that GDW has combat
systems for different levels, so playing your "go down in their armored air
raft and take out rebellious populations with Gauss Guns" might take several
weeks of gaming, or several die rolls. The scope ranges from RPG to tactical
to strategic.
RE: starship encounter tables:
I'd like to see a more diverse encounter table as well. What do you think
of putting individual ships in the encounter table, or maybe motivations?
RE: supplementary books:
Let's see, "High Guard", "Mercenary", "Merchants", "Scouts" are all good books,
I think. "Scouts" is *manditory*, if you *really* want to do some *space*
exploration. You can generate all the perculiarities of a star system, and
then send your players out to figure it out, and somewhere along the way you
have to come up with the answers for it!
RE: Lasers:
In the books, Pulse Lasers are given a -1 to hit, but are given two damage
rolls; they are also cheaper. Great stuff, especially if you have the double
fire capability.
RE: Fuel:
Can anyone recouncil the fact that suposedly the Jump drives burn all the Jump
fuel at the start of the jump, with the fact that the Jump drives are not *the*
limiting factor of the powerplant? I.E. the rest of the equipment is just as
important in deciding how big you want your power plant.
RE: Varying Technologies:
Has anyone ever run a campaign where different people had widely different
technologies (Jump Drive vs. Black Hole Drive), not just varying Tech Levels?
Jim Baranski, DEC, Tewksbury MA.