Here's some of my thoughts on what needs revision in Traveller.
- - Dice: using 2d6 is an interesting concept from wargaming. It works
ok but I prefer the percentile method (d100). It allows for all
sorts of adjustments better than 2d6.
- - Character generation: incomplete. The generation system needs to
be refined. College is one of my biggest complaints. Four years and
all a character gets is MAYBE an EDU +1! This leads to my second
complaint, skills. Classic Traveller, the way I see it, was designed
with roleplaying as the main point in the game. The few skills that
are there just add a little variety. It was up to the GM to resolve
character actions and it worked. Then other RPG's were developed and
brought with them skills buy the bucketfull (e.g. Rolemaster). Now
MegaTraveller came out but didn't know which way to go. So you get
a task system, a few more skills and still trying to merge old concepts
with the new but it doesn't work very well. If you're going to add
skills then add skills. Granted the example cited above goes overboard
but it helps shape the character. So when a character goes to college
at least something is learned. And the same goes for graduate school
(which isn't in the system now, anyway). How are Ph.D.'s created? Not
very easily by MT! In Classic Traveller a skill of 1 actually meant
something, 2 was very good and 3 was outstanding (it also conferred
a medical degree to doctor characters). In MT skills of 4,5, 6, etc
are common. And still using the 2d6 system!
Character generation is one of the high points to the game. The 2nd
MT computer game is great for developing characters. Now all that's
needed is to include other races and there career choices as well.
If there is going to be an advanced generation method then include
the other career types, not just the basic 4.
Most non-military careers start with a college education.
What about skills from high school! Wasn't anything learned, tech
skills, academic skills. Might be pushing it but characters are not
run of the mill.
Drop Education and Social Standing as characteristics. They are
conditions not attributes (as an aside, I use 13 attributes to
describe characters in my games, 6 physical and 7 mental). So, add
other characteristics that describe a character not something that
is influenced by outside sources. Or, better yet, develop a class of
secondary characteristics (actually conditions) that are used to
expand the generation process.
- - Task systems are needed in any game that allows for a character to
do any type of research or analysis. I have yet to find one that I
really like. The MT task system is as good as any I have seen so far.
- - Combat. Again I have yet to find one I really like. In MT why have
a skill for a weapon if you make a task out of using it.
- - Equipment design. Having an all encompassing system is nice but very
unwieldly and looses some of its flavor. Split design into separate
areas: computers, robots, starships, ground/air/water vehicles, weapons,
etc. Current designs follow their own rules that sometimes don't make
sense. Energy use being one of them, other aspects of physics too.
- - Pat answers such as "It's best for the game." or "Because that's the
way it is." show poor salesmanship. Rational explanations get better
converts.
- - Traveller Universe. One area that I find troublesome is economics. In
In a universe that has limited communications how does credit work?
Or electronic funds transfers? Seems like an easy way to counterfeit.
Better explanations on existing aspects of the universe need to be
done. This is a general statement that needs to be stressed. Everyday
workings are not very well described and need to be improved.
- - Modules collating existing published information. I would love to
see a complete compilation of the Traveller News Service that appears
in Challenge. The same goes for equipment. Background information on
people, planets, systems, etc. A 3-Ring binder format would work
very well.
- - Get a real editor. Not to be sarcastic but proofing has been poor.
Mike Surman
[email removed]