Speaking as a long-time fan of Classic Traveller:
Wake up and smell the coffee you guys! Classic Traveller is dead!
I personally love the Classic Traveller setting, and have sought out
as much of the material published for the game both by GDW and others as
I can find. But I have to admit that the game passed on because for
several very good reasons. Classic Traveller required too many supplemental
materials, most of which were contradictory. This game had no less than
two starship design systems, three starship combat systems, four personnel
combat systems, two trade systems, and three planetary design systems.
Obviously, a revision of some sort was necessary. DGP compiled Striker,
Books 1 - 8, added a Task System, revamped combat, and made it all semi-
consistent. For this, they deserve applause. Unfortunately, the end
result was far less than usable. By combining all the rules, they made
the learning curve very intimidating. Furthermore, they added an environment
that many Classic Traveller players found very uncormfortable. Personally,
I used the MegaTrav rules in the Classic Trav setting.
So, now TNE is out. I haven't bothered to buy it yet. So far, people have
criticized its technical accuracy, and its setting. The setting is optional.
I still own all my Classic Trav stuff, and will continue to use it. But
maybe I'll get creative and play a Rebellion campaign if I feel like it. Or
even a Virus campaign! Why not!
As regards the technical accuracy, give GDW and Loren a break! I speak as
a physics graduate student when I say that Traveller is very enjoyable Space
Fantasy, that leans to the technically plausible. Could we please have some
constructive suggestions around here? Its easy to be negative, lets try to
be positive for a change!
Just to put my money where my mouth is, here is an Amber Zone setting, ala
the old Travellers' Journal:
You are one of the crew and co-owner of the Type A2 Far Trader Boundless.
That risk you took on a cargo hold full of chrome-plated fishing poles turned
into a total loss. This, combined with the overall bad luck you and your
crewmates have had this past year, mean that you have come close to defaulting
on your bank loan. But at the last minute, opportunity shows itself. One of
your crewmates has made contact with someone willing to pay top credit to a
ship willing to translate a cargo of unknown origin off of a nearby Red Zone
planet. Despite misgivings, your and your crewmates decide to go for it.
Possible results are:
1) The offer turns out to be a double-cross. The cargo should be suitably
valuable. At some point during the transaction, an attempt will be
made to capture the vessel.
2) The offer turns out to be a trap. The subsector security forces attempt
to arrest the crew shortly after they arrive at the Red Zoned system.
3) The offer is genuine. By bad luck, a subsector security force patrol
craft will be encountered while the crew are in the Red Zoned system.
4) The offer is genuine. The cargo consists of some of the local sentients.
The crew should be made aware of this fact, and be faced with the moral
delimma of whether to participate in the slave trade or not.
5) The offer is genuine. Some months after the transaction, an unknown man
contacts a member of the crew, and threatens to inform the authorities
of their law-breaking activities.
6) The offer is genuine. The planet turns out to be protected by a picket
satellite, which is armed with a large number of missiles. Use the
following task, to be thrown once while landing on the planet, and again
when departing:
To successfully evade the picket satellite:
Routine, Pilot, Ships Tactics, 30 minutes.
Referee: If this task fails, the sattellite makes one missile attack on
the ship at long range. If anything less than extreme success, the
sattellite makes a holovideo of the ship, and records any transmissions
made by the ship (including the transponder, if active).
Late, y'all.