Here's some of the recent discussion on (Mega)Traveller from
rec.games.frp. Summary: Some people love it, others hate it. I like to
provide this list with all the Traveller-related articles I see on the
frp newsgroup, as long as it could possibly be of wide interest.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Traveller Mailing List Administrator James T. Perkins @ Tektronix, Inc
[email removed] Beaverton, Oregon, USA
[email removed] "Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
- ------- Forwarded Messages
Article: 15438 of rec.games.frp
Path: [email removed]
From: [email removed]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Traveller
Message-ID: [email removed]
Date: 12 Oct 89 21:20:34 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle WA
Lines: 20
Is it just me, or does everyone else actually like the Digest Group task
system that is used for MegaTravller and 2300AD (Which I actually like.
Anyone else out there actually play it?)?
I find the 4-point thresholds simply ludicrous, the stat add thresholds
(every 5!) silly as well, and while many aspects are covered, there sure
is a lot of dice rolling (and as far as I can tell, there are provisions
for critical failures but not critical successes).
I myself simply cannot stomach it (and consequently have been trying to
devise a replacement, with mixed success...), and I'm just curious if
there is something I am missing, or is this truly the state of the art?
- - --
Death to Videodrome
Long Live the New Flesh
-------------------------
Hans Visser
[email removed]
- ------- Message 2
Article: 15457 of rec.games.frp
Path: [email removed]
From: [email removed]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Traveller
Message-ID: [email removed]
Date: 13 Oct 89 15:06:00 GMT
References: [email removed]
Lines: 76
Nf-ID: #R:uwav1.u.washington.edu:-839300:primerd:40500024:000:4338
Nf-From: [email removed] Oct 13 11:06:00 1989
|Is it just me, or does everyone else actually like the Digest Group task
|system that is used for MegaTravller and 2300AD (Which I actually like.
|Anyone else out there actually play it?)?
(waving hand) ME! ME!
|I find the 4-point thresholds simply ludicrous, the stat add thresholds
|(every 5!) silly as well, and while many aspects are covered, there sure
|is a lot of dice rolling (and as far as I can tell, there are provisions
|for critical failures but not critical successes).
I use a slightly modified task system in 2300AD (don't play MT). My task
levels use steps of 2 (I.E. Trivial=1, Simple=3, Easy=5, Routine=7,
Challenging=9, Difficult=11, Hard=13, Formidable=15, Overwelming=17,
Unreasonable=19, Near Impossible=21, Impossible=22) and I have shifted
skill rolls to using 2d6 instead of 1d10 (the curve makes the difference
between difficulties more reasonable). I'm trying to figure out how to
fit the hit locations table to 2d6 so I can dispense with d10's completely.
Another change I made, mainly to the Melee Combat system, the the ability to
choose your maneuvers. Instead of striking at Routine all the time, you may
choose to do a "Hard" strike, requiring a "Overwelming" block. This allows
those trained in the martial arts to perform those hard-to-stop strikes on
the lesser trained. A side note to this rule is that if you choose a more
difficult strike, and you fail the skill roll, you are considered
"off-balance" and your next block is made at one level (2 point level)
increased difficulty. As a ref you can handle this system two ways:
1) Descriptive: "I do a high snap kick to his head!" "Ok, that's a
Difficult Strike"
2) Specific: "I do a Challenging Punch"
The first method adds more color to the game as the players come up with
flashy kicks and punches, but forces the referee to make judgement calls
on the actual difficulties. The second is quicker, but pretty dry.
I also use a slightly shifted attribute modifier chart. It goes something
like this:
Level Mod Level Mod Level Mod Level Mod
1 -6 7 -1 13 0 19 +2
2 -5 8 -1 14 +1 20 +3
3 -4 9 -1 15 +1 21 +3
4 -3 10 0 16 +1 22 +3
5 -2 11 0 17 +2 23 +4
6 -2 12 0 18 +2 24 +4
Example: Joe Scout is walking though the woods, making geographic notes when
he suddenly spots a Kafer mob heading toward his position. Since running
would alert them to his presence, he decides to hit the bushes and hide.
There is no "Hiding" skill -- it's simply a matter of choosing the right
place and being quiet. Joe is reasonably Intelligent (14) and has a skill of
2 in Survival. He must make an Uncertain task roll to find the right cover.
The ref decides that given the fact he can't move very far, but given the
amount of cover available, it is a Routine task. Joe get to add 2 for his
skill and +1 for his intelligence for a 4+ for success. If both he and the
referee roll 4+, he's well hidden from simply being seen. If either Joe or
the ref fail their roll, he's hidden, but could be spotted (his butt's
sticking out or something. If both fail, this turkey is trying to hide
behind a sapling. If Joe did not have a skill in survival, He would have to
make a challenging task roll, adding ONLY his intelligence modifier.
|I myself simply cannot stomach it (and consequently have been trying to
|devise a replacement, with mixed success...), and I'm just curious if
|there is something I am missing, or is this truly the state of the art?
The Task system is okay, you just have to tweak it a bit here and there.
Once a few changes are made it works fine.
- - -============================================================================-
Burton Choinski [email removed]
Prime Computer, Inc. [phone removed]
Framingham, Ma. 01701
Disclaimer: Hey, not me man; musta been my evil twin.
- - -============================================================================-
- ------- Message 3
Article: 15467 of rec.games.frp
Path: [email removed]
From: [email removed] (Palmer Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Traveller
Message-ID: [email removed]
Date: 14 Oct 89 04:10:38 GMT
References: [email removed]
Sender: [email removed]
Reply-To: [email removed] (Palmer Davis)
Organization: Smith Undergrad Lab, CWRU, Cleve., OH
Lines: 85
In article [email removed] [email removed] writes:
>Is it just me, or does everyone else actually like the Digest Group task
>system that is used for MegaTravller and 2300AD (Which I actually like.
>Anyone else out there actually play it?)?
>
Well, since I think it's absolutely the greatest thing since sliced toast,
I suppose the answer to that question would be yes.
>I find the 4-point thresholds simply ludicrous, the stat add thresholds
>(every 5!) silly as well, and while many aspects are covered, there sure
>is a lot of dice rolling (and as far as I can tell, there are provisions
>for critical failures but not critical successes).
>
You must be playing with the old Digest Group version of the rules (published
in GRAND SURVEY, GRAND CENSUS, and TRAVELLER: 2300), which makes you make a
"failure roll" whenever you fail. The new version of the task system, which
appears in MEGATRAVELLER (and, presumably, 2300 AD, although I haven't seen
the new edition), eliminates half the die rolling by replacing the failure
roll with rules for exceptional success and exceptional failure. (This also
addresses the other gripe you had.)
In the new system, whenever you succeed by more than 2, it's an exceptional
success. When you fail by more than 2, it's an exceptional failure. (I
say "more than 2," but it's really 2+, which I feel is too small a margin).
A natural 2 is still always a fumble. Exceptional failure on a hazardous
task or ordinary failure on a fateful task results in a 2D mishap. Fumbling
a hazardous task, or getting exceptional failure on a task that is both
hazardous AND fateful, results in a 3D mishap. The rules don't say this
either, but I suppose that you could make a case for rolling four dice on
the mishap table if you fumble a haz/fate task....
As for the 4-point separation between difficulty levels, I frequently find
myself applying arbitrary -1, +1, or +2 modifiers to some tasks as a means
of "fine-tuning" them in specific cases. These modifiers get added in on
an ad hoc basis for specific cases of tasks and don't go in my task library
(except in unusual cases...). They let me fine-tune the difficulty of
individual attempts to get the right balance. But I wouldn't publish them
in an adventure or supplement -- the levels they give are supposed to be
general guidelines, not straitjackets. They work well for me, at least. A
typical pilot, for example, with a Dex of 7 and a Pilot skill of 2, making a
Routine, Pilot, Dex check will succeed on a 4+... whereas someone with no
skill needs a 10 or better. Seems about right to me.
As for the 5-point characteristic bonuses, I like the way they balance out
too as they give characters with superior abilities an edge, but not so much
that they dominate the game. Remember -- this is Traveller, not AD&D. The
power curve between strong and weak characters is supposed to be MUCH flatter.
As it stands, you get a +1 on attempts if you have an ability of 10+, and a
- - -1 if you have an ability of 4-, as compared to the average Joe. In the
original edition, most die rolls that were affected by abilities started to
hand bonuses or penalties out at somewhere around these levels.
>I myself simply cannot stomach it (and consequently have been trying to
>devise a replacement, with mixed success...), and I'm just curious if
>there is something I am missing, or is this truly the state of the art?
>
I'm finding I have a hard time stomaching anything else any more. I seem
to be having the opposite experience you are with this... instead of causing
a lot of die rolling, the task system I've been using eliminates most of the
die rolling I've had to do (except in cases of fumbles). Unless the players
are worried about time or a mishap occurs, every task rides on a single die
roll, which can be very rapidly calculated.
The whole idea behind the task system is that you should be able to easily
memorize it, and apply it without really worrying about mechanics. The system
lets me take my hands off the mechanics and worry about creating a challenging
adventure and realistic settings and NPC's and not the rules of running the
game. And the sorts of things the system lets you do replace several pages of
new rules for each new task. I love it. Star Wars does something similar
with its standard difficulty levels and equally simple mechanics.
My one gripe about MegaTraveller is its damage system. PC's can take too
much punishment from guns, not enough from melee weapons. I get around this
by dividing each damage value for a weapon by 3 (retaining fractions) and
applying it as 2300-style damage.
- - -- Palmer Davis --
Palmer T. Davis | The opinions expressed herein are my own
Case Western Reserve University | and do not necessarily represent the truth.
[email removed] | Flame away to your heart's content.
- ------- Message 4
Article: 15468 of rec.games.frp
Path: [email removed]
From: [email removed] (5 CR)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: Traveller
Summary: task system very good
Message-ID: [email removed]
Date: 13 Oct 89 16:18:17 GMT
References: [email removed]
Organization: Colorado School of Mines
Lines: 31
In article [email removed], [email removed] writes:
> Is it just me, or does everyone else actually like the Digest Group task
> system that is used for MegaTravller and 2300AD (Which I actually like.
> Anyone else out there actually play it?)?
>
> I find the 4-point thresholds simply ludicrous, the stat add thresholds
> (every 5!) silly as well, and while many aspects are covered, there sure
> is a lot of dice rolling (and as far as I can tell, there are provisions
> for critical failures but not critical successes).
>
> I myself simply cannot stomach it (and consequently have been trying to
> devise a replacement, with mixed success...), and I'm just curious if
> there is something I am missing, or is this truly the state of the art?
>
Yes, you are missing something. First off there are critical successes:
In combat, if you have a powerful enough weapon, you can make an instant kill.
The four point thresholds are decent and in my campaign they work. As for
the stat add thresholds of every five, yeah, they are crap. What I do is
modify the modifier by substracting two or three (I am just trying it recently).
This way if you have very low stats it hurts you, which seems a little more
realistic. I do like the task system, because it makes for a consistent system
for determining whether you have accomplished something. It allows for better
roleplaying because it gives the players a better idea of what the likelihood
of accomplishing a task would be. (I would give an examle, but right now I
am in a hurry.)
As for 2300AD... Do I like it? Well, yes. I have a 2300AD campaign which is
over a year old going very well right now.
Steven B. Fellows
[email removed]
- ------- End of Forwarded Messages
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