Anybody here play Traveller?

[capnq]

My favorite non-computer game company, Steve Jackson Games, still puts out material for GURPS Traveller {link}.

I haven't played Traveller myself, but I've bought two of the GURPS books for reference.

[LostCommander]

I never played the original, but I have most of the GURPS Traveller books by SJ Games and they are very nice. LOTS of depth and detail for whatever the group might want to do, and since it is in the GURPS system it is much easier for me to drop in random events for the PCs (they kept talking about what would happen if there was a borg cube to run into...). A Traveller shipset might be interesting.

[Puke]

played the original AGES ago...

and am in a GURPS traveller campaign now, that is picking back up in january. i prefer the new ruels...

ALSO: there is a D20 (new d&d franchise, marketing out their 3rd ed rule system) traveller rule system, either out or coming out. sounds interesting, but i will reserve judgement..

[geoschmo]

I'll have to check out that GURPS. I have heard of it but never played it. What is it you like better about it Puke? By the way, check your email.

Geoschmo

[Puke]

the flexability of it, mostly. it can be as detailed as you could possibly want a game to be, but you can also scale it down to a more manageable set of rules. it can handle a variety of settings fairly well, and does a good job with sci-fi. the Traveller career system is missing from character creation, but i believe there are optional supplements to work it back in.

[Sinapus]

The original Traveller rules are being reprinted by Far Future Enterprises. (So you get the Tech Level chart that says Earth discovered Fusion (TL9) in the 90s, while in reality we're still stuck at TL8.)

[Dralasite]

Never played Traveler (although I heard of it), but I was really into star frontiers! My group got through most of the volturnous modules, only playing 1 hour a day during lunch in school.

Thanks for reminding me about Star Frontiers desdinova! I have been lurking on this forum forever, partially because I couldn't think of a name. Now I have one

In retrospect, Star Frontiers was not that great of an rpg system. GURPS is a much better thought out system. I sort of wish someone would license and write the core rules (at least the charager building, skills, and combat system) into a game engine...

[Gryphin]

Not any more and yes, still have the books. Most of our missions were setups for tactical level battles where we would fight as if our lives depended on it. In most miniatures games you don't care as much if the leaders get killed. When you are playing with an RPG character as leader you play a bit more carefuly.
"Charge that Hill" starts with calling in heavy artillery and smoke.

[PvK]

I did a little Traveller a long time ago (80's, basic set). I liked the career-based character generation system (as a neat and sensible way of establishing a character history that determines skills, which makes a lot of sense). Vector-based tactical ship movement was neat. However most of the other rules in the basic set were a bit shallow for my taste, although naturally it was mainly a matter of page length versus subject breadth - it did a good job for the amount of space they had.

GURPS, however, is a very nice system, especially for tactical personal combat (one-meter hexmaps, one second turns, excellent realistic and detailed game mechanics - although you can also wimp out and play GURPS in a very simple style) and for interesting non-cookie-cutter character generation, not to mention the heaps of worldbooks and rules extensions.

PvK

[Desdinova]

Originally posted by Dralasite:
Thanks for reminding me about Star Frontiers desdinova! I have been lurking on this forum forever, partially because I couldn't think of a name. Now I have one

In retrospect, Star Frontiers was not that great of an rpg system. GURPS is a much better thought out system. I sort of wish someone would license and write the core rules (at least the charager building, skills, and combat system) into a game engine...

I will always remember the bar fights at The Hole In The Wall and The Spacers Rest, it always the best way to start a new adventure. Hard to believe that almost all adventures initially took place on that map included with the box set. not to mention the occassional Sathar Invasion at the startport map.