CT-ST-Starter Traveller by GDW
A wonderful nostalgia purchase. I heartily recommend this to anyone interested in the history of role-playing and has a few credits to spare.
Playing this version of Traveller today:
In fact the 2d6 system is delightfully simple. The planet generation and trading tables are will remind retro-gamers of the Elite computer game (which may have or may not have been influenced by Traveller). The two books are easy to play with, but can be awkward to navigate in PDF form since the charts and tables are in a different book to the rules book - which is only a problem when learning, but once the basics are learnt the tables and charts book enables very rapid access to the right matrices. At least print out the tables book!
(Good quality PDF and illustrations reproduction, by the way)
Traveller has a strange flavour to it which may baffle newcomers. Spaceship computers are massive, with clunky "programs", most people are armed with rifles and blades. Humans prevail in Starter Traveller, but other races are described in supplements. In a way, it’s hard sci-fi, but the laser guns with back packs seemed dated even in the 80s. For more advance tech weaponry supplements must be sought (Mercenary), but the system is very adaptable for an inventive Referee.
Archivist, collector, gamer or just curious – this is a fascinating game – all you need to play is here, but you may find yourself will craving ship plans supplements, scenarios – loads of which are free on the web, not to mention later versions of Traveller.
It’s the late 70’s, it’s the far future! Pile into that Type-S Scout ship and power up the Jump Drive…
5/5 Stars. Bb 17/06/2010
It's an awesome game system in fact I purchased the mongoose publishing traveller rule book and it is so good!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. :)
ReplyDeleteThe enormous potential of Traveller is awe inspiring once you get your head around the existing setting. I've read good stuff about the Mongoose range, although I think I also read that the system was slightly different, especially with regards to armour in combat, but that in essence its the same game with the same starship designs, equipment and careers. I surprised at how popular it is with new and younger players so Mongoose must be doing something right. :) I'll have to pick up a hard copy of the core rules sometime.
Thanks again. Bb.