Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!newsfeed.xs3.de!ereborbbs.duckdns.org!.POSTED.localhost!not-for-mail From: Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc Subject: Re: Mongoose Traveller or Cepheus Engine Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2024 12:27:13 -0000 (UTC) Organization: EreborBBS InterNetNews Message-ID: References: Injection-Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2024 12:27:13 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: ereborbbs.duckdns.org; posting-host="localhost:::1"; logging-data="15738"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@ereborbbs.duckdns.org" User-Agent: tin/2.4.5-20201224 ("Glen Albyn") (Linux/6.1.21-v7+ (armv7l)) Bytes: 3304 Lines: 47 Justisaur wrote: > On 6/21/2024 12:52 AM, Kyonshi wrote: >> On 6/20/2024 10:07 PM, Alex Schroeder wrote: >>> I have run Mongoose Traveller, the first one; years later I ran Classic >>> Traveller and it felt similar but also a bit weirder because the civil >>> careers aren???t there. But that betting element during character >>> creation is >>> there, of course. I don???t know if many people play that way, however. >>> People click on generators until they get a character they like, I fear. >>> >>> I started thinking about a short Traveller replacement based on >>> conversations with Frotz. I never had any concrete plans and so it never >>> went anywhere. >>> >>> https://alexschroeder.ch/pdfs/Halbardier.pdf >>> >> >> Yeah, I have to say the character generation system really is one of the >> best parts of Mongoose Traveller, as it gives you a fully-fledged >> backstory. It's not quite OSR though, as it involves too much investment >> into the character at the beginning. > >> It does work as a sort of party game though: everybody sits around the >> table and tries to create their character, and sometimes you manage to >> get connections with the other players. That's all very neat and easy, >> and I think it would be a great way to spend a first session. > > > I only played Traveller once (if you don't count Megatraveller CRPG > which I enjoyed too) and the session consisted of making a character. > Never actually did anything. I found it fun anyway. > There's this distinction now that crpgs are not actual rpgs. If people in the elder times (the 80s...) had known that. A lot of early attempts at computer games were attempts to get the DnD experience into a solo format with the computer playing the role of the DM. Even Colossal Cave started out like that. Nowadays people will of course say those aren't real roleplaying games. > I used Heroes of Legend in 2e AD&D quite a bit which has a similar > background generation (no betting though, and no chance of death, > unplayable characters yes) for fantasy. I eventually found it a bit too > complicated and long and affecting character power and pared it down > considerably. I stopped using it sometime in 3e altogether, but > occasionally fondly reminisce about 'session 0' where we'd spend a good > portion of the first session making backgrounds with it. >