Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

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Treebore
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Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

I am currently running 3 games a week of this, so getting lots of experience with unusual situations, and unusual solutions, brought up by my players. I also used the 2E/1E thing above, because much isn't reprinted for the 2E rules as of yet, and besides, its so similar to 1E, I'm not seeing any real need for me to rebuy anything 1E they redo beyond the books I already have, which is all of them. I will likely give a new Psionics book a look, but beyond that, they will have to do completely new material, as they mostly have been doing so far, to get me to buy 2E product. Such as the Pirates of Drinaax and Great Rifts boxed sets they have done. Both of which have many months of, if not years of, game sessions contained within.

So bottom line is, my players and I are having lot of fun with mu hodge podge of the old and the new Mongoose Traveller, which is by and large a nicely upgraded version of Classic anyways, so I even get to use that old material whenever I find something within it I want to use.

As usual, character creation is a fun mini game all its own, now I own the RPGSUite electronic version for this, but I actually enjoy a freebie version much more, because it has created characters which through the events tables, have had very cool histories practically written for each character all by itself. So if your any kind of a Traveller fan, play around with it, and after probably around 10 characters created, you will have seen for yourself what I mean.


http://travellerv2.azurewebsites.net/Default
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Pshaw! If you can't die during CharGen its not Traveller! :P

(Yes I know its still technically possible in Mongoose, but very unlikely) Bah!

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

I will check out the program above, thanks! I still have fun running the old Apple ][ chargen program, using an emulator. It has the basic professions, plus the professions from Citizens of the Imperium.
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Hey, does that Apple program run with Mercenary/High Guard, or just the 3lbb's and COTI?

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

DMMike wrote:Hey, does that Apple program run with Mercenary/High Guard, or just the 3lbb's and COTI?

Mike
The latter, I'm afraid.
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

DMMike wrote:Pshaw! If you can't die during CharGen its not Traveller! :P

(Yes I know its still technically possible in Mongoose, but very unlikely) Bah!

Mike the Curmudgeon
With the program in the OP, it is quite possible.
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

Gringnr wrote:
DMMike wrote:Pshaw! If you can't die during CharGen its not Traveller! :P

(Yes I know its still technically possible in Mongoose, but very unlikely) Bah!

Mike the Curmudgeon
With the program in the OP, it is quite possible.

Yeah, I have had to muster out a lot of characters due to attributes getting down to a 1 or a 2.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Gringnr wrote:
DMMike wrote:Hey, does that Apple program run with Mercenary/High Guard, or just the 3lbb's and COTI?

Mike
The latter, I'm afraid.
That's good AFAIC, IMO Traveller started jumping the shark with those expansion books. ;)

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

DMMike wrote:
Gringnr wrote:
DMMike wrote:Hey, does that Apple program run with Mercenary/High Guard, or just the 3lbb's and COTI?

Mike
The latter, I'm afraid.
That's good AFAIC, IMO Traveller started jumping the shark with those expansion books. ;)

Mike, who spent 3 4-year terms under the Grumbler career
Yeah, there was def some power creep that came with Mercenary/High Guard...

My favorite career was the Bounty Hunter, from an article in, I think it was White Dwarf...?
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Ok, now I gotta go to my WD CD ROM and find that issue!

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

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DMMike wrote:Ok, now I gotta go to my WD CD ROM and find that issue!

Mike
I can tell you exactly which mag/ish when I get home tonight

Edit: it's White Dwarf issue 70
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

I didn't know there was a WD CD. Is it still obtainable?
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

IIRC, the Apple ][ program lets you add professions.
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Wow, WD 70 has a Golden Heroes adventure too. :)) How would one go about getting that Apple program? I can't use it right now, but maybe in the future.

Tree,

MANY years ago, around 2002 or so, a company in Australia had the license to make WD CD ROMs a la the Dragon CD ROM. After WOTC ran into the KODT lawsuit, Games Workshop pulled the plug on the operation. The company had about a dozen made up as example pieces, and a guy on dragonsfoot sold them for around $100 a piece. I don't know how he got ahold of 'em, but its got a nice printed WD cover and everything. It only handles up to WD 88 or so so its not a "Complete" run. Still very fun though, and a nice conversation piece.

I'll see if I can get liz to post a photo of it on the Victorious FB group...

Mike
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

DMMike wrote:Wow, WD 70 has a Golden Heroes adventure too. :)) How would one go about getting that Apple program? I can't use it right now, but maybe in the future...
I'll find a link and post it later. Failing that, I think I can just email you a copy of the program. It runs fine on an Apple ][ emulator, btw...
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Buttmonkey »

DMMike wrote:MANY years ago, around 2002 or so
2002 qualifies as "MANY years ago" now? I suddenly feel very, very old. Poor Buttmonkey.
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

Seems that GDW doesn't sell back issues. Good.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Here's the original discussion, it was 2005. I was 3 years off.

https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/view ... 11&t=11657

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Gringnr »

Here is a neat link to some Apple ][ Traveller goodies. I have gotten the character generator, Space and Space 2 to work. Space was a game clearly based on Traveller that got the developers sued BITD. There is also an official Traveller game here, Star Crystal, but I haven't been able to get it to work. If you do, let me know, I may want to pick your brain. I was using the AppleWin emulator. I have... Somewhere, old Apple programs for a Traveller " bestiary" and a " world generator", but they are programs of a type that need to be converted in order to run on an emulator, and that is deffo above my pay grade

https://www.freelancetraveller.com/info ... progs.html
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

I need to refresh myself on UK copy right. By US law, since GDW doesn't sell back issues, I can pick up all the PDF's however I want for White Dwarf. Which is very stupid of GDW, btw. Unless there is something about UK copyright law that makes it smart to do.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

I'm sure it boils down to the same reasons WOTC doesn't keep selling the Dragon CD ROM. Namely, that they'd need individual approvals from the art/cartoonists to reprint in an electronic form; much like Kenzer & Co did with ssuing Wizards over KODT strips in Dragon.

I agree its sad, and these scans are really clear....But only to issue 89. Which is pretty much the end of the non-Warhammer era, so maybe its fine after all. ;)

Back OT, I'd heard that 1E Mongoose Traveller was just an expansion of the Classic Traveller and much material was useable in either system. I'd also heard that 2E was going to go off in new directions with new mechanics. Which doesn't thrill me (think T4) <grrr>

How much of this is true/false?

Mike
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

DMMike wrote:I'm sure it boils down to the same reasons WOTC doesn't keep selling the Dragon CD ROM. Namely, that they'd need individual approvals from the art/cartoonists to reprint in an electronic form; much like Kenzer & Co did with ssuing Wizards over KODT strips in Dragon.

I agree its sad, and these scans are really clear....But only to issue 89. Which is pretty much the end of the non-Warhammer era, so maybe its fine after all. ;)

Back OT, I'd heard that 1E Mongoose Traveller was just an expansion of the Classic Traveller and much material was useable in either system. I'd also heard that 2E was going to go off in new directions with new mechanics. Which doesn't thrill me (think T4) <grrr>

How much of this is true/false?

Mike

The heart of the Mongoose Mechanic is the exact same as Classic and MegaTraveller. 2d6+ mods, typically match or beat an 8. So beyond that they also define Easy checks as a 3, average as 5, I think, Difficult is 10, Very Difficult is 12, etc... Now 2E does add the Advantage/Disadvantage dice, but you can completely ignore it, which I would do anyways because the situations in which it would apply rarely even occurs. At least for me and how I define such situations. So I completely ignore it, and in the skill or two where it is used, just go with the 1E version. Now the other big differentiation between Classic and Mongoose is Attribute Modifiers. Its no longer +1/-1. Its -3 to +3. Again, this too can be easily ignored and done the old Classic way. The last big difference is how skills are grouped. For example, you have Electronics as your base, and it specializes at rank 1 into your choices of Comms, Computer, Sensors, Remote Ops, and maybe one more I am forgetting right now. Science is crazy, because you effectively get a Rank 0 in over a dozen different disciplines, so in real life it would probably take 3 or 4 years of just studying Science to effectively get a Jack of all Trades skill in all of the fields of Science. Then again, if they have access to their computers, which they almost always do, I just assume they use their knowledge to quickly do a Google Search, because they know the proper terms to use for such searches, and just roll with it.

So those are the big differences, but as I am sure you see, ignoring or switching out what you will is pretty easy to do. Now there are more differences in ship building and vehicle creation rules, but I think Mongoose 2E has it at being the simplest and most flexible systems possible, and the most clearly written and easy to understand.

So its easy for me to use any edition of Traveller material I own with Mongoose, and I do own material from every single version, except Marc's latest. Including all the TAS Journals, and about 50 issues of Challenge Magazine. So I am very happy with Mongoose Traveller,
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Treebore wrote:Then again, if they have access to their computers, which they almost always do, I just assume they use their knowledge to quickly do a Google Search, because they know the proper terms to use for such searches, and just roll with it.
:lol: This is funny, since the current 'New Wave' in academic education is that we don't need to MAKE students learn things, they only need to know how to look it up on the Internet. :P

Treebore wrote:So those are the big differences, but as I am sure you see, ignoring or switching out what you will is pretty easy to do. Now there are more differences in ship building and vehicle creation rules, but I think Mongoose 2E has it at being the simplest and most flexible systems possible, and the most clearly written and easy to understand.
I do loves me my Classic Traveller....but starship construction was always a PITA. I wouldn't argue a simplyer system. You know, one that DOESN'T require a MA in Calculus.


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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Traveller »

The best design system is the one in Classic Traveller Book 2, and at least one person out on the web expanded it* to allow for the construction of larger ships. Starship design systems in post-Classic Traveller completely eradicate any semblance of simplicity in favor of appealing to a niche audience of gearheads. In Classic, your Book 2 starship could have all its necessary attributes described in a couple of paragraphs. That same ship in MegaTraveller and all later editions requires an entire page just for the ship's attributes.

That's a problem. I would say that Book 5: High Guard started it, but its solution to the page of data problem that plagues MegaTraveller and every subsequent version of Traveller was a good middle ground. The Universal Ship Profile was perfect for providing the added data gearheads wanted while keeping things relatively simple. It didn't hurt that the design process didn't require a degree in Calculus either.

As for the Traveller rules themselves, I'm done. I don't see myself ever buying another Traveller ruleset. The ones I still have are more than enough. While I believe I'm at the end of my path with Traveller, the future's still bright. The Cepheus Engine is where the future of Traveller lies, and not in the hands of Mongoose or even Marc Miller himself.

*I'd have to find it on my hard drive as the original no longer exists on the Internet.

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Traveller wrote:I would say that Book 5: High Guard started it, but its solution to the page of data problem that plagues MegaTraveller and every subsequent version of Traveller was a good middle ground. The Universal Ship Profile was perfect for providing the added data gearheads wanted while keeping things relatively simple. It didn't hurt that the design process didn't require a degree in Calculus either.
Just to be clear, when I was grousing I was referring to High Guard and Trillion Credit Squadron, etc. Once those came out, nobody in my area wanted to do starships with the old book2 system; mostly because of its hull/tonnage limits. I'd rather just let the Referee (Traveller's CK) throw something together and go with it. Now that being said, I don't mind mining other editions of traveler for ideas and house rules, but I agree that CT is my fave and I can't see myself going full time to another version. Certainly not running anything else.

BTW, so can someone explain to me why even Traveller's books started as 48 pg digests (3-ish books) but every version has bigger and bigger rulebooks? Why the need for so much complexity?

Mike
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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by Treebore »

The MegaTraveller ship building rules, with errata, is still my Favorite for when I am in a gear head mood, but I find the newest Mongoose rules to be the easiest.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Re: Mongoose Traveller 2E/1E

Post by DMMike »

Ok...I'll have to go hunt up their pdf now. ;)

Mike
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