In this episode, we return to Traveller, and look at some of the supplements for the game. When it comes to politics, we are as woolly as John Stewart Mill riding a sheep and wearing cardigans, so we examine our attitudes towards the politics of the Imperium.
Games master’s Screen: Judge Blythy enjoys the benefit of High Passage, as his status demands, however he is less enamoured the concept of the D66.
The usual memories and discussion around the selected supplements take place.
Postbag: There’s been much interest in Traveller including a game description by Andrew Cousins. I also reflect upon the recent Runequest Classic kickstarter.
Traveller was my first RPG. When I went to Queensland University in 1980, I lived on campus at a residential college (UK = hall of residence, US = dorm). I wandered past a room where a bunch of guys were sitting around rolling dice. They were playing a science fiction “role playing game”. You didn’t need a board (?) and only one person needed to know the rules (?!). I was hooked. I bought a lot of the GDW scenario books and supplements but I really liked the FASA Traveller products. I was very disappointed when FASA shifted to Battletech. I got into Call of Cthulhu and sold all my Traveller stuff when I moved to Canberra in 1987. But still – Traveller was my first love.
It’s always hard to shake off your first love. I feel the same way about Runequest. With all of the revival stuff going on at the moment with Chaosuim, it feels like being reunited with my first love and realising that I should have married it in the first place. Thanks for posting and your support. Pleased that you found us!
I once read a review of Space Opera in an Australian games magazine. The writer compared it favourably to Traveller. I agreed with some of the comments about the technology in Traveller – this was the dawn of the PC era and a game set in the “far future” with computers weighing tons was very anachronistic – but it felt like someone attacking your best friend. I bought a copy of one of the Space Opera supplements looking for ideas I could use in my Traveller campaign but its politics (Ayn Rand in space) put me right off so I chucked it in the bin.
There is a Kickstarter by Ken Burnside for a Traveller table top game – link to the rpg’s space battles. It might worth checking out
I’m not sure how internet would work across 800 light years at the speed of travel – wouldn’t the web pages take ages to update via X-Boat?