Traveller Game System Review

Posts: 138 · Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 3:39 am

Whats the story on this game system? I know JG put out some items under their company. I dont know much about it except its a sci fi rpg and there seems to be a small but fanatical group of people out there who are willing to throw out large sums of money for some of these Traveller items. Whats the game about and what is its playing quality?

Posts: 3187 · Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 5:32 am

*Pings the Traveller*

What I want to know is, why completely ignore Judges Guild's works in the newer versions (This over rights and money, or quality of materials not acceptable)

*Pings the Traveller*

ShaneG.

Posts: 604 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 1:16 am

*feels something bounce off my head and looks up to see a ping pong ball bouncing away*

Marc Miller declared it to be so, and that's why the Judges Guild material is decanonized. I believe the real reason though for the decanonization of this stuff is due to Quicklink Interactive, the primary license holder for Traveller at the time, wanting to release the Gateway To Destiny book, which included a new version of the subsectors in the Judges Guild line. Apparently, the sectors in the Judges Guild material were a bit on the silly side, which had a factor in the decision.

Since the subsectors were decanonized, the adventures that took place there were also rendered unofficial.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 2:33 am

What about modules for Traveller from that other company...the Iron Hoof Highlands guys?

Posts: 3187 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 5:00 am

Group One

ShaneG.

Posts: 2551 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:46 am

I for one have never seen anyone shell out large sums of money for any of the Judges Guild Traveller adventures or supplements. They are so common they can usually be had for less than $5.

FASA and Gamelords items arent quite as prolific as Judges Guild but IIRC they usually hover around the $10 - $15 mark.

Prices on the Paranoia Press, Digest Group, Cargonaut Press, Group One, and Marischal Adventures stuff vary but will usually go for a pretty penny.

I myself have never played Traveller. Sad

Always wanted to but the local game store never carried it. I dont know a single person that has played or wants to play it.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 1:44 pm

With business acumen typical of the early days of gaming, Judges Guild published a series of modules for a game almost no one played. That's why so many copies are still around today...often in shrinkwrap.

A compendium of all the Judges Guild Traveller material in one volume might be interesting....but to who?

Mark Cool

Posts: 604 · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 12:22 am

Kingofpain89 wrote:

I myself have never played Traveller. Sad

Always wanted to but the local game store never carried it. I dont know a single person that has played or wants to play it.

You know one now. Razz

FormCritic, Classic Traveller's longevity far exceeds Original Dungeons & Dragons. The total number of copies of Classic Traveller bear this out, there having been some 150,000 copies printed between the original edition, revised edition, starter edition, and The Traveller Book (PDF copies and the reprints by Marc Miller's FFE imprint as well as Quicklink Interactive do not count). Compare that to the estimated 50,000 copies of OD&D. Rather odd don't you think for a game that "almost no one played"?

Traveller is the first science-fiction role playing game, with Metamorphosis Alpha and Starfaring being either science-fantasy or having science-fantasy elements. Unlike OD&D and AD&D, it's STILL officially supported today, as all the Quicklink Interactive stuff recently released and the stuff from Avenger Enterprises is usable without alteration in Classic Traveller.

The reason there are so many copies of Judges Guild Traveller stuff out there in shrinkwrap is that Judges Guild printed way too many to meet demand. Nothing more, nothing less.

Posts: 180 · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 12:36 am

You know two now, but man has it been a long time since I have played. I'm still trying to fill a few holes in my classic Traveller collection. I have all of the JG Traveller material and don't really care if it is canon or not. I've never been an "if it isn't official, I won't play it" type of guy.

I didn't know the Quicklink stuff was compatible with classic Traveller. That's good to know.

I recently bought a Traveller map from Marc Miller on eBay and he sent me some promotional material for his latest version of Traveller (4th ed. ?). Anyone know anything about it.

I play D&D via OpenRPG on Friday nights. Our GM has been recruiting players for Taveller's MayDay and Snapshot games using OpenRPG.

Posts: 2551 · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 10:06 am

leadjunkie wrote:

I recently bought a Traveller map from Marc Miller on eBay and he sent me some promotional material for his latest version of Traveller (4th ed. ?). Anyone know anything about it.

According to http://www.traveller5.com/ it is supposed to be set for release this June...but somehow I doubt it. All of the QLI stuff I have looked at is for Traveller D20 so I haven't bothered to buy any of it. Most of it is in .pdf as well which I don't care to buy. I have seen some items from Avenger Enterprises that look interesting:

http://www.comstar-games.com/csg-store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath =1

Looks like the majority of their stuff is set after the "New Era" timeline.

Leadjunkie, I had no idea where Nevada, TX was until I noticed it under your handle. You live about 20 - 30 minutes from me in Plano. You should consider getting together with the rest of us North Texas Acaeum members the next time we do so. Actually I think Badmike was wanting to try to do so again sometime in July. The last time we had a gathering there were five of us including Steve Marsh and Geoff Dale. We had a lot of fun just talking and getting to know each other. But the real entertainment came later when Steve brought out some real swords and we took turns slicing up water-filled plastic bottles. I learned more about swordfighting technique in 30 minutes than I did the previous 34 years. Very Happy

And I thought I would post a link to this for any Traveller fans:

http://www.travellermap.com/

I am sure some of you have seen this already. The guy who did this did a fantastic job. I can't imagine how much time it took to complete. Shocked

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 7:53 pm

Traveller wrote:

You know one now. Razz

FormCritic, Classic Traveller's longevity far exceeds Original Dungeons & Dragons. The total number of copies of Classic Traveller bear this out, there having been some 150,000 copies printed between the original edition, revised edition, starter edition, and The Traveller Book (PDF copies and the reprints by Marc Miller's FFE imprint as well as Quicklink Interactive do not count). Compare that to the estimated 50,000 copies of OD&D. Rather odd don't you think for a game that "almost no one played"?

Certainly, I never met a Traveller player until...well, Traveller.

Since OD&D essentially sold out of issues and went on to become AD&D and AD&D went on to become many more iterations, one couldn't really argue that Traveller has come anywhere close to outselling it.

Not that it really matters...my point was that Judges Guild printed quite a number of publications for a second tier niche market RPG...and that wasn't great business sense.

Posts: 604 · Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 12:11 am

I disagree with the niche market comment purely for historical reasons, primarily the fact that Traveller was the most popular forefather of science-fiction role playing, stepping away from the "dungeon in space" mold established by Metamorphosis Alpha.

One thing I think we can agree on is that Judges Guild printed far too many copies of Traveller material to meet demand. Given the number of websites devoted to Traveller out there compared to other science-fiction role playing games, can it really be said that Traveller is a "niche market" game?

I don't believe so.

Posts: 180 · Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 12:38 am

While we are on the Traveller kick, I'm pleased to say that I just scored four Traveller modules on eBay from Group One the Judges Guild spin off company. I don't see Group One stuff come up very often and I was pleased to get them.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:53 pm

Traveller wrote:

I disagree with the niche market comment purely for historical reasons, primarily the fact that Traveller was the most popular forefather of science-fiction role playing, stepping away from the "dungeon in space" mold established by Metamorphosis Alpha.

One thing I think we can agree on is that Judges Guild printed far too many copies of Traveller material to meet demand. Given the number of websites devoted to Traveller out there compared to other science-fiction role playing games, can it really be said that Traveller is a "niche market" game?

I don't believe so.

All table-top RPG's are really niche market games. Science Fiction RPG's really are a niche within that niche full of niches.

By the way, the other day, at the University of Washington area Half-Price Books, I paid $3 for a publication from Far Future Enterprises. It is called Adventures 1-13 The Classic Adventures. It is in pretty good condition...I have seen new books with more dings. The date is 2000. Is it any kind of a find?

Posts: 1291 · Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:46 pm

FormCritic wrote:

By the way, the other day, at the University of Washington area Half-Price Books, I paid $3 for a publication from Far Future Enterprises. It is called Adventures 1-13 The Classic Adventures. It is in pretty good condition...I have seen new books with more dings. The date is 2000. Is it any kind of a find?

I'll give you 5 bucks for it Mark!

Heres one -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Traveller-Adventures-1-13-The-Classic-Adventures _W0QQitemZ110127535768QQihZ001QQcategoryZ2547QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQ cmdZViewItem
- so yes, you did ok

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 8:37 am

FormCritic wrote:

By the way, the other day, at the University of Washington area Half-Price Books, I paid $3 for a publication from Far Future Enterprises. It is called Adventures 1-13 The Classic Adventures. It is in pretty good condition...I have seen new books with more dings. The date is 2000. Is it any kind of a find?

Would cost you somewhere around $30 (plus, of course, shipping) for a new copy if ordered direct from FFE -- except for the fact that it's one of their few Classic Traveller books that's out of print. So yes, it's not a bad find.

I prefer the double adventures over the single adventures, but that's just a personal preference.