On Sun, 26 Jul 2020 at 10:05, Phil Pugliese - philpugliese at yahoo.com (via tml list) <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:
Ditto.

After all, I believe that the adventures TCollinson runs are strictly by the MgT system, which I believe is required by TravCon UK.

This year (i.e. last March) that restriction seems to have been relaxed.  Hence the picture in Freelance Traveller AAR of Derrick J rather delightedly refereeing a MegaTraveller game!


On Saturday, July 18, 2020, 03:31:18 AM MST, <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:


Can you tell me what particularly you don't like (that is much different from what went before)?

Yes, I'm curious as, it feels to me, so much like classic Traveller but kind of tidied up and streamlined.


I'm curious because I've only given it a cursory look and a lot of folk seem to like it. I'd be interesting in hearing what aspects you found unpalatable...


I like it but then:
a) I have NO experience of other gaming systems, I'm afraid I'm Traveller through and through (not through lack of interest but just lack of time (and opportunity))
b) even in Traveller I've only refereed under Mongoose and nothing else.  I didn't have a group or dare to run something at TravCon until Mongoose 1st edition had come out (and at that time, MgT1 was required at TravCon), so it's difficult to compare even with other Traveller rule sets which I only know from reading
c) I think it's fair to say I run very very rules 'lite' games so perhaps any inadequacies are something I just don't worry about.  (e.g. I've tried the trade rules live in a game with my group and once at TravCon and I don't find they are amenable to some at the table being interested and others wanting to 'get on') (see comments in this year's TravCon AAR write up).
d) if the rules are stopping me from enjoying something, I would rather promote fun at the table rather than any strict interpretation or regulation of what we're doing.  I appreciate that there may be players who don't like that.  I guess they must avoid my games at TravCon however.

Of course, that's not to say I can't see flaws in the Mongoose rules.  The Events tables for example are great for the occasional PC but too short for lots of use as they get a bit repetitive, so I like the d66 Events tables in Spica.  The Boon and Bane dice in MgT2 I've not really adopted or used much (at all?).  I still find some bits of combat tricky, but that's just me and lack of practice.  Ship combat seems, in MgT2, to try to include all of a crew more in role playing actions which I really like the sound of but we haven't got to it yet in TTA (and I've not yet tried it at TravCon which I really should rectify) so I don't know how it will work but I'm not convinced there's much to do for some characters.  Trade still feels, if not broken, at least not quite right whether you're doing it round the table or between sessions.  (A bit easy to make money?  Ignores destination?)  So it's not that I'm blind to (some) faults and there are one or two things I'd like a little more detail on (perhaps 'ships in port' would be a good example, and a very quick trade system) but nor do I want a million rules governing everything and so much complexity it feels like a chore rather than something that's supposed to be entertaining for me as well as players.  Inspiration and a bit of a framework rather than rivet counting.

Of course, having said that, I can see the fun and opportunities in having some specific detail for specific moments - e.g. my ATV schematics or the detailed solar system in _Into the Unknown_ or the auction catalogue for _Second Scions' Society_.  That's why I can love T5, as a toolkit to take bits from as required even if I don't think I'd run games using it.  But that last maybe because I just don't seem to be able to get my head round some of the detail in character generation so I've got bogged down in that.  I'd love some worked examples.

tc