1) A simple to use system generator that allows GMs to roll out new systems quickly and easily
2) A system generator that has weird stuff in it, but as more and more IRL star systems get discovered people start to realize that it is accurate, and in fact almost predicts what people will find in a system with certain characteristics.
#1 is less likely to make me curl up in terror
Todd Kes
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 3/29/17, David Nilsen [Traveller_TNE] <> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Re: Traveller's system generator is offically kaput
To:
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 1:31 PM
When I saw the story
multiple times on TV and read about it in the paper and
several magazines, the only thing I could think about was
Traveller system generation and how this would affect
that.
Then I realized
1) what I said previously, and 2) not my job any more.
1) As a game, it's got to make certain simplifications or abstractions,
which by definition are inaccurate, and confined to the scientific
understanding at the time of publication.
2) This one would be great, but to get to the level of "predictivity" you
seek, we won't get there in our lifetimes (after which Traveller will be
dead anyway), in the sense of generation based on real, quantifiable data
and science.
However, I think you're getting at something different in #2, which is,
"let's throw in some random stuff that can result in Trappist systems" as
well as "normal" systems like this Sol-ar system.
I think that's probably a good idea for an individual GM, who can decide
how many of them he wants. But when we get into the franchise-wide
Universal Completist DGP-style "I must know everything" premise, it
wouldn't satisfy everyone, i.e., anyone. And that's the "universal
franchise-wide" blinkers that I am used to wearing.
On Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 8:10 PM, Todd Kes
[Traveller_TNE] <> wrote:
>
>
> Which would people feel more comfortable about:
>
> 1) A simple to use system generator that allows GMs to roll out new
> systems quickly and easily
>
> 2) A system generator that has weird stuff in it, but as more and more IRL
> star systems get discovered people start to realize that it is accurate,
> and in fact almost predicts what people will find in a system with certain
> characteristics.
>
> #1 is less likely to make me curl up in terror
>
> Todd Kes
>
> --------------------------------------------
> On Wed, 3/29/17, David Nilsen [Traveller_TNE] <
> > wrote:
>
> Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Re: Traveller's system generator is offically
> kaput
> To:
> Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 1:31 PM
>
> When I saw the story
> multiple times on TV and read about it in the paper and
> several magazines, the only thing I could think about was
> Traveller system generation and how this would affect
> that.
>
> Then I realized
> 1) what I said previously, and 2) not my job any more.
>
>
> 2) This one would be great, but to get to the level of "predictivity" you seek, we won't get there in our lifetimes (after which Traveller will be dead anyway), in the sense of generation based on real, quantifiable data and science.
Dave, as I read this I thought "Traveller won't die, it'll just become the D&D of the future!" Brett.
Brett, since 1977 I have always believed that Traveller IS the "D&D of the
future"! :-)
I guess it's the meaning of "the future" that gets in our way:
Our way of thinking about the future now? Yes
The game that geeks play in lieu of meeting girls in the future? Prob'ly
not, there are cellphone games that allow you to play games AND meet
girls... I fear that whole either/or thing has dumped us in the past.
On Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 10:45 PM, [Traveller_TNE] <
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > 2) This one would be great, but to get to the level of "predictivity"
> you seek, we won't get there in our lifetimes (after which Traveller will
> be dead anyway), in the sense of generation based on real, quantifiable
> data and science.
>
>
> Dave, as I read this I thought "Traveller won't die, it'll just become the
> D&D of the future!"
>
> Brett.
>
>
>
It's been my observation that even D&D is making a come back of a sort and this time there are a lot more girls around the table. Of course it helps that it has a megacorp behind it that likes making "classic" games. I cringe at some of the mods they've done with 5th edition, but then again they help novice players (or that is the theory anyway, personally I haven't played D&D for several years).
Problem with computer games, especially those that you can play on your phone: exploits, cheat codes, and "pay to win". If your group of pencil and paper RPG friends sitting around the table has a member that engages in certain types of attacks because, while they are not entirely keeping in the spirit of the rules, they are legal, or designs a shotgun that has HEAP flechette rounds *cough*, or decides to play a doctor-special forces-pilot that started his game life at 14 as a barbarian, then everyone just sort of collectively rolls their eyes and goes back to gaming and having fun. When you are playing with a group of players in an online game who munchkin out through exploits or because they invested hundreds of dollars to create the "perfect" character, it just takes the joy out of the game, especially if it is an adversarial type game (player or group of players vs. player or group of players).
Plus, I think you are seeing more kids who actually want to get together and enjoy some Cheetos and far too much caffeine with each other rather than rage at each other over a headset. I don't think I'm alone in thinking so. So yeah, your grand kids will probably still be playing traditional RPGs, even if the sourcebooks are all in electronic format and everyone has a tablet device instead of a satchel of books and paper. Will they still have dice? Maybe.
On Wednesday, March 29, 2017 10:57 PM, "David Nilsen [Traveller_TNE]" <> wrote:
Brett, since 1977 I have always believed that Traveller IS the "D&D of the future"! :-)
I guess it's the meaning of "the future" that gets in our way:
Our way of thinking about the future now? Yes
The game that geeks play in lieu of meeting girls in the future? Prob'ly not, there are cellphone games that allow you to play games AND meet girls... I fear that whole either/or thing has dumped us in the past.
On Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 10:45 PM, [Traveller_TNE] <> wrote:
> 2) This one would be great, but to get to the level of "predictivity" you seek, we won't get there in our lifetimes (after which Traveller will be dead anyway), in the sense of generation based on real, quantifiable data and science.
Dave, as I read this I thought "Traveller won't die, it'll just become the D&D of the future!"
Brett.
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Actually the thought behind #2 was, 'how did this person know so much about what had not been discovered yet'?
Todd Kes
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 3/29/17, David Nilsen [Traveller_TNE] <> wrote:
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] System generator comparison
To:
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 9:00 PM
2) This one would be great, but to get to the level of "predictivity" you seek, we won't get there in our lifetimes (after which Traveller will be dead anyway), in the sense of generation based on real, quantifiable data and science.
However, I think you're getting at something different in #2, which is, "let's throw in some random stuff that can result in Trappist systems" as well as "normal" systems like this Sol-ar system.
On Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 8:10 PM, Todd Kes [Traveller_TNE] <> wrote:
Which would people feel more comfortable about:
2) A system generator that has weird stuff in it, but as
more and more IRL star systems get discovered people start
to realize that it is accurate, and in fact almost predicts
what people will find in a system with certain
characteristics.