Starship Combat in T5

[nats]

How is starship combat treated in Traveller 5? This is my biggest bug bear about the various editions.

I think CT has a great system if you want to play it on your own over an evening but its a bit useless for group gameplay unless you like miniatures combat.

Whereas I felt Mongoose was too complicated and like all of Mongoose stuff very confusing - having to go backwards and forwards between sections looking at stuff to figure out the gameplay which is something that ruins all the Mongoose stuff.

So how does T5 do it? Is there a simple list that you run through to carry out the combat sequence? And is it simple enough that it doesnt take a whole session just to do one round?

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Missiles rule all.

I have run about three solid engagements and I have found that missiles rule and energy weapons are for Anti-Missile fire.

Changing Range Bands can bore the crap out of players. The concept of space war being long periods of getting to the fight followed by who has better stuff or can survive longest! Not a crowd favorite..

I still have to try the most recent draft.


But my opinion is missiles and lots of magazines to reload from. A few beam weapons for AM and to repel boarders, I would not make them my primary weapon set. Main Guns (mini-Spinals, or Spinals for parties. ), those are another story. If you can squeeze one go for it!

Just thought someone should get back to you on this thread. Maybe later I will dig out my Playtest notes.

Got to go, the Game is afoot.

Laterness,
Craig.

 

[PFVA63]

Hi,

Thanks for the heads up. Your notes remind me a little about one of the complaints that I read from GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars, in that the narrative claimed that Imperial missile technology gave them an advantage early on over the Terrans, but that in the rules as written apparently some of the reviewers didn't find thsat to hold up in play (if I am recalling correctly). As such, its interesting to hear that in T5 missiles do in fact seem to give an advantage.

Thanks again for your info.

PF

 

[nats]

Just thought someone should get back to you on this thread. Maybe later I will dig out my Playtest notes.

Thanks Craig. I really meant how is it arranged from a gameplay point of view, not the mechanics of what weapon is best. IE is it suited to roleplaying with paper/dice or is it more a detailed miniatures type combat system. I dont think either CT or MgT have got it right yet. I prefer the CT simplistic style but would like to see it be more 'fudgy' and less regimented.

 

[pendragonman]

Thanks Craig. I really meant how is it arranged from a gameplay point of view, not the mechanics of what weapon is best. IE is it suited to roleplaying with paper/dice or is it more a detailed miniatures type combat system. I dont think either CT or MgT have got it right yet. I prefer the CT simplistic style but would like to see it be more 'fudgy' and less regimented.

While our friend from DDB was making some commentary on best weapons thoughts, he neglected to tell you that right now T5 is a small ship universe. The additional construction rules necessary for the bigi boys haven't been released yet.

You may have noticed a similar weapon issue with CT book 2 ship combat, missiles are queens. This is for the same reason.

 

[nats]

While our friend from DDB was making some commentary on best weapons thoughts, he neglected to tell you that right now T5 is a small ship universe. The additional construction rules necessary for the bigi boys haven't been released yet.

Thats fine with me. I always preferred Traveller with a small-time atmosphere, never used the big ships except for a couple of test combats which TBH werent all that interesting. In fact whats always been the most interesting thing about CT for me is the way it simulates realistic small time issues and social problems, I always loved that little example of play in Book 0 for that reason - I could relate to it completely. I always loved the fact that you have swords and daggers and little pistols far more than the big futuristic weapons that you just cant relate to. I always relate to the smaller ships far more than the massive cruisers etc.

That for me IS Traveller - small ships, basic weapons, realistic political and social issues to get caught up in. Its never been about massive ships, futuristic armour and ultra cool communications gadgets for me. I feel that this is where MgT really falls down - they expanded the futuristic part massively but I was never intersted in that stuff. I really hope T5 gets back to the basics of good old fashioned Classic Traveller - allowing modern stuff/psionics/big ships but making it rather difficult to get those things for the characters. They should know about this stuff and perhaps see it but not have it.

That for me is Traveller - a gritty believable Bladerunner-esk universe, not Star Trek or Star Wars.

 

[Shonner]

How is starship combat treated in Traveller 5? This is my biggest bug bear about the various editions.

I've been reading Traveller 5's starship combat rules. Lots of little details, according to how your ship is designed. It has collision rules. If used as a sci-fi sourcebook, Traveller 5 is interesting reading. Nearly all of the combat stuff I've read in it, I seen before in much much older Traveller books. Starships can use different types of M-Drives in Traveller 5, using different fuel other than liquid hydrogen.

A lot of the rules are the same as Classic Traveller. But they are more detailed in describing (in a scientific way) why the rules are so.

 

[Shonner]

That for me IS Traveller - small ships, basic weapons, realistic political and social issues to get caught up in. Its never been about massive ships, futuristic armour and ultra cool communications gadgets for me. I feel that this is where MgT really falls down - they expanded the futuristic part massively but I was never intersted in that stuff. I really hope T5 gets back to the basics of good old fashioned Classic Traveller - allowing modern stuff/psionics/big ships but making it rather difficult to get those things for the characters. They should know about this stuff and perhaps see it but not have it.

That for me is Traveller - a gritty believable Bladerunner-esk universe, not Star Trek or Star Wars.

Traveller 5 reveals all tech levels up to 33, in case anyone wants to play using every kind of Star Wars or Star Trek or Ringworld setting ever published. Creating new stars, or imploding them, Jump-20 that's nearly instant and doesn't take a week, that kind of high tech level stuff. It lists the risks for societies using such tech levels. But the chapter on the 3rd Imperium sticks with TL-F and Jump-6.

 

[rich4421972]

I heartily agree. It can be more fun for players to know that ship they acquired or built is serviceable in any situation. On the other hand, it's nice to know that options are out there. Still, I would enjoy a miniatures-style game similar to TNE's Striker II and/or Brilliant Lances. Just another option for playing.

 

[SpaceBadger]

I missed the Kickstarter, so I guess will be waiting until all Kickstarter supporters have their books before I can try out T5. I'm not real eager to add another ginormous hardback book to my gaming collection; does anyone know if there has been an announcement as to whether it will be available as PDF via DriveThru or other sources?

 

[Shonner]

Of course. A PDF will be available. That is the way of things.

 

[SanDragon]

Gimme-gimme-gimme my dead-tree!!!

 

[Hyphen]

Thats fine with me. I always preferred Traveller with a small-time atmosphere, never used the big ships except for a couple of test combats which TBH werent all that interesting. In fact whats always been the most interesting thing about CT for me is the way it simulates realistic small time issues and social problems...
[snip]
That for me IS Traveller - small ships, basic weapons, realistic political and social issues to get caught up in.

That's why many feel that Star Vikings (H. Beam Piper) is so very Traveller. Three dodgy starships holding sn entire planet to ransom? Sounds like a scenario to me.

;-)

 

[Dagrill]

Missiles rule

I have run about three solid engagements and I have found that missiles rule and energy weapons are for Anti-Missile fire.

Changing Range Bands can bore the crap out of players. The concept of space war being long periods of getting to the fight followed by who has better stuff or can survive longest! Not a crowd favorite..


Hi Magnus,

whilst I'm awaiting my copy in the UK, I'm glad to hear about missiles, I've dropped missiles in favour of squeezing in a meson gun bay in all my mongoose ship designs

will we be able to blow up death star's with fighters?

Regards

David

 

[Dagrill]

I've been reading Traveller 5's starship combat rules. Lots of little details, according to how your ship is designed. It has collision rules. If used as a sci-fi sourcebook, Traveller 5 is interesting reading. Nearly all of the combat stuff I've read in it, I seen before in much much older Traveller books. Starships can use different types of M-Drives in Traveller 5, using different fuel other than liquid hydrogen.



Hi,

Collision as in RAMMING ???

Regards

David

 

[Shonner]

Hi,

Collision as in RAMMING ???

Regards

David

Yes.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Maybe...

Hi Magnus,

whilst I'm awaiting my copy in the UK, I'm glad to hear about missiles, I've dropped missiles in favour of squeezing in a meson gun bay in all my mongoose ship designs

will we be able to blow up death star's with fighters?

Regards

David

Possibly. Fighters seemed to work with my one combat I ran them in. Remember when using fighters that missiles are still the win, since they have their damage based on Size, not Launcher.