Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Traveller

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-19-2016, 04:44 AM   #11
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
- Exploration (e.g.Leviathan, or more IISS-style) isn't criminal
- Colony building isn't criminal
- Espionage is likely criminal, literally speaking, but probably not what the OP had in mind
- TNE-style smash-n-grab is probably considered illegal on the victim worlds, but it's official policy of the Reformation Coalition, not illegal by their standards.
Yeah but have you played any of those games? (Ignoring TNE, because let's face it, the Reformation Coalition were a bunch of bandits.) Are there any official resources for an actual Scout Service exploration campaign?
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2016, 07:46 AM   #12
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
Yeah but have you played any of those games?
All of them. The espionage thing didn't last very long, nor did the TNE game. But then, lots of campaigns get started and discarded, at least in the groups I've regularly played with.
Anaraxes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2016, 12:04 PM   #13
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
I think it's splitting hairs to separate pirates from privateers or spies that would be executed for crimes by the victim state.
The hairs do matter though. Sure most PCs are Professional Practitioners of Coercive Violence in Martian, but we distinguish those jobs in Terrestrial languages for a reason. Most veterans get pretty upset when you equate their service with state sponsored mass murder.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-26-2016, 05:21 PM   #14
joshualevy
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

I've been running a Traveller game for years (but only one adventure per year). The players are a bunch of bon vivant adventurers, and they rarely break the law. Everything is very episodic. They are usually helping people or exploring things or getting caught up in other people's law breaking. Now, they are not legalistic hair splitters, so laws occasionally do get cracked a little (all in a good cause). After all, every planet has it's own, and many planets have none at all, so it's hard to keep track of the details.

I do think Traveller's OTU focus on a star travelling ship, but planet bound laws, makes law breaking a much more attractive career than in other adventuring settings. (And having an uninterested imperium with slow communications doesn't help anything, in this regard.)

Also, my adventures don't really worry about making money. Their ship is incredibly old and run down, but somehow they always have just enough money (or goodwill) to get the worst problems fixed. That's part of the campaign, and we all know it.

Joshua Levy

Last edited by joshualevy; 11-26-2016 at 05:25 PM.
joshualevy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2016, 09:48 AM   #15
jason taylor
 
jason taylor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
I think it's splitting hairs to separate pirates from privateers or spies that would be executed for crimes by the victim state.

I think most RPGs involve violence and crime except in near lawless settings where there is no local strong enforcement of law.
Both pushing old ladies into the path of a car and pushing them out of it involve pushing. Details do matter.
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison
jason taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2016, 03:17 AM   #16
Flyndaran
Untagged
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Both pushing old ladies into the path of a car and pushing them out of it involve pushing. Details do matter.
That's true, but has nothing to do with what I wrote.
Saving lives is different than trying to kill. No duh?

Privateers were usually just pirates that asked the enemies of their intended targets to give them the okay first. They were still out for monetary gains with the same methods.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.
Flyndaran is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2016, 02:25 PM   #17
jason taylor
 
jason taylor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
That's true, but has nothing to do with what I wrote.
Saving lives is different than trying to kill. No duh?

Privateers were usually just pirates that asked the enemies of their intended targets to give them the okay first. They were still out for monetary gains with the same methods.
That depends on what era. That description would be true of sixteenth century privateers. Napoleonic privateers were so well integrated into the customs of war that they were really better described as naval officers with a capitalist admiralty.

And why you are trying to kill does matter unless you are a pacifist. If the target is(hypothetically) a state controlled by a monster bent on Taking Over The World, it is not clear why it matters whether you fight them as a privateer or a naval officer as in both cases you are adhering to the customs of war and fighting within the context of an organization capable of answering for you and prosecuting you should you commit war crimes. Most people accept in practice and indeed in theory that there is a middle ground between brigandage and pacifism.
__________________
"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison

Last edited by jason taylor; 12-03-2016 at 02:34 PM.
jason taylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2016, 06:18 AM   #18
hal
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

I've run campaigns that were mysteries, naval, merchant, and even mercenary all without devolving into criminal behavior. Had one player character break the law by assaulting a border guard on Adibicci' s xt line - creating an interstellar incident, face an imperial court and be sentenced to prison for it.

The naval campaign was inspired by SECTOR FLEET and GURPS TRAVELLER STARSHIPS where the two players were the commander and executive officer of a 5000 dton destroyer.
hal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-24-2016, 05:08 PM   #19
Whitestreak
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

The most memorable Traveller campaign I've played involved piracy and slavery.

We, as a group, were part of an Imperial force that specialized in crimes that were outside the normal purview of sector/local law enforcement.

The unit ended up destroying a major gang that specialized in both by being on board a ship that was boarded by pirates. We counter-boarded and used their ship to eventually track the main base.

Of course, there were remnants of the gang that escaped, but the unit was pulled off to go after a massive drug dealing network.
Whitestreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-26-2016, 10:06 AM   #20
Z09SS
 
Z09SS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Holiday, FL
Default Re: Traveler...the Criminal RPG

One of my more memorable campaigns was an archaeology based one.

Because of the condition of Ancient sites, it was extreme environments and conditions, so suitable for adventure (plus a secret conspiracy to deal with).

One player was the PhD and the rest were his et al, grad students and the like.

A couple of the players were university employed specialists rather than students.

We ran this every weekend for about four months.
__________________
A hobbyist is an expert in their hobby. Unaccredited to be sure, but an expert nonetheless!
Z09SS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:09 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.