I don’t have a link for this, but a usually reliable source posts:
Huh. Way to get me not to enthuse about it.
I don’t have a link for this, but a usually reliable source posts:
Aaargh.
I’m at a venue to play 5e D&D right now and still I say aaargh.
In my amateur opinion 5e is desperately bad for combat above about level 8, and irrelevant for roleplaying.
I was going to look up Mongoose Traveller precisely because it was different.
I’m very happy with the current Mongoose Traveller.
On one hand, I get it. 5e is the new d20. There was Traveller20, so of course there would be Traveller 5e. It’s a (presumed) short-cut to reach D&D players.
On the other hand, I don’t get it. The things that make D&D 5e good for D&D* seem irrelevant to Traveller. Fortunately, there will still be non-5e Traveller for those who do want something different than 5e.
(*) This point is debatable. I’m running a D&D 5e (2024) campaign and the system is fine. D&D has always been defined by the system and the culture. D&D 5e is not AD&D1e or B/X D&D and they’re all D&D in their own way.
As far as I recall Traveller d20 was a dismal failure. Starfinder isn’t doing too well either. The notional market for “a science fiction game, but with the rules we already know for monster-bashing” doesn’t seem to be there.
If your recollection is correct, then it raises the question of why they think Traveller 5e would be different.
I thought Starfinder was basically monster bashing with a science fiction (or science fantasy) veneer. “I like Pathfinder, but I want it to be in space.”
If Mongoose is trying to attract D&D 5e players to Traveller, how many of those players will bounce off because your typical Traveller adventures do not match your typical D&D adventure? Even if they know the rules, will they want to play a Traveller game?
It seems clear from the Mongoose forums that this is a licensing deal for another company to make a 5e compatible Traveller. Given I can’t keep up with official Mongoose Traveller books no loss; I have no interest but it doesn’t seem to trump the continued flow of Traveller books. Indeed for Whartson Hall they have just announced a full 2300AD core book (in a couple of years …) rather than flipping through two books!
Goodoh! Im not going to object to it if it doesnt become the Only Traveller.
I saw the 2300 thing -I really should look into other non-military campaign options in that setting…
Because they can sell it before the audience —5e players who think they want a different story with the same basic rules — figure out it’s not really what they want. That’s why you use kickstarter.
Yeah and if it’s a different company actually publishing it, then no risk (except dilution).