Welcome players.

In reply to GM (msg # 1):

Greetings guys! Glad to see you!

Hey. Just a quick hello, and a note that in the specifications it says the Empress Katerina is a jump 2 ship, but in the actual ship component breakdown it states she has a jump 3 drive.

Never noticed before.

Hey team, how are you'all
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Sat 12 Aug 2023.

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 4):

Great, you? Anybody bringing the other PC? You're Billianah right Adriannah? And Levi has Tanja. We definitely need to bring Fat Boy for the DM to NPC.

Hmm, the only one I can post as is Harry.

Who was the Captain? Misty?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Sat 12 Aug 2023.

You can now post your other characters.

In reply to GM (msg # 7):

Cool!

Will we be assigned Crew roll's?

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 9):

I think we have to pick our rolls based on our skills.

Levi is an engineer, pure and simple, with medic as secondary role. He has some skill in a smattering of other areas but nothing to suggest he should take that as a primary role, such as Biology, Instruction and Admin.

Tanja is a true multi-role, Jack of all Trades so could fit in anywhere. Considering her primary role was a techie, she's now a decent pilot, astrogator, comma, sensors and engineer. Technical has taken a back step.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 11):

Theodore is a surgeon. We should be okay there, I guess there is also an autodoc.

Billianah is Skilled with Electronics (Computer)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:54, Sun 13 Aug 2023.

Okay, we have a few players and a few more characters.  Thanks for migrating to this game.  I am quite new to the traveller game system.  I can't believe it has never been on my radar to play, but most of my gaming days have been D&D oriented.  I enjoyed playing table top star frontiers back in the day, and just never ran across Traveller.  So, a little about me.  I have been involved in some fashion with D&D since my teenage years in the eighties.  Lots of table top fun back then.  I have been writing off and on in play by post games for a couple of decades.  I think I started back in 2001.  I host a fantasy game here on RPOL and one of the players got me looking at the traveller game.  And here we are.

I must confess, it is a LOT of material and my short term memory will not allow me to learn remember all of it.

My condolences to you for the loss of a friend in the gaming community.  It happens.  It has happened to me on more than one occasion, as I tend to lean toward the more mature (older) GMs.  Im 55 years old, married, and work as an instrumentation electrician or controls engineer here in the heartland of Indiana.  Yes, a hoosier... well, an immigrant hoosier.  I was born and raised in the deep south.

Anyway, a couple of questions for this game migration.  Is there a story line currently being played?  If so, do we cut it short, sum it up with a time slip, and start on something fresh?  Did the author of the last game have a storyline synopsis I could read.  A history?  Was he playing from a published adventure?  Do you want to migrate the story to here in a story arc thread?

I do not have a campaign storyline in place yet.  I am still reading material and getting familiar with terms, races, the galaxy, and game play.

Anyway, well met friends and happy gaming!

Morning to you too.

Traveller does have a lot of fluff with it, but ita such a large universe you can take or leave large portions of it, or gloss over it if you want. After all, the Imperial fist can only reach so far and reinforcements are always weeks if not months away.

As for plot I don't believe GM Starmaster's was following a published scenario. After all he adopted the game from its original GM and I don't think he used a published adventure.

I said in the other game, I'd like to keep the characters as they are (we've progressed so much already).but am happy to start over to make it more convenient for you, and set it wherever you want. We've only just started on our ship having sold out cargo and were planning our next move.

So if you're after a more frontier style game we could always have a mission to head to that area as a courier / trader / passenger transport and then we lose our ship (if we're swapping) or whatever needs to happen.

How did the party acquire the Empress Katarina?  Is it salvage, as the intro on the game suggests?  What is the primary function in its use?  Trading? Mining? Passengers?  In what way have the party been using it?

I assume the oarty is currently somewhere in the spinward marches?
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:22, Sun 13 Aug 2023.

We earned her for completing a delicate task for a rich patron... And didn't ask any questions about it.

In essence we helped salvage a military warship with high technology on board, and gifted it to our patron for their own purpose. The Katerina was our taxi there and subsequent reward.

Considering she's highly modified (she's apparently  jump 3, possesses an advanced sensor system (courtesy of the Zhodani), as well as a missile launcher and twin turreted weapon mounts), it was a really generous gift.

Which begs the question, how can a highly modified, expensive spaceship just be handed over like it was?? What else was on the ship we helped salvage??

And what will our patron of us in the years to come?? I don't think anyone is under the impression it was just a gift with no strings attached, despite being told just that.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 17):

That was Admiral Amundson. He was the patron.

Alright, that's a good place to start.  We can work off that and move forward at some point.  Give me some time to align my thinking on the way this thing works and we can be off.  I'll also start posting some guidelines stuff, mostly things ripped from other games or sites that make sense for play by web posting.

Now, do be forewarned, I do these games to enjoy a good story and it is created by both me, as a guide, and the player's as the major characters in the storyline.  With that being said, my expectations from any player is to put some effort in the telling of their character's story.  One line posts are discouraged. Non-interaction is suicidal. I enjoy reading thoughts, intrigues, actions, and reactions from the player's perspective of the scene laid before them.  I'm in no way a novelist, or experienced writer, but I try to make things enjoyable for both myself and the players.  That's why we are here.

So, I am trying to wrap my head around the process of combat in the game with relation to play-by-post style play as compared to its design for table top gaming.  What have you as players found to be the best strategy?  Im just not sure how to 'handle' reactions in the sequence of events.

In reply to GM (msg # 19):

Combat does happen in Traveller, but it isn't real common. I think in the 6 years or so I played in 7 games, 6 games with Rob, I think i was involved in combat maybe 10 or 12 times, +/-, a loy of interaction, roleplay, adventure and such though.

Levi? Ladies?

Haven't been in combat using the Traveller system ever on rpol, just tabletop.

We can do contested rolls either by stating our actions and letting the GM roll or by rolling any dice we think appropriate to the situation and allowing the GM to write up responses.

It's the only way to keep it speedy. That it pseudo or full freeform, which I'd disagree with. I like rolling dice to resolve contests at the end of the day.

Well, I can state that there will be combat as well with all the other.  We will just have to wing it and feel it out on how best to go about it.   Fun stuff!

Now, I have to figure out the ship's requirements on crew.... what we got vs. what we need.

Can everyone see their private character thread?  If not, please let me know.

Is that everything you all wish to migrate to this board?  Any NPCs you all were using consistently?

Okay, opened up the character sheets for all characters.  They are editable.  I will delete the private threads as it lends to clutter in the menu.

Looking at crew compliment the Katerina states steward - is this just for when we're carrying passengers??

So we only realistically need pilot, astrogator and engineer to fly and travel. Gunner, medic and steward are all circumstance specific roles.

Who do we have as characters (I've looked on cast list for skills there)??

Levi - engineer (primary); medic (secondary)
Tanja - pilot, astrogator (primary); engineer, comms & sensors (secondary); technician (tertiary)
Theo - medic (primary); pilot (secondary); technician, steward (tertiary)
Harry - Gunner (primary); Trade & Broker (secondary); Astrogator, Electronics (Tertiary)

Brillianah - computers
Adriannah - ???
Phillip - mining associated skills

I'll add my character sheet soon.

Put me down for the Steward

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SKILLS

 Vacc Suit 2
 Prospecting 1
 Mechanical 1
 Engnrng 1
 Medical 1
 Electronic 1
 Pilot (small craft)-0
 Mechanic-0
 Zero-Gee-0
 Gun Combat (Auto Pistol)-1
 Drive-0
 Swim-0
 Pilot 1
 Astrogation 2
 Auto Pistol 0

I'm only listing our best skills at the moment to see what we have and what cross over in skills exist. If you want steward that's fine, but is there another role or set of skills you have for day to day ship operations??

And that's another question. Re all the characters experienced and migrating over, or do we have some fresh from character gen??


Ooh I see that Philip has Astrogation (2). That might help out loads.

Since we are migrating from another game, I offer the opportunity to move around a few skill points as you see fit without taking advantage. No skill above rank 4.

Once finished, please write up your background to include skills acquisitions through education, military, and careers in your character sheet.

Anyone know from what resource your ship come from?

In reply to GM (msg # 31):

Uhh, Rob created the ship. Not sure which rules he used. He never said that I recall.

Aight then...

Possibly Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/...-556053885216158992/

yeah, I saw that pin today when doing a search.  I could not really find any specifics about it other than it is a Far Trader class ship.

There's material out there on it, just not willing to pay 20 something in cash for it... :o)

Call me cheap, but I can make something up.

In reply to GM (msg # 35):

Call me poor. The Empress Katarina is highly modified, an Empress Marava class ship. Yup, that is where he got the deck plans.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Tue 15 Aug 2023.

Be dismayed not, my travellers, for I am slowly processing all this information.  It JUST dawned on me, after all this reading, that there is NO experience points.... no levels... none of that.  Just time getting experienced and following whatever story comes before you.

Marvelous!

;-) Yup, ain't that sweet! None of that BS to keep track of!

I was never sure what version of of Traveller we were playing, let alone where the GM got his source material!! I rolled my stats and career, had skills assigned... And that was it. Washed out on my first roll.

To be fair, GM Starmaster took over the game from another GM, and the Katerina was the original GM's invention based on the Marava hull type. There was some discussion as to how the ship was created as we had two turret hardpoints (standard for the ship class), a missile bay (which wasn't standard) and was jump 3, but still retained the same internal cabin space.

We've now got an improved sensor suite (acquired from the Zhodani base) installed which was only possible as we installed different components across the different modules of the ship.

So I think GM license played a huge part in its creation.

Saying that; the missile bay took a hit during our space combat protecting the ship we were salvaging. It's easy to say that whatever miracle made it work is now damaged and therefore we have to resort to just the two standard turrets... Or you can just modify the ship to suit your needs and we'll all work with you.

Want the Zhodani sensor suite to work but cause us loads of problems?? (Imperial suspicion??) Go for it. It doesn't work?? We can sell it.


As fir character development, yeah. No levels. Makes it real easy to track and improve. Also real easy to die. Group of thugs sat at a table, there's no spell that reads auras to tell you what level they are also you can decide whether to risk a fight... It's take a risk with the consequences being a real quick end if you pick wrong.

Any info on this guy?  Who is he?  Admiral of what?

Getting close to starting this thing off... I hope we are all still active and interested!

I will hold off posting for more players until after I get familiar with the game.  If we need NPCs, I will make some as well.  Right now, I think we have the compliment of characters to man the craft sufficiently.   I'm not sure about skills that might be required at ground level of play.  Everything will not be in space.

Anyway, thank you all for your patience.

Amundsen was nobility as well as an admiral, though none of us checked out hus background much.

We all responded to his summons, and he had detailed files on us as part of our "interview". He had his own crew who helped train us while we travelled on the Katerina to the warship we were going to salvage.

As we repaired another ship arrived - a rival of Amundsen. Amundsen's crew remained on the warship while we intercepted the other ship to give them time to escape.

When the warship jumped so too fid the rival. We were damaged, and knew the warship had been involved in strike on a Zhodani base on a rogue planetoid, so we found that, made it a base and cleared it out of salvage to sell as well as refuel and restock our consumables.


So we know the location of a hidden base very few know about (not even Amundsen or his rival), we have a positive relationship with Amundsen and his crew and while the warship was his target, we have a rival annoyed with us for letting the warship escape...

Patron: Amundsen
Enemy: Endo


We also had a few stop overs and a couple of us had romantic engagements (read obsession for Levi) that we wanted to explore further. Can't find the thread that contained her details, but she was at the very.leadt a potential contact / NPC / source for emotional and non-combat plot.

In reply to GM (msg # 44):

Theodore was interested in Tanja, they are good friends now, with no benefits! ;-) Harry was with Dawn briefly, but she moved on, it was all about benefits. ;-)

Dawn?  Care to elaborate?  NPC/contact?

In reply to GM (msg # 46):

Dawn Hunter, she left the game, was an NPC. The owner also ran Eldorado 'Fatboy' Stout, he was the computer guru, We need Fatboy, who has since lost over 100 pounds, but is still fat.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:04, Sat 19 Aug 2023.

I will create them both today.

Thanks.

Any other NPCs worth creating from your history?

In reply to GM (msg # 48):

Anyone else? I'm pretty good. Thanks Nate, we lost quite a few people it looks like, it would have been too big then though, it was 3 games being combined!

You would have needed a much larger ship....

Levi's love interest I cannot recall her name. She had wanted to come off world as she was clever, determined and resourceful - but fate had dealt her a bad hand a and she was basically a barmaid in the lowport on a backwater world.

If we're jumping time (it looks like we are) in happy for him to have returned, "rescued" her and have her jump ship the first time we land on a better world.

Also, it was the missile bay damaged in combat. We had an improved sensor suite but upgraded that one at the base using Zhodani base sensor. Happy for us to also have the sensors damaged as a way for us to need urgent funds to repair it...



Crew from the original Empress Katarina.

Fatboy Stout
He was our overweight computer hacker who disliked the idea of space travel. Nice to have, as hacking is a fantastic skill in Sci-Fi. But replaceable if anyone else has a decent computer skill.

Karma Starwind
Our captain as Tanja refused the role. Also a pilot and navigator. Happy for her to jump ship and find employment elsewhere as her skills were already covered by others.

Dawn Hunter
Gunner and security specialist. Think she was also a survivalist??

Marc "Blackie"
Same as Dawn, I believe?? Is he a player again??

The others were rolled in from other threads so I can't comment on them.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 51):

Blackie Duquesne.

You're enjoying the heck out of this, aren't you Nate? ;-)

Yeah, it's pretty interesting.  I'm excited to see how this plays out in game.

Is "Endo" a person or corporation?

In reply to GM (msg # 54):

He's a person. Bad guy.

Character generation is daunting!

In reply to GM (msg # 56):

There are generators if you want to. Character creation is the only pain I ever felt in Traveller. In Classic Traveller, and here to to a lesser extent, you can die during creation. So if that happens, you fudge it and just say he was hurt bad and has to muster out! ;-)

I loved character generation for traveller. Most of my characters died when rolling for careers, and both Levi and Tanja were injured and mustered out before the end of their first term!!

I think I might just go with a point-buy system....

At least... for NPCs, that is.

In reply to GM (msg # 59):

Roll them wussy! Real men roll! You can alter how though. Maybe 1d6 +6?

LOL

Make NPCs how you want them to be, regardless of dice rolls or how players create them.

Interesting, my printer appears to be non-functioning! No power light, it won't light up or print. Heat is coming out of the fan, and the computer, using Winblows 10, says it's working, no issues????? It's a Brother Laser Printer. Odd. I guess I'll contact Brother. They make the best! My last one worked perfectly for 10 or 12 years. This one is about 8 or so.

My microwave quit yesterday... seventeen years she's been good to us.

Its helping me understand the game... :oP

hacker should be a career

This is why I like systems like GURPs. No "careers" or "classes". And while Traveller uses a career to determine skills, they explain what characters were.

As for hacker - think when traveller was released in 1977 that hacking and computers were very limited to say the least.

If in doubt, add it.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 68):

Marc Miller didn't have a computer TO hack in 1977, but Mongoose does, so they should have included Hacker.

I know, but the concept of a hacker in the 1970s was very different to a hacker today. Look at the way deckers and hackers are portrayed in cyberpunk games such as shadowing, and see how the computer and hacking technology changes there over the editions.

Traveller had a taboo on cyberware and AI (look at the entire concept of The New Era and Virus, with a capital V) so computers may not be as good as we'd like them to be, but they'd definitely be so much better than ours. But considering the 80s "650k should be enough for anyone" and the 40s, "the world needs 5 computers" were views by people in the business...

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 70):

I got my first computer in 1985! I got on the internet about a year, maybe less, after it went public! I used to build them!

Hacker is a subset of Computer Operations

My point is that when Traveller was written computers weren't perceived as the powerful, multi-purpose and small devices they've become. Even sourcebooks for more recent games such as Shadowrun and Cyberpunk did not predict the advanced uses of the technology.

Traveller is an early 80s sci-fi game for me in tone and feel, and I always accepted that their use of computers as fear. Some of the later Traveller sourcebooks, including those written for GURPS, tried to explain the lack of advanced computers as a fear of AI and the Vilani built dedicated computers rather than generic, multi-purpose ones. That means they were custom built to perform a single task and no more.

But it all stems from the time Traveller was written, the limited and basic capabilities of computers and the view we had of the future of computers at that time. Think room sized computers with lots of flashing lights rather than handheld tablets...



Is the easiest way of doing it, or just write your own.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 73):

Was it Donna Jordan Levi? the love interest.

Donna was one of the girls, yes. Think she was Levi's love interest obsession. Can't remember the other name.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 75):

It was Donna, pretty sure. I found her NPC in the 'Cast' for the new game Rob was going to start! He moved every NPC from all of the games too, he was thorough.

Hello all. I'm new to the group.  I have a few PCs that I have created for a solo game.

So question 1: Is starting with one of them within bounds of this group's game rules?

Also, is there any attempt in coordination backstories as in creating why they know each other, or how they came to be a crew?

Is there a hole in the group's capability that I should try to fill?  I typically play an engineer, doctor or explorer with a navy background.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sun 20 Aug 2023.

You are welcome to submit a character you have used in the past for approval.  No skill levels over 4 though.

As for background, read the information in the Empress thread.  That is where we will be starting I think once I have things ironed out in my mind.  We are closer to a start, but not quite there yet.

The crew can better discuss needs of the crew aboard the ship.

A question I have for them is.... Is it your intention to be traders?  Move passengers?  Will you be applying for work with a corporation?  Or, will you be setting up your own business?   How is the crew going to work shares if you do?

For fun, I submitted my PC to GPTChat, asked it to write a background, then I asked it to condense it into a summary.  Below is the result:

Lexon Reed, a human male in his late thirties, has always had a fascination with space. Despite failing to gain admission to university, Reed found his calling in the Navy, where tragedy struck during one ill-fated term. Whether he was to blame or not, Reed was deeply affected and pushed himself to excel in his skills and training. After eventually gaining entry to university, he honed his engineering skills and developed a passion for exploration. Returning to the Navy after graduation, Reed found solace in serving as an engineer and gunner. His dedication and heroism in a life-or-death situation earned him recognition and promotion. Reed's skills continued to expand in electronics, but his ambition led to a unsuccessful transfer request. Undeterred, Reed pursued a career as a scout and excelled in medical and engineering skills, achieving rank and advancement. Unfortunately, his career as an explorer came to an end when he failed to survive his final term. Now at age 38, Reed's talents in engineering and problem-solving will continue to shape his destiny as he embarks on new adventures in space.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 79):

So does that mean Reed's a space faring Zombie.

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 80):

I'm assuming you are referring to the use of "failed to survive."  That's the verbage used in the munsondev.com character gen tool.  Just means that the step failed, not that the PC died.


To be useful, the GPT output would need to be proofread and modified.  But overall, it was not too bad a write up.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 81):

Indeed

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 82):

Greeting Lexon!

Welcome Lexon.

"Failed to survive" - gotta love it!! Traveller has lethal a lethal character generation and reading that I was impressed you survived as long as you did!!

Always take background generation with a pinch of salt, and edit to your own needs.

As for missing roles, ideally a high skilled astrogator, ground combat experience and ship gunners are needed, but it seems a lot of us are multi-purpose so having a few skills in other areas to support works as well.

Not sure what science or survival skills we have across our crew either. I know Levi has some levels in science skills (robotics, physics and cybernetics all at 1 or 2, with electronics at 3) and Tanja has a few (mechanics at 4, electronics and robotics at 3 and 2 respectively).

But neither have survival skills, or science skills not related to their specialities. So no chemistry, psychology, sociology, economics, etc.

And our combat skills are lacklustre, at levels 0 or 1 at most.

TL;DR version.
We only have some roles that are really "set" at the moment (and these are subject to change if necessary):

• Tanja - pilot (or co-pilot & astrogation if she's not flying) & mechanic
• Levi - engineer & electronics scientist
• Harry - 1x gunner (we have 2 turrets and possibly a missile bay too)
• Theo - medic
• Ballianah - broker

These are characters with 3+ in the skill.

Does Levy have backup in the engineer and electronics rolles?

Yes, but it's complicated. Tanja has mechanics 4, engineer: structure 2, engineer: electronics 2 and engineer: life support 1 (the essentials), so is perfect as a secondary engineer.

But as the main pilot / astrogator she was designed as a ground technician / engineer rather than a ship based engineer (I purposely redistributed skill points away from engineering to avoid duplication of roles between my two characters - she was originally a level 4 in structure and level 3 in most of the others... You can thank some amazing training rolls last game).

Basically she'll be on the bridge in one capacity or another so won't be free to go to engineering except in an extreme emergency - or when the ship is not flying.

I see Phillip has level 1 at present and I'm not sure if others have a level or two in any of the cascade sub-skills. So he can act as support, but as a player I personally prefer primary to be 3+, secondary to be 2+ and tertiary to be 1+.

To be fair, the list is just a reference so we know who will fit our main roles and who has what and can cover what role if needed. If you have even a 0 point skill then you can perform that role as you won't suffer from the untrained penalty.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:11, Mon 21 Aug 2023.

Thanks Levy good to know

Yeah, standard success rolls require an 8+, and since the average 2d6 roll is 7 even a 0 point skill can be useful. The -3 untrained however is a real killer to dice rolls. After all, that gives you an 11 to aim for and that's a 3 in 36 chance... Not good!!

In reply to Theodore Balakov (msg # 83):

Looks like we're starting! Do we have a captain? Or is that part of what we need to do when we get together? I'll wait to post until tomorrow I think.

Taking into account the house rules I am assuming you all are not using the suggested Char Gen tool on munsondev.com.
What tool are you using or are you using the manual process?

Manual, as far I know. You can use the link for generalization, then modify to suit your needs within reason.

No captain but do we need one yet??

Not sure if the GM's questions related to what we wanted to do were ever answered - think we agreed to do a mix, so whatever it was that made is money. Most of us want to stay legal, but there's legal and then there's legal... And if there's no evidence and they can't identify you, that counts as legal doesn't it??

So, the game is on.  We may move slow at first till I get my bearings and the swing of things. This game is more about role playing and character interactions. While it will happen, the goal of any adventure is not to do battle but to complete a task and survive in a most inhospitable, unforgiving environment.

Space.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 84):

I think I'll need to re-roll a PC.  My current PC is only good as an engineer, but that slot is taken.  Also it looks like I'll need to generate via the manual method to take full advantage of the house rules.  Especially if I want to take advantage of the Mulligan option..

Looking at some of the comments perhaps I should bias the PC towards a hacker/ computer type background.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 94):

That's Fatboy! ;-) I think we need a new captain. Luise and Misty are gone. Pilot, leadership, tactics, admin, stuff like that

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 94):

The Electronics(Computers) roll isn't listed if it was Billianah would be included.

Additional I prefer NPC's to be Captain with less intrinsic personal biases

In reply to Billianah Urquhart (msg # 96):

That's fine too, I get it.

Redundancy in skills is okay too!   Do not worry so much about fitting in.... but, some of the skills we are missing is in planet-side activities, such as combat, tactics, recon, and that sort of thing.

The captaincy will be an NPC.

Not many skilled in mechanical repairs either.  It's one thing to be an engineer, it quite another to be a mechanic.


Okay, I have written a starter thread for the group to get together and discuss options, plans, costs, weather, last night's rave, fishing here on Regina, etc, etc...  Players have a certain liberty planet side to adlib things in the environment.  For instance, I have put Fatboi in a diner outside the gates of the shipyard very early in the morning.  Small details a player makes that adds flavor to the scene is encouraged.  For instance, you character might note how pretty the serving girl is, but cannot write that their character notices a laser pistol beneath her apron.  Or, a player might write that the synthetic server behind the counter is innocuous enough and smiles, but they notice it is actually a terminator model T1000.

You get my drift, I am sure... having fun with the writing is the goal in this game.  Anything short of that is misery.  :oP

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:50, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

Question to the group...

How long has this game been running?  Looking at some of the stats, it looks like some have made a few advancements beyond initial character generation.

Also, is there a background story on why this group came together?  Is there a common thread running through the PCs?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:44, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

Read the history of the Empress Katarina. It explains how the group come together. They were already experienced before that event (As far as the start of this game is concerned). I do not have the information on the history of this group. I was not a player in their game. I'm picking up where the story left off, but making it my own. As far as experience, take as many terms in a career as you want, just remember you age as you go.

Being new to the group I'm still learning the norm...

Does this group lean towards a crunchy game or a more narrative game?

I'm working on my kit and don't know how much detail is appropriate.  For a crunchy game, I need to be more explicit listing out everything.  But for a more narrative game I can simply say something like "someone with my background would have such a tool or gadget in my kit"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:10, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

Im not following any encumbrance rules, havent even read up on it if it exists. It will be more of a judgement call. An avrrage strength carries an average load. Someone with low strength carries less. And so forth.

However, it should be noted on your sheet what you carry and where you carry it. If its not on the sheet, your character doesnt have it.

I run another game where everything is tracked and its quite the challenge in keeping everything up to date. Im about to give up on that to make things easier on the GM and free up some time.

Anyway, I digress... if you list a repair kit, or a tech kit, things like that, you do not have to list every item in it. If your an electrician, you are going to have a meter unless there are mitigating circumstances.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 104):

This was 3 games Lexon, run by StarMaster, they were running for several years. He was in the middle of combining them for his ease, (he was running 18 or 20 games) and he was down to a few players in each so he was running players that left as NPC's. He was in the middle of building the thread when he went through a lengthy hospital stay, he was GMing from the hospital on his laptop when ha passed away back in June.

In reply to GM (msg # 107):

Ok, sound good.  I has been my experience also keeping close track of everything is very difficult.  And it can can be a joy kill also.
Sound like it's somewhere in the middle.  List the big stuff and can assume to logical tools/ gear would be included.


Also, I am assuming we don't need to carry everything we have at all times.  We could have storage on the ship or base and would prepare appropriately when we make an excursion.

How do we distinguish between the items we own and the items we carry?  I don't see that division on the character sheet.

In reply to Harry McStubbin (msg # 108):

Running 18-20 games.  I did not know that was possible. I guess he really like Playing by post.

I'm very sorry for the groups loss.

BACKGROUND
While some of us have been working together now for months, it is more than possible for characters to share a background of you feel that is what you want.
The crew will be recruiting and if they know someone who fits the bill then they'd invite them.


ENCUMBRANCE
That sounds good - if we keep encumbrance to common sense that makes tracking everything easier.

As for what we own and carry, just add the relevant section to your sheet. Or if you really want, add it as an OOC at the bottom of your opening post or whenever you change your gear.

While it's not necessary if you are clear in your post, it can and does help the GM and player keep track - especially for ammo and things like health.

Personally, I am used to games where you add a summary of actions (usually in game related terms) along with dice rolls and summary of health condition and consumables (ammo in gun / on person)

Lexie - I mention related back stories then read you know Dawn...

The ship was gifted. Who owns the deed, as they say.

Right now, I am assuming that the ship is shared for clandestine operations with profits shared after overhead costs taken out. I dont know who has what shares.

We need to sort it all out.

Also, what is the current operating fund at?

We were all gifted equal shares, and after the sale of the salvage we stole acquired from the Zhodani base, we had replenished fuel and stocks with some credits leftover.

I've noted the money in Levi's character sheet; but will need to separate group funds from personal... But that's easy - smaller number is personal.

However, there's not a huge amount there and it would definitely be beneficial to sell further shares to other interested parties to keep the Katerina in the black. Whether these are PCs or an NPC corporation/ sponsor would need to be discussed...

Also, I'm going to post for Levi to suggest he's remained on or as near to the ship as possible. After all, the Katerina is his baby and as chief engineer he wants to observe everything the ground crew are doing to her.

If this is not appropriate then just give me a nudge and I'll edit.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 112):

Yes.  The GM suggested the connection with Dawn.  We both have Recon skills.  Good candidate for a connection.

It is appropriate,  and I am assuming everyone on the crew list is staying nearby and helping onboard the ship during repairs. The shipyard ground crews are working on repairing the missile bay.  The outer hull damage has been repaired and new sensors installed. The crew will work on systems integration and startup. There are other tasks to maintaining a starship as well. Air leaks, hydraulic leaks, scrubbers to clean, systems diagnostics... no one is happy to be in a shipyard , but its the cost of operating a starship.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:18, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

Billi just opened my eyes. There were two ships? One called the Bandisnatch? Whats the history there? How is it handled in game migration?

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 115):

I don't recall seeing the Frumious Bandersnatch in the new game board, anyone else see it? It was a TL-16 Darrian Trader with a jump 3.

In reply to Harry McStubbin (msg # 118):

Still a work in progress... as are deck plans... Haven't adjusted it for the age and modifications yet, nor included the new weapons.

DARRIAN ENDEAVOR-CLASS FAR-TRADER Frumious Bandersnatch
CATEGORY COMPONENT SPECIFICS Tons Cost (Cr.)
Hull 400 Tons 9 Hull — 19,360,000
  Streamlined 9 Structure — —
Armor Crystaliron 6 Points 30 4,800,000
Jump Drive F Jump 3 33.25 66,000,000
Manoeuvre Drive B Thrust 1 2.25 16,000,000
Power Plant F Rating 3 19 48,000,000
Bridge Hardened 20 2,500,000
Computer Model/4 bis fib Rating 20+5 — 10,000,000
Electronics Basic Civilian 1 50,000
Weapons Triple port turret Twin lasers w/sandcaster — —
  Triple starboard turret Twin lasers w/sandcaster -- -
  2 Empty Hardpoints - -
Fuel 144 Tons One jump-3 and four weeks of operation 144 —
Cargo 125.5 Tons 125.5 —
Staterooms 20 Up to 20 passengers and crew 80 100,000,000
Low Berths None (10) — —
Extras — —
  Ship’s Locker — —
  Fuel Processor 20 tons per day 1 50,000
Software — —
  Maneuver — —
  Jump/3 Rating 15 — 300,000
  Intellect Rating 10 — 1,000,000
  Library — —
Maintenance Cost (monthly) — 12,830
Life Support Cost (monthly) — 12,000
Total Tonnage & Cost 400 153,954,000


link to another game

thread 10. I can't do what he did, but you can see it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:55, Tue 22 Aug 2023.

Is this okay for everyone?

In reply to GM (msg # 120):

Sure thing

In reply to GM (msg # 120):

Fine, you couldn't run two ships, that would be 2 games.

I'm pleased you picked the Katerina to go with. She's Levi's baby, lots of memories there... And poor Levi couldn't lose two of his loves in a short space of time!! He'd be even more of an emotional wreck!!

Who is the captain of the Katerina?? And would newcomers like to introduce themselves and what we'd have learned about them during the time we have spent together??

I'll start.

Something we call "Pack Season" is upon us here at Red Gold.  It's our fresh pack season and it gets pretty busy the couple of weeks leading up to it.  My posting may slow for a bit as we move into a more chaotic work schedule of working eight days a week. That's seven days with two of them twelve hours each.  I thought I would mention it so that the players here do not think I am getting tired of the game, or losing interest in it.  It is simply a matter of time management being overworked.  I will make every effort to post at least once a week, hopefully much more.  I enjoy a faster paced game, but sometimes RL gets in the way.

This work schedule will persist through September and a couple of weeks into October.  Then we go back to normalcy.

Thanks for your patience.

Your Captain....

SKILLS INFORMATION
Admin                            +2
Advocate                         +0
Athletics                        +0
Broker                           +1
Carouse                          +1
Diplomat                         +1
Drive                            +0
Electronics (Computers)          +0
Flyer (Grav)                     +1
Language                         +0
Leadership                       +3
Gunner                           +0
Melee (Blade)                    +1
Mechanic                         +1
Medic                            +1
Pilot                            +1
Gun Combat                       +0
Swimming                         +1
Tactics (Naval)                  +1
Vac-Suit                         +1

Karma Starwind grew up on Regina in an elite district.  She was born into a wealthy family and in her early childhood years, knew no bounds.  She did what she wanted, when she wanted.  She did not rebel against authority, yet she did not back down from an argument she stood by.  She is intelligent, charismatic, and lives each day as if it is her last.  Her university years were filled with extra-curricular activities which she excelled at.  She led in the chess club, and the swimming events, and the grav speeders club.  She is careful and methodical, but not averse to risk.  The Navy taught her discipline and responsibility, two things she struggled to master. She enjoys space travel. She enjoys the command of a starship.  And, underlying all this normalcy, she enjoys the unknown and danger.  But that's a subject you will never get from her.

After a term at Uni, she was commissioned into the Navy.  There she spent three terms, attaining the rank of Sublieutenant before leaving the Navy suddenly and for personal reasons.  She spent four years captaining a free trader vessel as a merchant, where she learned the shipping lanes and routes in the immediate sector.  An incident on her last route causes her to leave the career.  She takes an Administrative job as a Citizen, gaining computer skills, but as is normal in her life, she is elevated to a leadership role in the department.  She works for three more years, then leaves the career behind to get back into space.  On a tip, she is led to Admiral Amundson for a possible command position.  It is there that she meets the crew of the Katarina.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Thu 24 Aug 2023.

Question for the experienced PbP players of the group (perhaps that's everyone except me) ...  Do you keep notes outside the rpol.net tool?

I can see using something beyond what is in this tool would be useful, but not sure what would be the best choice.   In my traditional TTRPG games I keep an electronic notebook using Obsidian.

As a player, I am in one game. I have not found reason to keep notes outside of scratchpad, or your own private thread if the GM allows.

As a GM, I have notes everywhere.

In reply to GM (msg # 128):

I have never kept notes, you can if you wish. I've played in at least 50 over the years.

In reply to Harry McStubbin (msg # 129):

Anybody here GM Traveller? Our Corsairs of Drinax game is about out of options to replace StarMaster. Thought we had one, but he hates one of our players because his character is an asshole bully. You can't do it Nate, you have too much on your plate now! ;-)

Yep, I am tapped out on time. LOL.

NOTE: This PC is new and I’m still working on the backstory but below is its current state.

Lexon Reed Backstory: Lexon Reed is a human male who has an average height and weight. He has brown hair, which is turning gray, and blue eyes. He appears to be right-handed.

Lexon grew up on Efate. His family was neither poor nor rich, but they had enough resources to be comfortable and a little more. For instance, although they couldn't afford to buy a new sailboat, they had plenty to purchase a used boat and put in the work to upgrade it as desired. The same goes for the other vehicles and tools he used. As a result, Lexon became quite skilled in mechanical and electrical tasks.

Lexon grew up enjoying the outdoors and had a group of friends who frequently engaged in activities like hunting, camping, sailing, and off-road adventures. They also enjoyed snooping around archaeological sites on Efate. One day, during one of his adventures, Lexon discovered a curious item, a small artifact, which he keeps in a souvenir box.

Lexon is exceptionally intelligent. While some people rely on their strength to handle difficult situations, Lexon relies on his intellect. He was easily accepted into the Army Academy, and his combination of outdoor skills and intelligence complemented each other while he was in the academy. He graduated with a commission and served four terms in the army. During his service, the army identified him as having superior reconnaissance skills. To further enhance his abilities, they equipped him with an Enhanced Vision Augmentation, allowing him to gather more information without being noticed, enhancing his natural skills.

It was during various reconnaissance missions that Lexon came to know Dawn Hunter. One particular mission was incredibly perilous and took place on an undisclosed planet, referred to as Charlie 4 (the actual name of the planet must be withheld due to the sensitivity of the mission). Initially, it started as a typical mission but was still dangerous. Their objective was to gather intelligence on the area and target group in preparation for a future "aggressive negotiation" effort. On the second day, their cover was compromised, and they found themselves engaged in a cat and mouse game with the target group for the next three days. Despite several close calls, their skills and intelligence enabled them to stay one step ahead of their adversaries. On the fifth day, an extraction team finally coordinated a clandestine location to pick up the two recon agents. The bond between Lexon and Dawn was forged through adversity and grew stronger, as is often the case for individuals who experience life-threatening situations together.

Lexon has been out of the military for a few years now. He has taken on various jobs that make use of his skill set, but he has yet to find a place that truly resonates with him.

To be further developed:
Some sort of tragedy involving someone who could have potentially been Lexon's wife has left him unwilling to invest in another romantic relationship.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:01, Sat 26 Aug 2023.

That's an awesome bio Lexi.

Is everyone still here?

In reply to GM (msg # 134):

Looks like it.

Yep. I'm in a field whacking nerds with foam and rubber swords... Gotta love live action roleplay!!

Well, that sounds fun.

Ouch, ouch, ouch...
Can you ease up on those swings.

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 138):

The cruiser we salvaged was the HMISS Allamu, not Phalanx. ;-) Adventure the First thread in the other game, he saved it all.

Okay, I will go rewrite it back to the Allamu.... since you all seem to "remember the Allamu"... :o)

I always pull my blows. An all-over latex body massage is not fun at the best of times, let alone with heavy blows!!

My kids on the other hand don't, and seem really keen on ensuring I sire no more children!!

Sadly I never sired children, and in my old age, no longer can due to health issues, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, etc. I guess I could stoop to the little blue pill, but why bother, wife said no more of that 10 years ago! ;-)

You're welcome to have one of mine. I have four, so having one go elsewhere would mean I'd still have the two I thought I'd have and a spare!!

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 143):

LOL!

What's that got to do with our posted context?
This message was last edited by the player at 12:46, Mon 28 Aug 2023.

In reply to Adriannah Orilliah (msg # 145):

Nothing, sorry, I hit the wrong reply button.

I was reading up on the ability to have a game wiki.  Is that something that we will have?  It would be a good place to keep game events and details organized,  as opposed to sifting through the linear threads.

A wiki sounds like a good plan. Would that be something we could all contribute to or just the GM??

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 148):

Good question.  The information I found really did not provide much information, just that it was a game option.  Typically, a wiki is a collaborative tool.  So hopefully it would be open to all.

Found more information...
Link to the wiki: http://wiki.rpol.net/

The difference is opening a series of internal threads and accessing an external source.

What if anything do I need for the medbay? I assume we have an autodoc already, just in case.

All, I'll be traveling tomorrow.  My wife and I are going to the east coast to visit our daughter and son in law.  So I may be a little slow responding on Wednesday.

Safe trip! Enjoy!

I dont know what you might need, but the ship does have an Auto-Doc. TL:11 the AutoDoc has the capabilities of a nurse for diagnosis and treatment, Hypothermic Berth for cold sleep capabilities, and remote control for remote surgery by a doctor.

Welcoming another player from one of the late Starmaster's games.  Not sure which one. Anyway, welcome to the game mate.

In reply to GM (msg # 155):

That was it, thanks.

Once we start rolling the dice, I’m still unclear of the procedure and who does it.  This is my 1st PbP game.  I’m sure the procedure is different from a face-to-face game, but just not sure how.

I have read the “Home-brewed Rules & D.I.Y. Character Creation” but some questions still remain.

Who rolls the dice?  Me or GM?

If it is me, do I use the Dice Roller tool on this site, or is that only an option?  As opposed to me rolling a set of physical dice and recording the results.

If I use the tool, does it insert the results in the post that is being written at the time? Or is it a manual cut & past of information?

Can I experiment with the Dice Roller tool so I can learn to use it without causing any problems with the game?

Hey Lexon.

When rolling you should use the dice roller on RPOL and copy/paste the results into your post.

This is easy when you know what skill you're using (e.g. shooting at someone) but if you're not sure you can either:
(1) Ask the GM - they'll tell you which skill and attribute to use, it might even roll for you.
(2) Roll 2d6 without any modifiers and see if you succeed without skill or attribute modifiers.

Now (1) might take a few hours to a day or two to get a response, but to be honest you'll be posting your actions and waiting for the GM to describe the results/consequences of the actions anyway. This is usually the easiest way.

(2) on the other hand can be useful. If you know it's a simple task you're trying to complete then you need an 8. If you roll this on 2d6 you'll succeed without any modifiers. If you roll a 6 or a 7 you'll probably succeed with the addition of the right modifiers. But at least you know the rough result from your dice and can post something descriptive, even as a placeholder.

By that I mean something like:
Levi used the leaking plasma conduit and pushed it towards his enemy, hoping the searing heat of the energy discharge would hurt if not distract him while he made his escape.

In this example I've left it open to interpretation, so could have roll a 6 or 7. If I'd rolled say a 12 I could have described the attempt as "accurate" or if I'd rolled a 4 I could have described the attempt vividly, then how it had failed


And by all means experiment - just add in the log a useful description such as "test roll" or keep the results secret so you and the GM can see them but nobody else.

Also remember you can customise your dice, so add 2d6+3 into the dice roller if you want to add 3 to the dice roll of two six-aided dice.

You can roll multiples in there too separated by commas, so:

2d6,2d6,2d6,2d6,2d6,2d6

would give you six results that you could use for your attributes, giving results between 2 and 12.

And yes you can use + and - to modify these too, so:
2d6+1,2d6-1

would work too giving you two results between 3 and 13 and 1 and 11.

Players will make their dice rolls, accepting their own fates. You can copy n paste a roll into the posting as an OOC following the guidelines in the home-brew rules thread. It is not a requirement to do so.

The GM will likely place a task difficulty on an expected roll. He will endeavor to describe things in such a way as to give the player a sense of how difficult it might be. Sometimes, you don't know till you try.

If a player wants to attempt an unexpected action, and a difficulty is not set, the player can write their action post and go ahead and make a task roll using the relevant skill. The GM's next scene will include the success or failure of the attempted action.

Experiment away at your leisure....

I am working on a new deckplan for the Katarina. The one I have makes no sense. I should have it done today.

I am trying so hard not to make Levi into an Arnold J Rimmer from Red Dwarf clone. An effective and highly efficient clone, more Ace Rimmer than Arnold...

...so when you say you're modifying the deck plan Levi instantly wants to get the cabin that is second best only to the captain's state room... He puts first dibs on the next best room, and will not be sharing it with anyone that is below him in rank...

...and since our "ranks" are captain and everybody else that would be interesting!!

Rimmer Salute- https://g.co/kgs/RQYazZ (not posted as an image as it's animated)

In reply to GM (msg # 160):

Is the long string of number after the role results important?  For example: roll=1693502556.62193.378611
I am not finding anything documented in the FAQ or help areas.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 17:42, Thu 31 Aug 2023.

Dream on Levy...

;^)

In reply to Billianah Urquhart (msg # 164):

Never a big fan of English Sci-Fi.

In reply to GM (msg # 161):

I was thinking something similar.  I noticed the cargo ramp was blocked by the showers.  And it was not clear where 57 tons of cargo would be stored... conveniently.

I do like that there is an actual floor plan. I hope that continues.
I also like the commons area, like what's found in firefly (Serenity).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Thu 31 Aug 2023.

It gives information on the roll to users that are using the beta site. It is otherwise meaningless. Ignore it. Copy n paste the other bits. If you do copy n paste it, it also shows up on the classic site. Those on classic site might not have a clue about it.

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:45, Thu 31 Aug 2023.

OOP - I debated on word choice.  Chose boat because in the larger scheme of spacecraft sizes the far trader is small.  But I'm good with using ship if that is the convention used in this group.

In reply to Phillip Le'Pierre (msg # 168):

Sorry Nate, my bad!

No worries. And, I think I posted that with the wrong person... lol....I hate twelve hr workdays.

I like the updated Far Trader design.  The layout is more logical.

This is British comedy not English, and while dated now was brilliant. Injury keep thinking if whet Levi would say or do, then tone it down a few levels so I'm not on a par with Rimmer...

...and as for not liking British sci-fi, you'd be surprised at just how many shows and movies are written by us Brits, then adapted. We may not have the mega money production companies but for a small island we hold our own.

And you just cannot beat a Royal Shakespearean Company trained British actor in the role of a bad guy...



Am just admiring it now. Some if the traveller ship floorplans never made any sense to be fair.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 172):

I love English/Brit mysteries and such and a lot of the legal shows, Rumpole of the Baily I loved, several others too, I just never liked the Sci-Fi too much. I watched Dr. Who way back, but lost interest. Different, a lot of folks love it, just not my cup of tea! ;-)

Dr Who is a family show, and as such is always bright and cheerful. It shows that hard work, dedication and being yourself will resolve even galaxy spanning problems.

Some of the plots are simplified but fun. I've not seen many episodes the last few years, and even my kids have "out grown" it. But there's still quite a few underrated but brilliant shows out there.

I would suggest a few but I've plagiarised a number of them for my own game (under development) and don't want to give anybody a heads up as to my intentions...

Who among you is or was the quartermaster?

In reply to GM (msg # 175):

There wasn't one.

Querry....

If thete are 10 shares. And someone buys in, do you have to split the other shares?

Levi took the position, but mostly to keep track of finances.

The crew has 127,500 credits left in kitty for reference...

Okay, so my time has been limited. Now, my time gets a bit more restricted as my colleague's brother passes, leaving me to cover for a week, and to top it off an electrician on 2nd shift walks off the job. Gotta cover him too... lotsa 12hr shifts in my future.

Sigh.  One tired 55 yr old

I try to post a little from my phone at work, like now.

Anyway, just a heads up.

We have the class...now we need an official name for the ship so we can register it.

In reply to GM (msg # 179):

Sounds rough...really rough.  Thanks for still being the GM.  Hopefully the game provides something that helps with the stress of work.

In reply to Dawn Hunter (msg # 180):

The Empress Katarina? Her name IS the Empress Katarina????

Ok  so  advanced marava class... emperess katarina

What would be the benefit in using the game wiki?

The ability to use a directory structureed menu?  What would I put there? Ive never considered using it. Do others use it? Do players actually use it?
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:41, Sun 03 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 184):

I don't even know how to use the wiki. I'm old.

In reply to GM (msg # 184):

What would be the benefit in using the game wiki?
It would be a place to effectively organize important game details.  It would be maintained by the players and GM (not just the GM); It’s a collaborative tool.  This will be especially helpful when there are 100’s or 1000’s of entries spread across the various threads.  I am already losing track of certain details that are in the OOC.  Rummaging through the thread is cumbersome.

The ability to use a directory structureed menu?  Not sure what is being asked.  Content is not in a linear format, like what is in the threads.  Various related parts can be hyperlinked to help with navigation.

What would I put there? I believe the GM has to create a page (which could be an empty page).  Then everyone in the game can populate page content (at least that’s what the documentation indicates).  So you, as the GM, should not be overloaded.

Ive never considered using it. Do others use it? Don’t know

Do players actually use it? Don’t know.

NOTE:  I have used (and contributed) to several wikis. The usefulness of a wiki is related to how hard it is to enter content.  Since RPoL, apparently, uses their own home grown tool I’m not finding any reviews on their tool.  I suggest we try it.  If it does not work out, we can stop using it.  If it is useful, I think everyone would benefit, making it easier to keep track of important details as the game develops.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 186):

Here are how 2 games that use the wiki:

http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=49377

http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=60724

They took different approaches. The structure of a wiki is up to the group maintaining the information.  It's very flexible.

In reply to Phillip Le'Pierre (msg # 185):

If you can format one of these thread entries your most of the way there.

How old are you?  I'm 60.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 188):

62 atm. I'm also Harry and Theodore.

In reply to Phillip Le'Pierre (msg # 189):

Your a third of the crew then.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 190):

If somebody wants to run one of them, let us know and we can transfer one of them to you. ;-)

Never used the wiki tool, never been in a game that's used one properly either.

Looking over the deck plans - there's a captain's quarters (24) and a chief engineer's cabin listed in the written specification - but not on the floorplan.

Reading the blurb, Karma gets 24 and Tanja gets 3 - however the computer room is there too. So do we do the usual and have the pilot in 3, or do we put our computer specialist there??

Can't see the chief engineer's quarters on the deck plan however. It does say that they are positioned by the captain's quarters, but so are the captain's guest cabins. So is the double berth (22) the guest rooms and 21 the chief engineer's??

Also, looking at the deck plan there appears to be 6 passenger cabins, 8 crew cabins, one double berth (guest room) and the captain's quarters, total of 14+1. But the specs say 12+1 (+1 being captain's quarters).

Cabins can be dual occupancy.

They can be, but usually aren't if I'm correct?? Unless people want a dual berth??

Just looking at crew compliment and how many passengers we can take. Passenger cabins x6 on the upper deck, so between 6 and 12 passengers comfortably.

2 on the guest room, 4 if we double up (but that room will get real cost quickly).

Then crew quarters:
Captain
Engineer
Pilot
Leaves 6 cabins.

If we double up on all barring the captain's that's 8 to 16.

Also, I always thought low berths were cryo tubes for suspended sleep while travelling - the lowest and cheapest form of travel?? Or have I been playing the game wrong all this time??

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:10, Mon 04 Sept 2023.

Can anyone explain how this shares thing works?  Im afraid I am clueless on that.

Either or both

The Ship is valued at X credits you assign a number of shares eg 1000 each being 1/1000 credits. Ongoing costs are paid by shareholders accordingly.

Trade goods are valued and may be invested in along similar lines
This message was last edited by the player at 01:22, Mon 04 Sept 2023.

Just having animal storage or the like is fine. In fact, low berths for animal storage sounds quite humane for the transporting of pets.

As for shares, are we considering all of the crew to.have equal shares - including the members of the Bandersnatch?? I'm not sure what the crew compliment is at the moment, or who is eligible for the shares.

The Katerina is worth 73.6million credits, not including loose change. Looking at the cast list there's 8 characters, not including Lexon. So each of us gets the equivalent of 9.2million credits worth of shares.

So if we say there are 1000 shares, each would be worth 73,600 credits.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 199):

I don't think affording shares like you have relevant. However if the majority agree that is, I'll reassess my investments.

Katarina crew -

• Karma
• Levi
• Fatboi
• Tanja
• Dawn

Bandersnatch crew -

• Billianah
• Harry
• Ted

Additions to crew -

• Lexon Reed
• Adriannah
• Phil

Is this correct?
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:23, Mon 04 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 201):

Harry and Ted were Bandersnatch, Another Harry was Katarina, and Phillip was in the other game. with Adriannah, I think.

It was a way of showing how we can break shares down and how they equate to the total value of the ship, and was in answer to the question about shares earlier by the GM. I don't propose we use it unless we're trying to get an investor and then only as a guideline, but in essence that's how it works.

I'm happy to just say "we all own an equal share" - and we can work out a way for Phillip (or anyone else) to contribute to the running of the ship if they wish to.

Since we've ret-conned the Allamu mission, I'm assuming that the characters involved automatically acquired equal shares (as their ship was destroyed).

I finally finished, I think, the specs of the Katarina.

Its value comes to 170,576,000 cr.

The captain holds the title to the ship. There is currently no mortgage or lien against it. Its current operating fund is 2,051,925cr.

Billianah has invested a considerable amount (half of what she earned with the salvage of the Bandersnatch) to earn 11 shares. Crew of the Bandersnatch and Katarina each recieved 3,848,850cr for the salvage. Please mark up your character sheets reflecting this. You may buy shares as you wish.  989 shares remain.

If you buy shares, post it in the accounting dept. Thread

We have to pay for shares?? Curses!!

So there's 1000 shares in total, each at 170,576 credits?? (170,560,000 by 1,000 shares)

With no outstanding mortgage and just running costs, I'm assuming that the credits made by share sales into the running cost fund?? And that there's no need to sell all.of the shares??

What will happen to the unsold shares?? Or will they still be available and as yet unused??

Also, does the 2million in the fund include the 127,500 credits made from the salvage of the Zhodani base (the stuff we stole and sold)??

Found it - there's a new section under the Katerina's specs with cost breakdown and stuff...

Thanks!!

Another question - how rigid are we with the salaries?? Are we paying ourselves?? Or can we reduce monthly costs by not taking pay??

Only Levi is annoyed that he's only getting half what Harry is on and a third of Karma...!!

*grin*

I'm running numbers to see how many shares he can feasibly purchase and still have funds for a splurge on his "pet projects". Since he views the Katerina as "home" I'm looking at 15-20. With the money he has he can only afford 22 at most.

Running costs of 23,284 per month to consider. That's 73.25 months of upkeep for every 10 shares we buy.

Also, do we have costs for raw materials that Levi can use in repairs?? I'm assuming at the moment we don't carry much of that nature?? How much would the repairs have cost us at the berth (for an idea of how much we'd need in emergency kitty)??

My 3 plan on buying in too, I'll figure it in a day or three. ;-)

Don't forget each share carries intrinsic docking, maintenance, etc. fees.

Oi GM!! Levi does not have an inflated ego. He just doesn't really see anyone else as fully real, so since he's the centre of his own world he should therefore be the beneficiary of all that is good, and that means a decent salary in line with everyone else's...

...or you could just describe him as an antisocial a$$ with an inflated sense of self importance if you'd prefer. Suppose that's just easier to remember.

As for pay, I hadn't actually considered it. In fact, it might be one of those "you save up your salary until you can afford more shares" which ensures that even though you've taken out the slush fund, you'll always be putting it back in too...

As for a mechanics bay, I did notice we had space when I was looking at the ship's specifications. How much, and what's the monthly support cost?? If we can become fully self-sufficient and only require the purchase of raw materials and resources it would greatly affect the longevity of the ship...

Unless that is somebody has a better idea of what we can spend the 4 tons on?? An enhanced med bay?? Cryo low-berths to carry more passengers?? A secret smugglers hold so that we could start of be a little naughty (if somewhat light) with the cargo we carry?? A proper gym and training area?? After all, a lot of our characters have been focusing on fitness and there's only so many times that you can run up and down the same corridor, and the cargo hold might not always be empty...



That's why I don't just want to throw all my credits into ownership of the ship. Levi needs to know that he's going to be able to afford to keep her as well. Tanja is a lot more cautious, and will definitely want funds for her own stuff.

However, the way that I read it I thought that docking fees, maintenance and all that was going to be coming out of the slush fund we generate by using our hard earned (read salvaged) credits to get the shares. Or is this going to be an additional responsibility for share holders??

Personally I think Tanja is going to purchase 10 - that will give the slush fund a decent boots, and as ever it's an investment. I think I'm going to go with 15, perhaps a few more, for Levi. This of course depends on whether he'd have to fund the mechanics bay himself, whether it would come out of the slush fund.

Harry buys 15 shares!

15 Ship Shares = 2,558,640cr.

Phillip buys 30 shares

30 Ship Shares = 5,117,280

Ship upgrades come from the slush fund. My opinion any way!

Teddy buys 15 shares!

15 Ship Shares = 2,558,640cr.

Damn, ego has been dented again... Might have to do 16 now... Or even 20.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 217):

Phillip bought 30!

Expenses, including docking fees, come from the current operating fund. Currently it is over 2 Mcr.

Shares price is locked until we enter jump-space.  Then, wow, they go up a lot.

In reply to GM (msg # 220):

You missed Harry's 15 shares Nate! ;-)

Of course Harry!!  Amending now....

In reply to GM (msg # 222):

LOL!!!

So, is it 10 and 15 Levi?

Grrr...



15 for Levi, 10 for Tanja.

Roger that Levi. Amending now...

Billianah bought 39 Shares and
This message was last edited by the player at 06:46, Fri 08 Sept 2023.

Gulp... Adriannah would only be able to afford buying 5 shares. Should she risk it?

If the account we're building is for the running of the ship then the more put into it the better. I'm still toying with the idea of buying a further 5 for Tanja and Levi taking totals to 15 and 20 respectively but it was a long day yesterday and my brain melted so I didn't want to make a rash decision.

All depends on if there's anything else you'd like to buy with your money. Anything you buy is yours, but there's a case for using the ship fund to purchase equipment that you could use as a member of the crew, that would stay behind if you were to leave or if needed others could use as well.

After all, if it benefits the ship and crew it's worth the expense of paying for it from kitty.

In reply to Billianah Urquhart (msg # 227):

WOW, That is millions of credits! How much money did she have? Phillip thought he was rich with 7 million credits, almost 8! but that is huge!

Re: Philip

When you create your character, you receive benefits from each term. Sometimes, they are really good ones.

Karma has yet to sell her boat or speeder she recieved.  I'm  not sure if "boat" refers to a space craft or an actual water craft...
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:19, Fri 08 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 231):

Excellent, and good for her, the ship funds will keep us for a long time, we just need a ROI to get super wealthy. Maybe we can found a mega corporation in time!

In reply to Phillip Le'Pierre (msg # 230):

Billianah's background is principally Mercantile (Fiscal Advocate).

I'm still figuring out how money for the crew works in this game.  The answers will influence how many ship shares I buy.

Is there any need to have a lot of personal capital?

I'm sure ship shares are somehow related to how profit is divided up, but how is not clear to me.  Can someone explain?

Wow Eldorado (yes, Fatboi has a real first name) didn't know what to do with 3,848,850 Cr. He figured out he could invest
- a third in guaranteed valor and income, such as real estate or Imperial bonds;
- a third in the Katarina - a risky business if there ever was one;
- and a third in expenses, such as newer personal computer, software, games, booze, food, and girls.

So he buys 7 shares at 170,576 for 1,194,032 Cr :)

Depends on what you want to use it for, boss. If you want it to be a water based boat then that's what it is. If you want it to be a grav sled, then that's what it is. Look at Karma's character, her history, and decide what fits best for her. Then go with what you want anyway.

Does mean if it's an actual spacecraft, not a grav sled, then we'd need a way to store it on the Katerina (*cough* cargo bay *cough*). And you'd have to hide the keys to stop Tanja from joyriding in it...



Yes, if you want to purchase items that are yours and only yours. Or if you want to do sneaky things without the other crew knowing about it. Quite what, I'm not sure (or rather, not telling). But we're all gamers so I'm sure one of us could come up with some ideas that could be shared.

But it depends on the person. If they want to have a lot

Again, my understanding is that we're all due to be earning a salary each month - so we're all getting paid, from our own slush fund. If you buy shares of the Katerina, then those credits go into the slush fund. If you then choose to sell your shares, you get the value of the shares back from the slush fund.


Speaking of which, could Levi and Tanja each have an additional 5 shares, bringing his to 20 and hers to 15. I don't think there's much that either character really wants for themselves, so they can both afford whatever items from their personal fund.

My thoughts on equipment and spending...

** Purchase a mechanics bay using the final 4 tons of space, along with equipment and materials so that we can effectively repair the Katerina wherever we are.
** How many vacc suits and emergency sealed suits do we have?? I'm looking at the crew composition and potential number of passengers and am wondering if the Katerina has enough suits if we had all of our beds occupied??
** Same goes for toolkits and med kits - we have a number of people that have Engineer / Mechanical / Medical skills, but do we have enough portable toolkits / med kits to give them one each just in case?? I'm assuming that med kit wise we have the equivalent of first aid kits dotted around the ship, but actual medical bags to go with the skill levels each of the characters have??
** Weapons and armour is a personal thing, but are we going to purchase a number of threat specific weapons and armour?? What I mean is do we need a wealth of different weapon types for use on worlds with different weapon restrictions?? Stun or taser based weapons, through to light weapons, shotguns and rifles, through to heavier weapons, including laser and possibly plasma?? Same goes for armour.

Of course the last point would all rely heavily on whether we have the necessary contacts to acquire such weapons at places such as Regina.

Harry kept 1.28Mcr liquid, Phillip kept 2.8Mcr liquid and Teddy kept 1.4Mcr liquid. I should be able to afford luxuries etc.

Karma could put her 'boat' in storage somewhere and keep it too. I'd store, or sell.

It's always worth keeping a backup plan and spare cash, true.

I do like Fatboi's idea of buying into property, but Levi is in love with the Katerina and Tanja isn't thinking of the long term just yet. So sinking her funds into something that she knows she'll get reward from in the future seems like a reasonable risk.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 238):

Before I bought land, I'd have to pick the right planet first. That's the hard part.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 236):

So there is no return on investment (ROI) when one buy ship shares?  One simply receives back what they put in.  Nothing more?

If there is no ROI, what would be the motivation to buy shares?

I thought sharing in the profit would be proportional to ones ship shares.  Perhaps a bonus beyond the base salary.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 240):

That is a fair point, I thought there would be a return on investment too, even if it is small as most would be reinvested in the ship/company.

It is curtently berthed in the marina 40 miles southeast of startown's city limits. Nearby, she stores her gravitic speeder.

Ok, so.... no. You all are not paying yourselves from the ship's operating fund per month.  After reading some more,  I realized the listed costs for captain, pilot, and so forth is for if you hire one when in need. I will amend the listing.

As I see it now, the group is operating a freelance operation of opportunity using a ship free of mortgage currently. Ferrying passengers if available. Cargo when available. All to make a profit, which is shared equally after expenses paid or retained for. The investments in shares, are just that. An investment of funds toward the ship. These funds are available for ship enhancements, gear, expenses due, they do not "pay" anything like a stipend.  Characters make their personal wealth through the operation of the ship and successful missions. The only time you will make money on a share is when the ship is sold.  For surely, it will be sold or salvaged in the future.

Shyte.... I dont know. Does that last post sound right?  Thinking, if I have to be an accountant to run this gsme, it might not be for me.

What "is" the motivation to buy shares?  All the rulebooks have on it is that a share reduces the mortgage of a ship by 1%. Im flummoxed here....
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:36, Fri 08 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 244):

Shares are a reason to stay with the ship and incentive to promote its effective use.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:06, Sat 09 Sept 2023.

Lex will buy 10 shares.

Looks like I can always buy more in the future, if needed.

In reply to GM (msg # 244):

What Billianah said. We're buying in to ensure we have a reason to stay with the group, and are invested in the success of the ship and its ventures.

As I said earlier I was a little confused by the salary part as it just didn't make sense. By scrapping that aspect of the financial calculations it will make things a lot easier for us to manage, as well as drastically reducing our monthly overheads... Plus it's so much easier for us to work out. Happy for this to be dropped though (and no, not because Levi has an ego and was planning a mutiny so he could become captain and earn the most cash.. muhahaha).

Jokes aside - I'm not sure as to an easy resolution for this as I was under the impression that all crew involved in the salvage of the Allamu had equal shares (which prevents new crew from easily accessing the incentives above), but the direction we're heading means we'd have to consider how to offer rewards to those that own more shares (which prevents those who created characters using the older system and suffered from terrible career dice rolls from buying in as much as those who had better dice rolls).

I know there are more, but in simplest terms, I see two resolutions:

We could do an "honour" system of equal reward for all - gets the same reward from successful missions (and unsuccessful missions are covered by the slush fund), and we're buying shares purely out of commitment to the ship to create the slush fund. This is good for the game and players (less of a headache and little to no fiddling with numbers) but is hardly realistic or "fair" to the characters themselves.
In short, doesn't matter what shares we have we're communist and everyone is equal, but this doesn't then offered rewards for owning more than the basic number of shares. Put 1 share in or 50, you get the same pay.

We could do the "shares" system where we calculate the number of shares sold and any reward is distributed on a percentage basis to all crew involved in the mission, once we have taken overheads and upkeep of the ship from the calculation. While fairer and more realistic to the characters, this is harder on the players and a little more fiddly to do.
In short, those with the cash will get the biggest rewards, even if those rewards were earned with good dice rolls (rollplay) as opposed to actual roleplay.

I think we will all agree though that we want a game that works, that we're all invested in, and if shares and finances get in the way of the game then I'm happy for you to wave the GM's wand and we can ignore the fiddly bits and focus only on the easy parts (every jump adds X credits to the cost of the upkeep (strain on the hull), each week in space adds Y (food) and monthly maintenance is always Z, payable every month or when we reach port). We don't have a mortgage, we've created a slush fund to pay for the ship with money we've earned acquired, I'm happy to just run with that and split rewards equally amongst crew (both old and new) to create an easier style of gameplay.


Finally I will say that when I joined the game I accepted the results of my dice rolling (hardcore Traveller fan here), even when the GM saw how bad they were and asked if I wanted to reroll. I'm more than happy with the two characters that I have, their previous character arcs and background, and will happily roleplay Levi's annoyance at believing he is "the most intelligent, hard-working member of the crew on the worst pay", and Tanja's "I'm really getting paid for having fun??" attitudes. So however the issue of shares and finances is resolved or calculated, I will still be playing whether it is fair for my characters or not.

I just want this game to be fun for everyone, and for everyone to be invested in it.

I would like to find a patron with DEEP POCKETS to pay us to go and explore Ancient sights and such. They would pay us and take care of ship expenses. ;-) We'd get to explore and adventure. Give Teddy a chance to win over Tanja! ;-) hehehehe

In reply to Theodore Balakov (msg # 248):

Do we need a patron?  We have our own deep pockets.

I like the idea of exploring Ancient sights.  Lex did this when he was a youth.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:50, Sat 09 Sept 2023.

Well, I am new to the game, as you know. I am going to make some mistakes that we will have to iron out.  You guys know the mechanics of the game way better than I. I am only using the Mongoose Traveller II rule books.  But, adventure material may be referenced from other sources....maybe. I mean there is a LOT of adventure material in Mongoose Traveller II.

I need to correct a statement Karma said in her last post about "locking in the share price".  My tired brain confused the ship value with current operating funds, which have increased dramatically. There is no locking in....the share price changes if the ship value changes. My apologies if it confused y'all.

Im losing my mind.... I thought I had written that in character somewhere.

In reply to GM (msg # 251):

No problem Nate, we're just tickled pink that you adopted us! We all make mistakes, You've seen me make many already!

In reply to Fatboi Stout (msg # 253):

Quite welcome, happy to involve as many as possible. As both Levi and Tanja I try to develop distinct personalities for my characters and go with inner dialogue to help define and support that. I try to avoid putting words in other characters' mouths though, so always try to write from my character's perspective using opinions. Most of the time it works, other times it doesn't come across quite as well - usually when I'm writing on my phone and am more concerned with spelling, punctuation and erroneous full stops appearing in my text.

If that ever happens just PM me and I'll rewrite my posts.

As to artificial gravity, that's normally how I read and have played Traveller. A good example of contra-gravity use in space combat is in Evan Currie's Odyssey One series, where he repeatedly talks about the high G forces that the fighter pilots perform, but because the ships all have contra-gravity systems in place, they are able to suppress most of it to enable them to perform highly agile and almost impossible feats of flying.

However, how I read Karma's reference was to the initial leaving of Regina as we'd be affected by both the 2G thrust, our artificial gravity and the moon's gravity until we left it's gravity well which is what - 100 diameters?? So a good few hours of constant thrust, but no more than we'd need to reach effective hyperspace jump distance.

So I'm happy to go with convenience, and only have thrust affect characters if and when the ship performs high G movements, usually as part of combat or emergency actions.

Avg Speculative Trading Rules
On the topic of keeping some of the mechanics simple  ... A while back, for another Traveller game, I developed a simplified set of speculative trading rules.  The motivation was to kept the trading aspect in the game but to reduce the complexity.

Here is a link to the rules (on my google drive).  Fell free to use or ignore or perhaps provide inspiration for something different.

https://docs.google.com/docume...BY4/edit?usp=sharing

.

Wouldn't it be easier to check the destination systems market preferred goods against the goods available on offer of the system on?.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:59, Sun 10 Sept 2023.

In reply to Billianah Urquhart (msg # 256):

Depends on where you want the crutch.  This reduced rule set does not use knowledge of destination, which reduces crunch. Also is useful when the sale destination is not know.  This happens when we filled up our cargo and bought/ sold on way to a distant target and the next star system often changed due to in game complication dynamics.

Grav plates are adjustable.... see I learned something.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 236):

Mechanics Bay

Just a FYI ... Lex has a Mechanic 1 and Engineering 0, so if the is interest in buying a Mechanics Bay he could man it.  It would give him a purpose on the ship.  His recon duties would mostly be off ship.

Sounds like a plan. And Levi has Instruction +1 so would be happy to mentor anyone who was interested in Engineering and Mechanics.

Other suggestion would be a science bay or lab, but if we ever really need one I'm sure we could convert a spare cabin across for that function.

Thank you Harry. ;^)

Sorry - I checked the only info I have to see who the best pilots were (the table earlier in the OOC thread) and Harry wasn't on that list.

Wasn't sure if he'd dropped the skill.

In reply to Tanja Skorskald (msg # 262):

Oops sorry meant Phillip

Phillip is currently in engineering as well.

If Harry even had 1 point in pilot he'll do!!

In reply to Tanja Skorskald (msg # 264):

He has Pilot 0, he's working on it!

In reply to Tanja Skorskald (msg # 262):

I had 2 Harrys in two games, the other one may have had pilot, not sure, this one is working on pilot 1.

Pilot 0 means he's familiar with the systems to avoid the untrained penalty which is more than enough for me!! So I'd be happy for him to stay if he's happy to me take responsibility for helping Tanja out.

Tough choice. Consider it on the job training!!

In reply to Tanja Skorskald (msg # 267):

sure

Harry needs to make a skill roll.... Tanja as well.

In reply to GM (msg # 269):

14:31, Today: Harry McStubbin rolled 7 using 2d6.  pilot. +1 Dex should make it, +2 INT as well. Not sure which any more.

INT yes. DEX no. We arent flying by wire and joystick Harry

Manipulation of a bar graph on a computer requires no dexterity.  LOL
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:37, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 271):

9 then. Working the 'stick' might.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:38, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

Yup

Regarding Msg #122 & #129:

From the ongoing discussion it’s not clear if the plate only needs software calibration or removed, fixed, replaced or deactivated.  How is that determined?

The question is around how to decide between the 2 choices.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:18, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

That's just it we don't know yet. It could be a software issue, which would explain the Comms going down and the change in direction. But why just one plate?? We downloaded new data to the ship, so that's a source.

However it might not.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 275):

I was using the information in Msg #122 & #129. I was tasked with working on the plate. They spoke of one plate and possible software calibration.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:00, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

Yeah that was me trying to diagnose the fault and offer a reason why. We still don't know the actual cause, but having access to the faulty grav plate(s) might help with that process.

Looking at the floorplan of the ship - where is the faulty grav plate located??

Am curious if it's in the "special operations room" or not.

Hum
This message was last edited by the player at 11:26, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

In reply to Levi Stensgaard (msg # 277):

Yah, this is a struggle ....

PbP is new to me and I do not yet fully understand how complications / encounters are played out (via PbP).  This is much different than a real time game where information moves quickly.  Where tactical information is given and corrected almost real time.

In addition, the PC (Lex) is not yet a seasoned member of the crew. Although he is a mechanic and engineer, he is not that familiar with the ship yet.  So on top of my uncertainty, as the player, on how to run the PbP complications mechanic, the PC would also not yet be the most proficient in helping.

So I'm posting my best guess on what is correct, knowing it could very well be wrong.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:26, Sat 16 Sept 2023.

In reply to Lexon Reed (msg # 280):

Don't worry about it, I've been here at least 15 years on rpol, I have no idea what I'm doing in most Traveller games, I stopped reading sci-fi books 40 years ago. I make it up as I go if I have no clue. The gravitic plate that malfunctioned, first I thought it was in the power plant, not the floor, and I made up which plate it was. We're all writing the story as we go, so relax and go with the flow, you're doing fine!

This is the downside to PbP - the time delay. Which is why I rolled for the number of skills that I did. I did not know which would be needed, and.can now allow the GM to pick and.choose which skills are applicable and which are not.

There is nothing wrong with waiting till the GM tells you to roll, but I'm a little impatient at times and want to help keep the pace of the game alive.



Most proficient?? Perhaps, perhaps not. Doesn't matter - you're crew now, you came to engineering and have picked up the toolbox and didn't say "but I can't". That tells Levi that you're an engineer.

Look at it this way, if you roll and succeed in fixing it yay!! All done, we can move to the next crisis. If you roll and don't succeed it adds drama to the situation - not because you failed but because the problem was so difficult to repair you didn't have the necessary skill, tools or experience to fix it.



Nothing is ever "wrong" as it is all a matter of perspective. The example above is a good one about rolling for repairs. Because we're not face to face where you normally roll and the GM says "you replace the <<broken bit>> into the <<system that needs repairing>>, well done, instead you roll AND write a narrative on your success or failure. It's up to.you how you explain it.

Another example, combat. A miss by an inch is still a miss. You roll, you fail, you write "so close, but it missed". Or you throw a powerful punch, but your feet slip at the last minute and you flail in open air where the target's head was previously.

It's all in the fluff of the writing.



What Harry said too. You're doing great. And remember if you do write something that is "wrong" or doesn't work, the GM will inform you and it can be edited or they'll edit and tell you the changes they've made. This usually only happens if you write something too soon (such as an action before the ambush has happened) or include detail that is incorrect (such as the Katerina taking off despite.not having any fuel on board).

The rest we just roll with.

Sorry for dalays. Work schedule is hell right now. We are almost halfway through it. Will be glad to get back into a normal routine.

Thanks for your continued patience.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:17, Tue 19 Sept 2023.

Quick note.

There are consoles in your staterooms that can "monitor" ship functions.  There are only four stations with full computer access on the ship.  Three of those have full access to their respective field. They can have full access with the captain's command override. The captain's stateroom station has full access.  Therefore, you can monitor things from your stateroom, but to do a task, you must be at a dedicated station.  An additional station outside of the norm, eats up 1 bandwidth, is 1 ton space, and costs more.

The Medical bay computer station is dedicated to medicine only, besides normal comms and library functions.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:47, Tue 19 Sept 2023.

Shyte!  I just realised I have not been including your last names in my "Private to" messages.   Dammit....

Okay, I am going to truncate the character names to their first name or nickname for ease of play.  If you include a "Private to" message in your post, only use the first name of the character you are posting to.   After I have revised the names, please go back and take a look at the posts and see if there is something critical that might have been needed known.

Sorry for the confusion... I was wondering why some replies were not happening.

<< facepalms >>


EDIT:  << scratches head >>

Seems it must have been working anyway without the last name.  I did not know it did that.... hmmm... over worked, numbed mind...
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:03, Tue 19 Sept 2023.

I got all 3 messages, you want me to reply to all 3?

Not necessary. Thanks.


My apologies for confusions. I am still trying to get a feel for the way this game will be played. I appreciate yall's patience and feedback.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:02, Wed 20 Sept 2023.

Hum

Is this something I am unaware of from the game migration?

In reply to GM (msg # 289):

Nothing I know of.

Perhaps just computer countermeasures rather than physical??

In reply to Levi (msg # 291):

The computer program to protect against intruders and anti-virus/trojan horse program to protect the computer itself?

In reply to GM (msg # 289):

Any targetting/defensive application.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:58, Wed 20 Sept 2023.

Will get a GM post update in a couple hours.

Regina - A788899-C  Ri; msg #148

Lex is deep in the bowls of the ship servicing a grav plate, working with Levi.  Not actively preparing for a boarding event.  I can redirect my efforts but would need explicate direction from the captain (or appropriate person) to leave my current responsibility.

In reply to Lexon (msg # 295):

Yup, the captain or Levi would have to call you up from there atm. If he tells you to leave it and come out.

Harry, Phillip, Teddy.

In reply to Lexon (msg # 295):

Hum.. I don't think there'd be a boarding from any fighter Pilot, one never can tell.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:59, Thu 21 Sept 2023.

Didn't get my post up before Fatboi... Now have to rewrite it in the face of his info...

What is running?  This post seems incomplete.

In reply to GM (msg # 299):

I was mid post and had to check the details which entailed posting to get the information then updating it.

In reply to Billianah (msg # 300):

I've had to do that before too. ;-) But I posted back right away, you weren't able to this time! LOL Shyte happens, we'll get over it! ;-) You're doing good Billi, always liked the way you played Traveller!

In reply to Harry (msg # 301):

So, Billianah didn't...

Regarding Grav Plate repair.

I garbed the tool kit Levi pointed out.  Should I assume I have all the necessary equipment to perform a full diagnostic?
If yes, should I proactively roll my Mechanic and post the results?
If no, please advise on how to proceed.

Quick question - I mentioned transponders, but all craft should have one so that it sends a signal to say where you are and who you are. I referred to it as IFF only because that was the term we used in previous Traveller games.

I'm assuming that we have one, and even though it is a separate system to our communications who or whatever has done this to us has turned it off too??

Just for future reference as I will have a habit of mentioning it. If you aren't using them in this game that's fine, I'll just try to remember.

In reply to Tanja (msg # 305):

Yup everything that flies has a transponder, like all airplanes. Sometimes they do turn them off, but they are there.

I see I misunderstood or read into your post of having a separate older IFF transponder.  The ship currently uses the A.C.M.E. transponder, which is  of course, is more sophisticated.   ;o)   The old Imperial Flight Finder unit became too compromised.

While possible to do, the time it would take to hotwire a proprietary transponder might be considerable.  And... it may make us especially suspicious looking.

But, I digress.  Player's may attempt any action in their story. I merely wish to point out that the Katarina does have a registered IDENT signature as a far trader vessel, as set forth by unknown means by Adm. Amundson.

But we all know it is much more than that.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:24, Fri 22 Sept 2023.

Newbie procedural question ...

Levi asked about the "Missing inertia dampening controller card (i.e., chipset)"  How do I know if the card is physically missing or just that the card's electrical interface is damaged, and is registering as missing by the diagnostic tool but the card is physically present?  The card could have been damaged by the mishap as opposed to being part of the cause of the mishap.

Also, how do I "Identify source of both errors" using the game mechanics?

Sorry for what is likely to be obvious for the more experienced PbP player, but is not to me.

In reply to Lexon (msg # 308):

Me either, so don't feel bad

That answers the ONE, if not both....

In reply to GM (msg # 310):

Oops. YOU removed it Lex.

Ok, the card question is answered.  Thanks.  I did not remember that, I guess, because it was an action by the GM.  But the source of the mismatch firmware is still unanswered.  I don't want to make up the source of the error because it may conflict with what the GM has in mind.  Or do I make up something?  Do I make a roll using intelligence + perhaps something else and if it exceeds a target I get to narratively describe the cause?

Make and Engineering: Electronics skill roll 10+

If you do not possess the skill, Make the skill roll with DM-3, so the roll would be your INT+, DM-, and come up with a roll equal to or above 10+.  Make the roll.  GM will describe the result.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:54, Fri 22 Sept 2023.

I'll admit I saw the message a while back and waited to see if you noticed it... But to be fair your character is an engineer in training and Levi is a tad more experienced, so I went for it.

Didn't want to step on your feet though so kept it vague. I'll drop a PM next time to explain myself.

Really I was under the impression whilst this is speaking normally.

Who are you referring to? There isn't a Eldorado in the cast list.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

It was described as a whisper, so.im assuming he said it close to Karma as well, and it was written in small - and with Tanja's focus on sensors and flying, I'm happy for her not to have overheard everything.

In reply to Tanja (msg # 317):

Sorry my error I missed that.

In reply to Billianah (msg # 316):

No worries - this is online text based so easy to read different ways. If it's hidden in a PM I assume the character is so close it is impossible to overhear, but if small then others can overhear some if not all of it.

Because Billianah overheard it too, it was loud enough to carry a few feet.

It's all in the reading of it.


And Eldorado is Fatboi's real name (recently revealed in the thread). Neither of my characters use it. He's Mister Stout or Fatboi to us.

I would rather _{"this be whispering"}. Whilst "this be normal speak." Whilst else "this be loud." And "THIS BE SHOUTING.".

Unless your whisper be private.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:24, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

Ok, one note for clarity. Harry is currently manning the starboard turrets as commanded by the captain. He is not on the bridge. He is using a personal computer for his calculations.

In reply to GM (msg # 321):

yup, that is correct Nate!

Amended posts to reflect it.

Oops...

The edit uses a comm channel which the whispering was trying to avoid - but would Harry have heard the whisper if he's in a turret?? Or are we to assume some if it was broadcast??

Double oops!!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:09, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

In reply to Tanja (msg # 325):

No, I forgot I was in the turret, I'll either edit or delete that, sorry!

Com-links are private peer to peer comms.  Let us say that we all have an ear bud gadget that allows com-link talks.  [Com-link/Harry] denotes one touching the ear bud, speaking the name of the recipient, then the connection is made.

Comms is ship wide except passenger areas, hence not private.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:48, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

"They call me MISTER Tibbs!" ;)

In reply to Fatboy (msg # 328):

Sidney Poitier, In the Heat of the Night with Rod Steiger!

Haha... I didnt get that. Now I do.

In reply to GM (msg # 330):

I KNOW my classic movies. I don't watch the crap they dole out today! The series with Carrol O'Connor was great too.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:06, Sat 23 Sept 2023.

Alright, been a few weeks now. I want some feedback, publicly or privately.

How is the game feeling for you?

Is the play-style to your liking?

What would you see improved upon?

Does the story seem fluid and cohesive or is it seemingly chaotic and untethered?

In reply to GM (msg # 332):

I'm loving it! So far! You got your feet wet, you're doing fine I think.

So far, so good. Am enjoying the game. It's still in it's infancy, and there are some changes from the original that I need to get my head around - or rather, become familiar with.

The only thing I'm not certain about is just how far we can get away with our narrations. What I mean is that I'm happy to make up techno-babble, but at the moment I'm waiting to be given sufficient information that I can use it to sound like I know what I'm talking about.

But the game is in early doors and it's just a case of finding our feet.

What would I like improved upon?? Nothing as of yet. I just need to feel a little more confident with what I can and cannot say and do. And that will come with experience and time.

I'm going to try something new. Im trying to also feel the flow of the game and have been reacting as if it were a round to round game where all players post their intentions for the round and resolve it all at once..

Im not certain how much narrative a player should give either.  We are doing ok, though.

Im going to give a GM response to your posts at the bottom if one is warranted. Lets see if things run a little smoother. If it needs to be private, it will be.

So please re-read your last posts.

Feedback welcome.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:43, Mon 25 Sept 2023.

In reply to GM (msg # 335):

Your mastering is flawless - I even copy-pasted your writing guidelines for my game! :)

Still lost in the technobabble, but we're seeing some action, so no complaints here.

What I wish for is our characters recovering their family names... :) For one, some of us address other PCs IC by their last name, plus last names give verisimilitude and information - whether your name is "Smith" or "Von Bundervoll du Plantier" does not send the same message... ;) Other games have PCs with full names; why shouldn't we? :)

In reply to Fatboy (msg # 336):

I see your point. I have karma addressing fatboy as mr. Stout, a more profeessional and formal addressing of a crew member. She should be doing the same with others. But, a new player would not know who, or what, mr. Stout is.

I will amend this. I changed it for personal reasons concerning my short term memory issues. I could not remember the spelling of last names for private messages. I have since learned that the last names are not required in the "private to" messages.