Quote:
Originally Posted by Lev Lafayette
I seriously was about to give it a 4 for substance and then I held back and gave it a second look.
The refereeing section (p5-15) is probably below average. The star systems and worlds generation (p16-30) is mainly a key to the numerous tables and doesn't provide much detail on what it's like to be on such worlds. The animals (and environment) pages (p30-36) and encounters tables (p37-43) is certainly underdeveloped. The interpersonal and trade and commerce chapters are good to very good (p44-p55) and the starcraft and starship combat chapters certainly fulfil their goals (p55+).
So overall I could only give it a '3'. I found the star and world design pretty undeveloped and likewise for the encounters, societal types, climates and flora and fauna. This are matters which I consider very important to SF gaming.
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I see what you mean. Traveller is part of the old school, though, and it was more about giving the GM tools than showing him how to use them.
It's true that the system generation don't give much "soft" sociological data on how it is to live on a world. It's kind of expected not to be as important in the harder spectra of science fiction litterature and gaming. I agree it could have helped, though. DGP did another book on world generation, where they wasn't as limited by the GDW heritage and it has more of those details.