Let's open up discussion of topics folks might like to see here.

As topics for discussion are suggested, PM your vote for or against with an optional paragraph of one hundred words or fewer giving the rationale for your vote.

To start things off, I'll suggest we have a topic called Web Resources that links to Traveller-related websites providing freely available resources (stuff like character generation, planetary system generation, world building, ship plans, etc.)

The subject line of vote PMs should take the form, for example:

VOTE: Web Resources

So... what would you like to see here?
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:43, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

I'd like to see a Hiring Hall topic, where we can recruit players (or GMs) for games, without some of the over-restrictions of the public boards.

However, I would not want to see people spamming this board with daily ads or links. Advertising in moderation.

Perhaps also The Armoury where we can introduce new weapons and equipment, The Shipyard where we can introduce interesting starships or small craft, and The Garage where we can introduce new vehicles.
Similar topics could introduce worlds or NPCs, each with an interesting write-up, specifications, UPP, UWP, etc.
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:43, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

I would like to see discussions on characters other than military type.  Those other characters who bring pain and joy to any adventuring group.

I am finding myself GMing 2nd edition Traveller (the one that came out in 2016) and with people who are more up to date with it.  It is hard to get them to do social things.  They want to do the Pirates of Drinax adventures, which is fine by me, but they enjoy going right when the adventures calls for going left.  They start off with good intentions but then quickly turn pirate and want the big haul so they can buy everything to make their ship even more impossible to hit, etc.

I am looking to see how to incorporate more interaction with NPCs to try to show them Traveller is so much more than just shooting Marines, etc.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 21:43, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Hmmm... how about a Personalities board where we can post and discuss NPC's?
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:44, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Another topic idea, spurred by recent discussion in OOC Chat:

The World Builder's Library:  A compendium of books and other literature useful to the building of vibrant worlds and settings for Traveller universes.

There may be a better name for it...

I'll nip out and set up a poll thread for it in PM.
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:44, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

A topic idea:

The Adventurer's Emporium would be the place for sharing the various technological toys, items of equipment, gadgets, gewgaws, etc.

This could include the whole range of such items from computers to colanders, excavators to eggs Benedict, etc.

Any non-weapon items Travellers might want to take with them on their journeys is fair game here.

What say you?
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:44, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Yep, I can't see anyone turning these suggestions down. If you post it up, I'll transfer my civvy kit across to the new thread. :)
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 21:45, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

In reply to Beowulf (msg # 7):

I like the idea of an Adventurer's Emporium.  I know in D&D (which I'm more familiar with) we would come up with the basic packs.  Traveller, in their generated character as basic packs.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 21:45, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

I'm toying with the idea of a Combat rules discussion forum where we could hash out mechanics, compare different combat rule systems for Traveller through the years, get jiggy with hex maps for tactical combat, and just generally explore how we might do combat more effectively in the RPoL setting.

What say all of you?
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:45, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

The combat systems are all dramatically different so a forum to discuss them would be appropriate.
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:57, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Sounds good to me.
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:57, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Guess I'd better set up a poll thread in the PMs...

Oops.

Vote PM is up!
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:58, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

In reply to The Traveller (msg # 12):

Voted.  :)  Good timing.  I just put my guys through 5e combat a couple of weeks ago and will be doing it again tomorrow.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 21:58, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

From a recent divertimento in The Hiring Hall involving an alleged Ithklur relic, I began to believe a topic for discussions of Non-Humans in Traveller might be well received.

What say all of you (in PM, of course)?
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:58, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

If there are other parties interested in discussing, I think it would be great to have a place to discuss the special techniques people sue to run games over RPOL (e.g. how to keep Combat from taking several weeks to conduct, etc.)
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 22:10, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Check out 1400 - Combat Systems Discussion as the relevant topic here.

If you're wondering how things are laid out, please visit the Notice topic 0001 - Jump Table

EGAD!  I missed your point entirely!  (This is why I go back and re-read things periodically as I have time.)  My humble apologies.  (Subject Line edited, too.)

What you might have been looking for is a topic on RPoL-related tips and tricks, right, or maybe a more general one on Refereeing Help?  Both of these seem like they might have merit here.  Once again, my apologies for not seeing it sooner.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:11, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

Apologies to all here:  if you have noted the edits I recently did to topic subjects, I was basically correcting mistakes I made which had a way of propagating in replies.

The topic number here is 0200, not 0100 as I had previously used in my posts.  I also failed to change the subject a couple of times when proposing new subjects.

I've had too much on my mind lately, I suppose.  All fixed now, I hope.

If you spot something like that, don't hesitate to let me know in PM, please.  I'll take all the help I can get these days.
This message was last updated by the GM at 22:12, Sat 11 Aug 2018.

If you have seen the stumbling around I did lately in this topic you'll realize I'm losing my touch somewhat.  Let me try to recover gracefully, anyway.

Recent posts from Altho convince me that we do our Referees a disservice by not having at least a couple of topics for discussions related to Refereeing as an art and science unto itself.

For that reason, I propose a new topic hierarchy, 4000, with its first topic being a general resource for those seeking help in learning to referee or improving how they referee Traveller games here on RPoL.  Call it 4000 - Referee's Help?

Alongside this topic, I'd also propose a 4100 - Refereeing Tips & Tricks topic.  Share here those special techniques that have made your games on RPoL so successful.

I'm not ready to put up polls for these two prospective groups yet, as I think this whole hierarchy is worthy of more discussion first.  Jump in with opinions, facts, theories, etc., and let's talk.  I look forward to our forums here bringing more value to our Referees and Players.

Well, obviously I'd like to see such topics. I could be wrong, but I am guessing that those of us who GM feel at least enough comfort with the duties involved that they are willing and able to carry them out.

I have had issues in the past myself in how to handle some of the situations on rpol, though.

Case in point, I had a barfight in a game with three bandits, a hostage they'd taken, six civilian non-combatants, and five characters. There was cover to consider, lines of sight, potential collateral damage, and of course a heckuva lot of die rolls to make!

How do you folks create and edit maps or other visuals you use to depict scenes like this? How about die rolling, when you may have several characters with people who are on at widely-dispersed times? That's the sort of help I'd really benefit from. I've evolved some techniques to help to a degree, but always happy to learn better ways!

I'd suggest that 4000 and 4100 cover pretty much the same ground. Perhaps just create one thread for now, see how it goes, and set up a second thread if it proves necessary.

Altho, I could certainly provide a few opinions on your questions, but this thread isn't the place to do it. QED.

Point taken, but let's see how the discussion proceeds.  I'll start the poll for 4000 - Referee's Help meanwhile, and, when it goes up, post Altho's case-in-point above as a quote in the first post after the intro.

A couple years ago I was in one that started after the ship crashed on a planet.  We were all in low berths that auto-opened just after the crash.  Limited memories and skill knowledge, some of which came to us during game play.  3-4 of us managed to eventually get out of the ship, a sizeable one, before being burned alive.  Unfortunately, it ended when the GM passed away.

It was starting to look like a Marooned / Marooned Alone situation.  Anyone else have a similar situation or variation ??

Was the GM in that game Steve Cabral?

I've done some games a long time ago face to face that started with the loss of memory situation.  Its a fun one when you can have blind character sheets such that the players truly don't know what they can do.  It's a lot of work on the GM but it's fun to reveal.

I'd love to do some gaming on a truly detailed alien world. The closest I've ever got to this apart from some solo play in Marooned Alone (which was kinda boring to be honest) was when I ran the 2300ad setting 'Aurore'.

A proper 'Marooned' or similar game would be awesome

It was some time ago Montezgvegh, getting on 5 years now ...

In reply to Aslanii (msg # 25):

Steve died in 2016

Could have been Siofra.  Were you in any of his games ??

In reply to Aslanii (msg # 27):

I was in about 5 games with him.  I double checked my records, it was around June 28, 2016.

It seemed like longer ago that Steve passed.  He was an amazing GM and player!

There are some nice 2300 scenarios.  I always thought that Kafer Dawn would be interesting.

I redid my Kafers with things more like 'Prawns' from 'District 9'. I gave them the Mantis Shrimp's ability to see in different spectra so they had brilliant combat ability plus the Shrimp's armour-cracking punch. I changed the Kafer Secret to a simply unknowable intelligence that humans could not relate to. Smart but inimical. This let them wear armour and not be slaughtered in an ambush.

I have this on-again-off-again idea to redo a Near Star Map with modern info and use a jump-drive system modeled on the one from MechWarrior. I reckon I'll never get around to it :)

It would be a tremendous challenge I think to really play the Kafers as they would deserve.

Sky Raiders Saga:  link to another game

Was never into 2300.  Would it be adaptable to Classic Traveller ??  I know it had its own system, somewhat like Twilight 2000.

Meeting all kinds of Traveller players here, I'm Wong.  Blake the pilot in Sky Raiders.

I beg everyone's pardon, but this topic is for proposing new topics.  I see a lot of sentiments expressed concerning Sky Realms.  Would that, perchance be Sky Realms of Jorune?

Wish I'd met Steve Cabral - sounds like a helluva guy.  Sad to hear of his passing.

Is there a topic any of you wish to create to continue this discussion?  If not, let's move further discussion to the 9900 - OOC Chat topic, please.

You could do it easily bit it would change the flavour a bit, but in a good way I think. Looking at games in a new light is always fun. I once ran the Dragon magazine Boot Hill scenario 'The Taming of Brimstone' for Traveller

Jorune, there's a lost colony setting for a Traveller game.