Printable View
So I was talking to someone recently, and they find it a failing of Traveller FG that it doesn't have automatic CG like whats found in DnD and Pathfinder.
While I think CG can be better in FG.
I am simply at a loss what they think that is. I asked them, and their response was, 'I am a consumer not a producer'.
Does anyone else have thoughts what automatic CG would be for traveller?
Boring. It would be boring. Traveller Character generation is a group activity that helps create buy in. If they think of it as work, then you're unlikely to have a player willing to buy in to Traveller enough to make playing with them an enjoyable experience.
I disagree Mallory, we use RPGsuite for character generation and it's excellent for streamlining the process without having to flip through books constantly
It couldn't be fully automatic as there are many decisions made during CG with respect to the character's career and their ties. It is these that bring out the character and help the player get attached to them. In my current campaign it was the ties and events during generation that lead to a really great framework for the crew of the Ulysses :)
D&D is a little different in that any player decisions there are of the non-optional type. In Traveller, provided you don't get given the heave-ho, you pick how long the character serves and hence its age. This leads to optional exit points which can make a great difference to the character's make up. In D&D you always start at 'a' and finish at 'b' which makes it more suited for auto-generation.
In addition, D&D autogenerated characters can be easily moulded by their players as they increase in level. Alas, Traveller doesn't have that luxury - it's experience system can best be described as basic, so the Traveller you get post creation is pretty much the one you will be using at the end of a campaign with very few changes (if any). For that reason, it is critical that the player be involved in those career decisions.
That said, a semi-auto CG would be great :)
I think a Character Wizard could be useful in general, but it is a time input from our lone developer to get this going. Now that both Aliens are out and the Traveller Companion is in for testing at SmiteWorks it might be an idea worth pursuing. That being said, time dedicated to a Character Generator is time taken away from things like the Vehicle Handbook and its associated FG automation tools.
I've run CG a few times on FG and it can be even more chaotic than doing it in person, what with the limited real estate but it can be done well with good use of the hotkeys at the bottom of the screen to keep pertinent rules and current careers at your fingertips
For me as a relative n00b to traveller, I really enjoy the character gen process. I like how ‘manual’ and un-video game like it is. I can see a wizard being handy in some cases I.e a quick NPC here and there. I would rather see the vehicles section be fleshed out though. Character gen is such a key part to the traveller experience I wouldn’t like to dilute it by automating / streamlining it too much. After all, there are char gens online for that.