#TravellerRPG False Starter

I have been watching the minor kerfuffle surrounding the launch of the new Mongoose Traveller Starter Set. I don’t hide the fact I dislike Mongoose and the direction they took with Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition (MgT2E), especially the onerous third-party publishing rules chains they imposed.

The Traveller Starter Set is marketed as the easy way to start playing in the MgT2E universe. For $39.99 one gets three pdf “books,” a blank sector map and six pre-generated character cards. Mind you, that’s $40 for downloadable content only. So what does that $40 really buy?

Book 1 and Book 2 are apparently repackaging of the MgT2E Core Rulebook which I, like many other potential purchasers of the Starter Set, already own. Book 3 is a new adventure. The blank sector map is advertised as “giant.” And don’t forget those six pregenerated characters, four of which one can see in the free full-size preview!

Given that I paid $20 for the Core Rulebook beta, then an additional $9.99 for the final version (total of $29.99 invested), and that a blank subsector map is free to download, and that four of the six pregens are publicly facing, I guess Mongoose expects me to happily pony up another $40 for the Book 3 adventure, a sector map to print on a large-format printer I don’t have, and the last two pregens.

Indeed, after the Starter Set went live on April 21, the question was asked in the DTRPG comments if the adventure would be sold separately. The publisher responded on April 22, “We have no plans to, but I’ll look into it!” At the same time, prospective customers were asking on the Mongoose Forums what advantage there was to buying the new Starter Set. The question was asked April 23 and as of April 28 when I write this post it remains unanswered.

On April 28, the Book 3 adventure miraculously appeared on DriveThruRPG as a separate product. So for a “bargain” price of $14.99 one can get the adventure, the poster size map, and the pregens. (Actually it is not totally clear what is included because as I write this the DTRPG listing cuts off mid sentence and the full-size preview is not working.)

I am so glad I have turned my back on Mongoose and MgT2E. The Cepheus Engine System is being widely supported with new rules and settings. Indeed, my early analysis (which will be in a later post) of SOLO: Solo RPG Campaigns for the Cepheus Engine (Zozer Games) shows it to be (IMNSHO) one of the best of the supporting products out there. Oh, to be (a bit) fair, MgT2E is not a total loss; it did introduce the Boon/Bane mechanic which has grown on me over time. So for $29.99 I got a new mechanic to add to my Traveller RPG. Don’t forget too that to get the starship rules I also must buy a separate book for another $29.99, or an ironmongery/equipment book for $29.99 more; and if I want vehicles its a real bargain at another $29.99. Now I can replace my Core Rulebook with the Starter Set (adventure included) for $39.99 or go cheap and get the adventure only for half the usual price at $14.99.

Let me think about this for a moment…uh…NOPE!

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