Mongoose 2300AD Mini Review

Bought and read the Book. This version of 2300AD is just OK. It biggest issue is that it is not worth $50, maybe $40. The biggest plus is bringing the 2300AD to the Traveller game system. The second biggest plus is that it is a way better and more useful summary of the 2300AD world than the original core rulebook. Although the omission of Kaefer stats, an alien race, is weird.

The biggest downside is that the physical book doesn't justify the $50 price tag. And the deckplans for the starships are stupid. Why? Because there is no anti gravity out side of continuous thrust or spinning up a module. All the zero-g sections are laid up like Classic Traveller style deckplans with chairs, beds, and table instead of configured for zero-g conditions like on the International Space Station, Salyut, Skylab, and Mir.

At this point I would only recommend getting the $30 PDF. It is worth $30 for the Traveller conversion stuff including starship creation. You can then buy the originals at http://www.farfuture.net/cdroms.html for $35. If you don't own Mongoose Traveller get the mini rulebook not the big full size rulebook. In fact I recommend their entire line of mini-rulebooks over the big books due the quality problems of their main books.

Mongoose Publishing Annual Report

Mongoose release their annual report you can read it here. I am glad Traveller is doing well for them and I pick up various products in the line from time to time. Because of past and continuing editing problems their stuff is not an automatic buy for me. I mostly stick to the small format books.

I find the release of GDW's 2300AD exciting. I always like the line. For those of you don't know what it is; 2300 AD is a separate sci-fi RPG from Traveller. It is a continuation of the Twilight 2000 timeline. Mankind recovers and expands to the stars. What make it's different that it's tech feel more like Aliens, and other 80s/90s sci-fi movie than the classic sci-fi of Traveller. It also notable for using the best data for it's star map and for using three dimensions. Earth is still fragmented into nation-states which until then wasn't commonly used in Sci-fi RPGs. The leading power is France, following a by several second tier powers like the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Manchuria and so on. The empire France rules is the result of a federation of territories that France united after the Twilight War and spans the globe. As of 2300AD they are on the wane.

Another interesting point about 2300AD is that it's background wasn't created arbitrarily. GDW created what became known as the Great Game moderated by a referee. Each player play one or more countries. Turns were taken until the timeline reached 2300 AD. I guess the French player did really well.