Traveller + SG2/SD2/??

The question isn't really does FMA need a Traveller version. We have no idea
what FMA would need to be useful in that area (as an extension to the RPG or
as a
stand-alone
skirmish game) because FMA isn't finalized, out, released, available, etc.

I find Striker (I have the original) interesting as a simulationist, but too
involved to actually play. I find any of those games that require me to
breakout either a pad of paper or a spreadsheet to build a vehicle (by first
building the individual components...) to be a bit of a bother. I can build SG
or even DS vehicles on the back of a matchbook or on a napkin.

And Stargrunt and Dirtside could both be converted to handle Traveller. I
think it is doable, but far from trivial in that Traveller represents a wider
range of tech than SG2 or DS2 right now. It also has different assumptions
about some mobility types. And different ideas of the relative power of
various weapons systems to the baseline SG equivalents. So, yes, I believe
conversions can certainly be done, but as someone who has
already worked on SG2 -> Traveller (different than Allan's because he
took the philosophy
of converting by system name - ie a traveller gauss rifle becomes a gzg
gauss rifle - and
I took the approach of converting by effect, trying to preserve the relative
balance in the traveller world rather than just mapping to the gzg stats and
letting the balance be determined by those stats), I don't think this effort
is a trivial one.

Traveller covers tech between 0 and 16+. I think in those terms,
Stargrunt 2 is set to
cover about TL6 to TL 10-12. Getting those extra TL in and getting in
the right balance of weapons across TL and getting in things like grav
vehicles that can fly like VTOLs is a bit of a challenge. Not impossible, but
not trivial. Especially if you need to modify the DS2 point system. (Oerjan
would be giving me an askance look for even thinking of it, I'm
sure...) *grin*

And to Mike, I'm afraid I don't agree that you can use the DS2 point system
for SG2. Infantry in DS2!= infantry in SG2. SG2 infantry is far more variable
in capability and DS2's system is too course. Also some weapons systems exist
in DS2 that do not in SG2 and vice versa. They are close, but not
interchangeable. And for infantry, the DS2 model is not really sufficient.

Anyway, I was just mulling the idea about. I want a good mechanism of
resolving platoon sized battles or company sized battles with actual PCs from
my Traveller game involved.

Tomb