How To Play Traveller RPG: Play Traveller RPG Online

How To Play Traveller RPG Online With VTT

Blog Hits: 6114

You want to play Traveller RPG with your friends, but you are practicing social distancing due to recent virus outbreaks. In this article, I will explain how to play Traveller RPG online.

How To Play Traveller RPG Online

Playing Traveller online is easy and fun.  All you need to get started is a computer with an internet connection, some kind of virtual tabletop, a GM, and at least one player.

Why Play Online?

There are many reasons to play any RPG online.  

Here are some common reasons people choose to play by virtual tabletop:

These a just a few reasons one might choose to play Traveller RPG online.  

If I missed anything obvious, or if you have a different reason for playing online, please consider sharing it down in the Comments section below this article.

Who Plays Online Tabletop RPGs?

Anybody with an interest and a low-range computer with an internet connection can easily get started with online tabletop RPGs.

You need to be able to click the mouse and open windows and understand basic computer concepts, so I would recommend maybe 8 or 10 years old and up.

The average gamer is about 34 years old and 70% of gamers are age 18 or older, but people of all ages enjoy gaming.  I started playing role-playing games at age 12 and I still enjoy them today at age 51.

The majority of gamers are male, while women represent a little over 40% of gamers in the US.

Take these stats with a grain of salt; I could not find any specific demographics for RPG gamers, so I used video gamers as a model.

What Are The Options For Playing Online?

When it comes to playing online all you really need is some teleconferencing software and some dice.

Dial-up some friends on Skype and get some role-playing going.

But, if you really want to take advantage of all the things playing online can give you, you should try a virtual tabletop (VTT).

Virtual tabletops allow the players and GM to access a shared online gaming space where they can share maps, character sheets, and other handouts, roll dice of almost any size, play sound effects, and activate the automated skill and combat rolls.

Let’s say you are a player and you want to try to land the ship on a commercial landing pad.  The GM tells you to roll your Pilot skill.

You open your character sheet and click on your Pilot skill.  Your skill level is added to the appropriate characteristic modifier and added to a 2d6 dice roll.  The results are displayed in the chat sidebar, complete with a breakdown of the calculation. It’s a really amazing gaming tech that can help people connect with each other when they can’t get together physically.

You’ll need a VTT and a way to communicate by voice or video.  Roll20 has a built-in video chat but it sometimes suffers from speed issues, so I recommend using your VTT with something like Discord, Skype, or Google Hangouts for the communication component.

Virtual Tabletop

Communication

For many gamers, such as myself, a video feed is not important.  What is really needed is a way for the players and GM to communicate with each other by voice and a shared gaming space that VTT programs provide.

How Can I Play Online?

Getting started with playing Traveller online is easy.

Decide Which Virtual Tabletop to Use

This is a personal preference and really depends on the system the GM and players are most comfortable using.  

I prefer Roll20; it has a lower barrier to entry because the basic level account is free for both the players and GM.

Get a Computer

The major VTT programs and communications programs are compatible with a variety of computer operating systems.  Whether you are running Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux, you should be able to connect to a shared gaming space and play online by remote.

Install the Software

If you are using Skype and/or Fantasy Grounds you’ll need to install the software to run those programs.  If you are using Discord, Google Hangouts and/or Roll20, there is no software to install, just use your browser to connect.  Discord is a special case - you can access it by a browser or install the app on your phone and computer for expanded capabilities.

Find Other Players

If you don’t already know people to play with, you can find some in online player-matching directories.  

That’s it - you are ready to start playing Traveller RPG online.  You should now be able to find other players and join a game.

Where Can I Get The Software To Play Online?

Everything you need to get started can be obtained online.

Virtual Tabletop Programs

Communications Programs

How Can I Find People To Play Traveller Online?

Player Matching Services

Social Media Groups

Forums

Discord Servers

When Can I Get Started Playing Traveller RPG Online?

You can start playing as soon as you make an account and login to the VTT.

I’d recommend watching a few videos to see how it works.

I’ve given you all the tools - what’s stopping you?  Go play... Go play NOW!

When Is The Best Time To Play?

The best time is whenever you can arrange a time with your friends and their schedules.

According to the posting frequency from user statistics from Traveller RPG Headquarters on Facebook, the best times to find available players are:

Traveller RPG Support

All major VTT products support generic gaming for a variety of systems, you can even adopt them to use your own home-brew system.

That said, each VTT platform has varying amounts of in-built support for the various RPG rules systems.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 virus has people stressed out and in a panic.

At this time it is important to:

If you are interested in learning more about how to play Traveller online using Roll20, check out our video and article: Play Traveller Online: Intro to Roll20 VTT [2020]

I hope this short guide has provided enough info to get you started in the world of virtual tabletop gaming.

In an effort to make it easier and more affordable, I have dropped the price on The Relic, an adventure module for Roll20, by 20%.

Now priced at $15.99, you can expect to get 6-8 hours or more of Traveller RPG goodness.  Use it as a stand-alone adventure or as a launching point for a campaign of your own.

Stay safe, everybody!

WASH YOUR HANDS!

Until next time: Happy Travelling!

 

⭐⭐⭐ PLAY TRAVELLER ON ROLL20 NOW ⭐⭐⭐

🎲 Scout Ship Deck Plans For VTT : https://bit.ly/Scout-Ship-Deck-Plans

🎲 Far Trader Ship Deck Plans For VTT : https://bit.ly/FarTraderDeckPLans

🎲The Relic Adventure for Roll20:  http://bit.ly/The-Relic-Roll20

 


E-mail Notification Opt-in

Do you want to receive email notifications when we add new Traveller / sci-fi RPG content?

Sign up on our private mailing list.

YES! Notify me of new Blog posts!

Sign up for tips and tricks to make your sci-fi RPG even BETTER!
Get notified of sales and events:
We won't spam you.
Unsubscribe any time.

Related Articles