Traveller's expansive setting, a unique draw for players, resembles RuneQuest or Call of Cthulhu. Over the years, Traveller has evolved from a quirky, 1950s throwback sci-fi game to a more modern and contemporary experience, reminiscent of a Cyberpunk or any modern sci-fi movie out of Hollywood. This evolution uniquely appeals to the game, making it a must-try for sci-fi role-playing enthusiasts eager to explore new and engaging gaming experiences.
Cepheus is still a better platform to express 'your own ideas' outside the Traveller universe, just like BRP is the way to go with fantasy settings outside the RuneQuest universe. But both Traveller and RuneQuest are becoming more and more compelling as D&D goes the way of a mobile game and dies off in terms of providing a space for your imagination to roam free, unmonetized, and unowned by corporate IP barons (and with no Fortnite characters running around in my campaign). This freedom of expression in Traveller and RuneQuest empowers players and excites them about the potential for their own ideas in these games.
The way role-playing is going these days, the big brands will eliminate creating your own characters and force you to play with licensed IP characters as the default choice. You will have to "buy" new characters to unlock them, and the characters you buy will come with special powers and abilities typical player characters can't have (I called it here first). This is one of the reasons I am starting to walk away from games with iconic characters. They take over the game, are copyrighted IP, and tell players, "You will never be as good as them." They will also eventually become "we are more important" GM-NPCs. They will also be sold as value-adds in VTTs, with better models and more animations and voices than regular PCs (calling this too).
Just say no to iconic and licensed characters. I never wanted or needed them. The PCs are the stars, full stop.
Traveller also avoids the trope of "ripping off Aliens," which far too many games do nowadays. Even the sci-fi horror game Mothership has walked away from Aliens and become more popular than the licensed game in some circles because Mothership is about more than xenomorphs. Aliens RPG is still a great game, but you can only play that scenario so many times before you crave something different.
Traveller has eclipsed Aliens and moved beyond that genre appeal. The art and look of the game have a definite "Mass Effect" feeling, that sort of "plastic modern" pastiche with a neon underside of a Cyberpunk, mixed with the "used and dirty" grunge-fi look. It is a solid look for a modern game and can draw in the look and feel of both Mass Effect and Cyberpunk while dipping into the industrial look of Alien sparingly and then going post-apoc in places where decay and overuse wear down the gears of civilization.
In fact, Traveller is better than anything Hollywood puts out these days, and the game's sci-fi setting is now much more coherent and appealing than something like Star Wars or Star Trek. Hollywood has destroyed their sci-fi tentpoles with years of reboots and filler TV projects, so from a "gaming" standpoint, Traveller is the more robust and stable setting and much more playable. Also, even Alien is falling into the remake and reboot trap these days, so it is like a high-milage vehicle for audiences tiring of the franchise.
Traveller has captured "generic sci-fi's look and feel" like old D&D had captured "generic fantasy." New D&D is not in that same discussion anymore, especially with the planar focus. The new D&D is more of a "bubblegum planar pop fantasy" genre outside of the traditional fantasy genre's look and feel.
Also, no 'unkillable Traveller fiction NPCs' are running around being more critical than the PCs, so the Forgotten Realms GM-NPC problem is also solved. This absence of 'unkillable fiction NPCs' in Traveller reassures players about the game's fairness and instills confidence in their ability to shape the universe through their characters' eyes.
Traveller books are constantly at the top of DriveThru lists, and the game feels like a juggernaut for sci-fi gaming these days, much like a Call of Cthulhu is for horror.
Traveller is worthy and relevant in 2024, especially since the old sci-fi franchises we loved are dying, and we have no "space" to express our dreams among the stars.
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