Let's Read: Traveller, 1977 Edition, Characters & Combat, page 29

Alright, next we continue on with range. The entire next page is all about range, starting with defining ‘open range’ and ‘stand.’ Stand is pretty simple; you don’t move. ‘Open range’ means getting away from the other person, with the same round requirements as closing the range. So, if you’re trying to get from medium range to long range away from the guy with the shotgun, it will take you three rounds to get there. If you run, it’s a round and a half. Would that round down or up? It would probably depend on the situation.

Everyone in the group gets to decide whether or not they’re moving in a round, and you don’t have to completely change range bands before doing something else. That’s good, and makes sense. If you’re already at very long range and you go further, you’re essentially out of combat.

An example of movement shows that simultaneous movement allows for closing or opening the range at effectively twice the normal speed if the two sides are doing the same thing (both sides closing the range means half the time spent doing so). There’s also a nice line grid (easy to replicate in a word processor or spreadsheet) that can be used to help visualize the distances between sides. You could also do math, but that’s a lot to keep track of. The grid looks like a great tool.

So, doing the math on the number of bands vs. the meters of range given earlier, the bands aren’t going to have exact measurements; the ‘very long’ bands are from 10 to 14 bands away from the opponent, while the range equivalent given earlier is 251 to 500 meters. So, the bands are approximations instead of hard distances. I can work with that. It’s more cinematic, and easier to handle at the gaming table. The OCD-math guy in me is weeping, but I gave him a cookie to calm him down. Characters can move one band per round, or two if running.

And there’s a note that this system isn’t for dealing with precise, tactical movement. If that’s what the players and referee want, they can go to grids with hexes to handle that sort of thing. This is for the ‘let’s just play’ crowd.