Archive through July 30, 2019
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Star Fleet Battles: New Product Development:
Rulebooks without Counters:
Archive through July 30, 2019
As I own everything from expansion #1,2,&3, to the Silver Anniversary Rule Book, Federation Commander and all of F&E, maybe this just shows I buy anything from ADB.
But I would like to see the following:
1.MSSB Vol. 1
2.X2
3.Leanna's Fighting Starships
SVC:
If you’re still thinking about doing some books minus counters could you do a series of books
"Give the " your favorite race here " what it wants" ...
This is more or less along the lines of a threat file, most of the stuff in the book is conjectural some isn't.
I would actually rather have that organization system then the current module one because I only actively play Fed, Klingon, Romulan, Kzinti, and sometimes Gorn. I would prefer a big book of Fed or Klingon stuff then a few modules released over a number of years.
I would also rather have a bunch of new SSD's without counters in the short term then wait years to for R12 and R13
I don't see this working.
Even at two or three such books a year, it would be years before some customers got "their" ships.
Say a new kind of ship, a Zero-cruiser, is invented. The Feds get it now, the Klingons for Christmas, and the Lyrans in 2013? Worse, what happens when the new cruiser is invented between the Romulan book and the Kzinti book and the Feds, klingons, and Romulans have to wait five or six years for theirs?
I thing "one idea for every empire, all in the same book" is a better way to do it. Nobody waits, and the book is at least half what you want.
How about a R? "Best of the Web SSD book", featuring conjectural ships or ships that don't quite fit into the SFU and unbuilt variants suggested by fans and other star trek websites that would be fun to have in the game or would make great minis someday. Could also include SSDs for player created Kitbash models. (note I think SVC already had this idea just trying to flesh it out some)
see this thread: Starline 2400 Miniatures: Anybody interested in these designs?
Is it possible to get permission from???? to make "official" SFU SSDs for the FASA Star Trek minis or other Fasa Star Trek ship designs? This could also be a book of some kind.
It would take permission from Paramount (to start with) to publish such SSDs. They are not forthcoming with such permission.
(This is not to say ADB would even be interested in doing such. I figure there are many, many things to ask permission for from Paramount before ever getting to the FASA minis and ships. The point is that it is a non-starter just from the permission perspective.)
It's theoretically possible to ask Paramount for permission to do the FASA stuff. They won't give permission, but it's theoretically possible to ask.
What about a setting book? It seems to me, as someone relatively new to SFB, that information about the history and background of the Star Fleet Universe is pretty limited, compared to other SF games. I've gleaned bits and pieces from historical scenarios, painting guides, the history of the general war, and so on, but I still know less about the SFU than I do about (for example) FASA's Renegade Legion universe.
In the long run, there'll presumably be PD supplements for all the major powers, but right now only the Romulans and Klingons are covered, and even if all of them were, collecting them all would be an expensive undertaking. And the actual TV show only goes so far, especially for one-episode players like the Gorn or Tholians. I have in mind a single book with maybe 10-ish pages for each power--perhaps just the seven from the Basic Set--covering their history, government and culture.
I don't know how much demand there would be for such a book. Longtime players who've collected all the Captain's Logs over the years may not need it the way I do, and I have no idea how many other newbies there are. But I'd certainly buy it, and it might help gain new players for the game.
Marian
Marian, one thing that has been discussed is a book of Captain's Log fiction. Indeed, many Captain's Logs cannot be bought, although ADB has been working on re-printing them.
SFU history is told through scenarios, the time line, articles, and fiction (mostly in Cap Log). PD does expand the detail a lot but the issue is that SFU history covers 225 years or more than a dozen races in the Alpha octant alone. In any way you look at it, getting all the history is a fairly expensive proposition.
That is why we tend to say SFB (or SFU games) is not a passtime, it's a life style choice. 
I used to say, it's not a game, it's a hobby. Then I got involved with this community and saw the light.
We have actually produced and published far more "setting" material than any other universe or game system or game publisher. We just don't put it into one book. It's all over the place. We could, in theory, just copy-and-paste it end to end in one "history book", I guess.
A Master Scenario Manual would go a long way for that (with a special annex listing scenarios by date).
Then you just use the timeline, and fiction for the rest.
I like the idea of the setting book. Even leaving in "hooks" for threads that do not have a definite ending would be tantalizing.
I suggested some sort of master scenario book awhile back, but the answer that was given was that such a book would make several products obsolete and kill sales. I'm thinking more in terms of Federation Commander. It seems to me, though, that people purchase the various products for the ship cards and the specific rules that go with their unique weapons and systems. It would be interesting to know how many purchase products for the scenarios.
Perhaps if a certain number of scenarios were included in a series of scenario books, much as was done in Briefing #1, it might be viable. Every so often, a new scenario book could be published. Or, combine some of the setting material with scenarios that apply to that bit of history.
Just a few ideas to kick around.
ADB did modules S1 and S2 (two modules of just scenarios) for SFB a while back. I got mine on clearance special directly from ADB, so I infer that they didn't sell that well.
I personally don't purchase FC products for new scenarios. I like having scenarios in the products, but I like a mix of stuff, new ships, scenarios, tactics, background.
Mulling over the "setting book"...
I don't think it would sell well, so it could really only be done as a cut-and-paste of existing text.
I'd start with the empire backgrounds from section R. I'd then add to those some of the ship backgrounds that had broader interest.
I'd then go get the timeline and put that in, and then go get the history of the general war article and stick that into the timeline, and then go get every scenario background and stick that into the year.
Then I'd add the ship name index and call it a day.
"...and then go get every scenario background and stick that into the year."
And THAT'S what would sell me but quick! Incorporating the scenario backgrounds intoa time line (with SH numbers please) has LONG been something I've wanted.
Yes, SVC, I would buy this.
I would buy that. And it would be a great deal for ADB, too. All you have to do is copy and paste from several sources. Hopefully the time investment would not be anywhere near what it was for Briefing #2.
I find myself in a pickle of a predicament. I much prefer playing FedComm (because of its faster system), but I like the depth, background, and tech of SFB.
I completely agree with the positive comments about the settings book. I play more FC than I do SFB these days and one of the biggest things I miss is the detailed history that SFB products have. I think a thick, pretty History of the General War would be a great addition. I would buy it even though I already have all those SFB products just for the convenience. Although it would be even cooler if there was some new content as well adding detail to famous campaigns or battles, or mini-bios of famous SFU captains/admirals.
It would be a tremendous asset to anyone aspiring to write ficiton for SFU as well. I saw rumbings elsewhere that PDF products were being considered. Imagine the utility of a searchable SFU reference book!
The SFU Index is online and updated trough the mid 30's CapLogs.
I have yet to do the SH and SL scenarios or the Prime Directive information yet.
Ryan
SVC, including "every scenario background" would result in a big pile. Perhaps better to use only the most important and then add select short stories? Your story about a Klingon PF flottila would be perfect here I think. Not only does it show how PFs work, but also how the SFU Klingons are different to Trek ones, how life on the front appears and the interaction beteen the Klingons and subject races.
I propose a series a reference books that would have the new style SFB Online SSDs in print form. They could also be pdfs on e23. Two SSDs to a page corresponding to the full SSD books. Example Basic Set SFB Online ref book, R12 SFB Online ref SSD book etc.
No, to be a seller, it has to have ALL the scenario backgrounds.
I was told recently to go to this BBS for quick product questions. Is there a plan to sell in one fell swoop updated counter graphics for all products? I notice that the updated counters appear not to be available for some of the earlier modules.
ADB's stated plan is to not issue new style counters for any given counter sheet, until all the old style ones of that sheet have been sold.
Why not drop the prices on the old ones? How will it take to get through old stock that most folks already have? How long has that plan been in operation already? Just wondering because I would imagine the old ones could sit on a shelf for a long time
Those would be an SVC questions.