Not yet, but the dividers have not been forgotten.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Hey Steve, just a thought of something that came to mind for GPD.
I know GURPS has a generic gamemasters screen. Why not take that, transform it into a PD universe format and publish it as GURPS PRIME DIRECTIVE-GameMasters Screen. Give is a cover consisting of a scene from the SFU and then take the contents and streamline it to the Gurps SFU setting.
IF nothing else, take the current one, put a SFU picture on the front and sell through ADB

By Troy J. Latta (Saaur) on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 08:35 pm: Edit

You could use the same art and make GM screens for the other PD systems, too.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 09:38 am: Edit

Hey Steve,
is this even a possibility?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 10:39 am: Edit

GM screens? I don't see why not. Seems to me were were going to do one once and Gary Plana convinced me it was a waste of time. But I could be thinking of something else.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 11:49 pm: Edit

Steve,
see the discussion in the GPD forum regarding possibilities for a gm screen.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 12:06 pm: Edit

I've seen that discussion and commented there the other day.

By Jim Cummins (Jimcummins) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 05:02 pm: Edit

I saw somewhere on this board someone suggesting a line of games powered by SFB, but I was thinking about this and a strategic Traveller game powered by F&E might be an idea. After all the Travleller story line already has a few Galactic wars. Sort of a reverse of the powered by GURPs idea.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 06:07 pm: Edit

I have never played traveller so I'm not all sure what a strategic version of it would be like. Do fill me in!

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 06:13 pm: Edit

I think the idea would be F+E game system, Traveller universe.

Imagine F+E gamesystem (econ, combat, etc), Traveller History and races.

I had a similar idea before, and never brought it up, because of licensing issues.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 06:27 pm: Edit

We aren't licensed for traveller so I'm not able to pursue the concept.

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 06:59 pm: Edit

SVC, I think the point would be what would ADB's opinion be if the Traveller people came to you and said "I'd like to license the F+E rules (circa 2006)..."

They presumably would do their own counters, maps, etc.

EDIT:
What would you do if KenB came to you and said "I want to license F+E to use as the strategic game in Honor Harrington's universe."

By James Lowry (Rindis) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 07:23 pm: Edit

It could be interesting, but I'm not sure that F&E could really reflect the very different strategic realities of the Traveller universe without a lot of work.

And there has been a strategic Traveller game, of course.

The idea of other games powered off the same general systems as SFB or F&E is not a bad one, but the SFU is unique enough that I don't know if they'd translate to anyone else's creation without a pretty thourough overhaul.

By Nick G. Blank (Nickgb) on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 08:07 pm: Edit

For traveller there is also currently available:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2106

which is a reprint of the old imperium game. I picked up a copy at Origins this year for $10, looks fun but haven't tried it yet.

By Mike Clary (Mclary) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 09:07 am: Edit

According to the publisher, they are letting Imperium go out of print.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 10:34 am: Edit

I would listen to their deal, but I'm not sure that they actually need permission. Their version of the game system would leave out all of the F&E bells and whistles and add their own. I'm not sure the result would be recognizable.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 11:52 am: Edit

There are no "Traveller people". Traveller is the property of Marc Miller and his Far Future Enterprises company. If someone wishes to do anything with the Traveller Universe, they must make a deal with Marc Miller prior to proceding.

Also note that the licenses provided by FFE will usually be fairly specific. So, just because a particular licensee has permission to do something with the Traveller universe does not necessarily mean they can do something else.

Avalanche Press, the maker of the current Imperium board game, is just such a licensee. Most likely (this is supposition, not knowledge) they only have permission for Imperium. You would have to ask them the extent of their license.

So, to make such an idea work, someone would have to contact FFE and explain the idea and goals. Once a deal has been made, they would then have to contact ADB and make a deal with them. Who is the "someone" you are thinking of, Jim?

Note that, assuming such a game would work and make sense, such a deal is most likely quite doable. However, someone would have to step forward to drive the whole operation.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 12:57 pm: Edit

Just FYI, I'm not interested in being in the traveller business so I'm not going to pursue this. If somebody else does they can talk to me and I'll make a deal with them.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 04:04 pm: Edit

Jim and Scott,

I wouldn't be afraid of the licensing issues. Both FFE and ADB can be worked with, and appear to be willing to listen and evaluate each project on its own merits.

However, no one can do this for you. If you believe in the project, have definite ideas of how to do this, and want to see it through, you will need do all of the legwork yourself.

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 05:00 pm: Edit

Hey, I'm not involved in Jim's idea, I just stated that I had considered it once upon a time, then SVC made a comment about costs of counters and it made me realize that a defunct license I was considering would not have an appeal to be made into a strategic monster like F+E and generate sales numbers to pay for the counters.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 05:54 pm: Edit

Now that is an issue to be afraid of.

By Stuart C. Brennen (Evlstu) on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 07:42 am: Edit

SVC,
Besides SFB and F+E; what other products you acquire from Task Force?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 09:12 am: Edit

Everything in the star fleet universe.

We also got the copyrights to several old games we have never republished.
Asteroid Zero-Four (space battle between two asteroid bases)
Battlewagon (a tactical battleship game)
Cerberus (invasion by Earth forces of another planet)
Dungeon Tiles (a fantasy play-aid)
McPherson’s Ridge (the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg)
Operation Pegasus (the relief of Khe Sahn in the Vietnam War)
Prochorovka (republished as Armor At Kursk)
Robots (a science fiction game involving the construction of robots)
Spellbinder (a fantasy game involving the hunt for a lost sword)
Valkenburg Castle (a fantasy combat game involving a castle and dungeon)
War of the Worlds (based on the H. G. Wells novel)
Warsaw Pact (based on the Third World War in Europe)

By Stuart C. Brennen (Evlstu) on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 03:54 am: Edit

Are any back copies available? (I hope and pray)

By Mark S. Hoyle (Bolo_Mk_Xl) on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 09:08 am: Edit

Stuart --
Got an unpunched copy of Battlewagon laying around if you got "Deep Pockets" >
See what we could work out --