We were expecting snow last night (which is why
Steve P and Mike stayed home) and got none (which is why Leanna and I went to work).

Tonight we are expecting six inches of snow. If that happens I will stay home tomorrow not because I am cautious, but because the printer where I need to send the counters said they would not be open so I might as well not risk my life to go finish and email the counters.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - 12:32 am: Edit

THE ADB PHILOSOPHY part 73

Jean and I constantly debate one particular policy decision.

My position is that you customers want to know what is coming out next (or more or less next) and Jean rarely has a problem with that.

But then we divide.

Jean never wants to give a specific date because so many times something goes wrong and the date gets pushed. This reinforces the old reputation from 20 years ago when scheduled releases were something between a bad joke and a fantasy romance novel. I never gave a date I didn't think we could do, but we never did it on that date either.

I have worked hard to get us to a position that when we get within a month we can predict a release date pretty solidly. For example, ACTASF2 on 11 Feb and SFB-R4T on the 18th.

ACTASF2 is finished, and was finished on time as far as my design department was concerned. However, it lacked the back cover. I do the first general layout and write the text. Jean then fixes the text. Simone them does the cover.) We had Simone (who works remotely but can only do the covers inside the office) come into the office in plenty of time. Leanna had even had the computer that Simone uses upgraded. But when Simone came in, it was still downloading the new version of Photoshop, which took several hours. So Simone left with a plan to return (still before the scheduled release). Then Leanna got sick and never called Simone and I didn't really think about it and it wouldn't have mattered as Simone could not have finished the cover without the barcode and ISBN that only Leanna can do. (This only takes a minute but Leanna didn't do it knowing she would have plenty of time while Simone got started.) Now, we're into a frakking blizzard and Simone cannot physically get to the office.

Then we have R4T which was scheduled for the 18th and Steve Petrick would have been done a week early (and Tholian MSSB which would have been done on time) except that Chuck Strong added some Tholian ships to the universe through F&E TACTICAL OPS which meant that Steve Cole and Jean Sexton told Steve Petrick that he could not do a book which would be out of date before the ink was dry. After all, it would be only a few minutes work to add those ships to the book. Except that to release the book the SSDs had to actually be done (one entire day) then sent to Shawn to be colorized (several days) then SVC had to do the art for the new battleships (which I did but it took a day) then I had to get the countersheet art done for the PDF version (which I had to do for the big print run anyway) but then adding the rules text for the battleships meant that the annex pages and master ship chart pages now had the wrong page numbers and anyway the new ships had to be added, all of which will take another day.

Jean said it best: "When you give a specific date for a project not finished, even if there is plenty of time to finish it, you offend the Gods themselves and they will make sure it doesn't happen. So keep your mouth shut and let me announce these things AFTER you finish them!"

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - 09:33 am: Edit

It snowed. Amarillo is basically closed. Schools, businesses, government. No point in slogging to the office to email counters to someone who won't see them until tomorrow, or Friday, or Monday.

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - 11:30 am: Edit

We've waited this long for new Tholians, a few more days is hardly a blip compared to that. The Holdfast will hold...fast?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 - 02:43 pm: Edit

The weather situation is improving. I could get to the office, but at this point why?

No trouble to get there tomorrow but Leanna is scheduled for another spine treatment meaning I won't get to the office tomorrow.

I should be there Friday.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, February 18, 2021 - 04:44 pm: Edit

SVC: I just sold my bitcoin and bought Greenland.

SPP: I didn't know it was for sale.

SVC: It wasn't, but the Dogbert Mercenary Regiment was available.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, February 18, 2021 - 05:37 pm: Edit

COUNTERS: ONE MORE DAY! The guy I was going to email the counters to didn't make it to his office so I will do that tomorrow.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 02:41 am: Edit

Monday I got the last reports but by the time I got through them it was late. Too many reports (mostly about the SITs but they still had to be done) and too many problems with reports and too many interruptions by too many things that were not counters. I stayed late to build the sheets and sent the printer one of the four press sheets with a note that I would send the other three when they told me I had not screwed it up. Presumably it will go to press tomorrow. Then I must take a week away from F&E to work on R4T, ACTASF:R1, Marines, and some other things. Durijng that week the F&E staff need to get me the missing SIT data, correct any build/make data already there, get me the first/easiest scenario, and get me an outline/list of the rules I need to write.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 09:30 pm: Edit

Tuesday I sent the first counters to press and the printer called said I needed to find another format. That took most of the day going back and forth. I finally sent Alpha, Bravo, CivWar, and Tango about 5:30pm. They're going to run a proof to see if the format worked and if it did I will send the other four.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:08 pm: Edit

Tholian Master Starship Book Now Available

"Cadets, if a collar is added to the Neo-Tholian dreadnought, how do we identify the ship? No one knows except Cadet Granger? Very well, Cadet Granger."

"If a Neo-Tholian dreadnought has a collar, then it is a Neo-Tholian heavy dreadnought."

"Quite correct, Cadet Granger. The rest of you, study up on the collars by reading your copy of the Tholian Master Starship Book. Dismissed!"

The ninth volume in the long-anticipated Master Starship Book series is now available. It includes every Tholian and Neo-Tholian ship in Star Fleet Battles, including X-ships and general units that are specific to the Tholian Holdfast. There is also information about the Tholians during the Early Years period when they first arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Every ship is illustrated. All updates, corrections, and errata have been added. The ships are in order (regardless of the product they came from) with the enhanced format listing detailed information in a consistent manner.

This book contains the descriptions of the ships but no SSDs.

Want it as a PDF? You have several choices.

Warehouse 23: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/ADB5437
DriveThru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/333228/
Wargame Vault: https://www.wargamevault.com/product/333228/

It is also in print directly from ADB: https://www.starfleetstore.com/master-starship-books-c-1_86/tholian-master-starship-book-p-1284.html

Good gaming to you!

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:14 pm: Edit

Jean, is this an updated version from what has been available on e23? I recall SVC mentioning a few more ships added to R4T via the F&E staff IDing ships needed by that game recently.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:28 pm: Edit

The E23 version has not been updated as of yet. If you purchased it you should get an email from E23 when it's updated.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:32 pm: Edit

Does the Print Copy have the R4T ship descriptions in it?

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:32 pm: Edit

Gotcha, thank you!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:35 pm: Edit

Yes, it has the R4T ships.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:36 pm: Edit

The PDF for R4T should be released [STEVE COLE, I **told** you that posting a specific date for a new product is what caused the blizzard and Leanna being sick for a week. Don't make me come up there.--Jean]

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 04:50 pm: Edit

There was a glitch but it was fixed a while ago.

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 05:00 pm: Edit

Is this what being in web feels like? :D

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 05:10 pm: Edit

The Tholian MSSB just posted is fine. I had a thought a while back about changing a couple of sentences but decided not to. A garbled copy of that conversation briefly confused someone.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 05:17 pm: Edit

Warehouse 23 is working on getting it out to everyone.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 05:47 pm: Edit

I just got the update notice from Warehouse 23 about the Tholian MSSB.

By Alex Chobot (Alendrel) on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - 05:56 pm: Edit

Just pulled the update and...oh, oh my!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 01:50 am: Edit

Wednesday: I spent most of the day trying and failing to get the R4J countersheet to export to a PDF so it could go to the printer. Nothing I tried worked; it kept self-corrupting. I will try again another day.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 01:53 am: Edit

Thursday: Well, it is 1am. We are expected bad weather Thursday and I have been threatening to take a day off, so this is it. I am so totally stressed out that I scream at people over the most trivial of things. For my health, I am going to stay home and binge watch Snowpiercer. See you Friday.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Thursday, February 25, 2021 - 09:21 am: Edit

Sure you're not taking the day off for your co-workers' health and safety??


Garth L. Getgen