Archive through March 09, 2004
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Company-Conventions-Stores-Ideas: New Product Lines Development: GENERAL PROJECTS: ANCILLARY PROJECTS: Leanna's Fighing Starships: Archive through March 09, 2004
By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, March 08, 2004 - 11:55 pm: Edit

The theory here is a non-gaming "historical" book similar in style and scope to Jane's Fighting Ships or to Siegfried Breyer's Battleships and Battlecruisers or to Weyer's Warships or to Combatte Flottes.

Each basic hull type would have a section (perhaps four pages?) with multi-view drawings (Geibel art) and tech specs (deadweight tonnage compiled by Gurps Vehicles). The design would be discussed in depth, including shipyard where the class were built. Go read any entry from Jane's Fighting Ships to see the concept.

Book would be slick paper, perhaps 96 or 144 pages, perfect bound, lots of "photographs" (Geibel art). Book would be B&W but there might be some "color plates" in section in the middle.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 12:04 am: Edit

That would be soooo cool!

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 01:13 am: Edit

Hell yeah.

Any thought to - as Jessica suggested - having...errr...typical Jane's accuracy in spots?

For example, OPFOR ships having slight 'inaccuracies'? Exaggeration of tonnage, range/endurance, or weapons mounted?

Or, maybe, whole-cloth bogus data? Something like a few 'scary ships' thrown into OPFOR forces as potential or new threats that 'details not complete on'.

Hypothetical data for ships under construction? Etc. (Jane's WW2-era books were particularly entertaining in this regard for Japanese forces)

Would also be cool for some of the more unique ships (B10s, F6s) to have 'poor' pictures of them. Have Ted do some filters on the B&W shots to make them fuzzy or out of focus. Maybe partial shots with dockyards or part of a station blocking the view - as if they had been espionage photos.

Something like a B11 could be represented as a 'real' ship with the supporting evidence being a *particularly* bad shot of a B10 zoomed in very far - still only circled as a silhouette in a group of other ships.

It's a product you could have a LOT of fun with.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 01:25 am: Edit

What excites me about this idea is that ADB might be able to sell a Book Store chain on them. If this book was sold in Barns & Noble it would reach a huge audience. Even if most people just picked up the book but didn't buy it, it would have a positive effect.

It would be a super cool giant brochure for the SFU. Advertising people pay money for.

Could be a real boost for Ted too. What a great credit that would be.

By Les LeBlanc (Lessss) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 01:40 am: Edit

Just make •••• sure there is a Page dedicated to the ADB shopping CART, discussion board, and SFBOL in it.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 02:02 am: Edit

Quote:

Any thought to - as Jessica suggested - having...errr...typical Jane's accuracy in spots?


One way to have that; is:-
Stated Top Speed:- Warp 8.6+
or for the Fed CX
Phaser Compliment:- 8 or more type I phasers.

Understating the powers and abilities of the ships is easy when the PR staff at Headquarters have had a look at the numbers and write "PLUS" or "OR MORE".


Another way to beef up book is to have lists of major bases ( See Janes ) and even rank structure...which planets have which bases would be cool.

You could even put in some totally technobabble stuff like warp feild diagrams showing the extent of the football shapped warp feild and the location of the shields with repect to the ship.
..... You could even have a comparison between the new tear-drop shaped X1 warp feilds and the older MY/GW Football shaped ones.


I for one, would like it to be game related...so I'ld like it to have gatefolded deckplans...but maybe that's just me.

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 02:35 am: Edit

Quote:

Stated Top Speed:- Warp 8.6+
or for the Fed CX
Phaser Compliment:- 8 or more type I phasers.



That's kinda what I was thinking. Or, for GWT, have the stated tonnage be WAY off from what is obviously calculated through GURPS - an obvious error, in short.

Exactly what you said in relation to Warp Speed, too. Maybe on the B11 page, have it note a top speed of Warp 10 or so - something way over the top.

Maybe 'in character', italicize that data and note that it is speculative pending hard data - or just rumored, or something (not like Jane's ever bothered to do that, but you gotta throw gamers a bone now and then if you want the product to be usable as well as 'cool')

The armor diagrams are another place you can go crazy - not really relevant to the SFU where the hull plating is, and Conways (IIRC) always just winged it, anyway.

Noting the different fire control systems, etc - how many targets can be tracked, how many fire control systems there are to guide ordnance (course, I always felt SFB could use more detail/variety there anyway, but that is besides the point...) Another place you can kinda go crazy with the 'errors'

By Aaron M. Staley (Aaron_Staley) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 04:06 am: Edit

I'll buy it.

By Andy Palmer (Andypalmer) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 08:46 am: Edit

MJC. Having it "game-related" will reduce its sales. Every SFB player will buy it anyway; its the non-SFBers we want to go after with this product and putting a bunch of game related material in it will do just that.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:03 am: Edit

Andy Palmer:

It is the source material that will make it game related.

It is the presentation and the appearance that will make it attractive to the non-gamer audience.

And I really endorse Les's suggestion that there be a page dedicated to the Discussion board, ADB and SFBOL!

By Kenneth Jones (Kludge) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:17 am: Edit

Yes an In house add would truly be appropriate, and may draw more people into the SFB gaming fold. I like the Idea itself a good deal, since I already have the "Ships of the Fleet" books already. This would be very high up on my purchase list.

Teds art would be a BIG draw for me. The only reason I would delay in buying it would be the $.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:49 am: Edit

Speaking of ads, it would be an interesting touch to have some advertisements in the thing analogous to those that appear in the older Jane's publications. The Divad-Bradley Shuttleworks ("for reliable shuttlecraft, Divad-Bradley has been the choice of the Fleet for 80 years and counting" or some-such), General Duotronics ("the gold standard for subspace sensory equipment", "our SXR-305 scientific scanners selected by Star Fleet for all Bowie-class scouts"), etc. Would give it the finishing touch to make it feel "real."

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:55 am: Edit

Oh, I love the ad for Divad-Bradley Shuttleworks.

By Ryan Peck (Trex) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 09:59 am: Edit

SVC,

Wasn't something like this proposed many, many moons ago?

I think it is a great idea. Make it high quality and print enough of them to sell in Borders, and rake in the cash from non SFBers. Trekkers will buy just about anything Trek (they watched Voyager for all those years for crying out loud :) )

I smell a cash cow.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 10:17 am: Edit

Ryan: I noted earlier than prototypes of this idea were published in Nexus almost 20 years ago.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:13 am: Edit

Certainly a page about the SFU is very important. Something like "What's this all about?".

The page could start off with the Source paragraph from Basic Set.

The defense industry ads would be really cool! Good one Jessica.

Anyway, I too would hope to see a book that wasn't a game play book but a cool SciFi coffee table book for non-gamers. Naturally gamers would be all over it.

SVC: I know that you don't really care for the dark lighting scenes all that much but for this product I would like to suggest considering a few deep space realism shots.

Maybe even a couple long ranged grainy shots of secret ships (pirates perhaps?).

Thoughts for the fire.

By Ryan Peck (Trex) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:20 am: Edit

SVC,

I was just realizing (out loud) how old I was. :(

This sounds like a cool project. I look forward to picking it up.

By Andy Palmer (Andypalmer) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:38 am: Edit

Jeff Wile. I was referring to MJC's comment regarding deck plans, list of major bases, etc. IMO, if too obviously designed as a game/play aid, it will reduce sales.

By Tim Losberg (Krager) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:45 am: Edit

Quote:

Maybe even a couple long ranged grainy shots of secret ships (pirates perhaps?).



that would be cool, perhaps a shot of a pirate raider flying through a convoy

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 11:54 am: Edit

I should point out that our license is for "game accoutrements" and that this book will have to include SOME game material, but we can keep it on three or four advertising pages (and, given a 2005 release date, the ads would be for FC:KB anyway).

By Alexander Pitman (Dassadec) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 12:29 pm: Edit

You could put teasers of new races in the book if you had the space. What ships/ races of ships were you planning on putting in this book?
Feds and Klinks have already been mentioned.
Romulans and tholians would be good additions.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 12:38 pm: Edit

I would suggest starting another topic for just advertisement ideas for "Leanna's Fighting Ships"...that way when the time comes SVC&SPP can find just the ads.

One Idea that I would suggest is a cockpit view (perhaps the interior of a F-14) looking out at something in the Cross hairs...like a stern shot of a Klingon B10 as the Drones launch and you can see the vapor trails closing on the target on either side of the Phaser Gating shots...with 11 other F-14's also launching...

and the Caption reads:

1. ADB Targeting systems:For those times when you need the best there is.

or,

2. Life is good: ENJOY!

or 3. At a tactical disadvantage? When running away is not an option? Go to UFP's Star Fleet Academy and learn how to win!

By John Pepper (Akula) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 12:51 pm: Edit

I would really rather have an accurate reference book then one that mimics Jane's.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 01:05 pm: Edit

Theory is several books, one or more books per race.

John: define "accurate".

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 - 01:58 pm: Edit

Quote:

Maybe even a couple long ranged grainy shots of secret ships (pirates perhaps?).



See my above post on this matter.

These long-range shots are a great place to 'play around' with Jane's innaccuracies. Ex., a long-range grainy shot of a B10 only visible as a silhouette in a fleet might be interpreted as a B11 and stats written up to that effect as if the B11 was a 'real' ship.

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