Federation Commander

[Procopius]

The Scout in Booster 91 is the "Advanced General War Design" complete with ph-3's, a drone launcher and a reactor, and not the Middle Years/Franz Joseph version one would expect. Yet I've seen it called FJ (Franz Joseph) on a master ship chart, when it clearly isn't.

The Scout available in Communique 28 isn't the original Franz Joseph either. In fact it's the same card we later got in booster 91. The card in booster 91 has just rearranged the boxes somewhat (and lowered the cost by a point).

I have to admit, I'm dissapointed about this. Briefing 2 says that the Scout in 91 is a Middle Years scout, so it has not been reproduced in the book. But the scout in booster 91 is NOT the Middle Years scout, nor the FJ scout and is NOT useable for the Middle Years! So right now, AFAIK, there is no Middle Years/FJ scout card. When really surely, there should be. That was the whole point of Briefing 2 and Booster 91 was it not?

So my question is, will a card for the original Franz Joseph/Middle years Scout actually become available? And if so, where, and when?
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Endeavour to Persevere

[pinecone]

Well, get rid of the Ph-3s and the drone and the reactor, an wa-la.

Actually, in SFB the scout never got the drone rack at all, did it? That is what bothers me more.

[mjwest]

Let's go through the reasoning involved for that decision.

- Booster 91 included both main setting era ships (e.g. DDL and DDG) and Middle Years ships (e.g. DDM, DD, DN). It even included an "odd duck" that didn't really fit anywhere (CAR). So, it was intended to print ships that required royalties to FJD, not just the FJD designs per se.

- Briefing #2 was intended to be a single-shot presentation of a setting. As such, no new ships are intended to work with it, outside the various ships included in Booster 91.

- There is no plan to ever present BoM ships (e.g. scouts) for the Middle Years. So, there are no plans to print a F5S, SE, or anything else like that.*

- There are plans to use BoM to print scouts (and other various ships) for the main era.

Putting all that together, we could have had a scout that worked with the Middle Years, but would never get used, as it would be the only scout available in the Middle Years. Instead, the scout provided was for the main setting, where other scouts will eventually show up.

(BTW, this all also applies the the Tug. The Tug included in Booster 91 is also for the main setting, not the Middle Years.)

[*] With the new PDF product approach, this could change. But, at the time Briefing #2 and Booster 91 were made, this was the assumption.
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Federation Commander Answer Guy

[mjwest]

[pinecone]

And the FJD DD as well. But it still irks me a little. Oh well.

[Procopius]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I do not want anyone to misunderstand me. I realise that there was only so much room and that not everything could go in. I like Briefing 2 and particularly enjoy the "evolution of the Destroyer" element of Booster 91. That's a nice touch, thank you to those concerned. I'm not even that unhappy that there is only the General War Scout in the booster pack. A Scout of any sort is better than no Scout at all, and it is nice to see.

What does surprise and dissapoint though is that the Middle Years Scout hasn't turned up elsewhere. After all, the lack of "Scout" rules didn't stop the GSC turning up in Briefing 2. I would have liked to have seen the Scout there too, even without its sensors.

Yes, to play the Scout in Middle years era, I can and do take off the drone, the ph-3 and the reactor (it becomes a lab), as well as reduce power back down to 21 - but that is not the point. The Destroyer has five cards devoted to it now, the heavy cruiser has as many as six (if you include Command Cruisers), the dreadnought... lord knows, I've lost count. But the Scout? I understand the apprehension about "Scout" rules, but could we not have a FJ/MY card anyway? For Middle Years reconaissance missions? Please? Pretty please?

A question regarding using the General War Scout as a FJ/Middle Years Scout: Having taken off the drone, Ph-3's, reactor and reduced power to 21, what cost should it have? 100 with sensors? 80 without sensors? Something like that?
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Endeavour to Persevere

[Steve Cole]

Boy, I love problems with simple solutions. Just have me put them into communique. Whatever version, whatever period, you want, with or without drone racks.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[mjwest]

Email sent.
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Federation Commander Answer Guy

[Procopius]

Steve, Mr Cole, sir, you are outstanding.

A Scout or two in Communique would be most welcome. Above all else I am wanting to see the original Franz Joseph version, as we first saw it in the Technical Manual. No reactor or Drones or Ph-3.

If you could deliver that in a subsequent Communique I will be eternally grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.


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Endeavour to Persevere

[pinecone]

I agree. Thanks SVC!

[Steve Cole]

If there are any more FJ ships/variants you want, communique would be the place, since royalties on Zero are, well, Zero.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander