Federation Commander

Jean · Site Admin Joined: 18 Sep 2008 Posts: 1732

I came to the SFU very late, so I don't have memories of what it was like with no publications from anyone during this time period. With Captain's Logs #17 and #18 going up together, it made me wonder what it was like for those of you who played SFB. Did you guess that ADB would emerge from TFG's ashes?
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Business Manager/RPG Line Editor
Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

djdood · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:33 pm Post subject:

I was out of gaming during the Interregnum, so I don't have any memories. ADB was up and running gangbusters by the time I came back, in 2002.
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Scoutdad · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:54 pm Post subject:

I was one of the lucky ones.
We had a very active SFB / F&E group during the mid to late 90s (and still do). We met once a month for SFB, once a month for F&E ,and still found time the other two weekends of each month for PRGs and board games.

It wasn't until after the interognum was over and everyone was talking about it that we realized we hadn't purchased any new SFB or F&E stuff for over 5 years.

We've made up for it since! Laughing

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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF

Savedfromwhat · Commander Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 657

Those are the four years that i was in high school. Good times.

Bolo_MK_XL · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:30 am Post subject:

My last 4 years in the Army, mostly focused on Micro Armor at that time (lack of SFB opponents) --
Battletech was the big thing on Ft Lewis at the time, also about the same time NY started the lead in toys ruckus that hit the miniatures business pretty hard ---
Also, the rise of PC games that hit table top gaming in the gut, along with the beginning of card games ---

Darkwing · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:57 am Post subject:

My first son was born in 92 and my gaming fund ran dry. Then we lost our local game store about 93. I did a web search for some minis probably about 98 or 99 and saw that Task Force had gone under. I had no idea that ADB would be reborn. I was very glad when, just a couple of years ago, I found that it had. Very Happy

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Let's get DANGEROUS!

Tice Leonard, U.S.S. Lexington & IKV Annihilation

Burning Chrome · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:32 pm Post subject:

Battletech is the game I've played the most since I started gaming in the late 80s and I was just getting into SFB in the early 90s. The guy who expaned my gaming horizon with SFB had EVERYTHING possible.

I started buying my own stuff in 94/95, and there was plenty of it on the market with what seemed like new items being released during that period so I didnt really notice. Bought a ton of minis and source material and was busy reading and painting when I wasn't engaging the enemies of the Empire in combat.

SFC (which I still play today) kinda killed off SFB for our group at the time and Battletech's learning curve was easier for new gamers.

Not at all suprised by ADB's continued success.
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Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself.-- Mark Twain

Sneaky Scot · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:22 pm Post subject:

I was stationed at RAF St Athan, and had been just promoted to command my first Squadron. Fortunately I met a couple of SFB players there, and he played quite a few games (including an epic Ghostlight One scenario) over the interregnum. Didn't notice the interregnum much except at Games fairs where we could never find anything new. A trip to San Diego when I was going through my Aerosystems Engineering Masters Degree re-introduced me to new SFB stuff with the first Omega module.
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Nothing is quite as persuasive as a disruptor pistol on slow burn and a rotisserie......

jmt · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:49 pm Post subject:

In that period, I spent most of my time with fantasy skirmish miniatures (mainly Rackahm's Confrontation) but dabbled in a few others. When I came back to SF gaming, the interregnum was past.
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jmt

phdillman · Lieutenant SG Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 180

From '91 to about summer '98, I mostly played Tag and Hide-N-Seek for the Army.

I did find the Discuss BBS shortly befor Christmas of '98 while at grad school. Started to make time for SFB and the likes. I was very happy that the Coles were able to form ADB, INC and get SFB back into publication!

aramis · Lieutenant JG Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Posts: 59

Mike · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:36 pm Post subject:

To answer Jean's original question:

aramis · Lieutenant JG Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Posts: 59

terryoc · Captain Joined: 07 Oct 2006 Posts: 1386

Steve Cole · Site Admin Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3839

While I (Steve Cole) am a registered professional engineer (Texas License #47252) ADB was never an aerospace engineering firm or a civil engineering firm. It was always a game design company and nothing else.

A separate company (Tiger Publications) did military intelligence analysis for 17 years, selling the business back to the guy we bought it from (Jim Dunnigan) in 1999. That company employed the same three people (Leanna, SVC, and SPP).

We don't make much (I am pretty sure any of you who are actually employed make more than we do) but we have no kids, no debts, and live a relatively modest middle-class lifestyle. I don't take vacations much but that's because my health doesn't travel well, not because I cannot afford it.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander