), and even Seletorians. But It doesn't seem like they are working to make a new set. 
SFBF Continuation
Moderators: mjwest, Albiegamer
SFBF Continuation
Will there be more sets of Star Fleet battle force? It's been eight years since the first. I'd like to see the Hydrans, Lyrans, WYN, ISC, Andromeans, Monsters, Lots more Federation ships ( ), and even Seletorians. But It doesn't seem like they are working to make a new set.
), and even Seletorians. But It doesn't seem like they are working to make a new set. 
Steve wants to do another set (well, a few expansions for the existing set actually), but there are a few problems:
1) Unlike Fed Comm or SFB where you can use POD (Print on Demand) for many of the indiviual items as they are needed - SFBF requires that the cards all be printed in advance.
2) Most (if not all) printing companies capable of printing the type of cards needed for SFBF have strict rules about minimum print runs. The days of a print shop printing and cutting a run of 50 or so sets of cards are long gone.
3) The minimum print run is probably enough cards to last ADB for the rest of the forseeable future. It's not a hard business decision when you have to tie up a large portion of your working captial in a venture that will take a dozen (or more) years to show a return.
Although, in all fairness to Steve - he has stated many times that if anyone wants to front $15 or 20 thousand dollars for the print run, he'd do SFBF-s tomorrow and provide the financier a portion of each sale for the next umpteen years until the investment has been paid off.
1) Unlike Fed Comm or SFB where you can use POD (Print on Demand) for many of the indiviual items as they are needed - SFBF requires that the cards all be printed in advance.
2) Most (if not all) printing companies capable of printing the type of cards needed for SFBF have strict rules about minimum print runs. The days of a print shop printing and cutting a run of 50 or so sets of cards are long gone.
3) The minimum print run is probably enough cards to last ADB for the rest of the forseeable future. It's not a hard business decision when you have to tie up a large portion of your working captial in a venture that will take a dozen (or more) years to show a return.
Although, in all fairness to Steve - he has stated many times that if anyone wants to front $15 or 20 thousand dollars for the print run, he'd do SFBF-s tomorrow and provide the financier a portion of each sale for the next umpteen years until the investment has been paid off.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
The first set was made because ADB fronted that $15K.
Please keep a couple things in mind:
1) When SFBF first came out, ADB had to do ALL of their products this way. Now, with their POD capabilities, that makes some of their products (SFB, FC, xPD) much more cost effective.
2) ADB had fewer product lines when SFBF first came out. Since then, more product lines have been introduced and have taken off fairly well. (The headliner, of course, being Federation Commander.) As a result, with much more cost effective options available for ADB to spend their time on, it becomes difficult to justify such costly investments.
That all said, Steve had been on record as saying he really wants to do more expansions of SFBF. He just hasn't found a cost effective way to do it.
Please keep a couple things in mind:
1) When SFBF first came out, ADB had to do ALL of their products this way. Now, with their POD capabilities, that makes some of their products (SFB, FC, xPD) much more cost effective.
2) ADB had fewer product lines when SFBF first came out. Since then, more product lines have been introduced and have taken off fairly well. (The headliner, of course, being Federation Commander.) As a result, with much more cost effective options available for ADB to spend their time on, it becomes difficult to justify such costly investments.
That all said, Steve had been on record as saying he really wants to do more expansions of SFBF. He just hasn't found a cost effective way to do it.
Federation Commander Answer Guy
It would still be 15K sitting in their warehouse for years and years, waiting to sell. SFBF sells, but not anywhere near as well as FedCom has. Another problem is that Texas (where ADB is based) has "inventory taxes", so ADB would be paying taxes on all those unsold, pre-printed SFBF expansions.
A real tough nut to crack.
It's a business (and SVC, Leanna, and Petrick's livelihood), so they have to do things that make money. Usually the things that make money also please the fanbase. However, all the time and energy that went into FedCom disappointed some of the long-time SFB players, who felt it was stealing new products from "their game". The PD role-playing people wondered what it would do to their chances of ever seeing PD-Feds. Some of the long-suffering F&E folks were downright seriously ticked-off, since it meant even longer before they would get their expansions. Etc. Etc.
I'm sure SVC will eventually figure out a way, but like the others have said, he puts his energy into what will keep ADB solvent for the near and long term.
A real tough nut to crack.
It's a business (and SVC, Leanna, and Petrick's livelihood), so they have to do things that make money. Usually the things that make money also please the fanbase. However, all the time and energy that went into FedCom disappointed some of the long-time SFB players, who felt it was stealing new products from "their game". The PD role-playing people wondered what it would do to their chances of ever seeing PD-Feds. Some of the long-suffering F&E folks were downright seriously ticked-off, since it meant even longer before they would get their expansions. Etc. Etc.
I'm sure SVC will eventually figure out a way, but like the others have said, he puts his energy into what will keep ADB solvent for the near and long term.
Maybe, but I think it just has a narrow market.
The Pokemon and Magic people won't touch it, because of the subject matter.
The hardcore war-game people won't touch it because it's a card game.
I never bought it, and I'm a prime target. I was always waiting for SFB-lite, and I got FedCom instead (which was much more what I wanted, even though I didn't know what I wanted).
IIRC, there was an earlier SFU card game that came out in the TFG days. I think it pretty much died, right out of the gate.
The Pokemon and Magic people won't touch it, because of the subject matter.
The hardcore war-game people won't touch it because it's a card game.
I never bought it, and I'm a prime target. I was always waiting for SFB-lite, and I got FedCom instead (which was much more what I wanted, even though I didn't know what I wanted).
IIRC, there was an earlier SFU card game that came out in the TFG days. I think it pretty much died, right out of the gate.
Will, you should consider it. I think every member of Battlegroup Murfreesboro has a copy of it and it's really a lot of fun (plus SVC could use the revenue...djdood wrote: I never bought it, and I'm a prime target...
)The first card game (Star Fleet Missions did die right out of the gate... for good reason.
I've tried multiple times and multiple ways to get the local non-SFB'ers interested in SFBF, but to no avail. As you surmised, those are generally the reasons given.
The Pokemon / M:tG crowd refuse to look at it due to the subject matter and the wargamers refuse to even give it a look-see because its a card game.
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
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Savedfromwhat
- Commander
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SFBF Has many similarites to a game that someone showed me many years ago called Modern Naval Battles, maybe Modern naval Combat I can't remember. Either way I always wanted to see a Star Trek version of the game but could never see it work as there were no fighters etc. Well, a few years ago I saw SFBF and fell in love with the whole universe. It is a fun game with great artwork. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys the SFU.
Todd, the game is now available as a download (if you don't mind printing / assembling your own cards) and can be found here:
http://www.relativerange.com/Relative_R ... ttles.html
http://www.relativerange.com/Relative_R ... ttles.html
Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF
Department Head, ACTASF
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Bolo_MK_XL
- Captain
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