New Hailing Frequencies

Post by **Jean** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:12 pm

Joel says that he had some computer glitches sending out the link to Hailing Frequencies, so please forgive him if you got multiples of the email. Here's the link for those who haven't subscribed yet: http://www.federationcommander.com/News ... index.html

Post by **Jean** » Tue May 10, 2011 9:37 pm

Communique #65 is now up at http://www.federationcommander.com/Comm ... que-65.pdf

In that Communique you can get a sneak preview of a ship that appears in SFB Module C3A.

Don't forget to check out our Hailing Frequencies for May at http://www.federationcommander.com/News ... index.html

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Wed May 11, 2011 1:18 am

In Comm#65, the title in the .pdf says Comm#64.

The filename also uses "64." I almost wrote over the old #64 when I was saving the new one. If I hadn't noticed that there was already a 64, the new 65 would've deleted it.

Post by **Jean** » Wed May 11, 2011 2:26 am

Mike, I think the link didn't get updated and that it goes to the old #64. The link in my post is correct and I've contacted Joel about Hailing Frequencies. A post has been made on the BBS about the Commander's Circle as well. Unfortunately, it's one of those things you cannot test until it is live and it cannot go live before it is published.

terryoc · Post by **terryoc** » Wed May 11, 2011 6:45 am

This error seems to have been fixed.

Post by **Steve Cole** » Wed May 11, 2011 3:40 pm

Which is bizarre because Joel has not been here to fix it.

terryoc · Post by **terryoc** » Thu May 12, 2011 4:11 am

My mistake, I was clicking on the "latest communique" link in the Commander's Circle (which does go to Comm #65). The direct link in Hailing Frequencies does indeed go to #64.

Post by **Steve Cole** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:03 pm

I am not finding this. The link at top right in HF May 2011 goes to Comm 65.

Post by **Jean** » Thu May 12, 2011 7:54 pm

Joel says he fixed it.

Post by **Jean** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:44 pm

Communique #67 is out! This newsletter focuses on Federation Commander. What's in it?
New Ship Card voted by Forum: Romulan KD5WR
Revised Ship Card: Tholian Web Tender.
Large Format Ship Card: Klingon C8 (low toner version)
New ship: Klingon D5J Penal Cruiser
Scenario: 8CM54 Mercy Mission

http://www.federationcommander.com/Comm ... que-67.pdf

Hailing Frequencies for July is also out! This newsletter covers all of our games and includes serial fiction, Q&A, tactics, and strategies.

http://www.federationcommander.com/News ... index.html

kinshi · Post by **kinshi** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:27 am

JimDauphinais wrote:Jean -- I apologize for any harm caused by my speculation. I have not seen SVC's previous posts. I have only seen the very brief statement in Communique #59 and noticed the replacement of some of the color ship cards on Commander's Circle with low toner versions.

Quite frankly, I have had trouble understanding how moving from color cards to low toner cards for Communique is doing players a favor. Certainly, adding low toner cards would be doing a favor for those players who want them. However, providing only low toner cards in Communique harms those players who like color cards. I suspect my trouble in understanding this is what caused me to speculate.

I am greatly surprised that low toner versions are downloaded more than the color versions in this age where nearly everyone has a cheap color ink jet printer (cheap on a hardware basis not a per page basis). I would have thought most folks would print the PDF once on their ink jet printer and then use a page protector. I am also surprised no poll was taken before the decision was made to move to low toner versions.

It is possible the download counts could be misleading. For example, those who like the low toner cards might tend to print fresh copies as they need them rather than use page protectors. Alternatively, the folks who prefer the color ones may simply be printing them from their Communique PDF downloads rather than from Commander's Circle.

The number of requests for low toner cards may be misleading as well. I do not doubt SVC recieved a large number of requests for low toner versions. However, it should be remembered that the folks who were happy with the color versions had no need to make a request for color versions of the cards since the cards were already in color.

Maybe a happy middle ground is to put the color versions in Communique and the low toner versions in Commander's Circle as it appears that both versions are being created.

I think perhaps you may not be used to being short of funds.

Inkjet printers can have a voracious appetite and are NOT all created equal, especially when you factor in their alignment and cleaning modes that have to be run almost always prior to running a print job.

hey I would like full color too but its not as cheap as you make it out to be, and the per page cost of a low-toner ship card is FAR below that of a full-color one. When you start talking about a hundred ship cards, that adds up, especially when you start making multiple copies. (and those deep blacks used on the power track will gobble up the black color cartridges not to mention need to be printed on glossy stock to match the ADB ones)

Trust ADB on this one, they know a thing or two about printing costs, probably more than any of us will ever care to know. Those low toner cards do save $$$, and its not hard to make them HQ on your own.

ericphillips · Post by **ericphillips** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:48 am

I print my own. Did all the Frax cards, plus a buncha Feds from both Communique and the Fed Ship Pack from e23. I do it at FedEx office.

Basically it costs about 30 cents per page of color. Since I usually print 2-up, that is about 15 cents per ship. I cut them at FedEx on the large cutter there. It makes great straight edges. I only do one sided since I don't use fleet scale.

At home I laminate. I have actual half-sheet lamination pouches. You can't find these anywhere except online. Mine are 3-mil. You can write on them just like a regular card. This costs me about 10 cents per ship (100 pack of pouches is $10).

So the total is 25-cents per card, plus the money I paid for the ship packs. Its not bad, and they look great. I've had very nice complements.

If I owned a color laser the costs would plummet for me. Probably down to 1 cent per ship (without lamination). Color lasers are getting cheaper, but we are holding out for a decent duplex (2-sided) unit, which is more costly. The one thing about laser is that the toner cartridge goes farther than inkjet and it doesn't run. Ink jet has become an industry rip off. They sell you super cheap printer (anywhere from zero on up). Then they sell you expensive ink packs, and usually the ink jets report they are empty before they are really empty.

Post by **Jean** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:45 am

Gentlemen, discussing the best way to get your cards printed is not ADB news and is better discussed in the General Discussion thread. Discussing the decision to have low-toner Ship Cards in Communique has already happened and been explained as a decision driven by dual factors: customer request and the fact that Ship Card packs that include cards that were originally in color in Communique get complaints that we're not including "new" ships and decisions not to purchase them because the low-resolution Ship Card is "good enough." Like it or not, the company cannot stay in business creating products that don't sell well enough to pay for themselves.

Post by **Jean** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:09 pm

The new Hailing Frequencies for October is now available at http://www.federationcommander.com/News ... index.html

If you read through it, you'll find we're making progress on Traveller Prime Directive, too!

Communique #70 is also available and includes a three-person scenario. It can be read here: http://www.federationcommander.com/News ... que-70.pdf

Post by **Steve Cole** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:30 pm

I am surprised that my BFF has not been around to crow about getting his Andro Recon Cobra.