The Plan, Observations and "The SFU vs Star Trek"

[Sgt Major Al Beddow]

First, see my reply here about our goal and 'system vs setting'.

Second, please please please understand the Star Fleet Universe (which Prime Directive is the RPG setting for) is *based* on ST:TOS and the original animated series, and then became all original material. The license with Paramount grants ADB, LLC's continued use of everything the company had put into their games at the time the license was granted but nothing else.

Third, We *MAY NOT* attempt to include anything else from: The Original Series, Animated Series, or anything else produced after these two series.

If you (anyone playtesting) is not familiar with the SFU/PD, they should get their hands one one of the other Prime Directive RPG books - d20M or GURPS. The revised edition for GURPS 4th ed is the absolutely best one to use.

Fourth, Please keep ideas/suggestions separate. I had to break Stan's thread into four seperate threads because each post in the original was a very different subject. Nothing wrong with the input per se, just would have been highly confusing trying to follow the conversation.

Finally, for now we are just providing the material for our background, and where our rules will deviate from the MGT2 core rulebook.

[Sgt Major Al Beddow]

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I feel I've fallen down on managing expectations, and conveying what the process is for TPD.

Chapters will be delivered as they are written, focusing on the first three to start. Anyone who has the GURPS PD core book (especially 4th ed Revised) will know how much is there.

I am writing this by myself, and Jean (our line editor) has to go through everything I write.. preferably BEFORE I send it to everyone for playtest.

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As I'm going through all this material translating MGT vs the SFU, I realize more and more things about the difference in how ADB presented the setting vs how Mongoose created their version of Traveller.

The content of each of the four Prime Directive books is set in stone. What each book has for the other systems *must* be in every version of that book for whatever system. Example: Only a few PD specific career tables BUT there will be a ton of races. MGT only has a few types of armor, BUT PD has a bunch of armor that will all be included.

The first version of the material we are working with was done in GURPS 3rd ed, and the current version of the GURPS books dedicate what material will be in each TPD book.

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The layout of the playtest material is not the final look. I'm doing it in Word and it isn't a DTP program except for small things, so don't sweat the looks (for now)

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Any material I haven't included defaults (for now) to the Mongoose book. Be aware when you get Ch 01-Introduction that our TLs don't line up with MGT TLs. We are keeping the existing TL scale established in GURPS with a table converting between MGT and PD but at least you'll have a way to use MGT in TPD.

Finally, all of the MGT careers translate across as civilian or planetary 'national guard' units. Yes, they are called that in the SFU history. The only issue right now is the Third Imperium Scout Service. I am working with SVC on how to make it fit because I don't want to be loosing the benefit of the free (on loan) scout ship.

Only a few days away until the first careers are in your hot little hands.