Federation Commander

I have talked with several gamers about ADB games and Fed Com specifically. The ideas they put forward were really good and wanted to share them with ADB.

Idea #1
Have a phone app that will do SSD damage for each ship. Privateer Press has been doing this for years with War Room. Just put in the column of the damage and how many points of damage. It would just automatically mark the boxes and reduce the power. It can even track last turns and other info.

Idea #2
ADB uses Shapeways but they are leaving money on the table by ignoring the 3D printing community. They're already using STLs why not sell the STLs for private use only on websites like Myminifactory.com. It is micro transactions but it is still a revenue stream for something that is already just sitting there collecting digital dust.

Idea #3
With the number of ships being released to Shapeways you could take the same STL files and get them set up for personal 3d printing in unsupported and presupported formats. You can then take these files and start an ADB Patreon account. For $10.00 or $15.00/mo patreons get access to the STLs one or two ships per faction each month in a shared drive while they are current patreons. They would also get a monthly discount code for ADB STLs on Myminifactory.com.

Also, ADB sets up a Discord page and patreons members get access to patreon only areas on the Discord like live chats with the creators, input on upcoming product, etc.

Idea #4
Another idea for items collecting digital dust. ADB can have their STL ships broken down into components and then the components are bundled into faction and class like all cruiser parts, frigate parts, etc...

These bundles are put up onto Myminifactory.com. Then ADB can put together a Standard Starship Construction Manual. This will provide the point cost to produce your own class of ships and go along with the bundled parts for sale.

ADB has said that selling STLs is contrary to their license with Paramount and they currently can't do it.

I would like to recommend to them that they try to get that renegotiated in the next round of contracts talks as they are letting Shapeways get the lion share of the money from their 3D files.

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pipboy101 wrote:I have talked with several gamers about ADB games and Fed Com specifically. The ideas they put forward were really good and wanted to share them with ADB.

These are somewhat complicated issues, but I've been in the "ADB Family" long enough I can take an educated swing and try answering these

Idea #1
Have a phone app that will do SSD damage for each ship. Privateer Press has been doing this for years with War Room. Just put in the column of the damage and how many points of damage. It would just automatically mark the boxes and reduce the power. It can even track last turns and other info.

There is a great deal involved in such a project has to go through SVC first.

pipboy101: Idea #2,3,4
ADB uses Shapeways but they are leaving money on the table by ignoring the 3D printing community. They're already using STLs why not sell the STLs for private use only on websites like Myminifactory.com

pixelgeek: ADB has said that selling STLs is contrary to their license with Paramount and they currently can't do it.

Yes this is true, but also:
- STLs (like mp3s, PDFs, etc.) get shared all across the Internet. There's no way to stop that.
- The STLs for Shapeways are for commercial grade printers and won't work on the current 'hobbiest' printers.

pixelgeek wrote:I would like to recommend to them that they try to get that renegotiated in the next round of contracts talks as they are letting Shapeways get the lion share of the money from their 3D files.

One thing that seems to always get lost in the chatter, ADB's License doesn *not* expire or get renewed. While this is highly unusual (if not unheard of) in the industry, as long as ADB 'stays in its lane' under the license its all good. Any renegotiation will most definatly raise the cost of the license and require periodic renewals.

I hope this helps some.
Al B

Albiegamer wrote: - STLs (like mp3s, PDFs, etc.) get shared all across the Internet. There's no way to stop that.

That is no reason to not try to expand your market and be more responsive to your customers. Also, there are 100s of people who sell STL files online and they all seem to be making a good business of it.

Albiegamer wrote: - The STLs for Shapeways are for commercial grade printers and won't work on the current 'hobbiest' printers.

I don't actually think that is a thing. STL files are a platform independent and resolution independent file format. When you print a file to your 3D printer you have to use software to create a file (with supports etc) that is built specifically for your printer. Software like Cura creates the data that the printer will use. STL files are not printed to your printer directly.

Albiegamer wrote:One thing that seems to always get lost in the chatter, ADB's License doesn *not* expire or get renewed.

I obviously don't know the specifics of their license but I can't see how it allows them to sell metal models but doesn't allow them to sell 3D models when those very concepts weren't even a thing when said license was created.

And more than half of the ships and factions that are in the SFU are created by ADB so I am even more at a loss to see how that license covers designs that Paramount doesn't even own.

If SVC says that the license doesn't allow it then I guess that is the end of the story but it strikes me that if there was some sort of desire at ADB to do this then it would get done.

BTW red text on a grey background isn't very legible.

The license is not something that can be renegotiated. Paramount simply isn't interested in doing any such thing. It doesn't matter how much I want it or don't want it, it cannot be done and as stated for reasons ADB does not control and cannot change.

While STL files were not created at the time it was signed, the license is clearly written that ADB can produce and sell things and specifically cannot license the means of production to others. So, STL files cannot be sold. (We actually did ask them just to be sure. They said PDFs were file but STLs were a total no-no forever and do not ask again.)

As for a damage allocation AP if somebody writes one we will make a deal to sell it and split the money, but I couldn't code an ap to save my life. I'm the kind of engineer that builds bridges and blows up bridges, not the kind which writes code.

Steve Cole wrote:As for a damage allocation AP if somebody writes one we will make a deal to sell it and split the money, but I couldn't code an ap to save my life.

The War Room app from Privateer Press is actually a good basis for one. It allows gamers to create a game and then view the units from each other's forces.

A good first step would be something to just allow people to track damage. The FCOL app already does a fair bit of that so maybe those folks would be a good place to start?

I'm the kind of engineer that builds bridges and blows up bridges, not the kind which writes code.

Not even code to blow up bridges?

Steve Cole wrote:While STL files were not created at the time it was signed, the license is clearly written that ADB can produce and sell things and specifically cannot license the means of production to others.

Thanks for the clarification

pipboy101 wrote:I have talked with several gamers about ADB games and Fed Com specifically. The ideas they put forward were really good and wanted to share them with ADB...

I just wish to clarify - this part of the forums is for business of running the Star Fleet Rangers. Things like questions on selling STLs or creating apps for the games really belong in the public parts of the forum.

Thank you
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Al B.
Deputy Commander for Ranger Operations