 March 5, 2008 - 11:41pm | I wanted to talk about my primary projects and let everyone know what the plans are and field any questions people might have regarding any of those materials. FRONTIER UNLIMITED PUBLISHING™ Frontier Unlimited Publishing™ will be the project through which all the books I've planned will be presented as PDF's. It is also a service through which I will provide PDF design for your finished projects (detailed on the Front Page). You might recognize this from the name of the temporary Frontier Unlimited Magazine that was being planned for a short moment the other week. Since the name was my idea, I decided to turn it into the publishing project I had planned. You can find a schedule for planned publishing dates in the documents section of that project. No one project I've started is set in stone until it's published. Each member of this site has an opportunity to help shape how each of those books turns out. But once those projects are laid out and bound into a PDF, it will be too late to influence it. Few, if any, changes will be made after that. Story Based Strictly on Canon Each book is meant to build upon canon (previous printed material), with Alpha Dawn as the guiding principle. Thus story will not be changed at all except where the story element would be impossible or contradicts other elements. In each publication, story material will be compiled and expanded from original Star Frontiers canon, including rulebooks, modules, and original printed magazines. While many story elements will be added for that expansed material, it will not exceed the canon through contradiction or rewrite. Flexible Mechanics Mechanics is a different story. There are a lot of mechanics in Star Frontiers that works fine, but there are several that are often changed by many for their own purposes because the original mechanic is cumbersome, unrealistic, too mild to justify, useless, or just unplayable. Such a mechanic will be improved, updated, redesigned, replaced, or cut altogether. Options are provided that allow the Referee to loosen their belt a little so that the Referee doesn't have to create new mechanics, but can choose a mechanic that best suits their game. This is most prevalent in the skills in the Alpha Dawn 25th Anniversary Edition Rulebook (AER), which allows the Referee to control how powerful the skills are in every way, and allows the referee to use the preset success rates, ability-based success rates, or the optional resolution mechanic of ZG. Another standard thing seen in all the books will be the division of the Basic and Expanded games so that players can stick with the Basic game in using all the books if they so choose. Appropriate Distribution of Material Now, even though the AER groups Alpha Dawn, Knight Hawks, Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space (ZG), and Dragon Magazine articles into one amalgamated volume, not everything that appears in those books will appear in AER. Some of those things are being sent to other books. For instance, I just got through putting the Organic Computer rules from the Dragon article "A Fistful of Credits" into the Bioware section of the Gamma Dawn Sourcebook. I also put the Mentalist discipline from ZG into that same book a while back. SCHEDULED PUBLICATIONS IN PRODUCTION The preliminary release schedule I made is fairly optimistic, but I'm going to try to hold to it as best I can. With your help, we can all make it happen. Remember, too, that if you choose not to contribute to one of these, and through the graciousness of the community it becomes a staple of Star Frontiers game play, then the only person you can blame for any mechanics slipping into it that you don't like is yourself. Now is your chance to influence the project. If a person doesn't make an effort to make their voice known, then any opposition posed by that person when the PDF is released won't mean anything at all. Below is listed each planned book and a brief description. If you want to know more about the project, just click on the link to go to the project. You will find a breakdown of each project and its intended materials in a Read Me post in each project's forum.  Alpha Dawn™ 25th Anniversary Edition Rulebook (AER) - Inspired by the game by David Cook and Lawrance Schick, this book combines essential elements of Alpha Dawn, Knight Hawks, Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space, and Dragon Magazine articles for a comprehensive Star Frontiers™ gaming experience. Provides complete Basic and Expanded game rules, and provides a wide range of flexbility in game play without becoming too unbalanced. Choose your own way to play. Though I have closed this to outside manipulation, your input is still very much desired, as a book of this nature won't be popular unless those who it is intended for like it. READ ME Beta Dawn™ Sourcebook - Provides cybernetics, bionics, and cybernetic organism rules. Inspired by the transhumanist movement and the cyberpunk genré, Beta Dawn is designed to take your Star Frontiers game to a whole new level of science fiction. Elements of Disney's Tron™, the Matrix™, The Lawnmower Man™, Ghost in the Shell™, and the works of William Gibson can be found in this book. Everything for turning your character into a cyborg is provided. We need fans of hard science and of cyberpunk to expand this book. If you're interested in contributing and seeing these elements in action, it's waiting. READ ME Gamma Dawn™ Sourcebook - Originally inspired by TSR™'s original Gamma World and initially compiled for Star Frontiers by Steve Ireland, Gamma Dawn focuses strictly on physical and mental mutations, cloning, and bioware. Everything you want to know about how to create new creatures or mutant freaks is provided here. Two of the most popular aspects of this book are bound to be the bioware devices and mentalist capabilities. Right now, the book is in need of some balancing. You have a chance to take part and say "I helped make the mechanics that balanced that out". Even if you are not interested in the fanciful concepts of mutants and psionics, bioware is a serious field of study in today's scientific community and could be a great addition to your game. READ ME Delta Dawn™ Sourcebook - Expanding the board game theme, Delta Dawn introduces rules for large scale combat with squads, squadrons, platoons and fleets, and even provides a host of new vehicles and warbots, as well as rules for conducting roleplaying war games and extended flight rules. It provides details on LandFleet battles and on historical wars fought by the UPF, as well as making scenarios. Fight battles like they've never been fought before with a list of battle equipment that would make your war-hardened uncle blush. Get in on the ground level of this publication to participate in the many conversations that have already been started on this book, and help turn it into something to be proud of. READ ME Star Law™ Campaign Book - Inspired by the Star Law emphasis of Alpha Dawn, this book provides the backdrop and materials you need to conduct and improve your Star Law adventures. There you will find real police equipment and vehicles designed for criminal apprehension and the skills necessary to be a successful Star Law officer. But this book doesn't just benefit Star Law; it also provides details on local law enforcement for individual star systems, as well as material for running campaigns in the other emergency services such as medical and fire rescue. This is raw material ready to be built from the ground up, and you have the opportunity to be a part of its development here and now. READ ME Traders & Freighters™ Guidebook (TFG) - The latest addition to the lineup is the Traders & Freighters Guidebook, which focuses on trade in the frontier and provides the first newest boardgame element to Star Frontiers in twenty-four years. Inspired by Dragon Magazine and Star Frontiersman Magazine articles on trade, this book will take trade from the mundane to the fringes of heartattack. Look out for pirates and underworld kingpins, or become one yourself. Amass riches in any way you want and conquer worlds with the power of the credit. Though I have closed this to outside manipulation, as with AER, I am hoping for lots of input, particularly on the pirates and organized crime syndicates, as well as creating the boardgame of corporate intrigue and planetary acquisition. READ METhere are several other works in the pipeline. These are simply the ones opened to production at this time. QUESTIONS? If you have questions about any of these projects, let me know here, or sign up for the project in question and get started helping to expand this great game of ours. I look forward to hearing from everyone. And remember, just because I counter an idea, doesn't mean that idea is automatically conquered. I expect lively debates and counter-arguments from all sides in each and every project, and the best idea will win. |
March 6, 2008 - 7:58am | Have you trade marked those names? (I noticed the TM) |
March 6, 2008 - 2:33pm | The "TM" simply states that the name is in use and is therefore trademarked. It can be used even when not registered. If I were to use the ®, then it would indicate that it is registered. The ™ informs the observer that the name is considered intellectual property. |
March 6, 2008 - 3:25pm | < i find the idea of a boardgame [for Traders & Freighters] interesting; I
immediately thought of a Star Frontiers version of Talisman. However
this would be a huge project in itself. Here's a link for Talisman What made you think of Talisman? Is there some element you are thinking
of that would be useful for a boardgame like the one I'm proposing?What I have planned is using a map of the frontier, chits, and perhaps some record sheets. |
 March 7, 2008 - 5:24am | I had a copy of Talisman many moons ago ( sadly I no longer own a copy - hoping to get the new version soon). What i liked about Talisman was that it was a very open ended game, which you wandered around the kingdom, fighting monsters, collecting gold, etc. It only allowed you into the inner regions when you were able to do so (i.e. fighting the bridge guard, or finding a raft, and so on). The board consisted of three tiers and it got progressively harder as you entered the inner tiers. The artwork was great and really worked well with the boardgame. Gameplay was straight forward, but still had lots of character/ equipment/ weapon options to make it as complicated as the players wanted. All these ideas would be very easily adapted for the Star Frontiers Universe. Finally it was good fun; even people who didn't like the idea of playing a role playing/ fantasy game enjoyed this. |
March 7, 2008 - 5:42am | Just found a link descibing the mechanics of the Talisman game. This should explain things a little better: http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://talisman.clift.org/sam/rules/character.gif&imgrefurl=http://talisman.clift.org/sam/rules/rules.htm&h=602&w=750&sz=92&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=Tv4lL_HNgd8awM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtalisman%2Bplayer%2Bcard%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den |
March 7, 2008 - 12:42pm | Yeah, I did a search and found the information, but I'm having a hard time figuring how it applies to corporate conquest. While the story concept may be similar, the mechanics are far from what I invisioned. I'm thinking of the lovely galaxy map with the listed distances that appeared in issue #6 of the SFman, add some trade routes, with chits to represent corporations, trade cargo, and pirate/privateer raiders. Have the option to use a Mark of Reprisal (hiring pirates as privateers). Acquired goods gain a buck for the corporation and can provide leverage. In fact, each corporate action could be done to acquire leverage. But be careful, as some actions could end up being completely useless, while others could get your corporation fined by the UPF. Corporate Wars would only be desireable on worlds that have enough resources to make money from or whose strategic position along trade routes or opening up new trade routes can give the corporation a leg up on competition. |
March 7, 2008 - 5:02pm | I'm getting ideas for the record sheet that the boardgame will be using. Here is an initial offering:
They will be able to use the connection ratings to pull string to accomplish purchases and prevent certain actions, and other things. The value rating is the company's total value. The value rating will be one way by which you can defeat an opponent, by bringing their number down to a certain point. |
March 7, 2008 - 5:19pm | Just updated with a military number. This number will represent the military's power. Other things will be able to modify this power, including using connections ratings as modifiers to the military power.
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 March 20, 2008 - 12:20am | Corjay, Just curious - the cover art for your publications... did you secure permission from the artists like I do for the webzine? -Bill (btw - I officially trademark every word of this post.) haha 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
March 20, 2008 - 6:42am | If you look below the images on the document pages, you will see that it says that they're placeholders. If there's one of those projects that you see that doesn't say that, let me know. Those aren't the final covers. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can put in sketches instead. |
