 January 11, 2017 - 12:36pm | BTW I always offer players the option of either generation. The Zebs takes more effort on the player s part, but allows more individualization. That said, I too loath that woman who killed my favorite alltime game. The Zeb s is a deeply flawed product only put out as a last gasp from people who also loved the game. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
 January 12, 2017 - 6:53am | Hey guys, long time.
What's up Parriah. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 12, 2017 - 4:34pm | I fianally got a regular Sat game. D& D5th @1:00-4:00, board games 5 til close. Lots of Munchkin (yes, I still Loath the archdaemon Jackson), a little Taanhauser, etc. Been Greatly missing my online buds tho. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
 January 12, 2017 - 8:40pm | Welcome back Jess! |
January 12, 2017 - 8:40pm | Welcome back Jess! |
January 12, 2017 - 10:49pm | Thanx Rich! Mebe Dosarmas and Fafhd can ride again. BTW check PM FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
 January 13, 2017 - 10:06pm | @Stormcrow if you were looking to create your own "book of Frontier planet building" then the best place to start is where everyone else did: "Formation of Planetary Systems by Aggregation: A Computer Simulation" by Stephen Dole, Oct 1969 from the Rand think tank. The software "accrete.c" models the simulation in C code, which is a bit easier to trawl through than the original. Basically when I was trying to figure out where Traveller 2300 got its hard science planet building, I managed to back track to early sources like that. I am sure it could be worked into a Frontier specific star system builder in paper rules by examining the assumptions built in, and tweaking them for the heavy dust nebula present around parts of the Frontier. The first tweak would be in changing factor A (coefficient of density in the dust cloud - see page 38 of the paper above). There's much more like that rolled into a program called StarGen: http://www.eldacur.com/%7Ebrons/NerdCorner/StarGen/StarGen.html What I think some of the early RPGs did was to generate tables of the various values from software like accrete, and use dice to work through them. That would be a cool thing to see for Star Frontiers to fill in those unexplored systems on the Alpha Dawn map... |
January 16, 2017 - 9:19pm | I realize no-one wants to hear this, but one of the things done well in Zeb's is a BUNCH of the empty systems are filled in. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
 January 17, 2017 - 11:14am | I realize no-one wants to hear this, but one of the things done well in Zeb's is a BUNCH of the empty systems are filled in. I don't mind some empty systems being filled in. But I do have major problems with the plague planets, much of the timeline, and messing up some of the established names of places such as the moons of -- I think -- the Outer Reach. Then of course there's the silly color/column shift system for resolving skill/combat checks; weapons, such as missiles, that are way over powered for the cost/weight when compared with other weapons; plus the weapon's range chart that eliminates the point blank and extreme ranges but some Zeb weapons violate this rule. Other than that, Zebs a great book...  If you note, I think there are things that are salvageable from it. Joe Cabadas |
January 18, 2017 - 3:10am | I realize no-one wants to hear this, but one of the things done well in Zeb's is a BUNCH of the empty systems are filled in. I like empty/unexplored systems, it gives me a place for my antagonists to hide out. I suppose if anyone is a fan of Traveller where EVERY system is completely fleshed out then this is a good thing. However, it is called the "Frontier" for a reason. Zeb's needs to retitle the sector as "The Civilization" if they want anything & everything colonized/populated/part of the overall governing factor. Of course "Star Civilizations" is not something I or anyone else would give money to obtain. To quote Yoda: "That is why it failed." ;) If you note, I think there are things that are salvageable from it. Yep, I still utilize the three new races (Mechanons 2.0 really isn't anything new so I don't count them, more so with the butchered attempt at a time line that the revision is associated with) along with a few other bits like the Cults & Cadres, and I dig the concept of a Force Axe although my salvaging of it has a visible blade...as written it is basically a variant of the sonic sword/knife that calls for a different defense. The jury is still out for some of the new vehicles, the Flit Board is a novel concept but the associated artwork made me want to vomit and leave an aftertaste that was so bad that I never wanted to associate with the idea. Ditto for the air transport. Perhaps I should just apply some White Out to said artwork and revisit those vehicles. ;) |
January 18, 2017 - 8:53am | I never used the column shift thing. Loved the new way they did skills. Everybody here knows how I feel about the Huma. Psionics leave the same taste in my mouth as Shack's. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 18, 2017 - 8:59am | BTW. Does any one still have those SF motivational posters? My daughter's pit bull ate mine & I can't find them online. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 18, 2017 - 10:04am | BTW. Does any one still have those SF motivational posters? My daughter's pit bull ate mine & I can't find them online. what SF motivational posters are you referring to? I googled them and got stuff for San Fransico. Did find this of an Eorna piloting an F14, I would lift this and make it a holo vid add called "Volkos Rising" or something similar: Top Eorna, Eorna Dawn etc  I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 18, 2017 - 10:44am | ... The jury is still out for some of the new vehicles, the Flit Board is a novel concept but the associated artwork made me want to vomit and leave an aftertaste that was so bad that I never wanted to associate with the idea. Ditto for the air transport. Perhaps I should just apply some White Out to said artwork and revisit those vehicles. ;) Yes, the vehicle concepts are nice, but the artwork isn't. Joe Cabadas |
January 18, 2017 - 11:03am | So, this boxy, clunky looking air transport isn't elegant? Joe Cabadas |
January 18, 2017 - 11:08am | And what would your character rather be riding? This?  Or this?  Joe Cabadas |
January 18, 2017 - 11:41am | The Cloud Flyer is a much more elegant design than the air transport. Joe Cabadas |
January 18, 2017 - 8:26pm | I may have a couple of those motivational posters saved somewhere...after all I rendered at least one of them. ;) I'll check my CD storage collection this weekend. So, this boxy, clunky looking air transport isn't elegant?
Yes, that troop transport really cracked me up. I can only imagine a dozen guys just standing in that open area not falling over the edge with every change of speed/elevation/direction. Lorraine Williams must have paid those artists by the line, and the three lines needed for a railing simply put the illustration over budget. The truly shameful part of that artwork is if you remove the lettering, anyone not familiar with the book would be hard pressed to match the Bodycomp and Air Transport illustrations with their respective descriptions. |
January 18, 2017 - 11:50pm | @ Jedion357 A series of mock motie posters Elmore pic on AD rules pg 45, Vehicle Operation, Explorer: I thought you said you could drive this thing. KH rules cover, WINGMAN: Damnit, he owed me money. AD rules pg 14, Desperation: Sometimes saying heck with it is the only way to go. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 19, 2017 - 9:24am | I never used the column shift thing. Loved the new way they did skills. Everybody here knows how I feel about the Huma. Psionics leave the same taste in my mouth as Shack's. The additional skills -- some of them -- do add flavor to the game and fill in a lot of gaps. However, I didn't like the fact that all the former subskills suddenly became skills that had to be purchased separately. Several should have been grouped together for some simplicity. I've noted there are several fan-created rules variations posted on this very website that are interesting variations of the Zebs theme. Since I also played Gamma World and AD&D, I viewed the Mentalist skills as a different variation, though the Zebs way of doing it left me cold. Why would a character with a high logic score be prohibited from learning space ship skills? I think of Bester from Bablyon 5 as a inspiration for a different way of handling it.  And, yeah, I posted my own iteration of the "Star Frontiers 2000" fan rules, though I am still trying to tweak the design. You don't like the "Pirates of the Carribean"-like Humma? (I know some have called them Klingon-like, but that's an insult to Klingons. Maybe they are more like the Star Trek's Ferengi.) Joe Cabadas |
January 23, 2017 - 1:15pm | BTW. Does any one still have those SF motivational posters? My daughter's pit bull ate mine & I can't find them online.
No answers yet, shall I take it that no one does?FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 23, 2017 - 1:25pm | I dont remember these posters you refer to but then I dont always remember things I've written. I've taken to keeping a list of the 130 some odd article I've done in 3 different fan magazines by the computer but even that is out of date with two publication as soon as Issue 19 of the FE is up. Nudge, wink, we're about to have a new issue on the digital news stand BTW. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 23, 2017 - 2:58pm | I got only one response. Does anyone still have those SF motivational posters? I believe Shack migit have done one. Think I first saw them here. Atleast as a link. My googledo is weak. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 23, 2017 - 2:58pm | I got only one response. Does anyone still have those SF motivational posters? I believe Shack migit have done one. Think I first saw them here. Atleast as a link. My googledo is weak. FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
 January 23, 2017 - 7:09pm | I do not ever remember seeing them so I am quite curious to see them if anyone has them. -iggy |
January 23, 2017 - 10:42pm | 1 was on imageshack others on zebulon-unhversity.com can't find them. http://zebulon-university.com/SF/sfmotivator4.jpg FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 24, 2017 - 9:09am | I wasn't able to check my CD data collection last weekend but I'm pretty sure I have a couple stored somewhere. |
January 24, 2017 - 9:33am | This could be cool. I was looking to replace mine(eaten by my daughter's pitbull ) and now it seems I'm bringing them to those who never saw them. NEAT! FIAWOL
TANSTAAFL!! |
January 24, 2017 - 12:18pm | So, this boxy, clunky looking air transport isn't elegant? With a little bit of turbulance packages will be going over the side. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 24, 2017 - 9:18pm | So, this boxy, clunky looking air transport isn't elegant? With a little bit of turbulance packages will be going over the side. That's why tiedowns were invented! But, I agree, the air transport's illustration doesn't make much sense. What it should have is a removable cargo/passenger pod that pops into the center section. And, it should be able to carry bulky, awkward cargo in a flatbed configuration (as shown) with tiedowns, but I think that would impact it's aerodynamics -- hence, reducing the maximum and cruise speeds. Joe Cabadas |
