Do we even need Decipher anymore?

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Originally posted by Capt. Anderson

Question is: Who would want the cursed ST line? As a long time Trek fan and a bandwagon fan of LotR since 2001, I would venture a guess that WoC might want Star Trek line.

I couldn't bring myself to purchase ST in the D20 setting. Setting 16 on phaser doing 3D8 damage and crits on a 19-20. :rolleyes:

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With all due respect, I doubt WotC would want to touch that with a reach weapon after what happened years ago. Of course, business is business, but they already have two sci-fi products to support (currently Star Wars and the upcoming d20 Future for d20 Modern releasing this year -- one of which Don's SG-1 colleague is co-designing).

A third-party publisher with a second-generation d20/SRD rules engine will have to bid for it, assuming the the IP is still popular with the current consumer market.

And yes, I can bring myself to purchase a d20 Trek. :p

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Originally posted by REG
With all due respect, I doubt WotC would want to touch that with a reach weapon after what happened years ago.

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Funny stuff! :D

Well, never say never, right? :)

I mean, it isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility that someone changes their minds and something happens (on the Trek front). Or, perhaps some company picks up the rights and loves the Coda system, picking up from where Decipher left off.

My point being that until a decision/announcement is made -- of any kind -- we really don't know for certain what's going to happen.

ADB's Prime Directive line is still going.

As noted above they had two releases last year. This year has three things planned, a Deck Plan pack (similar to the GURPS Traveler deck plan packs with a sheet of cardboard Klingon heroes) of the Klingon Fast Patrol Ship should be late May.

Of the other two products for 2004, Prime Beta and Romulans, Prime Beta was originally due early this year, and Romulans late this year.

However, with the announcement by SJ Games of Gurps 4th edition, both of these have been pushed back to August so they can be released as 4th edition products.

I know their website is rarely updated, but if you check their BBS or their on line ordering cart, you will have up to date info. The on-line ordering cart is always kept up to date, and the BBS is the best place to get info on product statuses.

My thoughts:

If we try to do it ourseleves by creating Netbooks, webzines etc... I think some form of council should be formed to decide what projects the board will support the most. This way we don't have 12 people starting 12 projects at the same time and thinning what is at best mearger resources i.e. talent, time, energy etc... for the projects. This creative council could be formed by:

1.) Don appointing a teller for nominations

2.) on a specific day we all PM the appointed teller with our nominations for members to sit on our creative council, the person must be say a member in good standing of the boards and have posted at least 500 posts for example.

3.) Once nominations are done, should last two or three days, to make sure everyone gets a chance to nominate some one the top ten with the most nominations are selected.

4.) Those top ten are then listed in a normal poll style thread and everyone votes on them, the top five vote getters then make up the creative council.

The council would be in charge of appointing editors for the net books who will inevitably also be the guy who came up with the idea. They can also rule on /outline matters of format so that the books will look as if they are part of a line. We all will submit to the councils decision so if the council decides that enough netbooks are in the works we don't go off and start another one expecting to use the boards resources i.e. people. As well as understanding if the council pulls support due to lack of effort i.e. the book produces no results after a matter of time, we abide by the decsion.

Each netbook if possible from Don could be given a private topic area like the Cardassian/Spacedock/Bajoran book had eons ago and only those who are working on the project can access that area. In aiddition those who have the courage to go off and write there own netbooks all alone can submit the book to the council for support in the way of profreading and playtesting.

In addition the council could (in should my opinion) be the ones who actually come up with the idea for projects then "advertise" for editors who would then be in charge of forming and managing there writting/creative staffs.

Just some ideas on how we could do this and be professional about it.

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Originally posted by nickgb

ADB's Prime Directive line is still going.

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Yeah, but they have their own kind of fanbase that don't mind the deviation from the popularly known contemporary Trek universe. But I'm guessing by comparison there are less PD roleplayers than there are SFB wargamers in the pool ... including those that play both games.

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Originally posted by Don Mappin

Well, never say never, right? :)

I mean, it isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility that someone changes their minds and something happens (on the Trek front). Or, perhaps some company picks up the rights and loves the Coda system, picking up from where Decipher left off.

My point being that until a decision/announcement is made -- of any kind -- we really don't know for certain what's going to happen.

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True, but we like brainstorming scenarios, from best-case to worst-case. That way, when the news is finally out and confirmed, I won't go out and loot the town and turning over cars ... even if I'm the only one causing the riot. :D

It would be interesting if they're willing to relinquish copyright of the CODA System. Any smart Ferengi would just license it out, if it is possible.

Random aside: Get a group of gamers with capital and a little business sense and bid for the Trek RPG and CODA rights. Then publish it yourself and make what you can out of it. :)

What is to become of the site then? Almost hate to ask. Will we at least see it restored? And does anyone know what the status of the LOTR CODA will be?

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Originally posted by Don Mappin
No, because they're shopping the line. They want out, they don't want to publish more books.

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Who are they shopping the line to, exactly?

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Originally posted by REG
That would be a bad business model, IMHO. Any smart Ferengi would know that you eliminate the weakest sale and focus on your strongest sale. If you have to take profit from one product to support another product that is not taking in as much profit to support itself, you cut your loss and fast.

For Decipher, who started their business as a CCG publisher, it's not too difficult for them to drop the studio.

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true but even with their ccgs, certain ones don't make as much money as others. trek for example. decipher kept printing 1st edition expansions even when it was making far less money than expected. thankfully lotr ccg was doing really well so it helped trek ccg come along for the ride. i'm sure sales have picked up with trek 2nd edition, but we'll see. there's other dynamics like owning the fan clubs as well.

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Originally posted by REG
True, but we like brainstorming scenarios, from best-case to worst-case. That way, when the news is finally out and confirmed, I won't go out and loot the town and turning over cars ... even if I'm the only one causing the riot. :D

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You're killing me here, REG. Absolutely killing me! :D

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Originally posted by Ineti
Random aside: Get a group of gamers with capital and a little business sense and bid for the Trek RPG and CODA rights. Then publish it yourself and make what you can out of it. :)

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Okay, get right on that, Jim. ;)

Uh...Jim? You still there? :p

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Originally posted by GenesisWeapon
Who are they shopping the line to, exactly?

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Can't/won't discuss in this venue. Sorry. :(

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Originally posted by jened
true but even with their ccgs, certain ones don't make as much money as others. trek for example. decipher kept printing 1st edition expansions even when it was making far less money than expected.

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That's because they hoped (and did) transition a lot of those players to the new STCCG 2nd Edition.