Decipher Revelations about TrekRPG

[Phantom]

Can someone tell me where all this wonderful info is? I keep checking the Decipher site and keep comeing up with JACK! I have yet to see anything concrete that says that Decipher is even going to do something with Star Trek franchise, let alone do any reprints of existing books.

[AllenS]

Pyramid Online carries an article confirming the information, which includes a verbatim post of the information from the press release. Also, if you have RealAudio, you can go the Radio Free Decipher and hear the interview with Christian Moore.

[Phantom]

Thank you AllenS. What was the address of the Pyramid Online again?

[Hirogen]

According to a Decipher article that went up on their site today, they will be making a big announcement tonight at GAMA. This could be related to the Star Trek RPG, but it could also be anything else (including the aquisition of a new lisence, which is what their last preannounced big announcement was, their GenCon Day 1 announcement about Lord of the Rings CCG rights).

[Troy]

I can't wait to see what the new Star Trek RPG System will be like. Many my friends are glad to hear that LUG staff are now part of Decipher. I wish you guys luck on making a good system for Star Trek.

[Don Mappin]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Hirogen:
According to a Decipher article that went up on their site today, they will be making a big announcement tonight at GAMA. This could be related to the Star Trek RPG...</font>

Nope, it's something else (if what they're going to announce is what I think they're going to announce). It's all very confusing.


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Don
trekrpg@trekrpg.net

[Eric R.]

I am a bit confussed on what exactly they mean when they say that changes will make the game appeal to a wider audiannce. I know what they mean; do what it takes to get CCG fans to also buy the RPG which should be one if not the top goal of sales. However I can't see why this would mean the content of what the books are about will change, save for one Gneral rule book which I support. One of the top reasons why LUG sold so well was that many Trek fans bought the stuff for the background material just think what books where the most well liked, The way of Kolinhar, Among the Clans, The Way of D'era and RR&R, All thick with new background material which many non RPG fans bought up.

[Troy]

I checked Decipher here is what I found.

DECIPHER TAKES ANOTHER KEY LICENSE FOR LORD OF THE RINGS PROPERTY

Company is Granted the Rights to Produce Roleplaying Games

(Las Vegas, Nev., March 20, 2001) - Decipher Inc. announces today it has captured another of the key licenses for this year's coveted Lord of the Rings property, adding the license for role playing games (RPG) to the previously-announced trading card game (TCG) and digital playing card licenses.

The RPG license has been granted to Decipher by New Line Cinema - producers of the screen adaptation of the fantasy epic by J.R.R. Tolkien - delivering the rights to all three motion pictures - The Fellowship of the Ring (December 19, 2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) - and by Tolkien Enterprises for The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy.

The licensing agreements for the RPG, as well as for the trading card game, exist through 2006, with renewal rights for an additional five years.

"With the addition of the RPG license, 2001 is really shaping up to be a Lord of the Rings year for Decipher. Not only will we be developing an incredible trading card game, we now have the rights to produce an RPG around a property that created the entire fantasy genre. This is an opportunity of a lifetime," said Decipher CEO Warren Holland.

Plans call for the Lord of the Rings® Roleplaying Game to launch before the end of the year

Look out Wizards here com Decipher!

[Brian K]

Interesting to see this...not much of a surprise however.

http://www.decipher.com/newsflash/20...1releaseA.html

[Liquidator Queeg]

Surprise surprise...

Decipher 2 WotC 0

We now take up the action in the second half with that stunning talent from Man U (South ) carrying the ball*



Steve

[Lockhart]

I don't doubt that the new LotR game will be good, perhaps they'll expand the 4th Age of Middle Earth (since that'll be right where the last film should leave us) and finally sift through the books enough to get a definative answer on how much magic non-Maiar can perform, the aura-like uberelf powers, etc.

I also wonder if it will be a totally different game system from the Trek game or not. It seems to me that most large companies do what Wizards does (one system to rule them all and all that) but I have felt in the past that this approach doesn't work with niche settings like the LotR. Guess we'll see by next year.

Byron

[Phantom]

Again I ask about Decipher "where is the news of Star Trek". They say wait for the big annoucement at GAMA, and what is released, but news about RotR RPG!

When I first heard that Decipher picked up the ST RPG rights I said "what do they know about producing an RPG?" Then I thought of the answer, "they aren't!" Now they have the rights, pretty much, to everything Star Trek, and what are they using it for? Bragging rights!

Now, when I started seeing the rumours about a new RPG comeing out I started to rethink my previous postion, but since then I have familized myself with the company, and do not like what I see. I think they were just "fishing" to see what the response would be for a new ST RPG. Thier lack of a concrete response of "yes we will be doing this..." I think speaks volumes about what they have planned for Star Trek RPG. NOTHING.

I have do apologize for being a "doomsayer", and if I am wrong I will be the first to admit it, but I think we should be prepared for bad news, I mean they have been saying they are going to do something with the francshise for months now...Where's the proof. If they really thought ST RPG was as big a product as we, I include myself, all think it is I think they would have come up with at least a tentaive release date.

Instead what do they do, they annouce the fact that they have canibalized another system from another "dead" company. I might add they will be hard pressed to come up with a system that approaches the one that ICE came up with.

Anyway I'm sure you all have had enough of this post so...Rant Mode off.

[Don Mappin]

Wow, you are way off base, Phantom.

First, the big announcement regarding Star Trek and Decipher was made last week -- and mentioned several times in this thread -- the hiring of the former Last Unicorn Games (7) development team.

They're working on the game, have a development schedule, and you'll start seeing products by the end of the year. There's even an enlightening interview with Christian Moore (see links in this thread) about what the game is going to look like (in broad terms).

So, while a rant is all well and good, at least bother to take the time to read the thread that you're ranting in to get caught up on the latest news. Makes you look kinda foolish...

I remember back in the old LUG days, people like yourself were rather upset that they weren't involved in every small detail about what was going on with the game. Decipher isn't obligated to tell you anything about their plans -- in fact they're probably not aware that people are interested. So, hold tight, interviews are on the way and the full force of TrekRPGNet will be brought to bare. (I've always wanted to say that!)

Oh, and by-the-way, Decipher never indicated there was going to be "big news" about Trek at GAMA -- that was started by people here at these boards.


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Don
trekrpg@trekrpg.net

[Phantom]

Over the top a bit, maybe, off base ...We'll see. As to the info you stated, ok they hired the staffers (so did WotC), the interview, I have no way of knowing what was said. The development schedule...WoTC had one for Dune, March 15 I believe, ides of MArch. Hmmm.

I don't expect to involved "in every small detail" of the plan process of the game, or think that Decipher is obligated to anyone but themselves...That would be foolish.

Ok, I am willing to extend my faith a bit more, I look forward to the future interviews that you mention. Like you, I hope that the Star Trek franchise will continue, in the ICON system or whatever system is dreamed up. I will admit the Dune fiasco has left me bitter, and maybe I see conspiracies where none exist, but what Decipher is doing is similar, IMO, to what WoTC did in the past.

I will end this by saying that I appreciate your cander, and I hope everyone else on these boards is right.

[Caretaker]

Cool.

Don, are we to presume that you have some hidden powers or tricks up your sleeves that you have not told us about? I get the feeling there will be more surprises by Decipher AND TrekRPG by the end of GAMA.