Decipher Trek: In The Beginning...

[Dr. Jonas Bashir]

Okay, my friends. The third installment of a successful thread has been opened to continue the comments about the upcoming (and now with confirmed details!) Decipher version of the Star Trek RPG.

Past threads about the subject:

http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000728.html

http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/For...ML/000687.html

------------------
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality

[AllenS]

Here's what I would like to see in the way of systems and such for the new Star Trek RPG.

1.) If licensing allows, one Core Book with enough information to start a basic campaign in any of the established time periods (but with emphasis on the TNG/DS9/VOY time frame), with supplements to follow for the indvidual series.

2.) An online magazine with adventures and game tips ala Pyramid but directed toward Trek and any other Decipher RPG's.

3.) A starship combat system not unlike that in the LUG version. I personally thought it was just fine and not at all confusing.

4.) A somewhat more intuitive die-rolling scheme. I suggest a straightforward die roll + stat + skill and equal or beat the difficulty. The one problem I had with ICON was getting people to understand they used only the HIGHEST die rolled; they wanted to total the dice. I therefore suggest they should be allowed to total the dice

5.) The core idea of the character generation rules should be kept intact, if possible; a template system to track the characters history, and an advanced point system for people who don't need the main one.

6.) Enough information in the Core book to play Klingons, Romulans, etc from the start, with more advanced rules in supplements.

I realize that some of these suggestios might not go over But this is my wish list.

Allen

[Cochrane]

Hey, maybe the first product will be based on Series 5! That would work real well, eh? But I sure hope for products set in the 22nd, 25th 27th, and 29th centuries, and something set on ancient Vulcan, and something in Iconian times, and something set on Voth Earth, and something for the Humanoid Progenitors, and maybe the Preservers. Okay, so maybe I got a tiny bit carried away.

[Dave]

Here's a wish list:


One core rule book- should be the largest and most expensive.

One source book for each series.

Individual Adventure Modules- perhaps similar to the fold-out brochure style of the current D&D scenarios (and only about $2.50 a piece. Very cool.)

Miniatures- blister packs of two or three (don't make LUG's mistake of a 3-1 ratio of female to male).

A file folder, binder (like the cool 3-ring one from Star Fleet Battles), or some type of carrying case (even better, an attache case like the free ones you get at conventions), with subdued trek emblem.



If Decipher picks up Red Alert, maybe they could do a Classic Trek version (is anybody listening), complete with original Enterprise, Tholians, etc.


I hope Decipher is taking notes.

[Cochrane]

I wonder if a Decipher version of Red Alert would use the ships that originated in the LUG RPG, such as Apollo, T'Rasus, Meret, and D'virin classes that are in the existing Red Alert. Maybe publish guidelines for creating disks (how many points for the combinations of stats). Would they do the previously planned expansion sets? I wanna play Gorn, Tholian, Borg, Breen, Dominion, Son'a, and 8472.

[Liquidator Queeg]

Wish List:

One core book covering the entire Trek universe very lightly, and containing all the "game system" info. Should be about the same size of the LUG core books, or slightly bigger. Hardcover.

Detailed sourcebooks handling each series era, say the size of the TNG Players' Guide or The Price of Freedom. Hardcovers.

Ditto for major species, although they should still be about the size of Among the Clans. Softcovers.

More adventure books, or detailed series "lines", a la LUG's A Fragile Peace. Softcovers.

Don't have any particular "wish" for miniatures or Red Alert-type games.

Steve

[Phantom]

Wish list:

1) one corebook. Detailed rules and enough background to get started.

2) Era sourcebooks. Overlap them a little bit...What happend to the Axanri and Tiburons in the TNG era?

3) Detailed books on the the other races. Do not agree with them all being the size of Among the clans, works with races like the Andorians, Tellerites and others. Since they will be covered in books about the Federation anyway. But box sets are, I think, needed for the Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians...Just because there is so much info to deal with.

My 2 cents.

[Cochrane]

The system: I would prefer D10, but if not, then D6. There should be a good balance between ease and detail. I think some loose form of class system might work, but not levels.

The Core Books: There should not be separate core books for the different series, but there should be separtate player and gamemaster books. The player book ought to be 100 to 150 pages, and the GM one should be 350 to 400 pages. I do not think that full color and high quality of art are as important as detail.There should be roughly 10 player species in the player book. You cold leave out Alpha centaurians and just maybe Bolians, but possibly include Benzites, Klingons, Bajorans, Trill, and at least one non-canon species, possibly non-humanoids. The Player book should have a random character option, and the GM book should have random generation of aliens, planets, systems, sectors, societies, and ships if it makes sense. I would love a gatefold map of the Federation in the GM book, as well as a one-page map of the whole galaxy, more detailed than the one in the DS9 Tech Manual. The Federation map ought to at least have the homeworlds of all player races, indication of neighboring powers, and possibly some internal divisions. In the likely event that original maps are impossible, then I hope they at least can include maps from the DS9 Tech Manual. I think licensed products ought to be given more lattitude by calling them alternate universes. Maybe we can still have maps of the rival powers. The core books should have more original information than the LUG ones, with a noncanon rival empire and at least one noncanon Federation ship. There should be at least twelve total Federation ships in it, not including shuttles. Ship templates ought to be a little simpler than what we've seen. Ship creation ought to be more user-friendly.

Expansions: The first expansions should be Voyager-related. The show is not very good, but the setting has great roleplaying potential. One of these books should have large sections on races such as the Ocampa, Kazon, and Talaxians. Closer to home, there should be species books for the Tellarites, Bolians, and Benzites early on. Tholian and Gorn books should also happen early. There should be a product all about the Sol System and Humans in Trek. There should be a ships book including cross sections for Daedalus, Miranda, Oberth, Norway, and a bunch of others. There should eventually be a product about Trek before the time of the original series. at least two campaign books or series should begin right away.

Game Aids: there should be forms for characters, aliens, planets, systems, sectors, societies, ships, stations, and animals. Each should be full-page and more detailed than in LUG. They should all be black and white with the text not too tiny, and do not have white text on black background like in some sheets. Space on the character forms should not be taken up by all the skills available in the game. I think that counters would suit my purposes for characters, but I want miniatures for ships, particularly the Daedalus, Norway, NeghVar, Borg Spheres and Borg Scouts, the Delta Flyer, Voyager shuttles, Jem Hadar and Breen ships, Academy Training craft, and Jupiter Station.

[Gamethyme]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by AllenS:
Here's what I would like to see in the way of systems and such for the new Star Trek RPG.

4.) A somewhat more intuitive die-rolling scheme. I suggest a straightforward die roll + stat + skill and equal or beat the difficulty. The one problem I had with ICON was getting people to understand they used only the HIGHEST die rolled; they wanted to total the dice. I therefore suggest they should be allowed to total the dice
</font>

Y'know, it's funny. I agreed with everything you had to say except this one. My group didn't have any trouble at all with the die rolling scheme -- and Die + Stat + Skill just ... bugs me for Star Trek. It worked fine for Cyberpunk 2020. It was okay in Talislanta. IIRC, it bugged me in The Babylon Project.

My group (experienced with L5R and 7th Sea) had no trouble with the Roll and Keep style of the LUGTrek products.

Either way, I look forward to what Decipher offers. As long as it's not D20, I'll give it a shot.

Gamethyme

[Dan Stack]

I may be in something of a minority in liking the way LUG had three sets of Core Rules. There was something nice in showing up for a game with just one book - as wonderful as the supplmeents were, you really could play the game with just one book.

Let us suppose you are trying to get a new player, a Star Trek fan who has just heard of roleplaying games. I think you are far more likely to pick up the game if there is just one rulebook than if you look at the Voyager book and see "This is not a complete game - to play this game you first need..."

I view it as vital that the game find new players. My gaming group started out as two gamers who were Star Trek fans and two Star Trek fans willing to give gaming a try.

------------------

[Liquidator Queeg]

I completely agree that the game needs new players (the more the merrier! ), and Decipher's access to the Fantastic Media resources should help to accomplish this. However, appealing to new fans is exactly the reason I would suggest having only one core book for the game, instead of three--it allows you to play in any era using just one book.

Obviously, each era couldn't be covered in as much depth as in each LUG Core Book, but you would have all the game rules plus a decent coverage of the entire Trek universe at your disposal.

Any other books you buy would really just be gravy and dressing--tastes good but isn't required to play.

Steve

[qerlin]

I thikn they should make different core books (at $40 a pop, of course), with different suppliments for every kind of character that you MUST buy (at $30 a pop, of course) to be able to play that character effectively, with a GROUND-BREAKING d54 system (dice available only through our company...).

Ship combat should have nothing to do, mechanically, with the rest of the game & require a completely different book (at $30 a pop, of course).

Artwork should be black & white and bloody awful (preferably fan art by one of the designer's girlfriends...she's Sooooooo talented!)

This way, just to play the game, you're looking at a cost of somewhere in the $300-400 range. Yay, commerce!

Yes. I'm being sarcastic, but maybe the game companies will take something away from this.

[This message has been edited by qerlin (edited 03-24-2001).]

[Liquidator Queeg]

LOL, qerlin!

Your point is well made, and shared by many.

Steve

[Lockhart]

Cochrane,

Why the emphasis on so much non-canon information in the basic game book? I have found that there was more than enough in canon for me to start my game with and when I finally got Price of Freedom and the DS9 book I found out that all the ships I had reverse converted from Spacedock (or was about to convert) were already done. I really had time to concentrate on my own alien species' so that when I introduce them they will be really different and interesting. I mean, until I get to that specific adventure I don't really have any aliens that couldn't be Cardassians, Klingons or Romulans (using the Roms right now, and my players are dismayed but interested)

Also, since I am not a Trek expert, having non-canon information such as new ships, races and empires would confuse me if it's presented right next to the canon info in the same way. I mean, if Decipher creates some alien makeup and takes some photos of the guys (I don't know why they would since the costuming alone would be incredibly expensive, but this is hypothetical) and on the facing page is an entry on Romulans, I'm going to get confused.

Just curious what your reasons were.

Byron

[Cochrane]

I wanted a bunch of noncanon because that's the appeal of rpgs to me. that post I copied and pasted from where I originally posted it at Decipher before I knew the LUG crew were going to be the Decipher crew. I didn't give it a great deal of thought, and you have now swayed me. I guess I just found it boring to have everything so familiar to me.