ADB Star Fleet License from Paramount

[gplana]

A couple of comments re the above posts:

After Task Force Games ceased to be our publisher, Amarillo Design Bureau acquired a license direct from Paramount, so GPD and GPD4e are fully licensed. This license also covers all of the other games (SFB, F&E, Federation Commander, PD20, PD6, etc). Owen's comments are kinda correct regarding the "TFG Era" but are very much out-of-date now.

PD1 (which is what we call the 1993 version) is out of print. There are no plans to reprint any of the books, release them as PDFs, or anything else. There used to be a few copies left in the warehouse, and you can probably find it on eBay, but that's about it.

-- Gary

[Owen E Oulton]

After Task Force Games ceased to be our publisher, Amarillo Design Bureau acquired a license direct from Paramount, so GPD and GPD4e are fully licensed. This license also covers all of the other games (SFB, F&E, Federation Commander, PD20, PD6, etc). Owen's comments are kinda correct regarding the "TFG Era" but are very much out-of-date now.

Can you give me more info on this? I'm compiling a brief history of Star Trek RPGs, so up-to-date info would be very much appreciated. When did this license take effect, and how is it different from the old Franz Joseph license and the terms of the lawsuit in the early 1980's. Do you now have the rights to use the Star Trek name and to use developments beyond TOS/TAS? You can E-mail me using the link in my profile or leave me a PM.

[gplana]

Owen, I'm really not at liberty to discuss much of the details, privately or in public. The Paramount license is about 7 years old, which is about the same time that TFG ceased operations and ADB took over the product lines. For obvious reasons, ADB wanted a licensing agreement directly with Paramount and got one.

The first ADB product that came out as part of the new deal was CAPTAIN'S LOG 18 and most of the publicly-released detail is in that.

From day one, it had been a part of ADB's business plan to re-release PD, but SFB was still the core product and that had to be brought back up to speed before they could turn their attention to other things. When that occured in 2002, it became a lot more sensible to license an already-good game engine than to try to update/fix PD1, and that resulted in the GURPS license, and GPD in 2003.

[REG]

Owen, I'm really not at liberty to discuss much of the details, privately or in public. The Paramount license is about 7 years old, which is about the same time that TFG ceased operations and ADB took over the product lines. For obvious reasons, ADB wanted a licensing agreement directly with Paramount and got one.

Is it safe to assume the terms of the ADB-Paramount licensing agreement is pretty much the same as prior agreement? Based on Joseph Franz' Star Trek Technical Manual and of TOS minus certain trademarks that Paramount owns?

[gplana]

Assume nothing. It's safer that way!

Seriously though, no big change in the way things are done.

To be honest, even if ADB was suddenly given permission to include material/ships/etc from TNG/DS9/etc and the movies, I don't know if we would do it -- that would mean scrapping "our" universe in favor of one that is very inconsistant and full of contradictions (not to mention ENTERPRISE and the rumors I've heard about how events in the final episode winds up the series).

[TFVanguard]

To be honest, even if ADB was suddenly given permission to include material/ships/etc from TNG/DS9/etc and the movies, I don't know if we would do it -- that would mean scrapping "our" universe in favor of one that is very inconsistant and full of contradictions (not to mention ENTERPRISE and the rumors I've heard about how events in the final episode winds up the series).

Oh, what's another set of contradictions, anyway? It's Trek, dammit!

More seriously, I dunno how Paramount feels about the 'movie era' anymore. It doesn't appear like they're going to revisit it, and the tech if nothing else, should be a natural progression of ship designs for SFB (and therefore, Prime Directive).

You may also consider 'element pecking' from the post TOS era as well, based on things you think would still work in the SFB/PD universe, and not much things up too badly. Would the addition of Betazed, for instance, make sense to allow for a new PC race?

Would the Miranda class frigate sensibly replace the Burke as the timeline moves forward? That sort of thing.

[REG]

Oh, what's another set of contradictions, anyway? It's Trek, dammit!

Heh. If you believe in parallel realities.

More seriously, I dunno how Paramount feels about the 'movie era' anymore. It doesn't appear like they're going to revisit it, and the tech if nothing else, should be a natural progression of ship designs for SFB (and therefore, Prime Directive).

Well, Paramount are still making money off from them, in merchandising and DVDs. I doubt they would give that up at the drop of a hat.

You may also consider 'element pecking' from the post TOS era as well, based on things you think would still work in the SFB/PD universe, and not much things up too badly. Would the addition of Betazed, for instance, make sense to allow for a new PC race?

Meh. I'm certain the SFU have more than enough races to fill their own. Besides, ADB is more concerned about marketing their own Star Fleet Universe than Paramount's Star Trek Universe. We can still do conversion unofficially, though.

Would the Miranda class frigate sensibly replace the Burke as the timeline moves forward? That sort of thing.

Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. Other than what are agreed in the agreement between Paramount and ADB, they both stay on their sides of the fence.

[TFVanguard]

Well, Paramount are still making money off from them, in merchandising and DVDs. I doubt they would give that up at the drop of a hat.

Well, it wouldn't impact on DVD sales or most other merchandising, really. And I don't really see another company trying to make the TMP-era starship combat game right now... if ever. Would make more sense to expand an existing license, if that's what ADP has now.

Meh. I'm certain the SFU have more than enough races to fill their own.

True, but you can't deny that - say - adding the Ferengi to the SFB Universe would boost attention and sales somewhat. Or, heaven forfend, adding the Dominion or something.

Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. Other than what are agreed in the agreement between Paramount and ADB, they both stay on their sides of the fence.

True, but, again, with ENT cancelled, the next feature in indefinate hiatus, and no new series in the works, they may not be all that worried if they can get something out of it - with the understanding that they can blithely ignore anything SFB does with their material for the sake of the 'canon' Star Trek.

[REG]

Well, it wouldn't impact on DVD sales or most other merchandising, really. And I don't really see another company trying to make the TMP-era starship combat game right now... if ever. Would make more sense to expand an existing license, if that's what ADP has now.

True, but you can't deny that - say - adding the Ferengi to the SFB Universe would boost attention and sales somewhat. Or, heaven forfend, adding the Dominion or something.

True, but, again, with ENT cancelled, the next feature in indefinate hiatus, and no new series in the works, they may not be all that worried if they can get something out of it - with the understanding that they can blithely ignore anything SFB does with their material for the sake of the 'canon' Star Trek.

I'm not going to second-guess or think what is in the best interests for both parties. For now, Paramount, the legitimate owner/holder of Star Trek IP, can make the decision all they want. If they don't want ADB to have additional access to their IP, then so be it.

We can dream, or convert unofficially when they come out, but that's all we can do.

[TFVanguard]

I'm not going to second-guess or think what is in the best interests for both parties. For now, Paramount, the legitimate owner/holder of Star Trek IP, can make the decision all they want. If they don't want ADB to have additional access to their IP, then so be it.

True, but I don't know if that's the case, or if ADB doesn't want to, etc...

We can dream, or convert unofficially when they come out, but that's all we can do.

We're fans! We can bitch!

[REG]

Whoa. REG don't bitch. Mmm-hmm.

*snaps fingers in the air twice*

[gplana]

You may also consider 'element pecking' from the post TOS era as well, based on things you think would still work in the SFB/PD universe, and not much things up too badly. Would the addition of Betazed, for instance, make sense to allow for a new PC race?

Would the Miranda class frigate sensibly replace the Burke as the timeline moves forward? That sort of thing.

Officially, there is no way ADB can do any of that without violating the licence from Paramount. Which would put ADB out of business, so that is not going to happen.

Unofficially, any fan out there can design a SSD for a ship from TV or the movies, or create a Racial Template for GPD. As it happens, several thouand of them have already done so already.

Whether that's a good idea or not depends on the designer. For example, the USS Defiant shown on TV last week has six rear-firing photons, which is the forward-firing armament of a dreadnought. It did look pretty neat, though!

[gplana]

I might also mention that in the way of unofficial stuff, there is a group out there on dynaverse.net who have altered the STARFLEET COMMAND computer game by replacing all the TOS and ADB ships with ships (and races) from TV.

[TFVanguard]

Officially, there is no way ADB can do any of that without violating the licence from Paramount. Which would put ADB out of business, so that is not going to happen.

I know that, in the past, they obviously couldn't. What I'm asking, though, is if the new license has changed significantly enough to allow for it - in an official manner. That's all.

Whether that's a good idea or not depends on the designer. For example, the USS Defiant shown on TV last week has six rear-firing photons, which is the forward-firing armament of a dreadnought. It did look pretty neat, though!

Yeah, but you also have to accept that fact that 'canon' can usually equal 'goofy' or 'twinky', particularly since the latter half of DS9. When the 'tech' is reduced to 'use it if it looks cool', it's going to be problematic really quick.

[REG]

Whether that's a good idea or not depends on the designer. For example, the USS Defiant shown on TV last week has six rear-firing photons, which is the forward-firing armament of a dreadnought. It did look pretty neat, though!

The "Connie" Defiant? I taped it. I always tape my favorite shows.