Game Over for Decipher?

**D.S.McBride** · 08-11-2005, 10:40 PM

Originally posted by Tobian
Well ding dong the witch is dead

Heh. I just have this picture of Don and Warren Holland - Don in the blue-checked dress, black gloss shoes (and glasses and beard), Holland in the black cape and hat; Don tosses the water on the offending miscreant, and - "I'm melting! I'm melting!" (as last glob is erased from existence) "What a world, what a world..."

I was thinking about it a bit while driving home from work today; the license would have reverted back to Paramount/Viacom as of Jan. 1, '06 in any case - so in less than half a year, the right to finally, for the luvva Gawd, get some kind of material back on the shelves would have been a possibility no matter what

I wonder if - should the speculated implosion actually occur - the Decipher corporate population would end up posting their experiences in a thread on RPG.net, as the ex-LUG/Decipher RPG design crew did following the division's untimely demise. If so, I would be very interested to have the veil of corporate bullspeak and secrecy finally pulled aside, and the real story of the nightmarish management behind that place finally laid bare for all to see. Most entertaining.

**KillerWhale** · 08-12-2005, 01:15 AM

I'm afraid that, given the atmosphere surrounding Trek at Paramount ("Trek needs a rest" - yeah, sure, but it needed that five years ago, not NOW!), they would pull the plug on RPGs as well without realizing that it is a way to have the franchise survive in the hearts of fans (and "give it back" to them as said... who? Moore? don't remember). I just hope that doesn't happen.

I would dream to see more ICON or CODA, but if it goes the way of WotC, I'm afraid we'll see D20... Ah, if it is finely done like B5 or Spycraft, I wouldn't be bothered.

How much I would like to hear Dec's management now, and the whole story. Damn it's about time the company pays for its errors.

However, I'm very sorry for Dec's employees, victims of this mismanagement.

**REG** · 08-12-2005, 02:10 AM

As much the gamer in me want WotC to get it, my half Ferengi/Hutt business mind tells me they should decline. In fact, the sadistic monster in me want Paramount to beg that WotC take the license and Charles Ryan refuses them. It would be a sweet revenge toward Paramount for their undermining back in 2000.

**Tobian** · 08-12-2005, 03:33 AM

Originally Posted by D.S.McBride

Heh. I just have this picture of Don and Warren Holland - Don in the blue-checked dress, black gloss shoes (and glasses and beard), Holland in the black cape and hat; Don tosses the water on the offending miscreant, and - "I'm melting! I'm melting!" (as last glob is erased from existence) "What a world, what a world..."

What have I told you about having fantasies of Don in a gingham dress!!

Just hope he doesn't have a penguin hand puppet with glowing red eyes

I am also sorry for deciphers employees too, but then they MAY get out of the woods yet. I think they should have franchised out the RPG products, but I suspect they were too greedy to share profit, so instead they cut off their nose to spite their face. I guess it doesn't really affect us Trek Coda users (Now, since it's long since been ruined for us), but it's a shame for the LotR's, because they were teased with new material, and even got one.. what will happen to them now? Hmm At least for Trek-RPG the game has been in te hands of the fans for some time now, and what we have is pretty good.. Lets get craching on those netbooks! It's just a shame we can't get them printed out to hard cover

**Shoshuro** · 08-12-2005, 04:35 AM

Personally I think they should've gone the pdf route with the books they had promised but hadn't come out yet (mirror, klingon, etc).

**KillerWhale** · 08-12-2005, 06:33 AM

Yes. They would have sold them. Sold them good. Got some money. To help stay afloat.

What kind of a management is this? (Oh sorry, has the question been asked already?

)

**Troy_Of_Borg** · 08-12-2005, 06:48 AM

Mabye Eden Studios could do Trek RPG.

They do a great job with Buffy & Angel.

Just a idea.

**Doug Burke** · 08-12-2005, 06:48 AM

::looks around, nods at what he sees::

Karma is finally taking a hand. 'Bout damn time.

**Ineti** · 08-12-2005, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by REG

As much the gamer in me want WotC to get it, my half Ferengi/Hutt business mind tells me they should decline. In fact, the sadistic monster in me want Paramount to beg that WotC take the license and Charles Ryan refuses them. It would be a sweet revenge toward Paramount for their undermining back in 2000.

I think WOTC is more focused on their own properties. If anyone was going to take on Trek, I'd guess it would be the Mongoose or Green Ronin.

**Ineti** · 08-12-2005, 09:56 AM

Interesting new wrinkle:

http://decipherstore.fanhq.com/Artic...le.aspx?ID=894

**AslanC** · 08-12-2005, 10:51 AM

Sigh and once again no word on RPGs. Screw him... screw him right in his ear!

**spshu** · 08-12-2005, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Ineti

I think WOTC is more focused on their own properties. If anyone was going to take on Trek, I'd guess it would be the Mongoose or Green Ronin.

Mongoose it would seem would be problematic as don't the have a number of licenses already? Let see ... in RPG: D20/OGL, Judge Dredd (2002), Conan (2003), Babylon 5 (2003), the "XP" edition of Paranoia (2004), Jeremiah (2005), Munson Rift War (2005) and Miniatures: Starship Troopers
Granted the D20/OGL cost nothing at this time. Trek and LOTR would be pretty hefty licensing fees. Given that Mongoose did Rift War in D20, it would not be very likely that they would want to do Trek and LOTR in CODA. Of course Mongoose is know for their may typos.

Green Ronin -- they have only licensed Thieves World.

Hopefully we can have it dual stated.

**Tobian** · 08-12-2005, 11:52 AM

I am not sure exactly what constitutes a liscence or such, but green Ronin are also doing Warhammer at the moment, which has quite an agressive release schedule.

I can't see either of those two jumping in to the liscence. In many ways it made sense for Decipher to take on the roleplaying liscence, because it had the card one, but it's just a shame it was.. Decipher, and not another more competent company *sigh*. it would be horribly costly, because Paramount will still be over what it wants to do with Startrek.. On the one hand it's got a good reputation and millions of fans, on the other, it's dead in the water, as a franchise, so where to pitch the cost?!

**Doug Burke** · 08-12-2005, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by AslanC

Sigh and once again no word on RPGs. Screw him... screw him right in his ear!

You almost sound surprised, Aslan... Me, not so much. I'm thinking that even anger might be wasted...

**black campbellq** · 08-12-2005, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Ineti

Interesting new wrinkle:

http://decipherstore.fanhq.com/Artic...le.aspx?ID=894

Uh...yeah...

If ou're in suck bloody good shape, where's Worlds ?

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