Decipher Trek RPG announcement?

[Doug Burke]

You need a sharper razor to split that hair.

I dunno, Jim. Is it hair-splitting to expect people to do their job?

[Ineti]

I dunno, Jim. Is it hair-splitting to expect people to do their job?

Actually getting the annoucement out on time was a earth-shaker. I'm inclined to cut the guy a little slack for not calling the books out by their specific title. A rose is a rose, y'know?

[IceGiant]

I find it interesting that alot of folks want worlds. That title has little interest for me (I would have bought the hardcopy like i did creatures but has about the same use. Dust collector)
For me I've been waiting for the klingon book since LUG, and even Mirror Darkly should at least be an interesting read.

[PGoodman13]

Apparently there's more stuff being done than just the few supplements mentioned in the announcement, as one of the art guys at Decipher is talking about doing layout and trade-dress styles on DS9 and Next Gen books. So there may be more stuff than we at first thought.

[Doug Burke]

Actually getting the annoucement out on time was a earth-shaker. I'm inclined to cut the guy a little slack for not calling the books out by their specific title. A rose is a rose, y'know?

True enough. He's already a step ahead of his predecessor. I'll lay off the vitriol... for now...

[Ineti]

Apparently there's more stuff being done than just the few supplements mentioned in the announcement, as one of the art guys at Decipher is talking about doing layout and trade-dress styles on DS9 and Next Gen books. So there may be more stuff than we at first thought.

That stuff was in development or nearing completion when the Design studio folded.

[PGoodman13]

That stuff was in development or nearing completion when the Design studio folded.

I know, but that makes it six books or so instead of just 4, and they're at least going to do something with them. I just wish they'd started at the beginning and done TOS instead of NG or DS9.

[D.S.McBride]

Originally posted by Ineti
I fully expect Decipher to release these products, take the proceeds, and sit on the license so that no other company can have it.

Under other circumstances, I'd agree - much as WotC is sitting on the damned Star Wars RPG license simply so they can get their so-and-so miniatures out, and to hell with putting out any material that would get us caught up with RotS and complete the series - but I'm also recalling that Don has repeatedly mentioned that Decipher has, since July '03, been looking for an exit strategy. They don't want anything further to do with the damned RPGs, they want the damned RPGs out of their hair, they want the damned RPG players to shut the hell up and leave them alone.

Decipher's license expires - to the best of my knowledge - January 1, '06 (Yeah, back in Sept. '00, it seemed like it would last forever for me as well. My, how time flies when you're having fun ). That means Warren Holland and his crew of dunderheads have about three months left to try and squeeze the last few bucks out of this nightmare before the cataclysmically bungled rights fly out of their hands and back into those of Paramount/Viacom. I'd rate the chances of Decipher renewing their RPG rights as somewhere between zero and none - they have absolutely no desire to do so, every wish to put this wasted chapter of their (and our) lives behind them, and get moving forward on the next CCG so that they can stave off Chapter Eleven for another eight weeks or so.

Based on the predictions I made in an earlier post on this thread, it appears we're headed for either scenario one or two - and I've still got major doubts as to whether Decipher can carry through on their promises or not. The only possible motivation they have for getting this stuff out, in any form or fashion, is purely financial survival: maximum benefit versus minimum cost. My feeling on it; if - IF - there are any releases, they'll follow the pattern established with the other two spates we've seen. Two - maybe three - quick distributions, and then roadblock after roadblock when it comes to getting the balance of works out.

God, I hope that the next company/group to pick up the RPG license is given a detailed history of this debacle, and a wrath-of-God warning to never let this kind of s**t happen again. Another experience like this could end the Star Trek RPG franchise for good.

[Ergi]

I remember that the Trek RPG license of Decipher will expire in early 2006 (if it is really January 1st, I don't know). Back, when LUG was bought by Wizards, I was surprised that WotC didn't try to make as much profit as possible by printing the books approved by Paramount before the license aquired during the take-over expired. As far as I understand the laws, they could have printed as many copies as they wished, selling them even after the right to print more books had expired. After all, they cannot be blamed for trying to empty their storage.
But what about PDFs? You can't say you create 10.000 copies while you still have the license, you just create one copy, that is duplicated every time a customer purchases a copy of the e-book. So, effectively, you are creating, although not printing, a new copy. Either this is a loophole and Decipher is allowed to continue selling PDFs published before 2006 until the world ends, or we all better hurry up and get our copy before the license expires. Does anybody know more about this?

[GandalfOfBorg]

Well isn't the RPG license bundled with the CCG license, just like for LOTR?

If the card game does well, they won't let go of it.

[Commander Ramey]

That's dissapointing sense CODA is one of the finer systems out there. I'll continue to use it for trek and fantasy gaming though. It's really a great system that we like in our gaming community.

[Doug Burke]

Well isn't the RPG license bundled with the CCG license, just like for LOTR?

If the card game does well, they won't let go of it.

It wasn't previously. Decipher's had the CCG license for much longer than the RPG one. IIRC, RPGs were bundled with miniatures...

[D.S.McBride]

Originally posted by Doug Burke
IIRC, RPGs were bundled with miniatures...

Ah, yes, the vaunted Engage! system. "Released...and quickly!" was, I believe, the phrase that was used when referring to that during the long-ago era when we actually trusted Decipher. Good and early became good and late, and finally good and never. Another solid chunk of proof - for me, at least - that Decipher is going to be releasing a collection of works that stand somewhere between seventy to ninety-five percent complete, with the holes in the dikes plugged as quickly and cheaply as possible.

To reiterate, if the books do come out - in any form, at this point - I'll be the first at the table to down that serving of crow; but even with the expiry date for the RPG license breathing down their necks and the spectre of financial insolvency creeping up, I've still got grave doubts as to whether they can pull this off. The only factor that imparts any confidence is that a third-party, who actually can find their own asses with both hands and a flashlight, are involved in the process...and if things do start seeing the light of day, I'll be handing the credit out to Drive-Thru rather than Decipher.

[Ineti]

and if things do start seeing the light of day, I'll be handing the credit out to Drive-Thru rather than Decipher.

Out of curiosity, why? Drive-thru is just the means of release for the products. If Decipher doesn't send them the material, they have nothing to sell. If the PDFs sell well, it'll be because Decipher finally got off their collective ass and did something with the material.

[PGoodman13]

He is, if anything, more cynical about this whole ugly affair than I am...and that's saying something. (It's not a bad thing, all in all, being cynical here; I'm just pointing out the fact of that cynicism.)

I can't say as I blame him for his frustration and all, though I'm inclined to agree with Jim: If it sells, it's not because of DriveThru. Personally, I think it'll be in spite of DriveThru; I would have much preferred RPGNow, since I know they have a POD service that's worth a damn, and because the last things I bought from them weren't watermarked, as the files from DriveThru will be.

I'll be happy to see the material at all, though.