Hopes and Dreams for the CODA system

[Kronok]

Hi all (You too Ross ),

I am just so excited I could burst. The New DECTrek is coming out soon and I thought it would be fun to brainstorm a little about what we hope to see in the new system.

I thought, since we know little about it, that it would be interesting to discuss “Changes we would like to see in the new system.” I think that if we are professional about this and thorough that maybe some of what we discuss will make it back to Decipher and further help the line of products that will come out in the future.
I thought we could discuss in terms of likes, dislikes and what we would like to see in the new system. I will start…

Likes-

1. The way LUGTrek put out a few supplements on specific races- Vulcans, Andorians, etc.
2. Canon references where possible- Characters, Starships, etc.
3. Simplified dice rolls- Everything D6s vs. a difficulty

Dislikes-

1. Attribute rolls- Couldn’t hit a 7 unless you hit a 6 on the Drama Die.
2. Lack of products- Books that never made it (I realize “stuff” happens, but I like the supplements).
3. Lack of Adventure Modules- The Romulan Stuff was cool, little else.

What I hope to see in DECTrek-

1. Attribute rolls that make sense.
2. Products that utilize canon references when possible.
3. A map of the Galaxy!!! (Ice’s Spacemaster format was cool and easy to use)
4. “Modules/Adventure Supplements)”- Books that are filled with both adventures and adventure seeds.
5. Race books (Rumor has it you are continuing where LUG lacked? Klingons?)
6. Easy starship combat that gives all Bridge Crew something to do.
7. Did I mention adventure supplements?
8. Advanced rule upgrades- Supplements that allow more in depth rules for those that want it. Like ICE did with its “Companions.”

I hope Ross and his folks at Decipher see this and everything discussed therein.

Let’s Role!!!

P.S. OK, so my main reason for writing this is to get some insight from Ross, so shoot me!!!

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Somewhat OT perhaps, sorry, but...
iirc, someone said that they 'wouldn't be doing adventure books, cause they don't sell very well,' which is sort of disappointing. Though it problably ain't possible (for now at least) i'd like to see a bi- or tri-monthy magazine with a bunch of adventures in it (a la Dungeon, with some written by Decipher staff and some by freelancers) We could probably get a bunch of people from these boards to do some...isn't there an adventure sourcebook board happening? Wait, I've got it! Take the best adventures posted on this site, and format them in PDF and put on the decipher site, then get them collected in book form once in a while!

[prophetsteve]

My hopes:

What they should keep doing (like LUGTrek):

1. Keep the example sidebars - I found it cool that in the sourcebooks they would site examples of incidents in the various series and then how it could be done using the rules.

2. TrekTricks - they may be the bane of the TNG era, but the pseudoscience of TNG should be included, like Spacedock. I already know its going to be in the main book.

3. Explanations - We all know that the folks in charge in Trekdom make mistakes, and is cool to see the RPG writers intelligently and wisely rationalize them out. Keep that up.


What I want to see:

1. Era books - I want a TNG, TOS/Movie, and (eventually) Enterprise guidebooks. Almost like the the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting, a hardback book packed with information dealing with particular era. The focus is on players, and saves things like NPCs and secret info for the Series books.

2. Series book - Not to overlap to with Era books, the Series book would avoid general setting information and deal with the reoccuring themes of TNG, DS9, Voyager, TOS, the Movies and Enterprise. This would be more a GM guide, with stats for the main characters and reoccuring guest stars of each series, information on unique planets, plots, and tech explored in the series, as well as any information not really for players eyes.

3. Race Guides - Forget individual race books. A bunch of race manuals detailing the "Races of the Federation", "Enemies of the Federation", etc. While the more-detailed races (Vulcans, etc) should get a pretty good page count (at least 20 pages), the rest could easily be given 5 pages of information and be satisfactory.

4. Theme Books - I want a CodaTrek Privateers book (dealing with everything from Merchants to Mercenaries), and a revised Intelligence Guide (with a more broad focus of players, from Starfleet Intel and Section 31, to Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order). Generally these themebooks would be sources of information to play Trek in a unconventional manner. The focus would remain broad - allowing for both on-shot adventures (like in Trek series) or long-term campaigns.

5. Starship Guides - A Guide for each empire, as well as private vessels and the ships of smaller powers. Focus should be on canon ships of every era, only using made-up ships when there is a definate need.

6. Artwork - Decipher is renowned for its artwork, especially its CGI. The main failing of LUGTrek was some of its artwork was a little sub-par. CodaTrek should have either footage of the ships and equipment in question or (in cases of poor footage or made-up equipment), use CGI graphics. Avoid the line art, or painted pictures of the LUGTrek era.

[qerlin]

I hope we can live as one...in peace. Oh, wait, that was another set of hopes and wishes....

That a pretty redheaded woman with big...dang, that's the other wish list.

Here it is...

1. That it doesn't suck.

2. That the art, etc. is up to snuff of LUG Trek

3. That the company does go belly up or lose the licence two inutes after I decide to plunk down money for the game.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by qerlin
I hope we can live as one...in peace. Oh, wait, that was another set of hopes and wishes....

That a pretty redheaded woman with big...dang, that's the other wish list.

Here it is...

1. That it doesn't suck.

2. That the art, etc. is up to snuff of LUG Trek

3. That the company does go belly up or lose the licence two inutes after I decide to plunk down money for the game.

Live in peace. I'll go for that.

The Pretty Redhead...Right there with ya buddy. (pant)

1) I don't really think we have to worry about that.

2) Actually I was hoping that the art would be a lot better then LUG. The only books that I thought had passable art work were the TNG corbook and the Among the clans. The art in the other books...Could have been ALOT better.

3) Always in motion is the future.

[Path Of Wrath]

Originally posted by qerlin
I hope we can live as one...in peace. Oh, wait, that was another set of hopes and wishes....

That a pretty redheaded woman with big...dang, that's the other wish list.

Sounds like my Ex.......

I second the 'That it doesn't suck' sentiment. I just want the books! Soon!!!!

[Sho-sa Kurita]

I think it was Don who said we'd be getting starship books in landscape format (like the BattleTech recognition books), which I like. Hopefully this hasn't changed. I actually don't want them to focus on individual nationalities though for two reasons. 1) I like having a mix, and 2) I have enough money to buy every book to come out, but not everyone does. As a Narrator I'd be unhappy if I could only afford the UFP book, but not the Klingons or Cardies.

I couldn't really care less about adventure books. I'd rather have adventure seeds spread throughout all the other sourcebooks (but not the core rulebooks). That said I wouldn't mind an adv. seed book like we've discussed around here. Specifically I'd really like to see a book dealing with the great unknown -- space-time and stellar phenomena (stuff like cosmic strings, 2d planes and pocket universes) and means for using them in adventures/campaigns.

From what I've heard so far about the system, which is actually a fair amount if you really pay attention, it sounds like a pretty major improvement over ICON, which admittedly I didn't really like.

It sounds like the advancement (not Levels people) system will actually make it a lot easier to judge the power of a character, as well as create NPCs with desired abilities. The ICON skill/ad/disad system made this a pain.

I like the idea of species books, but would combine them with world books. Give full writeups to the species and their planet/system at the same time. Fewer species per book sure, but more rounded and centralized info for each.

I like the Romulans, but less focus on the Romulans please. It's a big universe.

I'd like a game tech manual. By this I mean something players (well Narrator's too I guess) can use to figure out potential solutions to their tech problems. An integral component would be system diagrams like those in the TNG Tech Manual. The diagrams allow players to see how systems are hooked to together, so they can say "Well, I can just bypass the X and just hook the Y straight into Z. We might blow up, but it's the only way we're going to get outta here!" That's what Geordi does - he looks at the diagrams, and it's very difficult for not non-Trek-slaves to come up with good tech solutions otherwise. It could also have a system for designing Trek-like systems, for when the Crew needs to bodge a machine for some purpose. Well that was long-winded.

Enough for now.

-- Daniel

[Joe Dizzy]

Originally posted by Sho-sa Kurita
<snip> it's very difficult for not non-Trek-slaves to come up with good tech solutions otherwise.

As far as technobabble solutions go, I actually take the other way around. If somebody wants to solve a problem tech-wise I let them roll, and then they tell me what they want to do.
As in...

PC: I want to see if I can fix the shields in time. (rolls dice, comes up with a 10)
Me: you might be able to work around the intereference... how do you do it?
PC: [cue technobabble solution and instruct characters]

This is in part because I don't know a whole lot about physics and electronics, and in part because that gives the players the chance to role-play that bit.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Sho-sa Kurita

I like the Romulans, but less focus on the Romulans please. It's a big universe.


-- Daniel

What do you mean "less focus on the Romulans?" They hardly had any of the spot light in the LUG system. 1 Box set and a campaign book set along the RNZ, that is hardly over concentrating on the Romulans.

What I hope is that they don't go Klingon happy with the new game, the Klingons now there is a Star Trek race that has been over exposed (ugly thought ) lately. Concentrate on the lessor known races first Tellerite, Axanari, Tiburon, Cardie. I don't want to see a Klingon book come out for a very long time.

[TomMarg]

I would certainly echo the idea of a book on adventure threads, and a monthly mag.

One race I have yet to see included and would very much like to see deciphers take on, is the Tholians.

Are they living crystals? Or do their tailors really suck, when designing environment suits on a low budget?

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by TomMarg
I would certainly echo the idea of a book on adventure threads, and a monthly mag.

I will also echo this and wouldn't even mind to see the various Decipher CCG's and Lord of the Rings covered in the magazine either...

[Diamond]

First and most critical to my descision to buy: If it's easy enough to convert my ICON-trek PCS and NPCs to CODA-trek IN MY HEAD. I know there will be a conversion system. I'm sure it will at least be possible to laboriously convert the stuff I've already bought, but will it be easy enough such that I can just use the old books and convert as I run the adventure, as needed?

Second, what I look for in any RPG book, I hope it has all three legs of the content tripod. My ideal is that for any person, place or thing given a writeup, that there be an image, a description, and game stats for it. For example, the LUG DS9 core book made me very confused about the starships until I bought the DS9 Technical Manual. Note that they don't have to be great images (screen shots from the show, even low-rez ones black and white ones, would be ideal but even a crude sketch would be OK) - I just have to be able to identify what they're writing about with the source materiel.

LUG's Starfleet Intelligence handbook did great on images and descriptions, but was very light on game stats. Among the Clans was perfect for my tastes.

[Cochrane]

I want maps, which have already been promised. Mainly starmaps, but planetary maps and deckplans are important to me too. Even city maps would be good.

I know this isn't the direction being taken, but I want separate sourcebooks for separate species. I would gladly buy them, even 250 page ones. Anyone else agree?

Species to include in species recognition manuals: Tholians, Melkotians, Anticans, Selay, Bandi, Vulcanoid Rigelians, Tortoisoid Rigelians, Krenim, Kazons, Coridanites, Denobulans, Tiburon, Axanar, Betelgeusans, Whales, Ba'Ku, El Aurians, Founders, Vorta, Jem Hadar, Q, Metrons, Organians, Prophets, Bolians, Benzites, Tellarites, Nausicaans, Orions, Othans, Cytherians

Klingon sourcebook should include animals from Klingon space, and the aliens shown on Rura Penthe.

Species recognition manuals should give individual species as much space as possible.

I'd like story seed collections, even if I never play the game. But in case I do, I'd like published adventures as examples.

I used to be boggled by people wanting the game to be derived mainly from canon, but now I guess it's a good idea so the show is less likely to negate the game.

I personally didn't mind any of LUG's artwork, but if screenshots and CG mean better sales, go for it.

I want a separate Movie Era sourcebook. It might be good to include the early 24th century.

[OmegaOdd]

The Trek Universe is so full of posibilites that I hope that the new team makes a concentrated effort to explore as mush as possible of what already exists. A magazine similiar to the Star Wars Gamer would be ideal. There's plenty of room to cover the CCG as well as Computer and Console games as well.

[Imagus]

Originally posted by Phantom
What do you mean "less focus on the Romulans?" They hardly had any of the spot light in the LUG system. 1 Box set and a campaign book set along the RNZ, that is hardly over concentrating on the Romulans.

What I hope is that they don't go Klingon happy with the new game, the Klingons now there is a Star Trek race that has been over exposed (ugly thought ) lately. Concentrate on the lessor known races first Tellerite, Axanari, Tiburon, Cardie. I don't want to see a Klingon book come out for a very long time.

No offence intended here, Phantom, but one box and a campaign book is "hardly any of the spot light"? Much as I love the Romulans and those books in particular, it's more than anyone else got - which is what triggered all the effort on the Cardies!

I agree the Klingons are overexposed (I for one, was not happy to see them appear in "Broken Bow" ), but gamewise, we've had no official information on them since the FASA supplement came out in the 80's. We do need some source material, and it would also be a big seller, so I can see the marketing department pressing for it. The additional sales wouldn't hurt the game line either!

There does need to be a balance on this, though. I seem to remember hearing there was going to be multi-species books - so maybe we'll get equal amounts of info on all of the Big Three (Roms, Klingons and Cardies) at the same time?