News from Decipher?

[First of Two]

Originally posted by AndorMan


Any additional updates of any kind?

You're kidding, right?

Doug and Jesse are doing the best they can, but with thoroughly inadequate help from the printer, TPTB at Dec, or anyone else, it seems.

At a certain point, one simply throws one's hands up in disgust and converts from hopeful optimism to jaded cynicism, from somebody who was going to be first in line on the day it came out to someone who'll maybe decide to look at it, IF the stores eventually stock it.

I'm not there yet. But I'm edging ever closer.

[Liz Not Beth]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Perrryyy]

Originally posted by First of Two
You're kidding, right?

Doug and Jesse are doing the best they can, but with thoroughly inadequate help from the printer, TPTB at Dec, or anyone else, it seems.

At a certain point, one simply throws one's hands up in disgust and converts from hopeful optimism to jaded cynicism, from somebody who was going to be first in line on the day it came out to someone who'll maybe decide to look at it, IF the stores eventually stock it.

I'm not there yet. But I'm edging ever closer.

I'm already there.

Anyone want a PG or NG?

PM me & we'll work out a deal. I'll stick with ICON.

[KillerWhale]

Noooooooo........ This... can't... be...

Have faith guys. Personnally, I'm into the "vent and rant and secretly hope in fact" camp, rather than the "giving up" one.

Ok, faith is not easy.

I will definitely buy Coda when it's out. I'm just rather downhearted to say the least.

[Publius]

I normally do not chime in on these posts, however since the tone is getting so... spirited... I thought I might as well chime in.

Would I like to see more CODA stuff? Sure. But I have plenty of material for the CODA system to run games now. One of the nice things about the game is that it is Narrator-friendly that way. What I do not have, I will make myself or glean off of the others so kind to share (like those who inhabit the boards here, thank you guys, hopefully you like my contributions too).

When new CODA books come out that will be wonderful, I will buy/use/read for enjoyment/whatever. As long as I am still playing the game, I will probably purchase it as a matter of course -- without buyers remorse even -- you got my slice of the marketshare. Inertia is helping Trek out right now because nothing else has really come out (other than HERO, which is really cool but one player isn't interested, and d20 which is starting to look like wallpaper because its everywhere, blah blah blah). But there lies the rub for Decipher as well, because it might not be a CODA product that catches my eye next. No recriminations whatsoever, humans generally tend to gravitate towards the newest, most shiny object we have acquired. I'm not going to leave in a huff because you failed to produce new product, but something could damn sure lure me away; the longer it has been since the last supplement the easier that will be to do. Thats the wonder of being in a marketplace boys and girls. If something neat-o comes my way (like say, Star Hero or a decent non-level Fantasy game) and I've got nothing but a PG and NG and some home-brew stuff for CODA Trek, my game might well shift and inertia will be on their side instead. Hey, there is nothing personal at all in that process, nothing at all. I would go so far as to say that you Decipher guys did a good job with the game so far to hold my interest this long without any product since the NG: Kudos.

Bottom line: CODA works, and I am using it now. You don't 'owe' me any new product, I'm not going to get ticked off if you don't release it according to my preferred schedule; but don't wonder why I wander off if something else does come along; its just that ol' marketplace moving along.

[C5]

Anyway, things would not be that heated if Decipher had at least a decent communication policy - including with people like Jesse and Doug. We already complained of this lack of information on these boards before the release of the PG, and it's still one of the major reason there is so much complaints.
Would it hurt Decipher much to have some note on its site explaining or only mentioning the delay, or at least to inform the Net Reps ? Instead we get a schedule page that has not been updated since three months (and when it get updated it's usually to push further the release dates), and Jesse and Doug essentially saying that "CODA Trek will continue, be sure of that" (and I'm personnaly convinced that it's all they have been given to know).
So I still like CODA, intend to switch to it as soon as my game resumes, and intend to by CODA Trek products as soon as (or should I say "if ever" ?) they come out, but nonetheless, when I see Decipher's site RPG section, it seems to be saying "Hey, we really don't care about you RPGers, so here's some piece of information to keep you waiting, and now f**k off and go buy some CCG instead".

As for Decipher really not knowing what's going on, or why does the printer takes so long, sorry, but that's not an argument. I work in a start-up, and I know that if I said to a customer "Sorry we couldn't deliver the product in time, but something went wrong somewhere and we don't know what", then we'd probably never see this customer again.
Decipher is not a start up, but on the RPG scene, it is.

[KillerWhale]

You pretty well summed it up C5.

I work with publishing houses - we never, ever, had such a delay - even when printing machines were shot and the guys capacity was down 30 or 50%. We had a delay of a month or two, big maximum end-of-the-world crisis. Even then the printer made everything possible to find a solution that would allow both of us to work correctly. And we're a small firm - I would think Decipher would have some leverage, but I may be mistaken

[Dr. Jonas Bashir]

I concur with your viewpoint and your business experiences, KW. I feel also like Publius: I have plenty of material, and I'll invent what I need if Decipher doesn't provide me with official stuff. I like the new system, I won't switch back to ICON, and I can adapt anything from the old collection to the new one.

In the meantime, we'll see what's next.

[Hugh Casey]

Originally posted by KillerWhale
I would think Decipher would have some leverage, but I may be mistaken

They may or may not, depending on who thier printer is...

Consider the size of their print runs... if they are one of the larger clients the printer has, then there isn't much excuse (IMHO).

However if, as I suspect, they are using a bigger printer, that has clients the size of, say, Random House or Harper Collins (and the HUGE print runs that they order), then Dec's orders are going to get pushed back from now till whenever... because the BIG fish will get thier runs done first.

The printer can afford to loose Decipher. They can't afford to lose the others.

JMO, YMMV.

H.

[Starless]

The web site has apparently taken down the Product Schedule page.. I would have found it more beneficial if they'd taken the time to remove the page to, instead, update it with a little news.

It's only been 6 months, after all.

While I agree I wont explode if these things don't come out, it'll be a huge disappointment. The amount of information that they were going to release that, really, isn't found anywhere else in any sort of canon-ish format.. ::Sigh::

[Ineti]

Nope; the product schedule is still right here.

[tmutant]

Well, fall is over in 11 (or is it 12 ?) days, so the Narrators Screen must be close, right?

[Starless]

Originally posted by Ineti
Nope; the product schedule is still right here. :)

Ah, my error. Still needs an update in any case ;) Yes, I know the Net Reps don't know of any, but that doesn't make the wish any less so.

[First of Two]

Originally posted by tmutant
Well, fall is over in 11 (or is it 12 ?) days, so the Narrators Screen must be close, right?

"Fall" 2002 will indeed be over in 11 days. With "Late" 2002 being over a scant 10 days later.

The collective estimates the probability of useful news prior to the second deadline at 782 to one against.

The collective estimates the probablity of a product release prior to the second deadline at 23, 982 to one against.

The collective estimates the probability of ALL due products being released prior to the second deadline at 986,745,828 to one against.

And rising.

Unfortunately, the Infinite Improbability Drive technology eludes us.

[Modem]

Well, I sympathize with most of you guys (I am hopeful that the games will be done 'on time', but a little thing called reality keeps smacking me saying "Not gonna happen").

I'm going let 'em run with it; I'll get them until summer to get their as...er, 'act' in gear, before I think about leveling an axe against them...besides, I won't be ready until at least spring (maybe just a little sooner), before I'm ready to play/run again...oh well.

At least there's: a great Trek-flick ready to open, tons of material to sift through and use (Incl.: books, novels, magazines...), and the shows are still being re-run...in some cases all four (I DON'T count ENT.) on each weekday (GOD BLESS YOU SPACE CHANNEL...er, did that get out of my head...oops.). Plus loads of stuff to convert/cabal from other games/systems, like: GURPS ('Prime Directive' is still out there), FASA (games eons out of print, and still has some good ideas), LUG (and it's various settings and materials from them...)

Bottom Line: Keep cool, have faith, and the best is still to come...Good thought for this time of year in general, don't ya think