FASA Star Trek

[prophetsteve]

I loved FASA Trek when it was out. Back then I thought it was one of the coolest game systems out there.

Recently I revisited the old rulebooks and realized that either my system tastes had changed or that the game hadn't grown old gracefully. Either way, FASA Trek no longer holds the same level of esteem it once did. Its alright but not something I would play anymore.

I like CODA and Icon better, although I think that FASA still has the coolest character creation system of the three.

[Dave]

I have lots of fond memories associated with the FASA game. It introduced me to gaming in general. It arrived at a time when what little trek merchandise existed was sold out of the Starlog classifieds. The creators did a great job and they still have a lot to offer in the way of cool game stuff.

I remember tearing the Rebels off my Hoth battle diarama (still can't believe I did that) and painting their shirts red, blue, and gold so I could use them on the 15mm deck plans, hehe.

[Captain Novaes]

Ah, the memories, the memories !

Character generation was a pain, but it allowed you to write your background as you went along. AP´s were never used the way they should be, and I used a method of averaging skills and attributes to get some defaults. Some people in my groups actually thought that was an official rule

The only larp I´ve ever enjoyed was played using FASA Trek.

I still use many of the concepts of the game, like the Triangle Zone - but others like the Fusion Klingons and Imperial Klingons were just lame.

Never developed a taste for Prime Directive (which was a rather odd game, IMO) and I think ICON was the best incarnation of all Trek rpgs. It has it´s bugs, like all others, but they were very manageable.

[WarriorKnight]

My favorite Star Trek RPG system. Had both 1st & 2nd editions.(preferred 2nd & still use it.) Had losts of trouble finding anything new on the net for it.Never have gotten to like ICON or CODA ,but I'm trying w/ CODA.(I'm working on a campagin using CODA if I can get my players to give the system a try.) I found a link off of TERKRPG to a site run by Paddy Sinclair who put out a cool update of the charaGen rules. really takes into account the fact that Star Fleet officers are heavyly cross-trained. It works best for TNG+ games (Which is where most of my games take place now.) I'm slowly implementing it in my campagins.Still looking for any & all things I can fine for FASA Star Trek rules updates & ship write ups.

[AslanC]

How did I miss this the first time around?

I loved FASA, at the time, now I think I prefer much more streamlined systems.

[Ezri's Toy]

I felt that the basic game captured the flavor and action of the Original Series but, as time went, it became far too militaristic in its tone. ("We come in peace. Shoot to kill. Shoot to kill.") The fan stuff leaned even more in that direction.

When FASA's Next Generation sourcebook came out, it just didn't feel right and didn't capture the tone of the new series. I feel that FASA lost the license at just the right time.

[AslanC]

I feel had the TNG era never come to be the FASAverse would have continued on just nicely

To this day it remains what I know Trek as first, before I became a Treker I started playing having only seen TMP when it came out and Star Trek II, had missed III

Of course I had seen the TOS show, but not so much a fan as I was getting off on staying up late to watch it on CBC

[Space_Cadet]

Wasn't FASA Trek the 2nd most popular RPG after D and D?

by the way, I loved FASA and stuck with it up till a year and half ago. I left it for CODA mainly because there was no support for FASA on the web or anywhere else. I think i made the right move though . But anyhow, i'm going to use some of the starship counters for CODA game and FASA had some pretty tight ships excpet for the stuff they did for TNG (those dudes must have been smokin crack or something). Character generation was nice but yeah, it was focused on the Federation and action points didn't really work out. Overall a good game if you want to play TOS series.

[AslanC]

I miss FASA and felt ICON was a worthy Sucessor.

CODA is the new kid and while he is good, I prefered the others style of Character creation

[John]

FASA was my first rpg and I grew up with it too. I really enjoyed all the TOS material. Met my wife while running a FASA game - yes, in college I was the "King-of-the-nerd-herd.

I really do miss FASA!

[Modem]

TNG did come over to Fasa via the Star Trek: The Next Generation Officers Manual (A great book, but total ‘fiction’, and perennial ‘straw’ which broke the franchises back…still, those ships…Hmmm Crunchy[add Homer-drool noise]) and the Year One Sourcebook (Ah, damn Paramount/Gene…pulling the plug as a Year Two Sourcebook WAS ready, complete with…THE BORG).

One thing that would have been completely awesome, if they could have continued: miniatures. FASA was going to produce a Ferengi Marauder and Galaxy Class Enterprise…in scale to the rest of their line (I read the Ent-D would have been a foot in length…imagine her width).

Don’t know how true that assessment is Space_Cadet, some would say Champions was next, others…well, say other things/games.

Qerlin and Captain Novaes, you're both right to a degree about the character creation. Even the supplement in the ST:TNG Year One SB didn’t help. Luckily, I did find a MUCH better one online:
http://www.cix.co.uk/~mr-flibble/rpg/resources/
(the top two Doc files)

Dave, are you serious, those guys are responsible for Micro-Tatix…that is SO COOL!!! I love their Cityscape Set…

All in all, I say it was ‘good’ but kinda needed a overhaul (more info on exploration, less on combat, better character creation...).

And; funny enough, I don’t really miss Fasa’s ‘Star Trek’ as much as I do the semi-supplemental magazine a company use to put out called Stardate (later Stardrive). This beauty had a great amount of addition info for the game: new ship designs, NPCs, rules, and so on. THAT’S what I miss…

[Phantom]

As the vote selection says " a good system, with some holes." FASA has fond memories all around.

[AslanC]

From your text;

"To be brutally honest, I became a Trekkie because of the game, and not the other way around. . ."

I cannot agree with this more. I would say the excact same thing is what happened to me.

I think this is why I never got bothered by the more "agressive" aspects of the FASAverse.

Nice stuff BTW, but dame is that font small

[General Chang]

Well, I never really played the RPG aspect of FASA Trek. I and my friends usually just played the Starship Combat Simulator Game, which was accompanied by supplemental products like the Starship Construction Manual and the Recognition Manuals.

Probably the only thing I didn't like about the FASA Starship Combat systems was that, even when FASA did start incorporating the TNG data into the game, it never made rules for the Picard Maneuver. We basically had to make up our own rules on that. Of course, I don't think FASA got beyond first season TNG with any sourcebook.

Something interesting people may wish to note: When FASA had the license to do Trek, it was actually supported by Paramount for a time. Unlike Task Force Games' Starfleet Battles, the FASA Star Trek RPG was an officially licensed product.

Does anyone remember "Mr. Scott's Guide To the ENTERPRISE"? (Hereafter referred to as MSGTTE.) That was an entertaining technical manual released in the late 80's, updated with data from ST IV: The Voyage Home. However, the data in that manual was largely based on information that Fantasimulations Corporation (FASA for short) had divined. That is why there were arguments over the names of various starship classes. "MSGTTE" had declared that the
motion picture incarnations of NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-A were "Enterprise" class starships, because they based that off of the "FEDERATION STARSHIP RECOGNITION MANUALS" of FASA. And they even used the nomenclatures of weapons and warp systems in the "MSGTTE". FWG-1, and FH-11.

Sorry, that is another tangent. But, my final opinion is that I enjoyed FASA's Trek back then, and still kind of incorporate some of their ideas into the LUG Trek (simplified, core rules) Starship Combat System.

Then again, that is the flexibility of RPG's and Strategy Games: wing it.

Did I make any sense? I hope so.

Respectfully,
General Chang

[General Chang]

Originally posted by Modem


One thing that would have been completely awesome, if they could have continued: miniatures. FASA was going to produce a Ferengi Marauder and Galaxy Class Enterprise…in scale to the rest of their line (I read the Ent-D would have been a foot in length…imagine her width).

Yes, I too sorely miss those miniatures.... I used to have the misnamed "Enterprise" and "Reliant" classes, which we have come to know as "Constitution" and "Miranda" classes...and the FASA created "Remora" class.

However, the 1 foot in length "Galaxy class" would have been a grave error. In fact, does anyone remember when the 6 inch die cast "Enterprise D" was released by Galoob? (I'm sure it was Galoob back in the late 80's.) Anyhoo, that six inch die cast toy was actually in scale with the movie era FASA miniatures. One could have set a movie era "Constitution class" on the saucer section, and it would have been to perfect scale with the Galoob toy. Just FYI. I am not doubting that you saw that they were going to release a 1 foot long miniature of the "Enterprise D", but the scaling would have been waaayyyyy off.

Respectfully,
General Chang