Star Trek RPG Status

[Jesse Heinig]

I'll keep people updated as best I can, but please understand the realities of the situation. Even under the best of circumstances, there are decisions that I'm not allowed to talk about -- just as with any company and its corporate matters. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to deliver a book a month into your waiting hands, so that we could all reap the benefits.
I'll say as much as I can and keep people informed to the best of my ability. We're not shutting down or stopping work or anything egregious like that. We're just doing the usual stuff that businesses do, and sometimes that means that products are delayed or moved. On the up side, this means that I've been doing a little side work on some upcoming material that I otherwise wouldn't have had the time to write. Perhaps I'll ask if I can share some of it . . .

J.H.

[7 of 11]

.....get off Mr. Jesse! (Jumps in front of him to fight off the mobs) I have a +1 or so Spork and I'll stab in your toe if ya don't leave him alone! J/K Mucho Thanko Mr. Heinig for keeping it real. We got yo back here in PC FL!

7 of 11
A

[Capt. Anderson]

J.H. thanks for the update.

I will patiently wait for books to be release when the lords of the print allow it.

Not asking much but would you pass this on to person(s) who manage the website.

"Would it hurt to update the RPG section of the site every once in a while?"

[Tobian]

yeah I guess we're all just impatient to see what product you guys bring out next. i guess you can take that as a testiment to the quality of your own work, in that people really want it!

It's very nice to be getting any sort of feedback from anyone at Decipher, so that at leas we know there's actually still someone sitting at a desk there !

I also think it'd be good if Decipher even just updated it's release schedule, and gave us a few more hints about what they are releasing. yes obviously you can't always say when it has hardly started yet! But the stuff which is being proofread and having it's colours spot checked at the printers is a dead cert!

[Jem'hadar]

The latest issue of Star Trek Communicator (#148) shows the covers for the upcoming Worlds, Through A Glass Darkly (Mirror Universe), Blood & Honor (Klingons), and Peacekeepers books. No release dates other than "coming soon." Very nice covers.

[Capt. Anderson]

I hope the Klingon book is released soon. LUG stop producing Star Trek just as their Klingon Source Books was about finished.

[redwood973]

The LUG Klingon book was finished.

Back on 21 of Feb. 2003 I wrote:

"This morning I was scrounging around the Computer Core of TrekRPGNet taking another peek at the net books and previews from LUG.

I noticed that for the Klingon: Blood & Honor preview the description reads, "Sample chapter from the unpublished book."

That got me thinking. . ."unpublished book". . .so that means that somewhere out there in some company storehouse is a draft copy of the book that was ment to be sent to a printer?"

Don Mappin responded:

"Electronic copy in Quark, but yes."

Said isn't it?

http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread...lood+and+Honor

[Jesse Heinig]

Fortunately we didn't let all of that Klingon goodness go to waste. A lot of good material was redeveloped and we're not throwing away good ideas from the original material outlined oh-so-long-ago.

J.H.

[Karg]

Thanks for the update Jesse. I hope that the Big Wigs at Decipher know how frustrating these delays can be.

It wa right around when Mirror Univese book and the Klingon Book that LUG lost thier licence

Eagerly (But patiently) awaiting the new books

[Tobian]

Jesse, obviously you might no tbe able to say here, which is fair enough, but how do Decipher stand with regards to the liscences? The Klingons book was written when LUG was still around, but then *coughs* bought it. So do the rights lie in the hands of *coughs* or do they belong to the writers who wrote them. From what I've read in the past I can surmise that some of those writers wrote freelance, but it depends what kind of contract they made I guess. I also guess if it comes down to the paramount Liscence too; weather or not paramount in fact own the licences; in which case there is no legal problem!

Or are you just taking the bare bones and writing new stuff?

[Balok]

Often in licensed property situations the material belongs to the licensor (in this case, Paramount).

Otherwise, as a "work for hire", the material would probably have been contractually an asset of LUG, and would have been transferred to WoTC when it bought LUG. There's some suggestion for this view, since Steve Long once made a comment that suggested he received permission from WoTC to make the Spacedock material available (once WoTC lost the license, they had no further use for it). I could be misremembering details.

Some contracts are also written so that certain trigger events cause the rights to revert to the creator. These can include dissolution of the company for whom the work was done, or failure of the company to publish the material within a certain period.

It all depends on how the contracts were written...

[ImperialOne]

Just copy this entire URL as the hyperlink doesn't get the last few parts.
This is a design Weblog from Jesse:

http://calder.decipher.com/cgi-bin/m...s$5215-28353$1

EDIT: Fixed the link for you, ImperialOne! DNB

[jeffearley]

I wish to express my best wishes to all the staff at decipher who got laid off. It seems that our little rpg world of Star Trek is falling into a singularity. I made the big mistake of preordering all four of the books during the summer. I guess I will have to cancel my orders and get my money back. It just seems funny that in the last Communicator mag that they made a big deal of books coming soon. You would think that Decipher woudl have pulled the ads if they weren't going to do the books. Let's just hope that they will unroll the four books, and then figure out what they are going to do. By all accounts, there were even messages about upcoming STNG sourcebook that was in the works. I know that the people who got pink slips are very talented and will land on their feet soon( and continue to make sourcebooks). Live long and prosper Decipher, your our only hope.

[Don Mappin]

Magazines and ads are done months in advance, well prior to the recent decision to close the LA Studio was made. So don't accuse Decipher of trying to pull one over on you.

Secondly, there is still a possibility that those books will see the light of day; the situation is vastly different from when Wizards purchased LUG and then lost the Trek license. Decipher still possesses the sole license to produce the Star Trek and LotR RPGs (and miniatures). Whether they choose to exercise this license and continue the line -- in whatever form -- remains to be seen.

Such pleas should be directed to customer.service@decipher.com

[Ezri's Toy]

Originally posted by Don Mappin
Whether they choose to exercise [the Star Trek and LOTR] license[s] and continue the line[s] -- in whatever form -- remains to be seen.

Such pleas should be directed to customer.service@decipher.com

I think this is an excellent idea and I think polite e-mails in support of the RPG products would show Decipher that the lines have a loyal and committed audience. The text of my e-mail is below, in case anyone wanted to use it as a model. Please do not copy it word for word because customer service departments ignore form letters / junk mail just like everyone else. And also, don't send your e-mail more than once. Decipher wants to see customers in quantity not e-mail.

Greetings:

I am an avid fan of Decipher's Star Trek role-playing game using the CODA system. Recently, I saw a posting on Decipher's web site regarding the closing of their Los Angeles based role-playing game studio including the lay-off of a number of employees.

On many role-playing game internet forums, including Trek-RPG.net, further information and clarification by Decipher freelancers and former employees has prompted much speculation as to whether or not the Star Trek role-playing game line will continue.

As a fan and loyal customer of the Star Trek RPG line, let me take time to say "Please do continue!" Star Trek role-playing is a most engaging hobby and, to date, I have purchased all available Decipher STRPG products and am eagerly awaiting and intend to purchase the forthcoming announced products, especially "Star Trek Worlds" and "Through a Glass Darkly: The Mirror Universe."

In short, I just wanted to voice my support of my favorite role-playing game and show Decipher that a paying audience for Star Trek role-playing game products is still out there waiting patiently.

Thank you.

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