I am trying to keep up to date

[Caretaker]

For the past year or so, I've been dealing with grad school and the such. Thus, I have not had the money nor time to keep up with Decipher's version of the Star Trek RPG. Can anyone update me about what I've missed?

I purchased the core rulebook when it came out, and have been trying to compile a list of the things I don't have yet. Recently, I bought the Narrator's Screen, Narrator's Guide and the Starfleet Operations Manual. From what I've read at Decipher's website, the next things I'll need to complete the collection (so far) are the following books: Creatures, Aliens, Starships, Worlds, Through a Glass Darkly, Blood and Honor and Peacekeepers.

Is that it, or have there been other products announced that I don't know about?

[D.S.McBride]

Oooh, such a loaded question. I don't know if you've had a chance to peruse the rest of the site, but there's a sticky at the top of the General Chat forum - not to mention the thread in this one - that summarizes the situation in no uncertain and definitely unpleasant terms.

Briefly, Decipher laid off the entire Los Angeles RPG department - and a couple of people in Virginia as well, from what I understand - on Jan. 23. This included the Net Reps for both Trek and LotR. The future of the entire line has been thrown in to the air like the proverbial quarter, with the population here waiting to see whether it comes up heads - yes, we'll eventually get the rest of the books listed on the Decipher site; or tails - no, we're calling a halt to the entire party, and what you've got now is all you'll ever get from us.

A Decipher rep has apparently promised that their site will be updated sometime in March with the new arrival dates for the still-unseen books, but the feeling around here has been one of guarded disbelief: there have been so many broken promises, bad calls and faux pas on Decipher's part over the last two years that many of us around here are unwilling to put stock in any pronouncements until the books actually show up in the stores.

With regard to your question, Starships, Aliens and Creatures are the only works missing off your list; Worlds, Blood and Honor, Glass Darkly and Peacekeepers are the in-limbo books. According to Doug Burke (Decipher's sole representative still reporting on this site), there's also a Next Generation book and something called Seekers that might come out as well. If Decipher does see fit to pull the plug on their operations - and from what I've gleaned from the General Chat sticky, some stores have already taken the step of clearing out their DecipherTrek and LotR books - I'd grab them as quickly as possible before EBay becomes the only place that anyone can pick them up.

P.S.: Congratulations on grad school; something I'm hoping to start up myself, come this September.

P.P.S.: Something I should have noted earlier; the Limited Edition set listed at the bottom of Decipher's Star Trek products page has been completely scrapped, along with the Enterprise supplement that was supposed to accompany it.

[Space_Cadet]

Originally posted by D.S.McBride
.... there's also a Next Generation book and something called Seekers that might come out as well. ....

Seekers?

Btw, i did hear that there was going to come out with a Voyager sourcebook

[Phantom]

Hmm, the Enterprise Supplement has been s*** canned? Well, if that isn't an indication on how things will go from now-on-out I don't know what is.

[D.S.McBride]

Originally posted by Phantom
Hmm, the Enterprise Supplement has been s*** canned?

I probably expressed myself badly on that; a more accurate statement would be that the Enterprise supplement will not appear in its original format; bits and pieces have been - and supposedly will be - worked into other books. For example, Aliens contained the Sulliban entry and Starships had the NX-Enterprise-class listed.

Additionally, as Doug Burke indicated in the General Chat sticky, even if the Limited Edition were still in the cards, and was to be released today, the supplement is now almost two years out of date - the LE's original publication date was supposedly (low, humorless chuckle with slow shake of the head) mid-late '02. The endless, ultimately empty promises regarding that work - No, it'll be out by October! Okay, no, really, Christmas! Christmas, I swear! Well, maybe sometime in '03...or if...uh, I think...aw, crap, let's just call it a day, fellas - are a good barometer on how Decipher rapidly sanded down its credibility with the Trek-RPG.net population.

[jeffearley]

I can see Decipher now...We are going to update our release dates in March, ooopps, I made a mistake, we will update our release dates in April, oh silly me, I meant August..... Until I actually see the release dates, and something by chance actually gets released, I don't believe a word Decipher says. I have an uncle like that...

[Troy_Of_Borg]

I for one have lost faith in Decipher for some time.

Not only I'm upset the way they have handled their RPGs.

But the way they promised they wouldn't kill Star Trek CCG 1st. Edition and now is set on cards that I will not play again.

[Caretaker]

Thanks for the updates about things. That really clarifies it. Oh, well, maybe I should start looking at the Babylon 5 and Stargate SG-1 RPGs.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Caretaker
Thanks for the updates about things. That really clarifies it. Oh, well, maybe I should start looking at the Babylon 5 and Stargate SG-1 RPGs.

Can't say much on the B5 RPG (don't have it) I have heard good things about it though, but SG-1 is tops with me.

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

Did anyone mention the Expanded Spacecraft Operations book put out by Killerwhale himself?

Personally Decipher might not be supporting the RPG like it should, but the fans can easily make up for that.

[Don Mappin]

Originally posted by Space_Cadet
Btw, i did hear that there was going to come out with a Voyager sourcebook

Yea, I started working on it. Now...not so much.

[Space_Cadet]

Originally posted by Don Mappin
Yea, I started working on it. Now...not so much.

You mean there was an "offical" plan on making a sourcebook for Voyager?

[D.S.McBride]

The Voyager book was LUGTrek, slated for publication in '00, likely late in the year. The Decipher license acquisition put a halt to that.

I recall that there had been some mention made about that work possibly being turned into a netbook, following Decipher's garnering the ex-LUG crew as writers/designers - sort of a last hurrah for the Icon crowd before Coda took over in earnest - but obviously matters took a different turn. That book was Don's baby, as I understand it; I have no idea how close to completion it might have been.

Whether or not it ever gets released, in any form, may turn out to be one of those things that's linked to the site becoming "premier-member friendly". I, for one, would be more than willing to forward a few ducats to take a look at that work, if it's in anything vaguely resembling publishable condition; my group's system is about ninety percent Icon-based (with a few trace elements of Coda) and something like that would be a welcome addition to the LUGTrek library.

[Don Mappin]

You mean there was an "offical" plan on making a sourcebook for Voyager?

Yup. Would have fallen a format similar to the TNG SB.

Originally posted by D.S.McBride
The Voyager book was LUGTrek, slated for publication in '00, likely late in the year. The Decipher license acquisition put a halt to that.

I recall that there had been some mention made about that work possibly being turned into a netbook, following Decipher's garnering the ex-LUG crew as writers/designers - sort of a last hurrah for the Icon crowd before Coda took over in earnest - but obviously matters took a different turn. That book was Don's baby, as I understand it; I have no idea how close to completion it might have been.

That's all fairly accurate. The outline was done and approved and some major bits of writing were done. Steve Long did some great mechanics work and I did a lot of the thematic material. Mac(tavish) did 2-3 chapters on the DQ and the journey of Voyager plus threats.

Whether or not it ever gets released, in any form, may turn out to be one of those things that's linked to the site becoming "premier-member friendly". I, for one, would be more than willing to forward a few ducats to take a look at that work, if it's in anything vaguely resembling publishable condition; my group's system is about ninety percent Icon-based (with a few trace elements of Coda) and something like that would be a welcome addition to the LUGTrek library.

I know Mac has talked about releasing his material and I intended to, right up until it became clear that the entire Icon design team would be working for Decipher; it seemed likely that material would find a home.

Again, now...not so much.

I'd like to do more Coda "Starships"-type books. Lots of ideas there.

[mactavish]

I have the seventh chapter all updated and ready to fly. Just waiting to hear from Decipher (ha ha ha).

Seriously though, were Don to put this together as a netbook (or whatever), I'd certainly pony up and send my newly-updated material.

mactavish out.