Decipher won't renew Star Trek RPG license

[Holytomato]

Read about it here:
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=364232

After the LUG stuff stopped, we were promised Decipher's version would be better. Then we got "Scr*w you, we're putting ST RPG on the back burner, and concentrating on the Lord of the Rings RPG."

Iron Crown Enterprise's Middle Earth Role-playing is still better than LOTR (Decipher put LOTR on the backburner as well). LUG's Among the Clans and Way of Kolinahr; and FASA's Star Trek are still better than anything Decipher put out.

and..ADB's Prime Directive 2nd edition scopped Decipher's "Klingons" book with their own (Decipher's "Blood and Honor" is still a no show), is better than Decipher's and still exists (now in its 3rd edition).

So...What...was...the...point!?

There is a new movie, so not renewing the license was a real *stupid* decision.

The prime candidate to get the Star Trek XI RPG license is:

Amarillo Design Bureau. FASA, LUG, and Decipher editions are no more. They have the experience with Star Trek (working on their Star fleet Battles, Captain's Log, and Prime Directivce 1st edtion lines under the Task Force Games label.). They now own the Star Fleet Universe line and have created Federation Commander, Captain' Log, Star Fleet Battle Force, and Federation & Empire. They also are doing a 3rd edition of the Prime Directive RPG. They scooped Decipher with their Prime Directive 2nd edition "Klingons" book (Klingons was a planned book for the PD 1st edition before PD was stopped. Decipher's "Blood and Honor- The Klingons" is still a no show). They use Steven Jackson Games GURPS rules, (GURPS Prime Directive), Hero Games Hero 5th edition rules (Prime Directive Hero) , West End Games' D6 rules (D6 Prime Directive), and Wizards of the Coast's D20, and D20 Modern rules (D20 Prime Directive, D20 Modern Prime Directive) to come out with different versions of the rpg books (each version of the books has different art, and rules.) They are currently working on the Gorn, and Tholian sourcebooks (Which FASA decided not to do). Other sourcebooks are Vulcan, Orion Pirates, Feline Empires, and Federation (considered better than LUG's, and even FASA's).
They also coming out with collected fiction from their Captain's Log magazine (Klingons is the first). They could to do a Star Trek RPG, or a Star Trek RPG PD style (working it into the Star Fleet Universe). So the Star Trek RPG would have a broad potential fan base.

The second candidate is Mongoose Publishing. Mongoose has done excellent new versions of the Babylon 5, and Paranoia rpgs. They are currently doing a D20 Traveller that will support Far Future Enterprise's Traveller 5, and sourcebooks that convert their rpgs (Starship Troopers, Babylon 5, Judge Dredd, Lone Wolf, Conan, Hawkmoon, Elric, and Runequest) into Traveller. Here again, Mongoose D20 Star Trek would have a broad potential fanbase.

The third candidate is Comstar Games. They are working with Hero Games and are doing a Traveller Hero. Come on, Star Trek Hero.

The fourth candidate is Eden Studios. They have created fantastic games like All Flesh Must Be Eaten (Zombies), Conspiracy X (X Files), and Terra Primate (King Kong, Planet of the Apes). Each book of All Flesh Must Be Eaten presents a different genre (Dungeons & Zombies, Mars Attacks & Zombies, and WWF Wrestling & Zombies.)

 

[Harvey]

I've collected nearly all of the LUG books--they're fun just as reference books to the series. I never got into the Decipher RPG, though. So many bad things over at Trek-RPG.net convinced me that it just wasn't worth it. I wish I had the last few books to complete my LUG collection, though.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I found the Decipher system way too top-heavy and complex. I wound up converting it all into White Wolf and it worked great. Maybe WW should take the license. Their system rocks, IMHO.

 

[Holytomato]

White Wolf- Worlds of Darkness (1 & 2), Exalted, Trinity Universe, Pendragon, Scion, Engel, Scarred Lands, Ravenloft 2nd edition, Everquest Role-Playing Game and the Warcraft the Roleplaying Game.

Their stuff is awesome!

I can't believe I forgot about WW.



Same with Green Ronin Publishing :eek!: They already do Mutants & Masterminds soon the Wild Cards campaign setting book), True20, Freeport, Bleeding Edge Adventures, Thieves' World, Mythic Vistas, Advanced Rulebooks, Monster Compendiums, d20 Classic, The Game Mechanics, D20 Modern, Spaceship Zero, Todd Gamble's Cartographica, Dragon Fist, and Ork! The Roleplaying Game. :thumbsup:

 

[Prydonian]

The second candidate is Mongoose Publishing. Mongoose has done excellent new versions of the Babylon 5, and Paranoia rpgs. They are currently doing a D20 Traveller that will support Far Future Enterprise's Traveller 5, and sourcebooks that convert their rpgs (Starship Troopers, Babylon 5, Judge Dredd, Lone Wolf, Conan, Hawkmoon, Elric, and Runequest) into Traveller. Here again, Mongoose D20 Star Trek would have a broad potential fanbase.

Just a nitpick. but Mongoose's forthcoming Traveller game isn't D20-based. It's using an updated version of the "classic" Traveller rules from the first version of the RPG. I think I recall reading somewhere that the guys at Mongoose (Mongoosers? Mongeese?) have said that they intend to convert their existing sci-fi games to the Traveller system (with the exception of Babylon 5, which will remain D20 for now), if Mongoose did get its hands of the Star Trek license, it would most likely use this system (by the by, the new Traveller system is being publically playtested, and you can download playtest rules from the forums at Mongoose's web site).

Eden did a fantastic job on the now-discontinued Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel RPGs. but much as I'd like it to get the Star Trek license, the company seems to be barely surviving at the moment - new books are coming out veeeeery rarely these days.

 

[BreenLullaby]

I've never played the Trek RPG, but I was very into the Trek CCG put out by Decipher for about two years (my interest came to an abrupt end when my house burned down and all of my cards went away) and I would warn ANYONE who is considering putting money into ANY Decipher related that they are running a serious risk of spending money on a game that will likely be defunct very soon.

The Trek CCG, which was Decipher's ace-in-the hole has finally come to an end and has finally succumbed to being designed by fans and released for free online as virtual sets. Decipher has always been poorly managed and things came to a head last year when an employee absconded with $100,000 or so.

Also, Decipher management has made some very questionable choices in the recent past, mostly revolving around pitting two of its products against each other (LOTR and Trek) along with spending gobs of money on very bad franchises (.Hack and its home grown stinker, WARS).

I actually checked Decipher's site today and they have another of their cryptic "New big thing coming SOON!!!" messages which means that they have completely run out of money and all of the corporate credit cards are completely maxed out. In the past, when D was in serious trouble financially, they would go into panic mode, make a "new big thing" announcement, and try and pay off their debts (the last time this happened, they were able to pay off some big debts to retailers by giving them heaps of rare promo cards--I don't think that'll work with American Express....).

Decipher had a fantastic thing going with the Trek CCG- the game was great, there was a committed fanbase, but they just kept figuring out ways to alienate people and make things hard for everyone involved.