DwD Studios
Why the world needs FrontierSpace.
Sat, 03/30/2013 - 3:10pm | 
wbrowne
Star Frontiers was a great game. Still is actually. Even after decades it remains fresh, playable and fun. Although other excellent Science Fiction games have been made before and since, none match Star Frontiers, to my mind at least, for playability, and the bright bold future it depicts. It was a game too good to be allowed to die. The work of Bill Logan, Larry Moore and the other Star-frontiersmen (many of whom frequent DwD forums) has saved SF from being lost altogether. The community that still play is small but certainly active. I bought print copies of the game only last week simply because the remastered versions are so well done (I have the originals also).
BBF fans will doubtless be aware that the best elements of SF were used to inspire many aspects of the d00 system. Do we need a d00 Science Fiction game, if SF remains this good?
Much as I love SF, every game needs periodic re-evaluation and most benefit from the occasional tweaks and expansion (or simplification!). New material to support GM’s and players helps keep up interest and keep the community engaged. The Star-frontiersman offers these things for SF, but frankly, a new edition of the base game is long, long overdue. FrontierSpace will not be SF. But it will, I believe, carry forward that mix of adventure, optimism and playability that made SF so remarkable. Made by great gamers and supported by a terrific community I believe FrontierSpace will be what SF should have been allowed to become. I have been a member of the DwD site for nearly three years. I think this will be the year we see the future re-imagined for the table top gamer once again!
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The natives are getting restless, Bill. :)
I'll be the odd-man-out on this one. What i'd like is MORE Frontiersman! In over 30 years, I've bought my fare share of Sci-Fi games, but SF is the one that always rises to the top. WEG's SW? Nice, but SF is much more fun!. Traveller? Nice, but SF is much more fun!. Hard][Nova? Nice, but SF is much more fun!. Fading Suns? Nice, but SF is much more fun!. Spacemaster? Nice, but SF is much more fun!. Starships & Spacemen 1st edition? Okay...this is just as fun as SF.
Crowd: Just as fun as SF???'
Mean hombre: Get a rope.
This crazy native is getting restless...but good things do take time so I guess I should be patient!
I won't argue against more Star Frontiersman! Very awesome! My Sci Fi gaming experience's were very similar to yours Skethros- with SF being ahead by a mile. Haven't tried Starships and Spacemen though...just as fun as SF... if its even close then I better get that game!
Has there been any recent news as to the status of the Frontier Space RPG? I thought I saw some mention of a potential Kickstarter.
It's slated for this year, once Covert Ops is published, which should be soon. We are about to release the CO play-testing document to GM's that are able to help run games and offer feedback.
If you promise us a 'better' sci fi game than Star Frontiers and then make us wait a long, long, long time, it's a sin. :)
Really looking forward to it. Love BBF and SF.
Teaser for something upcoming for Star Frontiers and/or Frontier Space (just getting underway and may be available in the next several months)...
**************
A vast array of waves dance,
sapphire and pearl; shimmering green,
whitecaps crest upon the expanse,
intermixed, swirling; serene.
Such beauty breathtaking to behold
as yet by mortal voice untold.
But eyes turn aloft to the amber sky
where in ghostly silence, mist-enfurled,
immense tentacles descend from on high
while slowly gliding across this water-world.
Such is this place as seen by this crew;
such that we now christen it 'Balneum Blue'.
Log entry from the log of Capt. Farley of the Exploration ship 'Wanderer'.
Balneum Blue:
98% water, 2% land (in the form of tiny atoll-like islands).
**************
Better bring your sunscreen, water wings and swim fins! :D
Captain Farley keeps AWESOME Log Entries!!! :)
I wonder if his superiors approve? I suppose they just skip to the Science Officers Log...
Planet Balneum Blue-
Ninety-Eight percent water.
Atolls show on scan.
:D
It helps that Capt. Farely's a tad touched in the head! :)
It sounds to me like someone needs to take his liquor cabinet key, his flask, his rainy day stash, his sunny day stash, his partly cloudy stash, his morning stash, his midday stash and his bedtime stash. Leave the rest, because they're all empty. ;P
Just to keep you all up to date.
FrontierSpace's core rules were used for BareBones Fantasy, although these are an oversimplification. BBF then had more playtesting than FS and the rules evolved some. These evolutions we're back-replicating to simplify FS somewhat, though some of the more interesting concepts needed to represent the sci fi genre are being presented in Covert Ops (which is VERY near ready for public test!!). I've been multitasking between Covert Ops and FrontierSpace and can say with certainty that FS is where all my attention goes after Covert Ops is released (although some small amount of residual attention will have to be placed on CO to help oversee subsequent product releases). FrontierSpace is going to be our baby and I'm excited about switching gears back to it!
Just out of curiosity, I had briefly pondered a Babylon 5 universe game. Are there rules for psychics or psionics in FS?
If not, i'm sure we could politely rob BareBones Fantasy and make some..
(innocent whistling)
Is there even work being done on a BB version of this or is it just wishing at this point?
Yes, there are rules for psychic powers, though the entire section is called "Optional" because many folks don't want supernatural in their sci fi
We are converting what we have to a "BB" version. They're basically the same rules, we just have to do a bit of simplification of a few things. It's not a dramatic change. I don't know if the more elaborated specific stuff is even necessary to keep in there. At this point, we're considering just producing one version of FrontierSpace, which has slightly more crunch than BareBones Fantasy but slightly less crunch than our originally imagined version of FrontierSpace. It won't have the page count of a BareBones product, but it will have the same basic rule structure since the rule structure from BareBones Fantasy were derived from our FrontierSpace foundation. Clear? :-)
Roger Roger!
Who is Roger? And why do you want Bill to roger him?