> 2. Has anyone actually thought about producing a book (maybe
I have seen this type of "fluff" for other game systems. I have never bought
any of it. While I find it interesting, I feel that this would be better
suited to web pages rather than a book that would take time and energy (best
spent on getting out games and supplements such as Full Thrust 3rd ed., Bugs
Don't Surf, etc.) from GZG and IMHO would not sell. I do feel that items such
as the Full Thrust Fleet Book would sell. A book of DSII designs would
probably sell as well. This combined with the aforementioned "fluff" could
sell. Perhaps it could be grouped by Government (NAC, ESU, etc.). The
important thing would be that there be
an equal amount of game-usable items (such as vehicle cards) as "fluff".
With all due respect to Brian, I don't necessarily consider some colour plates
(or at the least, patches of chosen paint schema) to be fluff. As FT3 is a
minis game, and as people do bother to call these things "an ESU cruiser" or a
"NAC powered infantry trooper with personnal plasma gun" (etc.), I think that
semi "official" painting guides (and yes, more designs!) would be quite useful
and wouldn't classify as fluff. Perhaps it is the material of a NetBook rather
than a printed book (the graphics would work well that way). If I'm to bother
buying SG2 and DS2 and FT2 (or FT3) ships, calling them some particular ship
from some particular force, I think I'd like to paint them in the colours the
designers (Jon and the Sculptors) had in mind.
-- Quote --
ith all due respect to Brian, I don't necessarily consider some colour plates
(or at the least, patches of chosen paint schema) to be fluff. As FT3 is a
minis game, and as people do bother to call these things "an ESU cruiser" or a
"NAC powered infantry trooper with personnal plasma gun" (etc.), I think that
semi "official" painting guides (and yes, more designs!) would be quite useful
and wouldn't classify as fluff. Perhaps it is the material of a NetBook rather
than a printed book (the graphics would work well that way). If I'm to bother
buying SG2 and DS2 and FT2 (or FT3) ships, calling them some particular ship
from some particular force, I think I'd like to paint them in the colours the
designers (Jon and the Sculptors) had in mind.
-- Unquote --
I agree. I did not imply colour plates to be fluff. What I would consider
fluff is something like the following: The Columbus class destroyer is
manufactured by Cygnus Skunkwerks which produces 20 ships per year at the
Roswell plant on New Cleveland. The ship displaces 14 smu (standard mass unit)
of hydrogen. It employes the
Louis stellar recognition system for navigation. The Marietta T-1138 IRS
(Inertia Redirection System) engines can produce upto 10 standard gravity
units for normal space opperations. The Grasshopper jump engines have a range
of 5 parsects with an average recharge time of 92 standard hours. The Columbus
class carries the Stargarde I energy screen for protection against coherient
energy weapons upto 5 weu (Weapon Energy Units) substantially increasing the
combat life of the design. The main
armament is the Alphatstar phased tachyon/photon canon with a maximum
range of 9 light minutes an an optimal firing range of 3 light minutes. The
dual purpose Cougar photon cannon provides both close support and
anti-fighter/missile support for the destroyer.
I would much rather see another ship or diagram fill the space rather than
this type of fluff. However, I would not object to this type of fluff either
if the actual playable material is equal to or more than the fluff.
Apologies in advance to those who do not consider the above type of
information fluff.
Brian, Actually I rather liked the 'Fluf' paragraph, I couldn't stand a book
of the stuff, but I did enjoy it.
Bye for now,
Also, I've found that I can frequently get a better impression of what a
miniature looks like after it's painted than the bare metal. Especially if
it's on a web page,but also if it's appearing in the rule book, the visual
difference can be quite startling. And if you're worried about the cost, pull
the money out of your advertising budget for the year when you
pay the printer for those pages. :-)
On Mon, 6 Apr 1998 00:19:34 -0500 Thomas Barclay
> <Thomas.Barclay@sofkin.ca> writes:
> The Fleet Book, which is nearly finished now (due at the printers by
Yea! Please print enough that us across th pond will have plenty to go
around. What is the expected US/Canadian release date (June?)?
> -- Quote --
The Fleet Book, which is nearly finished now (due at the printers by Easter,
and for UK release before the end of the month) will have 1 paragraph of this
kind of "fluff" per ship, though it won't be technobabble
like the above - it is more along the lines of a potted history of the
class, and mentions of a few common variants and refits etc. Each ship also
has a line drawing illustration (three-quarter view), a section of Spec
data, details of number constructed/in service etc. and a complete
ready-to-photocopy-and-use ship systems diagram.
Hopefully this mix should please MOST people.... :)
Jon (GZG)
> --
> Also, I've found that I can frequently get a better impression of what
WHAT advertising budget??;) Seriously, yes, colour plates are nice, but they
eat up a huge amount of the cost of a book. Maybe....