Making More Out Of SEIV
 

What amazes me is why more and more companies that have a franchise game fail to look into other markets for their products. Look at Tribes and Planet Siege, they both have excellent stories, great characters, vehicals, weapons, and bases and would make awsome toys for kids. Hell I know if I was a kid I would love to have my own PCP Atrocities Tribes Action figure set. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Books, trading cards, board games, comics, etc. Really the market is open to any company who would want to venture out into it. Id Software has to mention a few, and they have enjoyed a nice profit from it.

Aaron has a franchiseable product in SEIV if he chose to expand the brand and exploit the market by exploring other avenues for his product. I feel that he could exterminate the notion that pc games are limited to being just pc games.

Wouldn't you love to have a model of a Phong Battleship on your desk? Or a complete set of Eee action figures? How about a nice board game of SE IV with your friends. And trading cards, you can't forget about those trading cards. I will trade you my Terran Battle Cruiser for one of your Krel Race Portaits.

Look at what we have seen in the card industry over the Last decade. Visual art, comic book art, etc and if you applied this concept to SE IV - V and Starfury think of what you would have.

Books are another great area open for exploration as are comics and such.

Technical Manuals, back stories, ship scematics, etc are all untapped areas that could be exploited for profit or fun.

Hell I would love to make a nice card collection out of the ships and things I have made and then sell them. A set of 100 cards going for $20.00 bucks featuring all of my crappy *** work over the Last three years would be a must have for any hard core Space Empires fan. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif (Ok I can hope can't I?)

You all get the idea. Many of us have created our own races with their own ships and story lines and we all love them. Now if you could expand that to include such things as trading cards, posters, stories, etc would you not want to do that?

Hell I know I would want to do it.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Actually we're explorting other possibilities with the SE:IV franchise, but everything is far off in the future.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

space empires books.

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I think Space Empires graphic novels (fancy way to say comic book) would be neato. It would be great to see it.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

T-shirts and baseball caps, thats all I need. I mean, who wouldn't want a shirt with a Phong on it proclaiming 'Mineral Planets are best!' or a cap from the EEEvil Empire with the slogan accross the back 'i'm with EEEvil!' http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ October 22, 2003, 23:54: Message edited by: Deathstalker ]

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's weird, I was just thinking about this today! My Dad's business is making vacuform aircraft model kits, and I was helping pack some for shipment this afternoon. One was a Curtiss XP-55 "Ascender", an odd-looking craft with a single pusher prop, backswept wings, and no tail assembly to speak of, that kinda looks like it ought to be dogfighting with X-wings and TIE-fighters out in an asteroid belt somewhere. I started musing then about how it might be fun to make some molds for SEIV ships! (Not for long, however; it is quite a bit of work to make a new mold for something we can't even sell.)

SpaceBadger

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Of course I would. That's why I would download this:

Pepakura Designer

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Hmm, perhaps a tabletop miniatures/cardboard counter starship cobmat game, approximating the SEIV ship design and combat rules? (Yeah, I know it's based on the old Starfire rules, but it's also different enough to stand on its own.)

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Count me in for the comics, graphic novels and novels. I've been collecting comics off and on for about 35 years. I used to collect cards, but now with packs costing anywhere from $2-$5 bucks apiece, that's a little too much for me. Unless you do like Atrocities mentioned and sell a complete set for like $20. That I could live with. I look forward to this, if it ever happens.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's weird, I was just thinking about this today! My Dad's business is making vacuform aircraft model kits, and I was helping pack some for shipment this afternoon. One was a Curtiss XP-55 "Ascender", an odd-looking craft with a single pusher prop, backswept wings, and no tail assembly to speak of, that kinda looks like it ought to be dogfighting with X-wings and TIE-fighters out in an asteroid belt somewhere. I started musing then about how it might be fun to make some molds for SEIV ships! (Not for long, however; it is quite a bit of work to make a new mold for something we can't even sell.)

SpaceBadger </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">With the old-style manufacturing, yes it was a lot of work to create a new mold for a model because every mold had to be individually made for that particular model. There are new processes in the works that will basically dispose of the molding process. Thanks to the modern marvel of computer controlled manufacturing processes, "generic" machinery will be able to turn out whatever model you want without refitting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif It will then be much cheaper to order up a series of SE shipsets as pLastic or even metallic miniatures. Heck, we might be able to just send them our .X files and request a set like we currently send a Pagemaker file to the printshop and request a book printing.

[ October 23, 2003, 16:49: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Hey, I'll write the Space Empires Roleplaying Game, with tie-ins to the boardgame and the SE novels. Be a Fazrah starfighter pilot or a Xiati techie. Visit the Phong's Head Cantina. Fight the invading Ukra-Tal. Meet Admiral Sakazawa or Detective Othaglot from the SE stories. If there was something like this out there, I know I'd buy it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

GURPS Space Empires? It could be a pretty simple set of details to add to GURPS Space, except the work of developing the alien species details.

There were already fan-made T-shirts ("Space Vikings - Beer planets are the best!" etc - vanished?) and Shrapnel has offered mouse mats, posters (and maybe mugs? or am I making that up?). The mouse mats are still on sale at http://www.gamersfront.com/cgi-bin/s...?Category=9800

PvK

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

I for one would love a model kid based upon SEIV races. Hell I would even love a model kit based off of some of the ships sets made for SEIV by others. (Troop, Atrociites, Andres, Rambi)

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">GURPS? Did someone say GURPS? I loved that game, but could never find anyone to play it. I'd buy the book if it ever came out. As a matter of fact, I recently saw a GURPS book that converted Star Fleet Battles over to the GURPS system. I'm still tempted to buy it. But all of my role-playing stuff is in storage, and I still have no one to play with. Although Steve Jackson Games is supposed to be doing a GURPS on-line game, but it's still in development Last time I checked.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Yes, I've run and played in several GURPS games over the years. A great system, especially if you have a very strong GM. Perhaps more than other, more rigid, RPGs, it can have problems with GMs or players who don't really know the rules, and the rules are actually quite complex and sophisticated, if you really study them. However, some of the most fun and insteresting game battles I've played have been in GURPS. The low-tech tactical combat on a hex map can be really spiffy.

PvK

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

well, why not start up a GURPS game on the forum?

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

No available time, and it takes a lot of work to run a manual campaign game, and via forum is rather slow. I am already running a Combat Mission campaign which is rather satisfying my need to spend more time than I should playing Game Master. ;-)

PvK

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

4 words

Phong's Indian Pale Ale.


Krill Larger

CueCappa Ale

UkraTal Stout

Xiati plinser


Mmmmmm beer

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Although that does sound good, I'd have to buy all of the latest books, since most of my GURPS books are 10+ years old. Although I do have the 3rd edition, it's the early edition and with my son's birthday and Christmas coming up, I don't have the $30 to buy the latest edition, plus the latest editions of GURPS Space, and all of the hardware books and whatever else that may be needed. Heck, I still want to buy the GURPS WWII books that came out a couple of years ago. I'll just keep playing the lottery, and who knows, one of these days I might actually win. Then I can catch up in books, games and whatnots.

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Best idea yet!

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

OT - Can anyone recommend a good place to order pencil-and-paper RPGs Online? Thanks.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

I like Gary's Games, though my experience with them is local, not mail-order. They do a large business in mail-order bridge supplies, and they know their RPG's and wargames too.

As for GURPS, I think if you have GURPS 3rd Edition Basic Set, and the old printing of GURPS Space, there wouldn't be any need to buy newer printings of either of those. Some really good books though are the GURPS Compendium books, I and II, which include practically all of the useful actual game content from practically all of the world books, all in a nicely organized way. It was always a pain to have to consider buying a world book just to get a few interesting rules along with a lot of not-really-useful-for-one's-own-campaign-worlds background information.

There have been several interesting other books, too, such as the Traveller books, the tech books, and Vehicles (although the vehicle rules seem pretty unwieldy for a pen & paper game, even to me, Mr. Savage House Rules).

PvK

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

Here's some trivia : GURPS was the first commercially successful translation of a RPG into Portuguese. As a result, it's the second or third most popular gaming system in Brazil. Steve Jackson has been down here twice as a convention guest, he even wrote an article about it on Pyramid called "I was Pope on MTV".

My idea was to use D20 for a Space Empires RPG because it would be easier on the beginners (plus I'm much more familiar with it).

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Definitely go with the D20, if for no other reason to cut off Steve Jackson. He is a serious bastard, sueing people at the drop of a hat and then ripping off everyone else http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

I am a fan of the HERO system, and if you've played it GURPS is obviously a ripoff of it, albiet simplified for the less mathematically inclined.

Go D20!

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Definitely go with the D20, if for no other reason to cut off Steve Jackson. He is a serious bastard, sueing people at the drop of a hat and then ripping off everyone else http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

I am a fan of the HERO system, and if you've played it GURPS is obviously a ripoff of it, albiet simplified for the less mathematically inclined.

Go D20! [/QB][/quote]

Never played Hero. I played Champions for awhile. But what is this D20? I've seen the name, but since I've been out of RPG's for the past 10 years, I'm not familiar with.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Now I really feel old. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

"D20" is the famous 20-sided die, the staple of RPG's in the early years (1st edition D&D).

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Now I really feel old. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

"D20" is the famous 20-sided die, the staple of RPG's in the early years (1st edition D&D). </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I know what a 20 sided dice is, but I thought there was some sort of game that was played with them that came out over the past couple of years. That's what I was referring to.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

"D20" is the trademark name for the current edition of Dungeons and Dragons. It's put out by Wizards of the Coast. They have the current rights to D&D. Other companies also publish "D20" licensed material, some for D&D and some for other genera, but you can't duplicate the stuff that's in the official D20 Players Manual. You can make up new universes that are compatible, but the rules for character creation and advancement have to be from the Wizards of the Coast Players Manual.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

SEIV: MMPORG...Multiple Viewpoint

This isn't your Fathers persistent Online universe anymore!

The premise behind this idea is to create an end user-defined experience, whatever that may be.

Want to rule a universe? No problem.
Want to command a fleet battle? No problem.
Want to slog through muck on some backward planet to bring liberty or enslavement to a native populace? No problem.

By bringing together the seperate pieces of Malfador 'Machinations', the sum becomes greater than the parts.

A user defines their experience, either through their in-game actions, or even before they start.

Imagine if you will, begining your illustrous career as some low level grunt, FPS, killing anything that moves. Then tired of fame and acclaim, and enough booty to buy three homeworlds, you decide to begin on yet another journey- this one as fleet captain. As fleet captain, you'll have to enage in space battles, as well as drop off other would be grunts into the thick of battle on unknown planets. Or, become govenor of a world, charged with defending it, or expanding your worlds boundaries beyond the one solar system.

The universe gets too small? Hell, add some extra warpoints, and now there are gates to whole new worlds to conquer...err, I mean explore.

Just a rough idea, of course. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Perhaps this would be the end result of SEVI... but looking at some of the hints about SEV, I think Araon has thought about this some...

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Sorry guys. Just shows how much I'm out of the loop. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

What's all the hubbub about heavy water?
You guys trying to make nuclear reactors in here? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

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<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Sorry guys. Just shows how much I'm out of the loop. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ditto on that. I haven't played a pen & paper RPG in 10 years.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

I still play, although not as much - 1 session every 2 months is the average. Right now we're playing Star Wars D20.

Re: Making More Out Of SEIV
 

How about a Version of SEIV for PDA devices? Has to come with connectivity to some kind of specialized PBW server. That would be cool.