Stan
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Post by Stan on Nov 17, 2021 23:46:38 GMT -5
I'd like your help thinking through the major continuity options for TOS campaign settings. I'm defining continuity to mean a well documented and internally consistent TOS setting with some extended universe elements where species, ships, technology, and history hang together and you can read books, novels, or reference guides to understand the canon of that continuity.
Big continuities I can think of for TOS campaigns:
Original Series + Star Trek Technical Manual ships — Pretty basic but adds in some extra ships.
Original Series + Animated Series — Adds cool races like Edosians and Caitians, but also the high tech environment suit belts instead of space suits.
FASA RPG — Expands lots of ship types and adds setting material such as The Triangle.
Prime Directive RPG — Expands setting to include several new empires but is otherwise very close to TOS.
Novel Litverse — Many dozens of novels in the last 25 years comprise a 'Litverse', (also called 'Relaunch' novels since many books continue storylines after the events of different TV series). These novels update TOS assumptions to include Franz Joseph ships, animated series species such as Caitians, Enterprise series species such as Denobulans, and expanded Klingon lore such as ridged forehead vs smooth forehead Klingons.
Kelvin Timeline — JJ Abrams movies and the 'Abramsverse' reboot of TOS, including the destruction of Vulcan.
Star Trek Adventures — Current in-print RPG which shares setting assumptions of the Novel Litverse above.
I'm sure there are other major continuities — what others are there, and what are the major differences between the continuities?
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Nov 18, 2021 4:13:54 GMT -5
From around the early to mid 80's (in addition to FJ & SFB, which had its own TOS setting, and before TNG spoilt it all), there was quite a good consistency of setting and timeline across several TOS books. They were the original Spaceflight Chronology, FASA STTRPG, the superlative "The Final Reflection" and "Mr Scott's Guide to the Enterprise". These shared a consistent timeline and had other links too. For example Winston Carter in TAS and TFR, Baton Rouge (my favourite ST ship ever) and Mann class ships from SC appearing in TFR, FASA collaborating with John M Ford and his TFR for their Klingon supplements etc. Those were happy days, long gone, and now relegated to "not Canon" purgatory!!
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Stan
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Post by Stan on Nov 18, 2021 7:12:47 GMT -5
Cool, I'll go back and update those items for the first continuity I mentioned.
What is 'TFR'?
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Post by rredmond on Nov 18, 2021 8:49:17 GMT -5
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Nov 18, 2021 11:03:21 GMT -5
Yes, TFR is just my abbreviation for the (in my humble opinion) best ST novel ever written - "The Final Reflection". I think it is the most sympathetic look at an alien species and society ever written, and vital to any ST campaign featuring Klingons. So much so that FASA collaborated with its author John M Ford when writing their Klingon supplements. It is also full to the brim of references to the Spaceflight Chronology setting, as I discussed earlier.
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Stan
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Post by Stan on Nov 18, 2021 13:47:38 GMT -5
Very cool -- thanks for the information. I was not aware of this novel :-)
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Post by Falconer on Nov 19, 2021 12:58:43 GMT -5
Love the topic! To me the major TOS-centered continuities are: 1. TECHNICAL FANDOM Star Fleet Technical Manual Blueprints (Constitution, D7, Saladin, Bird of Prey, etc.) Star Fleet Handbook Star Trek Maps Ships of the Star Fleet etc. 2. THE STARFLEET UNIVERSE Direct spinoff of #1 Star Fleet Battles Prime Directive etc. 3. THE RIHANNSU-VERSE The Pocket Books TOS novels of the 80s4. FASA No explanation needed. 5. ON-SCREEN CANON TNG/DS9/VOY TOS-Remastered TOS is viewed by many through this prism. 6. INCOMPATIBLE Anything which is blatantly out of continuity with TOS, obviously the Kelvin Universe, but to many also Discovery, and to at least some degree First Contact and Enterprise. There is overlap and cross-pollination, of course. All of #1-#4 accept the canonicity of The Making of Star Trek and TAS. The Final Reflection is canon for #2-#4. The Spaceflight Chronology is foundational for both #3 and #4, but incompatible with #1 and #2. #5 is where they started to deliberately decanonize #1-#4 and everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Off-screen resources like the 1993 Chronology, 1994 Encyclopedia, and 2002 Star Charts went out of their way to contradict previous off-screen lore. There are other corner-canons and minimalistic canons. Romantic fanfic, novels before the 80s, novels after the 80s, comic books, LUG/Decipher, Modiphius.
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Stan
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Post by Stan on Nov 19, 2021 17:01:32 GMT -5
Excellent, insightful response Falconer!
A couple of follow-up questions for Falconer or anyone who wants to comment.
(1) Using Continuities 1-5 in Falconer's list, if you are using a home-brew RPG (like Far Trek or S&S), which continuities are the most practical or enjoyable to use for RPG campaigns? For example, I'd think having '1. TECHNICAL FANDOM' and '3. THE RIHANNSU-VERSE' might be cool. "We're using S&S rules. Take a look at the Star Fleet Technical Manual and other such books for ship designs and maps. Read up on the Pocket Books TOS novels of the 80s for additional flavor."
(2) If TAS is canon, do people allow for the TAS life-support belts? I don't recall seeing those mentioned outside the animated series itself.
Thanks for everyone's feedback! I'm not an expert on all these topics but I'm trying to learn and making plans for long term campaigns that are clear on what is canon and what is not.
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Post by Falconer on Nov 19, 2021 18:42:31 GMT -5
I asked my group to each acquire a copy of the Star Fleet Technical Manual, but I don’t think they did, other than Eric and Sarah-Nicole. That’s kind of a shame, since we are using the FJ ships in the campaign, and I would have liked for them to have that info at their fingertips, but I am not sure it ultimately mattered all that much. Eric and SN also got Star Trek Maps and the Concordance.
I also assign them an episode of TOS (or, very rarely, TAS) to watch before each game session, which has been very beneficial when followed. But most of my group is not super familiar with TOS. Dave, who is super familiar with TOS, usually doesn’t fulfill these assignments.
I also assigned them to read The Final Reflection at one point, and I think they all did. (I recorded an audiobook for one of my players who doesn’t read but does spend a lot of time in the car.) This was really great, as the Klingon modules which came out around the same time as TFR build on the flavor it created.
So there you go. I basically abide by the #1 canon even though I run a lot of FASA modules. I strip the FASA modules of a lot of the FASA lore because it feels too “political” and “busy,” and I really just like a light, TOS feel.
Life belts are a yes!!!
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Post by aramis on Nov 19, 2021 22:39:06 GMT -5
The SFU fandom also has splits in what they accept... both by edition of the SFB game, and by whether or not conjectural ships should be used, and by where in the timeline to play.
This crosses over a bit into the fandom for Prime Directive. Note that the fans of the first ed are, largely, distinctly not a large overlap with fans of the later GURPS, d20, & d20M.
Some PD GMs use the F&E or Fed Space lists as their canon.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
And there are other issues, not directly related to ruleset...
"Starship Class" vs "Constitution Class" - this is a minor, some would say trivial, distinction.
"12 like her in the fleet" - 12 in class? or 12 in the fleet total? And is the fleet a specific subunit, or Star Fleet as a whole?
Insignia - unique per ship? Or, perhaps per assigned fleet? I use per fleet, as it makes more sense to me. (Enterprise is part of exploration fleet. This also explains some of the non-Enterprise crew wearing it's delta in TOS and TAS.)
Smaller craft - if using the tech manual, are those all the ships? or just the large classes? (note also: The tech manual lists a HUGE fleet...)
Movie ships: New in that era? Or revisions of older? (Reliant, Grissom)
TOS-Movies canonical? If so, then, thanks to OSDs, the staff canonized the SFU ships. We also hear several Tech Manual ships referenced in background dialogue in TMP...
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c57d
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Post by c57d on Nov 20, 2021 8:03:51 GMT -5
The faux history in the Spaceflight Chronology (also FASA & TFR) is certainly one of the most detailed settings ever written for TOS. But it is probably best not to be used as general reading for PC's. As a GM I have only ever used it for scenario background information and/or for a PC with high levels of "Federation Culture & History" skill or "Trivia" skill (i.e. Stiles in Balance of Terror).
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Stan
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Post by Stan on Nov 20, 2021 9:07:34 GMT -5
Insignia - unique per ship? Or, perhaps per assigned fleet? I use per fleet, as it makes more sense to me. (Enterprise is part of exploration fleet. This also explains some of the non-Enterprise crew wearing it's delta in TOS and TAS.) Ooooh, I like this idea! Great way to reconcile this 'glitch' in canon :-)
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Post by Falconer on Nov 20, 2021 12:11:00 GMT -5
"12 like her in the fleet" - 12 in class? or 12 in the fleet total? And is the fleet a specific subunit, or Star Fleet as a whole? The Making of Star Trek, published contemporaneously with TOS, and utilizing actual production memos, established this on pp. 153-5: “Star Fleet includes 12 ships of the starship class.” “D.C. Fontana…suggests that we establish the names of the 12 ships of the Enterprise Starship Class.” “The following names have been established for starships: Enterprise, Exeter, Excalibur, Lexington, Yorktown, Potemkin, Republic, Hood, Constitution, Kongo, Constellation, Farragut, Valiant, and Intrepid.” This list of 14 ships (and the assumption that Valiant and Farragut were destroyed by the time of the “12 like her” statement, also per TMoST) was accepted as official by all the canons #1-#4, from FJ’s Blueprints and Tech Manual on down. It’s only in question if you strictly adhere to On-Screen Canon only, in which you would ignore even the explicit intent of the writers and producers. "Starship Class" vs "Constitution Class" - this is a minor, some would say trivial, distinction. I use “starship” as interchangeable with “heavy cruiser.” (I like both terms.) Classes include Constitution and Bonhomme Richard per the Tech Manual. (note also: The tech manual lists a HUGE fleet...) I only use the ships through SD 3220 that he lists. Smaller craft - if using the tech manual, are those all the ships? or just the large classes? To me there are smaller ships like freighters and experimental craft, but I haven’t needed to add anything large (of the size of the FJ ships). TOS-Movies canonical? Movie ships: New in that era? Or revisions of older? (Reliant, Grissom) I game in TOS era and will never cross over into movies era, so, basically not canonical to me. I have thought about including Reliant-type ships (TOS-era-icized), but really they are not that different from the Ptolemy, so, no need. Insignia - unique per ship? Or, perhaps per assigned fleet? I use per fleet, as it makes more sense to me. (Enterprise is part of exploration fleet. This also explains some of the non-Enterprise crew wearing it's delta in TOS and TAS.) My sense is it’s the arrowhead for ships and the wheel for starbases, but specific ships may have their own traditions of a unique insignia. In my campaign, when my players get a heavy cruiser I will let them pick or design their own insignia.
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Post by ThrorII on Nov 21, 2021 1:19:04 GMT -5
So I've got a game of Far Trek prepped, and I'll be running 3 one-shot games at the start of the year (when our current B/X campaign goes on hiatus for our DM's mental break). I'll run a game of Far Trek, a game of Wild West Cinema, and a game of ICONS Superhero. The group will decide which they want a campaign in.
For our Far Trek game, it is set in the TOS universe, sometime during the 3 seasons.
My players are all TOS literate, and I will not require them to study anything other than the rules.
For GM purposes, I will be using: 1. Star Trek Technical Manual 2. Star Trek writers guide (1967) 3. My home brewed Federation map (found elsewhere on this site) 4. Star Trek blueprints (Constitution class, Hermes/Saladin Class)
If it comes up in game: 1. All starfleet ships use the delta-arrowhead insignia, merchant marine use the painters palette insignia, star bases use the large rosette, outposts use the sideways acorn.
2. Starfleet Headquarters is the large space station seen in the Tech Manual (I use the SFHQ, SB2, SB3 orientation seen in the STTM).
3. The main Federation ships are the Constitution Heavy Cruisers(12 ships), Miranda Light Cruisers, Saladin destroyers, Hermes scouts, Ptolemy tugs, and Independence class freighters.
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Post by Falconer on Nov 21, 2021 9:10:14 GMT -5
A classic example of the continuity differences. T-Canon designates this design the Avenger class, and its TOS-era equivalent the Surya class. S-Canon studiously avoids movie references. F-Canon calls it the Reliant class, and its TOS-era equivalent the Anton class. Miranda class is the O-Canon name, of course, and it comes from a TNG script. The script called for a new ship design, but they used the Reliant model to save costs. Avenger blueprints, w/ Surya on p. 6 www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/general-plans-uss-avenger-class.phpSurya blueprints www.jbot.ca/space/4fr.shtmlStarfleet Headquarters is the large space station seen in the Tech Manual (I use the SFHQ, SB2, SB3 orientation seen in the STTM). FYI, he has a Starbase 1 which is not the same as the Star Fleet Headquarters. You can see them both on the United Federation chart.
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