Checking Interest: STA 2e in the TOS era

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Dec 13, 2024 9:28 am
Hi, I'm new here. Joined a few months back. This is my first attempt at running anything like this (pbp, not gaming in general). This will, once I'm done reading the rules, my first attempt also with this system.

The pitch: the crew of a Constitution class starship in the TOS era. Pulpy, but not silly.

This means the character choices will need to be a bit specific: captain and important officers. Probably more Mr Spock than Chief Geologist D'Amato.

LGBTQ+ friendly. They got around the miniskirts in Strange New Worlds and have plenty of strong female characters, so we don't need to replicate the worst aspects of TOS.

That said, Sybok type characters are probably a red line.

This is just a post to gather interest. I can't give an exact stardate for when things will start. We'd also have to discuss how often and when to post and all that good stuff, as, like I said, I'm a noob.

Hailing frequencies are open...Thanks for reading
Dec 13, 2024 12:05 pm
That is a lot of abbreviation, but since you mentioned Spock, I assume it's Star Trek game you want to run.
Dec 13, 2024 4:44 pm
While I do have some interest in Star Trek, this interest check seems so dependent on knowing every abbreviation and lore (who/what is "Sybok"?), that I'm going to pass on this one.
Dec 13, 2024 4:55 pm
TOS simply means The Original Series :)
Last edited December 13, 2024 4:55 pm
Dec 13, 2024 7:11 pm
@runekyndig Sybok is Spock's half-brother. He was the antagonist in the fifth Star Trek film: The Final Frontier. The one where they journey to the center of the galaxy to find God.

Never played any of the Star Trek games. While I'm intrigued, I'm a bit full on games at the moment and, with the holidays upon us, don't have the time to learn a new system (having over-committed myself). Do you have a rough time frame when you think you might start? In the meantime, I hope you find some players.
Dec 14, 2024 4:48 pm
How much lore and crunch knowledge is expected from candidates? I'm tentatively curious about trying this out, but my relationship with Star Trek has always been mixed: I liked the concept, but somehow I could never watch through a whole series; perhaps a more interactive medium would be more enjoyable in the long-term (I tend to prefer long campaigns).
Dec 14, 2024 4:55 pm
I'm running a STA (first edition) game here and can say that character creation in the system is so great, it really sets up your identity and past as a crewmember.

I don't know how 2e differs from the first, but if you need an extra body with some experience, feel free to beam me up.

Also, I love TOS and the fan made sequel series, Star Trek Continues. Great choice of era.
Dec 14, 2024 11:16 pm
I'm interested, and I love TOS best of all Treks. (Well, behind Star Trek II and maybe Star Trek IV. VI also pretty great.)

I've played STA 1e and own 2e -- I haven't gone through the slimmed down rules yet but this would be an excuse to do so. Certainly ship combat needed a trimming of the jib, and I'm generally a fan of 2d20 systems where the challenge dice are dropped in favor of just leaning into any extra successes that the d20 pool produces. (If there's one thing those Modi games are guilty of, it's being more complicated mechanically than they need to be, so I like what I've heard about 2e so far...)
Dec 15, 2024 3:13 am
I love STA, it's quickly become one of my favorite systems I've ever played. If there's any room for another, I'd love an opportunity to apply.
Dec 15, 2024 4:04 pm
vicky_molokh says:
How much lore and crunch knowledge is expected from candidates? I'm tentatively curious about trying this out, but my relationship with Star Trek has always been mixed: I liked the concept, but somehow I could never watch through a whole series; perhaps a more interactive medium would be more enjoyable in the long-term (I tend to prefer long campaigns).
I think people would need to be pretty familiar with the show. I can't give an exact answer. But I think a familiarity with the basics at least. You don't need to know X idea from the fourth novel in some obscure Voyager novel sequence :D but if you've never watched TOS or TNG then tentatively I'd say this isn't going to work. My gut feeling is that I think players would be best served if they were fans of the show. If your interest is mixed, whcih is perfectly fine, I can't guarantee it would work.

Also while I mention that I'm still reading the rulebook, I'd want players to be familiar with the game. Being a PBP game my assumption would be that everyone has the rulebook. I'm not sure how playing in this format would work otherwise, for any game.

I cannot say when this would begin, I don't imagine (though I could be wrong) Xmas week is busy for most. But then I don't know how PBP players view the holidays with regard to their games. That can be discussed. But I can't say it would start before or during.
Dec 15, 2024 4:11 pm
Automated_Hero says:

I think people would need to be pretty familiar with the show. I can't give an exact answer. But I think a familiarity with the basics at least. You don't need to know X idea from the fourth novel in some obscure Voyager novel sequence :D but if you've never watched TOS or TNG then tentatively I'd say this isn't going to work. My gut feeling is that I think players would be best served if they were fans of the show. If your interest is mixed, whcih is perfectly fine, I can't guarantee it would work.

Also while I mention that I'm still reading the rulebook, I'd want players to be familiar with the game. Being a PBP game my assumption would be that everyone has the rulebook. I'm not sure how playing in this format would work otherwise, for any game.

I watched some of TOS, but not all of it (plus a random assortment of other stuff in the franchise, including some books). So it seems that makes me a dubious candidate. I do have the rulebook and did read through most of character creation, but never played this system (nor any adjacent variations of 2d20).
Last edited December 15, 2024 4:12 pm
Dec 15, 2024 7:35 pm
I'm just checking interest. There is no formal commitment at this time. So you have plenty of time to watch all of TOS :D
Dec 16, 2024 10:01 pm
Trek is trek, so when this happens I'm in!
Dec 17, 2024 9:08 am
Trek is indeed Trek. Thanks for the interest. How many people is that so far?
Dec 17, 2024 11:40 am
Automated_Hero says:
How many people is that so far?
Let's see:

runekyndig - took a pass;
ForeverDED - was unsure due to time issues;
Qralloq - 'if you need an extra body with some experience, feel free to beam me up';
Harrigan - interested;
Choomie - 'If there's any room for another, I'd love an opportunity to apply';
TiffanyKorta - 'Trek is trek, so when this happens I'm in!'
vicky_molokh - given that my candidature is dubious, and you seem to have a solid group of candidates, but if my flaws stop being an issue, I would be looking forward to expanding my frontiers.
Last edited December 17, 2024 11:41 am
Dec 18, 2024 4:49 pm
Not being familiar with Trek isn't a flaw, however to play in a Trek game you'd need some familiarity with the universe I think.
Dec 19, 2024 5:54 am
Automated_Hero says:
Not being familiar with Trek isn't a flaw, however to play in a Trek game you'd need some familiarity with the universe I think.
I have to admit I'm puzzled by the two halves of this sentence. I do have some familiarity with the universe, having watched some episodes of TOS, some of Voyager, a couple of full-length films, read a very random dozen or so books when I was a kid, but I haven't gone cover-to-cover through any specific season, nor a specific bookshelf.

I suppose my awareness of the franchise is in line with episodic works - similar to how some viewers saw a bunch of episodes out of order, unaware of the full overarching . . . arcs.
Dec 19, 2024 9:11 am
vicky_molokh says:
Automated_Hero says:
Not being familiar with Trek isn't a flaw, however to play in a Trek game you'd need some familiarity with the universe I think.
I have to admit I'm puzzled by the two halves of this sentence. I do have some familiarity with the universe, having watched some episodes of TOS, some of Voyager, a couple of full-length films, read a very random dozen or so books when I was a kid, but I haven't gone cover-to-cover through any specific season, nor a specific bookshelf.

I suppose my awareness of the franchise is in line with episodic works - similar to how some viewers saw a bunch of episodes out of order, unaware of the full overarching . . . arcs.
Ok, that's fine then. I was under the impression you were more or less unfamiliar with it.
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