ALIEN 2nd Edition Is Coming...

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There's a new edition of Free League's ALIEN roleplaying game coming to Kickstarter soon!

Free League’s Kickstarter this Fall will debut a new wave of 2e releases, including new core rules, starter set, cinematic scenario set, and miniatures line
For five glorious years, Free League Publishing and 20th Century Studios have explored the ultimate reaches of the ALIEN universe. In celebration of the critically acclaimed ALIEN RPG’s 5th anniversary in 2024, Free League proudly announced their plans to unleash a Second Edition of the multiple award-winning game rules across an expansive new line of rulebooks, starter sets, cinematics, and accessories. The stress fest begins with bug hunts aplenty through an epic Kickstarter launching this Fall.

Free League has revealed their core line-up for the upcoming Kickstarter, with more details coming soon:
Based upon feedback from thousands of players over five years of adventures, the Second Edition of the core rules delivers an updated and streamlined version of the ALIEN RPG fans know and love, along with additional new artwork, new content, and a variety of new tools for players and Game Mothers alike, all fully compatible with previous releases and game material.

The new 2e starter set will be redesigned as the perfect starting point for newcomers to roleplaying in the ALIEN universe, containing everything they need for game night including abridged 2e rules, character sheets, custom dice, reference cards, various handouts, and an expanded 2e edition of the fan-favorite Hope’s Last Day scenario set on Hadley’s Hope just prior to the unforgettable events of Aliens.

The new cinematic scenario boxed set, Rapture Protocol, written by Jonathan Hicks and Free League's Tomas Härenstam, returns to the roots of the ALIEN franchise, featuring the crew of a small star freighter on a resupply run to the remote industrial colony, soon embroiled in a deadly conflict.

The miniatures set is designed to bring the events of Rapture Protocol to life, but fully complement other adventures and skirmish battles throughout the ALIEN RPG series.

Sign up today to follow the upcoming Kickstarter, look out for more news across Free League’s social channels, and then get ready for a whole new chapter of sprawling, stress-inducing, blood-curdling ALIEN RPG adventures for years to come. We can’t lie to you about your chances, but you have our sympathies.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Dragonbane 2E next year then?

 

[Zehnseiter]

Dragonbane 2E next year then?

Well that game could use some overhaul. It was the first game of Free League that I was disappointed with. Its a OK game. Not really bad. But my expectations for Free League games are very high so that game that is merely OK feels like a disappointment. The are are victim of setting the bar so high here with their games. Total luxury problem.....

 

[Art Waring]

Agreed it is a bit too soon (I just got 1st edition on sale as well a bit ago), as I have yet to run a game.

However, I do understand that from a business perspective they might need to do the release of 2nd edition sooner than later likely due to licensing issues (as we don't know when their Alien license runs out). The point is that the license will eventually end, and when it does they might not be able to renew it, so my guess is they want to make hay while the sun is shining.

Final Thoughts: I do think the 1st-ed core book is pretty good, but personally I am not a fan of the Prometheus-era stuff they chose to include like neomorphs (that's just my personal opinion). I also think that adding the Prometheus era stuff takes away from the overall aesthetic (which should be paying homage to H.R. Giger's Alien, and not the Prometheus era stuff, just my opinion, call me old school I guess). For example, they have neomorph pieces of spot art, but no spot art for the classic facehugger or the chestburster, two xenomorphs that are a key part of the alien lifecycle.

 

[Reynard]

You can't judge when a 2nd edition should come out based on when YOU finally pulled the trigger.

 

[pete284]

I'm guessing sales are down and they need to make some cash to pay for the licence, I sold my copy last year which seems like a timely choice.

 

[lynnfredricks]

What's special about 10 years?

My guess is there is also an issue of print run.

It isn't software. Ten years is enough time to produce additional content and expansions to sell to existing users and also, to acquire new customers, and also provide enough lead time for thoroughly testing a next version.

A short time between versions means a few things to me.

1. The game didn't sell well for whatever reason. It could be a crap game. It could be its not a competitive game (there are a lot of 'space horror' games now, and with Mothership, a very good one). They may have done a crap job marketing it.

2. They are worried about offsetting the cost of the license, and an easy way to get more money is to tinker a bit and put out a new version. Unlike (traditional) software, you don't get a discount towards a new addition.

I see short life cycles as bad either way. These aren't cheap books. I get why some indie publishers turn around new editions because they are crap marketers, but generally, if the cycle is short, that's a sign there will be little if any 'support' for the game, so don't expect a lot of good additional or third party content.

If it were simply a matter of print run, they'd print a new set of the existing books.

 

[Reynard]

It isn't software. Ten years is enough time to produce additional content and expansions to sell to existing users and also, to acquire new customers, and also provide enough lead time for thoroughly testing a next version.

A short time between versions means a few things to me.

1. The game didn't sell well for whatever reason. It could be a crap game. It could be its not a competitive game (there are a lot of 'space horror' games now, and with Mothership, a very good one). They may have done a crap job marketing it.

2. They are worried about offsetting the cost of the license, and an easy way to get more money is to tinker a bit and put out a new version. Unlike (traditional) software, you don't get a discount towards a new addition.

I see short life cycles as bad either way. These aren't cheap books. I get why some indie publishers turn around new editions because they are crap marketers, but generally, if the cycle is short, that's a sign there will be little if any 'support' for the game, so don't expect a lot of good additional or third party content.

If it were simply a matter of print run, they'd print a new set of the existing books.

5 years is NOT a short time between editions for most TTRPGs.

 

[Retreater]

 

[lynnfredricks]

5 years is NOT a short time between editions for most TTRPGs.

Think what you want. They fulfilled the promised three pillars of play with support books. Hopefully they ran small enough print runs of those so they don't end up sitting on book stock through tax season.

At least Star Trek: Adventures took seven years and, seemingly, took a lot of feedback to heart.

 

[Maggan]

1. The game didn't sell well for whatever reason. It could be a crap game. It could be its not a competitive game (there are a lot of 'space horror' games now, and with Mothership, a very good one). They may have done a crap job marketing it.

Alien is Free League’s best selling game and it has entered ICv2’s top five list of best selling rpgs three times, which is something most rpgs never do even once.

EDIT: Mothership is on its second version I believe?