Is Evil Hat Republishing TSR's Star Frontiers?

Last year, Sasquatch Game Studio announced that it had acquired the trademark for TSR's old Alternity science-fiction game. At the time, it was mentioned that they did not have the Star*Drive, Dark*Matter, Gamma World, StarCraft Adventures, or Star Frontiers, properties owned by WotC. This may be changing, though - because Evil Hat Productions has applied for the trademark to Star Frontiers.

Some caveats are worth noting - the trademark application was made in July 2017, and it's likely that nothing will happen on it for months. At this stage, it's just an application, so there's no guarantee that it will even be approved. Speculation is what speculation is, but this is very much a "wait-and-see" situation.

So, what's Star Frontiers? It's a space opera RPG produced by TSR back in the early 80s. Many elements of the game were later re-used in various forms in Spelljammer, d20 Future, and other TSR/WotC games and settings. It was a percentile system game, set in an area of space dominated by the United Planetary Federation composed of four races - Humans, the amoeboid Dralasite, the insectoid Vrusk, and the ape-like Yazirian.

Evil Hat, of course, is the publisher of the popular ENnie-winning Fate line of RPGs, which is a flexible system designed to accommodate a vast array of settings. Whether they plan to make a Fate version of Star Frontiers is far, far too early to start speculating on. I guess we may find out more next year, if the trademark application is approved.

SaveSave
SaveSave​

 

[doctorhook]

Just FYI, Spider-Man Homecoming was excellent.

 

[Jhaelen]

It can only be a good thing if they completely ignore the old game mechanics - they're hopelessly out-dated.

However, aside from nostalgia, what's interesting about Star Frontiers?
For a modern 'update' there's already Starfinder. Adding the Star Frontiers races (which are easily the most memorable bit) to Starfinder would be almost trivial.

 

[Jer]

In case it's news to some, the original Starfrontiers is in a grey place that looks like it makes it free legally.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?245870-Star-Frontiers-Gamma-World/page2

I'm not seeing where in that comment thread it's a grey area. It looks more like Wizards granted permission to a few fansites to be fansites and to host old material without contest. That's the opposite of being in a grey area - that's Wizards giving them explicit permission.

It looks like the trademark has lapsed, but Wizards would still own the copyright on the original materials. Anyone wanting to make a derivative work would bump up against copyright law. If they want to use the setting without potentially getting involved in a lawsuit, they'd need to work with Wizards.

Evil Hat may just want the name "Star Frontiers" for their own game that is disconnected from the original. It would be a great name to snag if you wanted to make either a retro 70s/80s sci-fi game or a Star Trek knock-off. Or a Firefly knock-off, come to think of it. I could see PbtA games around any of those core ideas using that name.

 

[Jer]

However, aside from nostalgia, what's interesting about Star Frontiers?

Not much beyond that really. The artwork and era of publication give it a very late-70s/early-80s sci-fi aesthetic, and if that's what you want to play it's a decent game for it. With some tweaking, the rules give a game that feels more "cinematic" (for lack of a better word) than realistic, which is a good fit if you want to play in a game that feels like a cheesy 80s Star Wars knock-off movie that you might find being mocked on Mystery Science Theater.

I have a lot of love and nostalgia for the game myself because it was one of the first non-D&D games I ever ran, and I personally love the setting as a retro-70s/80s throwback. But I'm not sure that as a game there's a lot to offer a modern audience who doesn't have a nostalgic connection to it unless you're going to position it as a retro sci-fi experience.

 

[ddaley]

If they update the original system, then I am definitely in. I loved Star Frontiers back in the day. But, if they use a completely new system, and simply re-use the name, then I'll probably pass. I already have too many RPGs. I am not familiar with FATE and have no desire to learn yet another RPG system.

If you remove the game system and what makes Star Frontiers what it is as a setting, what's left, really? I don't mean to offend, but I'm not interested in something that is Star Frontiers in name only and doesn't at all sell in the US.

 

[ddaley]

I plan to do exactly this.

... Adding the Star Frontiers races (which are easily the most memorable bit) to Starfinder would be almost trivial.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

There's a prominent OSR crowd out there that would enjoy seeing Star Frontiers, with its original mechanics, back in print.

I have learned to enjoy FATE but would be disappointed to see a new Star Frontiers using FATE mechanics.

All of this is still speculation right now, though. All we can say for sure is they are trying to get access to the name, but nothing anywhere suggests the setting or mechanics are coming with it.

 

[Morrus]

For a modern 'update' there's already Starfinder. Adding the Star Frontiers races (which are easily the most memorable bit) to Starfinder would be almost trivial.

Starfinder isn't a modern update of Star Frontiers; only inasmuch as they're both in space, but by that standard Pathfinder is a modern update of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying or Runequest.

A lot of people enjoy a robust percentile system game, and percentiles - for better or worse - does give a more sci-fi "feel" to a game.

Of course, we don't know what their plans are. All we know is that they've applied for a trademark. Old system, updated system, Fate system, brand new system... could be anything!

 

[ddaley]

I actually like the percentile system for games like this.

We only played Top Secret a few times, but if I remember correctly, it used a % system as well with a number of derived attributes (which I also really liked).

..A lot of people enjoy a robust percentile system game, and percentiles - for better or worse - does give a more sci-fi "feel" to a game.

 

[Zarithar]

I'd actually love to see Star Frontiers and Gamma World both updated to use the 5e D&D rules. I'd like to see all 3 WoTC/TSR properties updated to share the same rules system (though not the same universe as is the case with Pathfinder/Starfinder).