What Non-D&D TSR RPGs Needs to be Revived?

[Reynard]

Sasquatch grabbed the trademark when WoTC let it lapse, similar to TSR. The new game system and setting are different from the original. Otherwise, WoTC could have sued over IP misappropriation.

Sasquatch snatched the expired Trademark. They didn’t own the IP and couldn’t raise enough funds, so they bombed spectacularly.

The company is defunct now, so Hasbro could totally put the books back on drivethrurpg. They could easily contest the trademark using the “prior work” defense and their lawyers too. The pdfs were originally on rpgnow before WotC took them down during their 2008 hissy fit. Drivethru may still have the files on their servers if there wasn’t any hiccups.

Altho I wouldn’t be surprised if WotC actually lost the files and physical backups too. Considering that they put up the Amazing Engine and Star Frontiers pdfs back up, I suspect they did.

i did not know that. Huh. I wonder what other trademarks are out there to be appropriated...

 

[The Soloist]

That's great, but the thread is actually kind of about being enamored with the original rules, hence my response.

What do you mean by revived? All editions of Gamma World are available, as is, on DTRPG. That is alive enough for me.

 

[Reynard]

What do you mean by revived? All editions of Gamma World are available, as is, on DTRPG. That is alive enough for me.

Stuff being made for the game mostly.

 

[The Soloist]

Stuff being made for the game mostly.

They should definetly open Gamma World and Star Frontiers to the DMGuild. The fan base would love that.

 

[The Soloist]

The 7e edition, which came under D&D 4e was fun, if you ignored the stupid random card booster part. My players loved having new mutations every morning. It cathered well to those who loved the sillier parts of the original setting - giant killer bunnies with hunting rifles.

 

[VelvetViolet]

They should definetly open Gamma World and Star Frontiers to the DMGuild. The fan base would love that.

Why do Star*Drive and Dark•Matter keep getting forgotten in these discussions? They’re not bad settings. They haven’t been completely driven into the ground like Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien, etc have been.

I’m completely jaded and disillusioned with scifi, but Star*Drive is one of the only settings I can still muster any interest in. It’s a Y2K era space opera sandbox written during the last few years when humanity was still optimistic about the future. I wish more people appreciated it. It’s lonely out here.

 

[The Soloist]

Why do Star*Drive and Dark•Matter keep getting forgotten in these discussions? They’re not bad settings. They haven’t been completely driven into the ground like Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien, etc have been.

I’m completely jaded and disillusioned with scifi, but Star*Drive is one of the only settings I can still muster any interest in. It’s a Y2K era space opera sandbox written during the last few years when humanity was still optimistic about the future. I wish more people appreciated it. It’s lonely out here.

I skipped them when they came out. It was the beginning of the MTG craze, and all my money went into cards. Alternity and Dark Matter are not part of my RPG continuum.

In case you don't know:

Alternity Sci-Fi & Fantasy Generic RPG

Alternity is a Science-Fiction "Role Playing Game" featuring Dark Matter (modern day conspiracy), Star Drive (futuristic space opera), Gammaworld (post apocalypse science-fantasy), Starcraft (futuristic alien warfare), Fantasy and Tangents (everything else). Thousands of sourcebooks, expansions...

www.alternityrpg.net

 

[Staffan]

Why do Star*Drive and Dark•Matter keep getting forgotten in these discussions? They’re not bad settings. They haven’t been completely driven into the ground like Star Trek, Star Wars, Alien, etc have been.

To be honest, probably because they're sub-brandings of Alternity. Star Frontier is Star Frontiers, Gamma World is Gamma World, but Star*Drive is Alternity so it doesn't have the same name recognition.

I’m completely jaded and disillusioned with scifi, but Star*Drive is one of the only settings I can still muster any interest in. It’s a Y2K era space opera sandbox written during the last few years when humanity was still optimistic about the future. I wish more people appreciated it. It’s lonely out here.

Yeah, I too miss the days of optimism.

 

[Reynard]

I wonder if the new game Exodus will have a robust core system and they will try and do other games like SF and GW with it.

 

[VelvetViolet]

I wonder if the new game Exodus will have a robust core system and they will try and do other games like SF and GW with it.

I saw the previews. It’s reskinned 5e. E.g. you recharge power armor by taking long or short rests.

If they were gonna revive TSR’s forgotten IPs under 5e, then they wouldn’t be making Exodus in the first place. It’s intended purely as a cashgrab on the brand name appeal of ex-Bioware employees. WotC is spending ridiculous amounts on money on a brand new untested IP. I doubt any of the current managers even know they own several scifi IPs already. Even if they did, I strongly doubt they’d be able to competently manage new editions anyway.

This crap is why I believe copyright terms should be shortened to 20-30 years. Hasbro doesn’t deserve ownership of these IPs. The fans deserve stewardship.