tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post3162274189546846735..comments2024-03-29T07:58:31.156-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space (Volume 1)James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49291099436770478642012-02-22T03:13:26.169-05:002012-02-22T03:13:26.169-05:00I was excited to see this book when it came out bu...I was excited to see this book when it came out but, had mixed feelings afterward. It was inaccurate to market the product as a "Star Frontiers accessory" which was in truth a complete reworking of the game system. I enjoyed the original game for it's simple mechanic and style.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01311281025100877970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-45254681691134199252012-02-12T07:47:46.709-05:002012-02-12T07:47:46.709-05:00Other games came in boxes besides just Life and Mo...Other games came in boxes besides just Life and Monopoly. The 1,000-hour-long The Campaign for North Africa, which requires you to keep track of the supplies needed for each tank and plane in North Africa in WWII came out in 1979. After the Holocaust (1977) includes a Form 1040 and Schedule D to figure out your nation's income every round, and the designer said "...I also wished to illustrate some of the aspects of location theory and its relevance to economic growth in a fluid situation." 1985 was after the death of SPI and the high point of simulationist board gaming, but it hadn't completely faded away yet.Prosfilaeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08567819936724569257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22885144293544079382012-02-10T16:13:28.421-05:002012-02-10T16:13:28.421-05:00mixed feelings on that book--some good new stuff i...mixed feelings on that book--some good new stuff inside, but most of the art sucked, and the rules changes didn't fly with our group. at the time we played both Star Frontiers and Traveller. after this, we dropped the former and Trav became our go-to SF game.Dennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17705074842234268234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87562415968725032882012-02-09T22:03:51.792-05:002012-02-09T22:03:51.792-05:00Thanks!Thanks!anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27614806199927292182012-02-09T19:18:27.273-05:002012-02-09T19:18:27.273-05:00I was very excited when I saw the first advertisem...I was very excited when I saw the first advertisement for <i>Zebulon's Guide</i>. After purchasing it, I was very disappointed. At the time, I felt it was a death sentence for <b><i>Star Frontiers</i></b>. I thought I sensed in TSR a sudden contempt for the game and those who were its fans. That and TSR's abandonment of 1st edition <b><i>AD&D</i></b> caused me to never buy another product from that company.Gordon Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12907319916602597979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-29992360795531635042012-02-09T19:02:57.567-05:002012-02-09T19:02:57.567-05:00Zebulon's Guide is one of my favorite gaming b...Zebulon's Guide is one of my favorite gaming books. I so wanted there to be a follow-up. So much great stuff.Tetsubohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00339621610619347842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83294418354801285212012-02-09T13:14:51.432-05:002012-02-09T13:14:51.432-05:00It's not just possible; it's a certainty.It's not just possible; it's a certainty.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11677895164302972957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-91799006977250068742012-02-09T03:03:54.321-05:002012-02-09T03:03:54.321-05:00Zeb's was released just at the time Gygax woul...Zeb's was released just at the time Gygax would leave TSR and as such it probably suffered a bit. The fad wouldn't slow for a few years yet though and TSR ploughed through. <br /><br />I am rather fond of the thing not as much as a game supplement but simply because a series of running joke involving Humma (Kangaroo Berserkers) and some of there other elements one late night at a restaurant gave me one of the best "friendship" moments of my younger life.5stonegameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10694550968360550229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-58598555928958965262012-02-08T23:23:46.767-05:002012-02-08T23:23:46.767-05:00There was an age undreamed of... when TSR sold the...There was an age undreamed of... when TSR sold their games in 9"x12" boxes. D&D, Gamma World, Gang Busters, Top Secret, Boot Hill, and Star Frontiers all came in these boxes. I miss those heady days, not just because of some "rose colored glasses" nostalgia thing, but because that's when games were... well... GAMES. They didn't fit someone's simulation of opinion-based reality. How fecking real is Monopoly or Life? Whatever. On-topic, despite what little worthwhile material there was in Zebulon's, it generally sucked. I'm fairly certain it was the First Sign of the coming TSR Apocalypse (or at least one of the early Signs). <br /><br />Word verification: "curessal" - A healing spell that only works on your party's mule handler...toddroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05668825555921002430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46224024261170347942012-02-08T20:55:59.929-05:002012-02-08T20:55:59.929-05:00Zebulon's guide introduced a lot of great stuf...Zebulon's guide introduced a lot of great stuff while overhauling most of the game for no real need.JDJarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691101939920824546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-29674553175402889732012-02-08T17:59:57.969-05:002012-02-08T17:59:57.969-05:00I have seen a lot of debates on this book at the S...I have seen a lot of debates on this book at the Star Frontiers Revival forums. Naturally, everyone has been picking apart the rulebooks, supplements, modules and magazine articles to produce a more complete picture for fan-supplements and the Frontiersmen fan-zine, but major discrepancies in the Zebulon book leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Like info on the Rim worlds and the nameless quarantined systems, or the state of the quarantined systems after the cure for the Blue-plaque was found. Where is Rhianna really located? (Outside Gruna Garu or Prenglar?) Are the Mechans bad guys or just neutral? And so on.<br /><br />The common consensus is that info from older materials usually overrides the material from the Zebulon book, but the Zebulon book should not be ruled-out outright, as it has a lot of good ideas but suffers from bad execution.Malcadonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03111796978336546944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-11703307234665500162012-02-08T16:48:22.620-05:002012-02-08T16:48:22.620-05:00I actually liked the original Star Frontiers quite...I actually liked the original Star Frontiers quite a bit more than Traveller (I actually RAN a three year SF campaign in the eighties, whereas I only ever READ Traveller) but I didn't like this supplement at all and never used it. I really find those action charts to be gratuitous and a waste of time. Let's just roll percentile dice and get on with the game.TheShadowKnowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11073693648569864707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48997106249452385942012-02-08T14:19:33.154-05:002012-02-08T14:19:33.154-05:00Totally agreed on all counts. (Also, the interior ...Totally agreed on all counts. (Also, the interior art is not good, and Starfleet action in the expanded history timeline contradicts how space combat works in Knight Hawks.) Mentally I think of Zebulon as "Sherman's March to Star Frontiers".Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30890390741047395022012-02-08T14:16:30.681-05:002012-02-08T14:16:30.681-05:00Thanks for that link, J. Block.
James, I'm th...Thanks for that link, J. Block.<br /><br />James, I'm thinking you are a lot like me (and many other gamers) in that you will tire of a certain genre after a time, and move on to doing some Sci Fi, or at least Science Fantasy. You were doing the Dwimmermount sessions around the time I spent two years doing my 1st ed. Night Below campaign. I was so chomping at the bit in the latter half of that campaign (my players were loving it and would not let me take a break) to do something entirely different it drove me to Star Wars (I actually let my players vote on what kind of Sci Fi, and that was the main choice although they aren't Star Wars nuts). <br /><br />Now I'm starting my Call of Cthulhu campaign tonight (at last). I'm hoping Cthulhu, or horror of some kind, is your next stop after your inevitable Thousand Suns campaign (you are putting that together, right?). I should be refreshed and ready for my return to pure D&D fantasy by later this year.Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50798379097575661582012-02-08T14:14:21.252-05:002012-02-08T14:14:21.252-05:00Is it possible that 'Zebulon' was a refere...Is it possible that 'Zebulon' was a reference to David 'Zeb' Cook?anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-57764502419114975582012-02-08T14:12:25.281-05:002012-02-08T14:12:25.281-05:00You mean you want the new edition of D&D to ig...You mean you want the new edition of D&D to ignore the 'Old School' fad? :)anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40451401252929606722012-02-08T12:56:04.279-05:002012-02-08T12:56:04.279-05:00I'm all for Monte Cook and co getting D&D ...I'm all for Monte Cook and co getting D&D Next to be FASERIP. ;) <br /><br />I likes me some innovation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10678503778316350427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72729314936460455882012-02-08T12:53:25.155-05:002012-02-08T12:53:25.155-05:00And it's worth mentioning that it's availa...And it's worth mentioning that it's available as a free (and legal, as far as I'm aware) pdf over at www.starfrontiersman.com.Greyhawk Grognardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13929743865700766901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79784241964479173172012-02-08T11:53:51.013-05:002012-02-08T11:53:51.013-05:00I put my copy of Zebulon's Guide on sale on eb...I put my copy of Zebulon's Guide on sale on ebay in 1995 as I needed the money and couldn't believe the bidding on it. I think I got about $100 for it, back in 1995, when I was just expecting about $10.Byteknighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10054740534108425253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-57876800368096159892012-02-08T11:41:16.590-05:002012-02-08T11:41:16.590-05:00I love color-coded charts games (the Conan from TS...I love color-coded charts games (the Conan from TSR was a very good game), but I felt it ill-used here. <br />I think changing completely a system of a RPG that has already been released with supplements is the RPG equivalent of a death-wish.Bhoritzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18240688745758454387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9718129522439879602012-02-08T11:30:44.324-05:002012-02-08T11:30:44.324-05:00Very subtle, Mr. Maliszewski. ;)
But I do very mu...Very subtle, Mr. Maliszewski. ;)<br /><br />But I do very much hope that the people to whom that last comment was directed take it to heart.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-15192032912449421842012-02-08T11:28:14.353-05:002012-02-08T11:28:14.353-05:00From the post: "Zebulon's Guide was relea...From the post: <i>"</i>Zebulon's Guide<i> was released as "Volume 1," but no subsequent volumes ever appeared."</i>faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86562909172704763872012-02-08T10:57:43.962-05:002012-02-08T10:57:43.962-05:00Did they ever do a Volume 2?Did they ever do a Volume 2?Justin Moharebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12641573888950423910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22673926267357540692012-02-08T10:15:03.110-05:002012-02-08T10:15:03.110-05:00I'd love to see a copy of Zeb's rewritten ...I'd love to see a copy of Zeb's rewritten for the original rules. Feel free to leave out the new races and mentalist, though ;)widderslaintehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16364618128943330961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32233851476832320182012-02-08T09:46:22.546-05:002012-02-08T09:46:22.546-05:00I loved this book. It greatly expaned my SF game. ...I loved this book. It greatly expaned my SF game. I do not think it contributed to the demise of SF, but just TSR policy issuing updates on games they soon cancel.Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07664681322748122090noreply@blogger.com