Terran Empire

[Checkmate]

Well I have to say Hero did it again. Terran Empire every bit as good as Star Hero. The write ups for the races were awesome (I wish they were longer but the book would have to be 800 pages) and the art is top notch.

I have to say I'm really happy with the Star Hero line of books. IMO they have been better than the Champions books, and this is coming from a guy who has never used Hero System for anything but Campions except for online games.

[Steve Long]

Thanx for the kind words! Glad to hear you're enjoying TE.

Check out DH #8 and #9 (the March and April issues, respectively) for lots more stuff from TE, including expanded descriptions of several alien species and a bunch of psionic powers.

[ShadowRaptor]

what are the aliens like in the book? I don't have it yet and my LGS is really slow in getting some newer books and I know I want to buy it, but what am I missing out on???

[Checkmate]

There are all kinds of different aliens. A lot of the book consists of aliens, what they look like, perosnalities and governments. Most are humanoid (consistant with Space Opra genre), but they do have energy beings, and my personal favorites a little bug that uses apes for a host body. Again the only complaint I could think of to make was I wish the alien write ups could have been longer, but I can't even make any suggestions of what to cut to keep the book from being 800 pages. I have to say I'm really impressed with the quality of the book.

[Monolith]

Mine came in today! All I can say is...

Oh My God!

This book is incredible! This book is 100 times better than I ever could have imagined it to be. Even after reading the playtest manuscript, and having had 2 game sessions in the campaign, I was blown away!

I really like this book! :)

[Agent Escafarc]

Just got mine (US Priority Mail is goooood)

First thing that comes to mind is:

ANDREW CREMEANS' ALIENS ROCK!!! THEY MUST BE MADE AVAILIBLE IN
C O L O R ! !

[AnotherSkip]

no offense but I still feel I need nothing more than the FREd and im good to go!


:)

[TechnoViking]

Originally posted by Monolith
Mine came in today! All I can say is...

My ^#$@#*^@*GLS will probably not get it till next week.

Mike

7:23pm: My FLGS got it this afternoon with a late delivery from UPS.
:)

[Checkmate]

Anotherskip-
You are absolutely right, all you really need is Fred, but if don't don't buy Star Hero and Terran Empire you are seiously missing out. I have never played in a game that uses the "Official" setting, and I doubt I ever will, but the amount of ideas and cool information and springboards I got from thses two books make them both worth every penny I spent on them.

Agent-
Andrew has always been my favorite Hero Artist. Nothing worng with the other guys, I just prefer his style.

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Agent Escafarc
ANDREW CREMEANS' ALIENS ROCK!!! THEY MUST BE MADE AVAILIBLE IN
I was thinking that even if they are not available in color, it would be great to have the b&w pics made into cardboard figures. That way we could print out a dozen of each race and use them in the game. Of course color would be better, but no reason for DOJ to pay to have them colored. I'd be happy with a b&w download. I would even pay to get them (saves me the trouble of messing up my book to try and scan them myself).

[Agent Escafarc]

Second thought:

I'm going to have a lot of fun with the Followers of Willis the Divine :D :D

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Agent Escafarc
Second thought:

I'm going to have a lot of fun with the Followers of Willis the Divine :D :D Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?

(Sorry; I just couldn't resist!) :D

[ShadowRaptor]

A couple questions: What is FREd mean?

two: can you give specific details as to the nature of the universe that TE is set in, things about cybernetics and psionics, things like that...and what different organizations are in it besides the TE? My store still doesn't think its out yet, and unfortunately I don't have the $$$ to order it online yet...and I definately want this book.

[Nato]

Grrr. I'm still waiting for my copies. I really can't wait. I as well loved Andrew's aliens. They are some of his best Hero work yet. They were available for the rest of the artists to work from for reference and they made drawing them MUCH easier. Way to go Andrew.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Originally posted by ShadowRaptor
A couple questions: What is FREd mean?


Fifth Rules EDition. There is a great deal of controversy among Hero circles on whether you should call the main Hero System Rulebook FRED.

Some people claim it's somehow disrespectful. Others say it's a cute little acronym and very memorable. I personally fall into the altter camp.

Now all we need is to figure out a book to call BARNEY and we'll be all set....:D

[Nato]

Eh. That was my old "callsighn" in the Air Force. Anyone calls me or another Hero book BARNEY and I'll be seriously peeved.

[acremeans]

Guys thank you so much much, you've made my week.
I am really proud of this book beause I ended up doing 29 illustrations in about 21 days on top of my day job so it was "fun."
I've always looked at role playing game books's artwork and thought that the artists must have forever to work on those illustrations. Nope, these deadlines are tight and most of us have day jobs so I've come to appriciate every single artists' artwork in every one of these books.
Working for Hero has been a blessing because of how cool Steve and Andy Mathews are, it makes life a lot easier.
I'm currently working on painting the cover to "Spacer's Toolkit." so don't fret, you'll see a lot of these guys in full living color soon enough.

Thanks again ladies and fellas,
- Andrew Cremeans

P.S. To be touted as anybody's favorite artist other than the people I have to pay off is always an added bonus. ;)

[Michael Hopcroft]

Originally posted by Nato
Eh. That was my old "callsighn" in the Air Force. Anyone calls me or another Hero book BARNEY and I'll be seriously peeved.

Ouch. And I can see why you would be.

Getting back to teran Empire -- I've ordered my copy by Internet and am waiting for it to come by whatever means it comes. Hopefully it'll show up in my PMB during my trip.

I hope the Terran empire book didn't fall into "there was only one emperor -- he just happens to be immortal/keeps on cloning himself/etc." trap.

[Steve Long]

I'm currently working on painting the cover to "Spacer's Toolkit." so don't fret, you'll see a lot of these guys in full living color soon enough.

And it is, I must say, a way cool cover. It shows a bunch of explorers of various species using gadgetry to explore a mysterious alien ruin -- while Xenovores lurk in the shadows! Even if TE itself doesn't make you want to run a game using the setting, this cover illo will. ;)

[Checkmate]

As far as why I (as well of a bunch of others) call the book Fred is actually Steve's fault. Before 5th Ed. Came out we were discussing what we were going to call it since we call 4th Ed. the BBB (Big Blue Book). Steve said something like, "I don't care if you call it Fred as long as you buy it", and since then it's name (in my mind anyway) Has been Fred. After the fact people started coming up with what Fred could stand for, but originally it was just a name.

Mr. Creneans-
I never really paid attention to artists before, but being on these boards I've gotten to "meet" a lot of, if not all, the artists that do work for Hero (heck Keith Curtis GM's in an online game I'm in), so I've started paying more attention to the names. I have to say my ALL TIME favorite piece of Hero art is on page 26 of Star Hero. It's not becasue she's not wearing much either (well not totally the reason :D ). It's her hair the spots on her shoulder the way she's standing, but most of all it the eyes. That picture just rocks. Is there any story behind that picture?

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft
Ouch. And I can see why you would be.

Getting back to teran Empire -- I've ordered my copy by Internet and am waiting for it to come by whatever means it comes. Hopefully it'll show up in my PMB during my trip.

I hope the Terran empire book didn't fall into "there was only one emperor -- he just happens to be immortal/keeps on cloning himself/etc." trap.

Nope. There's a definite line of succession of Emperors and Empresses; some good, some bad.

[acremeans]

Originally posted by Checkmate
I have to say my ALL TIME favorite piece of Hero art is on page 26 of Star Hero. It's not becasue she's not wearing much either (well not totally the reason :D ). It's her hair the spots on her shoulder the way she's standing, but most of all it the eyes. That picture just rocks. Is there any story behind that picture? [/B]

There definitely is a story behind this girl, I just don't know if I'm allowed to tell it. ;) J/K
Actually, one of the cool things about working with Hero has been that there have been characters that have been flowing in my head for the last 15 years or so, (whether I had intended them to be in a novel, a comic book, who knows) that just never went anywhere. Occasionally I'll get an assignment where I think one of those characters could fit nicely, and just being able to let them see the light of day is rewarding enough.
This girl in question was an alien called 'Jazbea' in a book I wrote a long time ago that never went anywhere. I fell in love with the character so much that I've been trying to fit her into anything I could. I think the art order for this pic called for "Seductive Alien coming on to you and not letting you out the door."
So I thought "Boioioiong, Jazbea."
Funny enough though, in my story she had a scaredycat robot friend named "F.e.e.b" that I just happened to fit into the illustration on page 147. (F.e.e.b. appears in one of the Champions books too, or part of him anyway.)
It's just a huge liberating freedom to have preconceived ideas getting published, it lets you get them out and move on to new and better ideas.
There are hidden things and stories in just about every single one of my pictures. I can't speak for all the artists but I know I've talked to Steve about hiding relatives names, personalities or likenesses into the books. It's always nice to hand your brother in law one of the books to look at the artwork and to see his face when he realizes that he's now a Star Commander of a Space Ship.
I've had the privilege of working with and being really close friends with Brad Nault for five years now at my day job, and before he started illustrating for Hero, I drew him as Phoenix in CKC, so if any of you wonder what artist Brad Nault looks like, check out CKC. (Maybe not as muscled, but yes he ACTUALLY SHOOTS FIRE FROM HIS EYES I'VE SEEN IT!)
*Sigh*
Anyways, short story long, Jazbea. *cat calls*

- Andrew Cremeans

[acremeans]

Originally posted by Checkmate
It's her hair the spots on her shoulder the way she's standing, but most of all it the eyes. That picture just rocks. Is there any story behind that picture? [/B]

One more thing, thank you for noticing the spots on the shoulders. I happen to think a few freckles are quite sexy on a human, and even sexier on an alien. *man I'm a nerd.*
If you have any other questions, post them and I'll happily answer them on Monday when I get back in town.
Thanks again for the kind words folks,
- Andrew Cremeans

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft
Now all we need is to figure out a book to call BARNEY and we'll be all set....:D

My vote for that goes to 3e DnD.

"MY ThacO
Is a three.
Let's go play
some D n D......"

:D :D :D

[keithcurtis]

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft
Now all we need is to figure out a book to call BARNEY and we'll be all set....:D

That would be a brawling manual, I take it.

Keith "See, 'barney' is slang for a fight, and... oh, never mind" Curtis

[C_Zeree]

Originally posted by Checkmate
I have to say my ALL TIME favorite piece of Hero art is on page 26 of Star Hero. It's not becasue she's not wearing much either (well not totally the reason :D ). It's her hair the spots on her shoulder the way she's standing, but most of all it the eyes. That picture just rocks.

Well…

I agree that is one of the finer pieces found in the hero books. Yep, nerdy puns on many levels.

Knowing that you (Andrew Cremeans) drew that figure, and now hearing that you did may of the illos in Terran Empire as well, makes me want to by the book all the more. Congrats to you on your talent and success thus far.

[MisterVimes]

Can I say how MUCH I love the Races in Terran Empire?
Great job!

[zakueins]

Honestly....

I was a bit disappointed by Terran Empire.

(Puts up 1.3x10^17th rPD/rED Hardened force field....)

My two biggest pet peeves were how the Imperial Government was organized (in that the system seemed to have remained static from start to finish, without much changes), and that the game's universe felt flat....as if there wasn't any real "get up and go" motivation towards any real adventure. For an example, GURPS Traveller has the whole upcoming Fifth Frontier War on the horizon, Imperial spying of Zhodani core expeditions via Longbow II, the mysterious death of Duron, etc, etc, etc, etc. Referencing the future of the universe is nice, but there should be more data about the game PRESENT....

It's got good info, tho-I did buy it, and I'm going to keep it.

[Agent Escafarc]

Originally posted by zakueins
Honestly....

I was a bit disappointed by Terran Empire.

(Puts up 1.3x10^17th rPD/rED Hardened force field....)

My two biggest pet peeves were how the Imperial Government was organized (in that the system seemed to have remained static from start to finish, without much changes), and that the game's universe felt flat....as if there wasn't any real "get up and go" motivation towards any real adventure. For an example, GURPS Traveller has the whole upcoming Fifth Frontier War on the horizon, Imperial spying of Zhodani core expeditions via Longbow II, the mysterious death of Duron, etc, etc, etc, etc. Referencing the future of the universe is nice, but there should be more data about the game PRESENT....

It's got good info, tho-I did buy it, and I'm going to keep it.

I think there are tons of plot seeds in the book. I like the fact that they left most of the details up to me. I'm not hemmed in to one type of campaign(i.e. I don't have to run a Star Wars/Traveller knock-off) I can take it in any direction I want without having to rewrite the whole sections of the book. In fact the only change I've made so far is to the ship write-ups(Upped the inches of flight,eliminated non-combat movement,changed any FTL that wasn't Hyperspace to Hyperspace, and changed the way Hyperspace works from Teleport to Extra-Diminional Movement linked to Meaga-scale Flight)
As others have said before it's just a game, use what you like and change the rest:)

[keithcurtis]

I have to agree on the subject of plot seeds. While reading through the book, I constantly had to fight of the urge to start writing up adventures. There is an idea in almost every paragraph, certainly one on every page.

Keith "Time...Limited... Must... resist... running... Star... Hero..." Curtis

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Nato
Eh. That was my old "callsighn" in the Air Force. Anyone calls me or another Hero book BARNEY and I'll be seriously peeved. Okay, so if Steve decides to reinstate the publication of Hero System Almanacs, we'll do our best to restrain ourself from calling them the Books of Altered Rules Needed Every Year. :p