Kravell

Re: Can someone give me a idea about the Terran Empire? I read the review at http://www.rpg.net. http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9351.phtml Then I read the articles on Terran Empire in Digital Hero that didn't make it into the book. I haven't read the actual book yet (waiting for it to arrive in the mail) but I'm looking forward to the free trader travelling an empire, Traveller like aspect of the setting. The reviewer ran a campaign in the waning years of the empire to make a Star Wars like setting. Looks like a lot of options. Since I'm new to Hero, I also like all the rule parts (since I don't want to spend a lot of time making ships and aliens, I want to run adventures:)). According to the reviewer there are many many ships, aliens, high tech gear, and starting packages.

I know that the planet book and NPC book for Terran Empire have been pushed to the back of the line for new products. Steve, I was wondering if you've ever considered selling the two products electronically as PDFs? Even if you only offered one fourth of the original printed page count it would be better than the nothing currently planned. If they happened to sell well you could put out the rest of the pages later. If PDFs worked out, you could put out a little more variety of products, but with smaller page counts. Even one or two a year would help keep your existing customers who like a certain poorly selling genre and lure in new customers (like me!). Also, to help the new people checking out Hero and considering to buy, have you ever considered linking to the reviews at RPG.net? I've seen you respond there so you must know how favorable (and for a potential customer helpful) the reviews are. Just a thought.

Are any adventures being run for Star Hero/Terran Empire at Gen Con this year? In another thread, Steve said Star Hero supplements aren't selling well, which seems like a shame since Terran Empire is great. I don't know the Hero system well enough myself to run a game at a con yet. Is anyone else running adventures at conventions to get the word out about Star Hero/Terran Empire?

Re: Terran Empire--is it a finished ruleset/ready to go setting? At least Steve is honest with his customers (and is quick to respond too!). Just my luck to finally find a sci-fi ruleset/setting I like produced by a company that puts customer service first and then find out the game doesn't sell well. I'll just have to live with having just Terran Empire and the Spacers Toolkit for now. I know that sci-fi games don't sell well traditionally and any sci-fi game I get into is taking a chance. Star Hero looks good enough that I'm going to get it anyway. And who knows. Maybe the people I game with will like it enough to get some books too. Gotta get the word out.

Re: Terran Empire--is it a finished ruleset/ready to go setting? Thanks for the welcome, Bob. I hope Steve is reading this thread because if I get Terran Empire going I'm really hoping the planets book comes out next year. I can never have too many planets.

Re: Terran Empire--is it a finished ruleset/ready to go setting? Thanks Ben and Bob. I think I'll have to get the books for Terran Empire. Also, Ben, I noticed your title is Web Master. I noticed the title given to me under my name was Incompetent Normal. I'm sure Hero players know the term, but it took me by surprise! I don't know who set the default but I'm glad I caught it and changed it before I posted very often. Is that some type of hazing for new posters?! Despite the hazing (maybe because of it), I think I'll still get Star Hero!

If I get Hero, Star Hero, and Terran Empire will I have a complete ruleset and setting and be able to start right away? And will I only need to build new ships, aliens etc. as I come up with new ideas? I'm new to Hero. I know if I buy the Hero rulebook I need to use the rules to build ships, vehicles, aliens, planets etc. from scratch. If I understand Terran Empire (and more generically Star Hero), though, a lot of this work is done for me, providing balanced ships, weapons, maybe psionics (not sure if it is part of the setting), aliens etc. Am I correct in my thinking?

Re: Can Terran Empire be played with Sidekick? Thanks for the quick response Talon and Steve. I might use Sidekick mostly and use Hero to just add in the two rules you mentioned, Steve. Thanks!

I'm looking for a good sci-fi setting but don't need a lot of rules. Will the pieces and rule parts of Terran empire work with Sidekick, the lite Hero rules? Or will some of the new material not work without all the rules of 5th Edition? Thanks!