The Future of TrekRPGNet

It’s been awhile since I’ve done an editorial – I figure you have better things to do with your time than to listen to me! However, with all the information surfacing about the new RPG from Decipher (including the exclusive first look here on TrekRPGNet), it seemed about the right time to bring you all up to date.

What really spurred this editorial was a question posted to the Discussion Boards asking about the future of TrekRPGNet. Specifically, once the new RPG comes out, what will happen with all the Icon material that is online? It’s a good question, and one worthy of answering again, as not all of our visitors have the time to frequent the messages on our Discussion Boards (but you should!).

Back in September of 2000, after the Decipher acquisition, I made the following statement:

Again, you, the visitors, drive these issues. If Decipher's game is the greatest thing since sliced bread and no one want to play/support Icon Trek anymore, then TrekRPGNet will have to adapt to survive. Likewise, if support for Icon Trek remains strong, I see no reason why TrekRPGNet can't continue to provide you with all your Star Trek gaming needs.

Now, some eight months later and after a host of changes, I have to say that my position really hasn’t changed. Sure, I’m hard at work helping with the new RPG and there’s exciting stuff coming up in the future from Decipher, but that really doesn’t affect what we already have.

Just as over the years the Star Trek game from FASA maintained a long and loyal following, I am sure that the Icon System will enjoy similar, if not greater, success. The Icon System did a lot of things right, is easy to master, and is highly adaptable with a bit of work. This greatly prolongs its lifespan beyond the demise of Last Unicorn Games.

Also, the Icon content that we have online takes up (realistically) very little space or resources. Our Computer Core, Netbooks, and Discussion Boards are where the real resource-munching files live, so there’s no reason I can think of to “get rid of” our Icon material. Like many of you, I have a healthy investment in the Icon System so can certainly understand that many will not want to change to another new system in such a short span. (To that, all that I ask is to give the new Decipher game a fair try before passing judgment.)

TrekRPGNet’s motto two years ago when we started was “Four Role Playing Games – One Web Site.” Now, obviously the fourth RPG in that slogan was Voyager, which never came to pass under the LUG banner, but that fourth game can just as easily represent the new incarnation of Decipher. At least, internally, that’s how I’m resolving things.

So, with that said, TrekRPGNet becomes an amalgam of both the past and the future – supporting two different games with the same dedicated fans.

As long as people continue to send in submissions for the Icon System, we’ll continue to post them. When the new Decipher game comes out, we’ll pass along the same support to it that the Icon System enjoyed these past several years. If, at some point, should demand for the Icon System dwindle down, what we currently have will at least remain for everyone to enjoy.

Two-and-a-half years ago, when I started TrekRPGNet, we had just a handful of submissions from the likes of Patrick Murphy, Molotov, Reginald, Allan Shock and today we’ve grown larger than I could have imagined. Over a thousand registered users, 30,000 online messages, and over 1 million web hits a month.

All because of one RPG.

A New Look
After finishing up The Dominion War Sourcebook by Steve Long, I’m now turning my attention to a project that I’ve been meaning to complete for some time now – a complete redesign of the TrekRPGNet web site.

Today’s current look is pretty much the same as when we launched – static HTML pages that require a lot of work to update and add new content. We’ve had a number of Editors help with content over the years and before Keith Garrett or Doug Burke get burnt out, I want to try to make their lives easier!

So, we’ll be getting a new look “soon.” Something cleaner that uses space better, makes it (hopefully) easier to navigate, a real working poll system, and support for dynamic content. We’ll also be moving to a server-based backend for more dynamic content and XML to make Keith and Doug’s lives easier and content go online sooner.

Part of this is my own desire to freshen things up. The other part is to transition us away from static pages to better support multiple product lines. That way, if you’re interested in solely Icon System material, you’ll be able to have TrekRPGNet only show you Icon System material – you don’t have to bother with anything else. Plus, something that people have always requested: printer-friendly output. Also, I’ll be adding support for advertisements on TrekRPGNet. It’s a necessary evil, I’m afraid. As the popularity of TrekRPGNet grows, so does the cost out of my own pocket.

Unfortunately, something this large is going to take awhile and won’t happen overnight. Content might be offline for brief periods until moved into the new system and I’m sure we’ll have more than a few bugs to work out. It’s all for a good cause!

And A Thank You
In closing, I would be remiss if I once again didn’t pause to take the time to thank everyone for his or her contributions to TrekRPGNet. What we do here wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of a great many people. This ranges from the Editors that provide their time free of charge to put up content, the Moderators that provide their time in an effort to make the Discussion Boards a pleasant experience, anyone who has ever sent in a submission to the site, and even the people that take the time to post on our Discussion Boards.

Your combined contributions are what make TrekRPGNet, the sum of us working together, so successful.

So, with that said, a personal “thank you” from me to you.

Don Mappin
Webmaster, TrekRPGNet

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