Plans for PDF ship packs on e23.

[JimDauphinais]

After that, the plan for ship cards on e23 is basically this...

Pick an empire. (All card packs would be single-empire, since -- I admit I am guessing -- players want them that way.) We then select 12 ships from that empire (not really worried about what product they are in). This would include at least one "bonus" ship and at least one communique ship (if there are any for that empire) and at least one captain's Log ship (if there are any from that empire) at least one or two entirely new ships (perhaps selected by player votes). We probably would not include BoM ships (separate packs for those). We'd then release said pack of 12 for $9.95. The goal would be a pack a week, perhaps working our way up to two packs a week if all goes well (i.e. no piracy and good sales).

I will be buying the PDF 12 packs of the Briefing #2 ships to get color cards.

I will likely buy 12 card packs for empires that will most likely never be seen as laminated cards and have not previously been made fully available in color (e.g., Frax, Omega Sector, Captain's Log Ships, Border of Madness, etc).

I see no reason why I would want to buy 12 card packs that include a good number of cards that have already been produced as laminated cards. Moreover, including new bonus ships in such packs would not help the matter. If anything, that would upset me.

The bonus card approach works for the boosters because the duplicates in the boosters are nice professional quality laminated cards for which the counters have already been provided. This would not be the case with PDFs that include cards that are already available in existing products as laminated cards. I would likely never print those duplicate cards and would not be willing to pay $9.95 just to get a couple of new bonus ships.

[DirkSJ]

I see no reason why I would want to buy 12 card packs that include a good number of cards that have already been produced as laminated cards. Moreover, including new bonus ships in such packs would not help the matter. If anything, that would upset me.

The bonus card approach works for the boosters because the duplicates in the boosters are nice professional quality laminated cards for which the counters have already been provided. This would not be the case with PDFs that include cards that are already available in existing products as laminated cards. I would likely never print those duplicate cards and would not be willing to pay $9.95 just to get a couple of new bonus ships.

I agree with this. I like the booster model having duplicates of things I already have because they are nice and laminated already and it's common to want more than one of many ships, especially small ones.

I don't believe any already-laminated ships should be included in the PDFs. I either already have nice laminates of those or I already chose not to buy that booster (or will buy it in the future). Having those in the PDF will just make me feel like I am only getting a couple ships for my money. The dupes will be useless.

[Steve Cole]

The reason I asked the question is because I want the answer, so keep answering me. I want everybody's answer. People had told me before that they wanted PDFs of the laminated cards. Now, at least two say they don't. So I need a lot more input before making a decision. Do you guys want a product designed by some other player who uses the ships some other way, or do you want a product designed by YOU for use the way YOU use the ships?

[storeylf]

I would be very likely to buy a pdf of ships that have not yet been seen in boosters (briefing 2, communique and CL ships). I already have every booster, and may well not (but wouldn't say definatley not) be inclined to buy a pdf of those to get 1 ship I don't have.

[pinecone]

Well, I probably won't buy any of the B2 cards (maybe the Feds and Generals and Klinks, but dat's it), simply because I already have them. I wouldn't really wan't to buy a bunch of duplicate ship cards (Again, maybe Feds and General, probably wouldn't even bother with the klinks there.) The Point of buying new products is getting new ships right?

I would buy a scenario Pdf. Scenarios make me happy. And to be completely honest, I was thouroughly un-impressed with the Hydran Attack Scenarios. Honestly, putting in the scenario that was used to determine whether stingers were too powerful? Come on...

Again, I request the boosters that never were. They seemed like cool ideas! What about one with the Heavy Police Ships, or the Heavy Command Cruisers? What about more war cruiser and NCA variants?

I would buy the Omega Comander Pdfs, and some Early Years Pdfs too. I mean, we only have 1 or 8 ships for either.

[OGOPTIMUS]

Personally, I would not likely buy pdfs of ships that I already have official cards for or those that are in communique, I'm happy with what I can get and make already.

And repackaging the ships into new sets with new and different bonus cards would be INCREDIBLY frustrating. I would not buy these at all, since it would be $10 for one card, and just do without the new bonus ship cards.

That said, I do like the Briefing #2 ships and I am seriously considering buying them. And if this is the way to get the ships from Boosters #93-95 released, then I'd likely buy those too.

And if the cards from Captain' Log were grouped as 'Ships from CL#38,39,40' or whatnot like how they are at the starfleetstore already, rather than mixed in with the other cards for that empire, I'd be more inclined to buy those too.

Would these pdf sales mean the end of ship cards in communique?

[JimDauphinais]

Adding another nail to the coffin to the idea of including in the PDFs ships already produced in laminated form, if someone really wants to be able to print ship cards (that are already available in laminated form) on the fly for their personal use, all they need to do is scan their copy of the laminated card and then print copies on a color printer when they need them.

[pinecone]

That's my point too. Maybe take the "bonus" ships and put them all into one Pdf for $15 or something. I would seriously consider buying that.

And one request for these things: could you put counters in them for the ships? I like counters too.

[Dan Ibekwe]

I'd be interested in PDF packs for the Frax, to avoid having to hunt through numerous Communiques, CapLogs et.c, and the Early Years ships (and, indeed, some *more* EY ships). Also the 90-series boosters.

[JimDauphinais]

I see no problem with packs for Frax, Early Years, Boosters 93-95 (if they never make it to laminated form), Border of Madness or Omega Sector -- especially if they include the rules (and charts) for the ships being added. Moreover, I believe the "new" ships in Communique and Captain's Log are technically for playtesting.

[Carthaginian]

The Frax as a single, 12-15 card set with rules for their special ships included, would be in the top 5 of my list of 'gotta have' PDF files. I could easily see giving $12 or so for that.

[Scoutdad]

I too would put a FRAX only pack at the top of the list of must haves.

[pinecone]

I see no problem with packs for Frax, Early Years, Boosters 93-95 (if they never make it to laminated form), Border of Madness or Omega Sector -- especially if they include the rules (and charts) for the ships being added. Moreover, I believe the "new" ships in Communique and Captain's Log are technically for playtesting.

\

I would buy all of these, where as I would not buy a Pdf of "already laminated" cards.

What about the "Battle Packs" that never happened? Those could be Pdf too.

[dreamingbadger]

That's my point too. Maybe take the "bonus" ships and put them all into one Pdf for $15 or something. I would seriously consider buying that.

And one request for these things: could you put counters in them for the ships? I like counters too.

A me too on this; I wouldn't really want to pay for ships I already had, but I might just do it for the "bonus" ships. An alternative might be a "mix and match" approach? is there any facility for this?

[Steve Cole]

For marketing and production reasons, all PDF packs will be 12 ships and $10, so please stop "designing" packs that are $12 or $15 or whatever. They won't happen. The Frax will probably be done in two packs, maybe three or four.