Simple Starships
Work on Thousand Suns, Second Edition Begins
Last week, I floated the idea of revising the Thousand Suns rulebook. The response? Frankly, it was bigger than I was expecting, which really gratified me. I heard from all kinds of people, including some unexpected voices, and the message was loud and clear: don't just revise the 2011 rulebook; give us a whole new edition.
So that's what I'm doing.
This new edition will be a complete rewrite, top to bottom. The core rules and content will remain mostly the same. Thousand Suns will still be the game you know and enjoy, but everything will be presented in a cleaner, clearer, and more approachable way. My goal is to make the game easier to use at the table and more in line with the preferences of those who appreciate its more rules-light approach to science fiction roleplaying.
There's a lot more to say about this second edition and I’ll be doing that soon. I’m still sorting through the feedback I’ve received (thank you!) and that process is going to take a little more time. In a couple of weeks, I’ll post a full update with a detailed look at what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what’s still under discussion.
In the meantime: I’d love your help.
One area that’s definitely getting an overhaul is starships. Both starship construction and combat are going to be redesigned from the ground up to be faster, simpler, and more fun to use. That’s no small task, but I think it’s an important one.
To tackle it, I’ve teamed up with Greg Videll, the author of Starships. Years ago, he created a streamlined starship construction system that I’ve always admired and now he and I have put together a new playtest draft built on those foundations, which is why we need your input!
Click this link to download the PDF of the system, as well a spreadsheet to assist in its use, should you want one. Give it a read, try it out, and let us know what you think:
Is it clear?
Is it fun?
Does it give you the right level of detail and complexity?
Would you actually use this at the table?
Send your feedback to jdmaliszewskiATgmail.com with the subject line [STARSHIPS]. You can also comment below, but email is best. That way I can easily share your thoughts with Greg and make sure you get a response from the source.
Every bit of feedback helps us refine the system and bring Thousand Suns closer to a second edition that lives up to its potential. I truly appreciate your time, your thoughts, and your enthusiasm. More soon!