From:	Steven A. Tinner bluewizard@*****.com
Subject:	Decipher
Date:	Mon, 26 Jul 1999 00:23:23 -0400

I've been fairly quiet so far, and I don;t want to drag this post out any
farther than it already has gone, but IMO there's a few points that should
be made.

1 - WotC buying TSR IS the BEST thing to happen to TSR in years. They have
certainly NOT been "silent" in the past year. They have revamped Dragon
Magazine, released several excellent products (Return to the Tomb of
Horrors, and soon ...Against the Giants!)
WotC has turned TSR's lackluster website (which once upon a time was a LOT
like FASA's) into a good site. There's a good amount of introductory
material, and some nice downloads for the fans (character sheets, etc.) If
Decipher does this for FASA that will be an excellent start!
Most importantly, TSR is no longer cranking out 12 supplements a month. They
have sold off all their Dragon Dice, Blood Wars and Spellfire cards, and
discontinued this non-selling crap. This was a GREAT business move for them,
and I hope that Decipher can also help FASA/Ral Partha here too.
IMO FASA is OK here, but Partha has been making some really crappy mini's of
late.
They seriously need to update their line of minis to more closely resemble
industry leaders Games Workshop, Heatbreaker, Enigma, etc. Larger scale,
better detail, etc.
Personally I want an SR troll mini that is actually at a reasonable scale
when compared to the human minis!!!!!

2 - A BIG plus for Decipher is that they are the undisputed KINGS of
thoroughness!
Bull and I used to joke about how only Decipher could take a 2 second line
from Star Wars, and turn it into 10 different cards!
IMO this is also good for FASA. How many times are listmembers here
complaining that FASA has introduced plot point X and then never expanded
upon it?
I can't see that happening with Decipher at the helm.

3 - SRTCG might actually get a chance at seeing print again!
I'd really like to see the cards some of us playtested actually see print!
I was really itching to play those!

My ultimate opinion is that NO, FASA has NOT abandoned us, or sold out.
IMO they made a sound business move that should free up more funds for the
SR line.
Help reaise public interest in SR, and hopefully simply add more "umph" to
an already great company!

Steven A. Tinner
bluewizard@*****.com
http://listen.to/tinner
"God is my co-pilot, but the Devil is my bombardier."