Site Info
Xon Gaming
http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa
Last updated on 08/14/11

XON FASA Gaming: 
These pages are dedicated to the
FASA Role Playing Game and the Starship Combat Games!
This site is intended as a gaming resource for FASA Star Trek Players and suggested for those new to FASA ST.

SITE FEATURES:

• The FASA Star Trek Parts List; Extensive Listing of All FASA ST material. Community Wide Made.

• The FASA Catalogs; Image presentation of various catalogs, cover and inside. All from the 80's

• The FASA ADs; Image presentation of various magazine ads from the 80's

• The FASA Related Links; All the best sites.

• FASA Mechanics and System Brief; Highlights of notable points about the game.

• About the FASA Star Trek RPG; Background history

• Write-ups on various topics; Detailed researched subject papers.

• House Rules; Starship Combat Rule Pak.

• Constitution Refit Timeline; Primarily a timeline to track technical level changes.

• Miranda Class and the mysterious Romulan V-30 Winged Defender Refit.

• White Flame Mechanic and Rule Updates.

• FAN Additions; Optional Rules for the RPG and Starship Combat Games.

• Rated as a  -"FASA Q&A Site"- Morena Shipyards

• Rated as a -"Guide to all the FASA sites"- Morena Shipyards

• Rated as -"The Definitive source on FASA Star Trek"- Morena Shipyards

• Rated as -"The Authority for FASA Star Trek"- Crimson

• Rated as -"The best single site documenting the Trek games of FASA, and probably the best of its kind"- Groknard

• Site Wide Theories; To use for your game. They smooth over the inconsistencies in Trek Lore.

• Community Support from the best and worst of FASA Sites!

• Much More!

INTRODUCTION: I created (2001) and updated (2005) this site as a means to help populate the FASA ST Community. There where only a few main groups for this game and I felt if I supplied comprehensive links and a detailed catalog of FASA resources and products that I could help build awareness of this game. It turned out that there where many more FASA ST fans out there than there was noticeable. So this site is a gift to the first few people that had FASA ST sites. Unfortunately I never had a chance to play the game, other than running scenarios threw my head as a gamemaster, reading the manuals and designing some new FASA-Like rules.

The site got its name from the "forgotten Vulcan," Xon (pronounced Zahn). Who would have been a primary character in Star Trek back in 1979. But Nimoy returned to his role as Spock to be in the first movie, so Xon was changed to Commander Branch of Epsilon IX Station. As Branch he instead made a short appearance in the TMP movie. The character was killed off early by V'ger. See: Star Trek Phase II wiki-Xon

Resources at Hand:  Information and Resources I use that I consider very informative about the Star Trek existence are listed below. Some of the material was considered 'canon' at the time of there printing, authors may have added there own material based on there sense of Star Trek, this is usually done where no 'canon' material existed, perhaps rumors where used and speculation. Poor research or limited contact with Official sources may also have an effect on the quality of the material. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't. If you need any information or scans from this material, just contact me.

OPINIONS AND VIEWS (Ideal)

The opinions and views of this site are not intended to hamper anyone else's, I'm just trying to offer material or suggestions based on my experiences and hopefully correspond to the actual. I think that's what the majority of the real FASA-FAN users try to do anyhow.

canon = a word meaning "Paramount" or ALL Paramount material that is filmed star trek and any official material that directly effects the filmed events, including but not limited to the star trek production staff personnel, modelers, tech heads, etc... Caution; canon material can be contradicted with canon material.

To me canon is something to be researched from the start of what ever I'm looking into, such things like did Paramount mess to much with an original Trek expectation or resolution....

Anyhow we take Star Trek too seriously. Yeah, there's things we all don't like, perhaps because we know Gene Roddenberry wasn't watching over all of Star Trek, (Impossible for one person too do). Maybe your one that just likes accuracy in Star Trek or in any epic story. Just remember, all screw ups or inaccuracies in Star Trek can be fixed with today's technology. No matter what it is, words/audio , picture/image...

When working on this site I try to scrutinized allot of non-canon works, I don't want to end up making something, or doing something that voids canon and or fan excepted conclusions. There's times I would only use the non-canon work for unusual scenarios or campaigns that required an unfamiliar approach, such as something that doesn't exist in canon; Such as some non-canon Starships, there's a canon name, perhaps even some canon info about the ship, but the rest is non-canon but trek perfect, I'd except that until there is canon info for it. I of course would only consider a ship that contains the overall feel of Trek during the era the ship is designed for. Its great FASA included a construction manual in there line of books, since back then it helped expand the Trek world where little official material was present. Not to mention a big look into the design of the game. Today I see the book as a means of helping to incorporate canon ships that have been made after FASA's Trek line was discontinued, even to help balance the game. You'll find in many of the FASA sites that everyone is doing there research and the material supporting the FASA games to be A+.

However all material that is/has been later "ignored or changed" by Paramount will obviously be the new source.  For a very simple example:   The FASA ST:TNG books give different stats for the Galaxy Class compared to the OFFICIAL Technical Book published ~10 years later. Its clear to me that when the FASA Galaxy Class stats where made Paramount didn't have enough TV shows yet that helped define the specs as they are today. Of course this is a simple example that's a fairly obvious choice.

This site uses the Official Chronology for dates, and the Design Consortium Adjusted Dates. (Dates in yellow on this site are converted from the Design Consortium Date Conversion List, along side the dates I indicate what column I used.)

The ENTERPRISE TV Show material/information is well...under long consideration, damage was done there to Star Trek....I read some where ENT is not really Star Trek but an alternate universe, lol. Well that's a first step at rationalizing ENT.

Where does Official Canon Work come from? I don't want to get into it, its complex but you can find out on the web after awhile of reading, but I do believe they have some sense to collect and store licensed work, such as FASA material (and other publications) to be used by the film producers. Even unlicensed work is checked out at some point. Unfortunately over the years they haven't considered the better publications as much as they should have, in particular the FASA RPG that provided tons of information. One such Star Trek show in recent times, ST:ENT where FASA and other material should have been almost entirely considered, was not. Its the shows undoing. If any of the Treks shows needed Fan work or RPG license work, ST: ENT would be the one. Rejecting allot of the material would be counter productive.

Regardless Paramount has made and used original FASA material (and other publications) partially canon, such as using starship designs , blueprints and some background information in TNG. And no doubt there research is influenced by what is widely excepted, meaning anything mostly ironed out by fans and writers. Don't tell me Cochrane is from earth originally Paramount, he's not, we had over 30 years to figure that out, and it took way less than half to do it.

They have even used brief bits of the Animated series for canon purposes. Later Gene Roddenberry says he dislikes some/much of the Animated Star Trek happenings and prefers not to use it for "official use". He said he dislikes allot of the movies as well, but its improper to totaly ignore filmed events.

Things I'm not really interested in using for this Site
(I have to restrict what is used somewhere)

• The vast majority (but some) of the Starships that are not Canon ships, especially non-official FASA ones.

• Game Rules or Mechanics that are not FASA made or are not even FASA-Like.

• SFB History, That game held more ground to me when it didn't expand into the canon TMP era. I'm not interested in the rules. I Like the cover artwork though!!

• ---of course more---

Site Wide Theories; Briefs

Suggestions of mine how to explain some inconsistent Trek Lore. I happen to use these in several places on the site where needed.

Enterprise Class name - USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, Enterprise  class, commissioned. (Enterprise   class may have been referring to a refitted Constitution Class, or may have been just established for the USS Enterprise  itself, which is more likely. The original designers( Andrew Probert) of this refitted model of the Enterprise gave the class name as "Enterprise  class." STII gave evidence on a wall label. Which makes me believe that this class was established for the USS Enterprise   only, either in honor of or perhaps it was fitted with experimental equipment that wasn't yet used in any other Constitution Class Refit. In all respects the USS Enterprise  is essentially a Major refit, an upgraded Constitution Class.

The TMP ERA Starfleet modular craft design era - During the 2260's and early 2270's Starfleet invoked a modular design into several of there new equipment. Which included new Shuttles, Work-Bees, Travel pods with attachable augments, The Miranda Class Starship, Vulcan shuttle, and numerous other equipment was also involved in this modular era with interchangeable parts. Several components can be readily removed and replaced with different parts for new configurations.

The TOS/TAS/TMP Shields vs TNG shields - The TOS shields where never shown live, but in TAS they where shown when hit, the shields 'outlined' the ships hull, "on the skin of the ship," When one location was effected the entire shield outline glowed. The animation presented on TAS is a simple outline, and obviously surrounds the entire ship, depending on which angel your looking at the ship. Apparently transparent layers where to complicated to be shown on a 1970's cartoon. If you look at all the TMP ship bridge displays of shield diagrams you will notice that they too outline the ship when raised, but you have to remember this surrounds the skin of the ship.
FASA Trek's Starship Combat games ignore this evidence and adopted the "ball" theory, Where sections out of a larger ball extend around the top and bottom with their respective sides.
Also there would have been possibly no "structural integrity field' to speak of, that didn't happen apparently until TMP when an adolescent version of a SIF was used and where part of the shield systems themselves. Since no Live special effects where ever used, one can only assume the TMP period used the overlay type of shield system as well rather than the bubble form that a TNG ship would use.

Reliants Unusual Weapons -
SEE http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa/TheXonWriteups/miranda-class-pg1.html

V-30 and V-31 FASA Oversight -
SEE http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa/TheXonWriteups/v-30-31.htm

FASA's Limited Warp Rules -
SEE http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa/TheXonRulebook/warp_speed_and_combat.htm

Vulcan Shuttle/TMP shuttle -
SEE http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa/TheXonWriteups/shuttle.html

Actual REFIT Terms I'm working on these terms to better round out the actual to give me guidelines.

• Refit = A general or generic term to represent any type of improvement or advancement in a ships design.
•     Upgrade, Minor Upgrade, or Minor Refit = Typically a particular component and or system is updated on a ship.
•     Major Refit = Extended amount of a ships design is improved, usually over an extended amount of time, more than the normal.
•     Overhaul = is a rebuild up to CURRENT specs, not necessarily design specs.

• Up rated = A generic term to represent a ship that has not been considerably modified necessary, but tweaked.
•     Variant (upgrade) / Class Variant = A ship that is based on an existing design, and usually is more adequate for a single type of role, designed for a particular  type of mission or duty. More limited overall but specialized.
•     Variant Classes / Sub-Class / Class = Similar to a Variant but overall duties are retained with the specialized upgrades.

• Fleet Refit = A generic term; Typically a class wide redesign and up rate. Could take 'many' years to complete.

Class Variant vs Type/MK Refit - This is Regarding when a new ship is built based on a previous design, essentially either a refit retaining the core of the ship, refit upgrade or a modular modification, Should it be a different class on its own (separate data sheet) or should it be an MK revision (same sheet)? This information is primarily based on what I received from the FASA Trek Yahoo Group: Morena Shipyards. This brief is still in the processes of being refined....

FASA MK REFITing
This is the common method FASA uses when laying out starships with minor refits. You place all on the same data sheet. With something like Type I , II , III or MKI , II , III  This method is best for say minor refits and upgrade refits rather than major refits or overhauls.

FASA MK Variant
The common method among fans when dealing with starship variants is to continue to use the standard FASA method above; FASA MK REFITing. FASA has done this on occasion itself. This method is best for say major refits or overhauls. This would include something like a modular modification. You may choose to use the expanded MK Variant option below if significant changes are made or you want to still use one datasheet.

Expanding On MK Variant
This new method is used when the ship is actually an up rated or upgrade variant that retains the core of the previous types of ships.  The Variant is located on the same data sheet just like FASA MK Variant above but the Variant name added; EX: Variant Name-MK#  The problem with this method is since its on the same starship data sheet, it may spawn numerous columns, mucking up the sheet. This would be like having the Constitution and Enterprise Classes on the same datasheet.

Expanding onto Variant Class
Then there's the Class or Sub-Class Variant. This ship is placed on its own starship data sheet. The starship is rebuilt and refitted on the very core of the previous ship type, the differences are so great that the original type is only vaguely reminiscent. Such as on the V-30 and V-31 FASA Oversight. You would also compare this to how FASA separated the Constitution Class and the Enterprise Class (Constitution Refit) on two different data sheets, rather than providing MK revisions on a single starship data sheet.

About the images on this site /!\ All the images on this site are edited versions of the originals. Many aspects of the images may have been adjusted, such as size, dpi/resolution, compression, color, contrast, brightness, renamed etc... I have large .bmp versions of many images on this site, including catalogs, logos, buttons, etc... If you want untouched versions of any image on this site feel free to contact me.

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If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
This site is available at better game, rpg, and used book stores for viewing.

Site (C)  XON Gaming
(Made in the U.S.A, planet Earth)
This site is in no way associated with FASA Corporation or Fantasimulations Associates
nor Paramount Pictures Corporation

All I care about is that you do not make money off my information on my site, and you give credit or a link. But if you do make money, I'd like allot of that stuff ;) And then there's the contributions done by several poor fans that need some cash too!
If you find information on this site very well researched, then you may include it in a Star Trek Wiki.

Star Trek The Role Playing Game was published by FASA Corporation under license from Paramount Pictures Corporation, the trademark owner. The main rules where designed by Fantasimulations Associates. Additional work was done by Fantasimulations Assoc. Staff and FASA Staff.


American(U.S.A.) game company called FASA Corporation(FASA Corp.) was founded by Jordan Weisman and L. Ross Babcock III in 1980. They have been creating successful new game worlds since 1980. FASA's first major foray into the field was as a Traveller licensee, specializing in the work of the Keith Brothers. From there they moved into the first licensed Star Trek role-playing game, before producing several successful original games. FASA ceased active operations in the spring of 2001 - January 25, 2001.

The name "FASA" is an acronym for Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration,  it is not an abbreviation of Fantasimulations Associates.

Fantasimulations Associates
FASA was the publisher, while Fantasimulations Associates was the group of game developers (headed by Guy W. McLimore, Jr., Greg Poehlein and David F. Tepool) who wrote the first edition game and collaborated on the second edition. Fantasimulations Associates has since disbanded.

The FASA Star Trek Role Playing Game was also re-published under license by Games Workshop of the UK. They reprinted some of the FASA material for distribution to our friends in the U.K. Including the 2nd Edition rules and STIII Starship Combat Game. Also Games Workshop under the name Citadel provided the U.K. with FASA Miniatures. The covers of these products lacked a FASA Logo.

The FASA Star Trek Role Playing Game 2nd Edition again was re-published by FANPRO in 1997. They reprinted and translated the three books into a single Hardcover Book for distribution to our friends in Germany. The cover lacks the FASA Logo.

 
STAR TREK (C) Paramount Pictures Corporation. 
STAR TREK is a Trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation. - Viacom

From the collective resources of GENE RODDENBERRY and
STAR TREK (C) Desilu Productions Inc. - Norway Corporation

STAR TREK TAS (C) Filmation Assoc. - Norway Prod.

All rights reserved. No copyright infringement intended.

Remembering a Star Trek Fan ;)

Regarding TOS Planets; "All I every see are Rocks..." - FRAN (TNG puppy)
"Yeah?, I Like Rocks..." - Mark

Regarding TOS Phasers; "Why do they take so long to shoot?" - FRAN (TNG puppy)
"I don't know, its the 60's..." - Mark

END