With all due respect to the designers, in the current market an interplanetary SF RPG like Prime Directive doesn't have a prayer on its own merits. Now Task Force has stepped forward with Prime Directive, 'The Star Fleet Universe Role-Playing Game.' Prime Directive is also based on the Franz Joseph license. Eventually, however, FASA got tired of wrangling with Paramount, the fussy corporate owners of Star Trek, and let the license drop, thus leaving Trekkies who also happened to be roleplayers twisting in the wind.

Then, in the fullness of time, FASA licensed the rights to Star Trek and published the logically-named Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game. That's why the game could make extensive use of Star Trek concepts like Vulcans, Klingons and the Federation and all their distinct starship designs, but couldn't use the names of any of the characters, or even the words 'Star Trek.' Instead, the game was licensed from Franz Joseph Designs' Star Fleet Technical Manual. SFB was the product of American trademark law gone berserk - although overtly based on concepts from the original Star Trek TV show, it didn't license Star Trek direct from the owners.

Olsen and Mark Costelloįirst there was Star Fleet Battles, the tactical space combat game from Task Force Games. PRIME DIRECTIVE Published by Task Force Games This article originally appeared in Pyramid #7

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