2/9/2006 - The
website isn't currently working but I
did just get this news item from Greg
Ellis:
It is with deep
regret and heartfelt friendship that
Ellis & Company Publishing announces
the retirement of partner, friend,
long-time Fire On The Suns community
member, and FOTS contributor Todd A
Zircher from active participation in the
company and the FOTS community. Known
for his contributions to Fire On The
Suns and FOTS: Tactical Command, TAZ
also developed the acclaimed FOTS
Tactical Command 2 and Cluster War game
systems. TAZ has been a valued member of
the E&CP partnership since it was
formed in 1995 and he will be missed. He
moves on to pursue other projects.
As part of his
retirement from the FOTS community and
partnership TAZ retains his copyrights
to TCOM2 and Cluster War and will be
re-publishing them in a future, non-FOTS
product of his own.
Fire On The Suns:
Tactical Command is currently
out-of-print and is undergoing a
complete facelift. Ellis & Company
Publishing expects that the product will
be re-released by March, 2006 with the
tentative title of Fire On The Suns
Fleet Strike.
FOTS Fleet Strike
will be a 60-100+ page pdf-format
rulebook available via the web or on
mini-CD or regular CD or DVD. A printed
version is not expected to be made
available at this time. FOTS Fleet
Strike is the grand tactical (6 light
minute per hex) and tactical (1 light
second per hex) replacement for FOTS
Tactical Command and will include ship
designs and fleet listings for all of
the major and minor powers in the Fire
On The Suns strategic campaign game, and
new, updated tactical rules which will
include ship facing, ship heading, ship
thrust, weapons firing arcs, four
different types of FTL drives and how
they effect the game at the grand
tactical and tactical levels, local
space "weather" and objects
rules, and a complete listing of the
basic FOTS technologies and how they
work in the game system.
Much effort has
gone into making FOTS Fleet Strike
completely compatible with Fire On The
Suns. The rules will allow a prospective
admiral to command his fleets with much
more control and detail than that
experienced by players of the strategic
game.
Pricing for FOTS
Fleet Strike is yet to be determined,
but we expect it to be in the $15-$20
range.
Fire On The Suns
Fleet Strike was written by Greg Ellis
and edited by Todd A Zircher, Brad
Clarkston, and Jeff Engel.
1/30/2003 -
Here is a section of the latest press
release from Ellis & Company
dealing with TCOM2 and Fire
on the Suns:
Early sales of
Todd Zircher's Fire On The Suns:
Tactical Command 2nd edition are also
extremely promising and Ellis &
Company Publishing plans to release
several additional supplements for
TCOM2 modeled off FOTS The Quintera
Cluster War and FOTS The Xaban Cluster
products which are nearing release.
This has delayed, slightly, releases
of additional Fleet Books for TCOM 1st
edition. Todd has also developed a
node for TCOM or TCOM2 for use on the
OpenRPG server for face-to-face combat
between opponents via the web.
12/16/2002
- Fire
on the Suns: Tactical Command, 2nd
Edition (TCOM2)
is now available. Here are the
contents of the CDROM - Over 100
megabytes of programs, images, and
more:
- 65-page rulebook
(PDF format)
- 140-page Fire on the Suns Campaign
Book (PDF format)
- Dozens of printable maps, counters,
box miniatures, and control sheets.
10/22/2002 - Fire
on the Suns: Tactical Command, 2nd
Edition (TCOM2)
is gearing up for release and I've
gotten some information about it from
the designer, Todd Zircher. TCOM1was
intended to be a paper version of the FotS
battle engine and be able to handle
fast kill fleet action. TCOM2
will have more tactical detail than TCOM1,
yet won't be overloaded with it like
some other game. It
uses a a hexagonal damage allocation
template (DAT) that also doubles
as a ship design tool. TCOM2
will also try something new as it will
be distributed on a CD-ROM including
the rules and much more. I'll
let Todd describe the game and the
CD-ROM contents:
"What good is
a space combat game if you can't rip
gory chunks out of your friend's
battle cruiser? TCOM2 is a high tech
slug fest where your custom designs
can tear into each other. Using the
elegant damage allocation template,
one diagram contains your design,
determines the angle of attack, and
allows you to apply damage based on
the kind of attack.
Particle beams
slash. Missiles explode and dig into
the hull. Deadly X-Lasers burrow in
seeking delicate internal components.
Is your death dealing cruiser sleek or
a flying meatball? Size (and shape)
does matter. That needle cruiser may
be hard to hit from the front or rear,
but it very vulnerable from the sides.
Your hull designs, choice of weapons,
and the placement of equipment have a
direct impact on the tactical
capabilities of your vessels.
TCOM2 is nearly
unlimited in its configurability and
can be used with just about any genre,
movement system, or technology base.
Besides the core rules, the TCOM2
package includes the Fire on the Suns
Campaign Book, DAT Builder software,
dozens of maps, counters, box
miniatures, and the V_MAP play by
e-mail software."
10/29/2001 - FOTS: TCOM1 and
Fleet Book 1 showed up in my
mailbox today so they must be
shipping. More info when I have
a chance to go over it a bit more.
10/1/2001 -
Greg sent out the following update:
"Work is moving
ahead smoothly with FOTS: TCOM1 and
its first supplement Fleet Book 1.
I've found less-expensive cover and
counter material and am confident that
I can lower the prices on both of
these products to more reasonable and
completely affordable levels without
losing my proverbial shirt.
Thus, the new pricing
schemes for these products, which are
on-schedule to be released on October
15th are as follows,
Fire On The Suns:
Tactical Command 1st edition
Contents: One 52-page
rulebook
Four 5-1/2x8-1/2 cardstock
countersheets (416 counters)
Two 5-1/2x8-1/2 Fleet Control
cards
Fire On The Suns:
Tactical Command 1st edition Fleet
Book 1
Contents: One 36-page
rulebook
Four 5-1/2x8-1/2 cardstock
countersheets (416 counters)
Two 5-1/2x8-1/2 Fleet Control
cards
Advance orders are
being taken. Official release date is
October 15, 2001."
9/19/2001 -
Due to a few more tweaks and changes
to things like fire arcs, the release
date for TCOM1 and Fleet
Book 1 is now October 15th.
9/7/2001 -
Greg Ellis let a bit more info on TCOM1
slip in discussions on SFCOMSIM-L
though it looks like a few more
additions to the game will be added
thus delaying its release a bit:
"FOTS
is supposed to be the Emperor's game, TCOM1
is supposed to be the Admiral's game. TCOM2
is supposed to be the Captain's game."
"TCOM1
has everything it needs to be a fast,
fun, and furious game (think "Ogre"
with starships)"
"TCOM2
has everything (thanks to TAZ and
George Velez) - firing arcs, sweeping
weapons, damage silhouettes, detailed
damage, etc. Unfortunately, it's
scheduled for next year release as it
has yet to be fully playtested (or
even partially at this stage)."
8/22/2001 -
From Greg Ellis of Ellis &
Company Publishing:
Fire On The
Suns: Tactical Command 1st Edition
(TCOM1) has gone through
a complete rewrite and thorough update
to fit within the existing rules and
design system. By August 31, we will
begin publishing printed versions of TCOM1
as a complete game. This game will
include 416 color cardstock ~3/4"
counters, two 11x17 hex maps, 2 fleet
control cards, and the rulebook in
5-1/2x8-1/2 folio size format. A
4-scenario mini-campaign, a random
scenario generator, and 2 partial 1st
Generation fleet lists are included in
the main rulebook. FOTS: TCOM1
will be priced at $10 (56 pages, color
cardstock cover).
In addition to the main TCOM1
rulebook and game, an additional
supplement - Fire On The Suns:
Tactical Command Fleet Book 1 will
be published at the same time. This
supplement will include another 416
counters, two more fleet control
cards, an 8-scenario mini-campaign,
two 2nd Generation fleet lists, an
alternate, vector-based movement
system, special and optional rules,
and more. This book will run
approximately 40 pages in 5-1/2x8-1/2
folio format and will be priced at $8.
Both TCOM1 and Fleet
Book 1 are in final edit.
Following Fleet Book 1 will be
at least an additional 3-4 Fleet Books
containing counters, multiple 2nd
Generation fleet lists,
mini-campaigns, campaign setups, more
1st Generation fleet lists, histories,
and more. We would like to see these
supplements issued every month, but
it's more likely that they will come
out every 2 months instead. It's
highly likely that The Quintera
Cluster War, The Xaban Cluster, The
Swarm War, The Unspeakable War, The
Creator War, and Vampire Wars will
first see publication as TCOM1
Fleet Books or related materials which
means we'll definitely be seeing some
of these before the year is out.
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