CADET TRAINING HANDBOOK DESIGNER'S NOTES
A lifetime ago, in 1986, I was talked into doing a product known as
Introduction to Star Fleet Battles by our publisher's marketing director.
It proved to be a smash hit, as well as an interesting design challenge
(to produce a simple game). In the years from 1986-91, we totally revised
Star Fleet Battles, turning the third (Commander's or Golden Anniversary)
edition into the fourth (Captain's or Doomsday) edition. The old
Introduction to SFB product was out of print and only a fading memory (and
a hot collector's item). A player talked us into
reprinting it, and the expanded version became the Cadet Training Module.
In late 1996, it was decided to expand that product with new sections and turn it into the Cadet Training Handbook. That product remains in print, and a very popular item for beginning players.
By 1998, we had signed the deal with Interplay to produce Star Fleet Command, and, in 1999, ADB Inc. became an independent publisher rather than just a design house. The gang at Interplay offered us the chance to include Cadet Training Handbook on the CD for Star Fleet Command in order to show the new generation of computer players that there is more than one way to fly a starship.
Now, don't get me wrong, computers and computer games are great things in their place. Nothing can beat the convenience of an opponent who is always ready to play. But, on the other hand, nothing can beat the camaraderie of a human opponent sitting across the table, a few sodas and a bag of pretzels. I hope you all find SFB as fun to play as it was to design. --Stephen V Cole, Professional Engineer