Once upon a time, over at the HERO Games boards, someone, disgusted with the crap that Marvel and DC were publishing, shouted out "I COULD DO BETTER THAN THIS SHITE!" Thus was born the first Superdraft.
That was more than ten years ago. At first the Superdrafts were just concerned with comics but as time marched on that changed. There have been Fantasy drafts, Western drafts, Spy drafts, Pulp drafts, Film Noir drafts, and many more.
I thought the denizens of the Trek BBS would enjoy giving this a try. All players are referred to as Owners (aka Team Owners), the person running the draft (in this case yours truly) is usually referred to as The Commissioner or Commish. It's basically a Football Draft for Fiction. The current copyrights have all expired and the characters are up for grabs.
So, what is this thing about, exactly?
This is about Luke Skywalker vs. the Romulan Tal Shiar, Green Lantern vs. the Galactic Empire, the Shadows vs. Rocket Raccoon! This is Space Opera, that special branch of SciFi that deals with the intrigue and romance of space travel. You are charged with the creation of an epic one-shot space adventure: it could be a comic book graphic novel, a TV mini-series, or a film. At the end, we’ll vote for our favorites, the ones that most deserve to be ongoing franchises. You have all of science fiction as your inspiration; your crew could be federation explorers, a scruffy band of rebels, a ragtag group of outlaws, an intergalactic delivery service, anything you can imagine!
Rules
1) Anything Goes. This is an Anything Goes style draft, which means the sources you may pull from are virtually unlimited. Comic books, literature, television, films, and even games! That’s right, RPGs and Video Games are a legit source for this draft. The limitation is that it must be from professionally published material. (i.e., you can’t draft your Star Trek Online character, but you can draft Darth Angral from Star Wars: The Old Republic. You can’t draft the fan designed USS Dreadnaught, but you can draft a ship from Star Trek Online.)
This is the rule that leads to the most questions, generally, so I’ll add FAQs under each type of draft pick.
2) Your Story. Selections will be broken down as follows:
a. Base of Operations. What is the central location of your story? This can be a mobile base (starship) or a stationary base (space station, planetside, etc.). This must be your first round selection.
b. Crew. Who are your protagonists? Notice I don’t say heroes, because they’re not always very nice. Outlaws, mercenaries, bounty hunters and general bastards are common scifi good guys. Your crew will have a minimum of six members.
c. Villain. This could be a specific individual (Darkseid) or an alien race (Klingons) or a larger power (The Galactic Empire). Many space operas only have one type of antagonistic force, so the minimum selection here is one.
d. Options. This is not a shared universe. In fact, it’s a blank slate for nearly everyone, so these picks can be used to further define your universe. Option picks can draft additional crew, additional villains, locations, or special technology. You have four option picks. (See FAQs and Clarifications below for details on this style of selection.)
3) 12 Rounds. That’s a total of 12 rounds. The draft begins on July 1st at Noon EDT. Each round follows at one per day, starting Noon EDT. Because there are 12 rounds we will not be taking the weekend off So we will pick on the 1st through the 12th. The poll should go up one week later on the 19th. Anyone joining late will make as many picks as needed to catch up. In other words - if you join on the 3rd you'll make 3 picks immediately, join on the 4th you'll make 4 picks, etc.
FAQs and Clarifications
General:
Can I choose alternate versions of characters?
Alternate versions are acceptable. However, once a particular character is chosen, all alternate versions are off the table. For example: if Classic Captain Kirk is drafted in round two, this eliminates Mirror Kirk and New Kirk from the rest of the draft. Also, drafting Starbuck (Katie Sackhoff) from the remake of Battlestar Galactica eliminates Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). If there are multiple examples of a character, you must select one.
Can I draft real people?
No, real people seldom make it into Space Opera type stories, so only fictional creations.
Do the characters have to come from space opera stories?
No, they can come from anywhere. Sometimes having Howard the Duck at your space station makes perfect sense.
Base of Operations:
Clarifications
Size: Your Base must be capable of supporting a crew of at least six. Therefore, light fighters and unmanned vessels are out of bounds. Beyond that, it can be any size, from the Millennium Falcon to a Star Destroyer. It also comes with the standard technology from the original story in which it appeared.
Stationary Bases: Satellites, such as Deep Space Nine or Babylon 5 are perfectly acceptable. Planetside operations, such as Stargate Command, are acceptable, too. Whole planets may be acceptable, too, as long as they’re very focused with small populations, such as Oa or Hoth.
FAQs
Do we get any crew for free?
If you choose a very large base, it will come with the requisite nameless crew to run the operation. Otherwise, the bridge crew must be selected. Small ships come with no crew at all. There is one exception: MOYA (Farscape) will come with Pilot.
Do we get the Vipers with the Galactica?
Yes. Small fighters and shuttles are a standard part of many types of ships. You don’t get specific pilots or crew for free, though.
If we choose Oa, do we get free Green Lantern rings for everyone?
No. If you draft characters that don’t have GL rings, and want to give them rings, you may use an Options pick.
If the Enterprise from the original series is selected, can I still draft the Enterprise - D from Next Generation?
Yes, these are distinct and separate ships, not merely alternate versions. However drafting the JJprise will take both the original and the Discovery versions off the table and vice versa.
Crew:
Does Luke Skywalker come with his light saber?
Yes, if you want. Any technology common to the character comes with them.
Does Luke Skywalker come with his X-Wing fighter?
Yes, if you want. Small, personal vehicles are included. It may not always fit your story, though.
Does Luke Skywalker have Jedi powers?
Yes, if that’s the one you want. You may draft a character from anywhere along their evolution.
Villain:
Does The Empire come with Darth Vader?
Yes and no. A large race or force will come with all the equipment, ships, troops, and the Big Boss. But you only get the other named personnel if no one else drafts them. Drafting The Empire gets you The Emperor, but not Vader, unless no one else drafts him. Want to be sure of getting Vader? Use an option pick.
Does The Empire come with the Death Star?
Yes, unless somebody else specifically drafts it. The Death Star may still be drafted by other owners since The Empire is so large and does not require the Death Star to define it.
Option Picks:
Clarifications
The option pick is to help you define your universe further. There are five options you can select with the Option Pick:
1) Crew. Select another crew member. Pretty straightforward.
2) Villain. Select another villain. Many stories use only one villain, but many others use several. For example: use this to get both Klingons and Romulans.
3) Allies. Characters that aren’t a part of your crew, but may be essential to your universe or story. Examples include UNIT (Dr. Who), Yoda (Star Wars), Captain Zapp Brannigan (Futurama), etc. (Note that this doesn’t mean these characters can’t be a part of your crew if you want.)
4) Locations. Special locations that aren’t a part of your base but help to define your universe. Examples include Cloud City (Star Wars), Milliways (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe), the prison planet Takron-Galtos (Legion of Super Heroes), etc.
5) Unique Technology. Technology is a major part of any SciFi universe. Sometimes you want the tech, but not the character. If you dream of giving a Luke Skywalker a Green Lantern ring, this is how you do it. The technology pick gives you unique technology that does not otherwise come with your base or characters. GL rings, light sabers, stargates, mecha, etc.
If Hal Jordan has been selected, and I draft GL rings, does Hal lose his ring?
No, personal technology will not be taken away by Option picks.
That was more than ten years ago. At first the Superdrafts were just concerned with comics but as time marched on that changed. There have been Fantasy drafts, Western drafts, Spy drafts, Pulp drafts, Film Noir drafts, and many more.
I thought the denizens of the Trek BBS would enjoy giving this a try. All players are referred to as Owners (aka Team Owners), the person running the draft (in this case yours truly) is usually referred to as The Commissioner or Commish. It's basically a Football Draft for Fiction. The current copyrights have all expired and the characters are up for grabs.
So, what is this thing about, exactly?
This is about Luke Skywalker vs. the Romulan Tal Shiar, Green Lantern vs. the Galactic Empire, the Shadows vs. Rocket Raccoon! This is Space Opera, that special branch of SciFi that deals with the intrigue and romance of space travel. You are charged with the creation of an epic one-shot space adventure: it could be a comic book graphic novel, a TV mini-series, or a film. At the end, we’ll vote for our favorites, the ones that most deserve to be ongoing franchises. You have all of science fiction as your inspiration; your crew could be federation explorers, a scruffy band of rebels, a ragtag group of outlaws, an intergalactic delivery service, anything you can imagine!
Rules
1) Anything Goes. This is an Anything Goes style draft, which means the sources you may pull from are virtually unlimited. Comic books, literature, television, films, and even games! That’s right, RPGs and Video Games are a legit source for this draft. The limitation is that it must be from professionally published material. (i.e., you can’t draft your Star Trek Online character, but you can draft Darth Angral from Star Wars: The Old Republic. You can’t draft the fan designed USS Dreadnaught, but you can draft a ship from Star Trek Online.)
This is the rule that leads to the most questions, generally, so I’ll add FAQs under each type of draft pick.
2) Your Story. Selections will be broken down as follows:
a. Base of Operations. What is the central location of your story? This can be a mobile base (starship) or a stationary base (space station, planetside, etc.). This must be your first round selection.
b. Crew. Who are your protagonists? Notice I don’t say heroes, because they’re not always very nice. Outlaws, mercenaries, bounty hunters and general bastards are common scifi good guys. Your crew will have a minimum of six members.
c. Villain. This could be a specific individual (Darkseid) or an alien race (Klingons) or a larger power (The Galactic Empire). Many space operas only have one type of antagonistic force, so the minimum selection here is one.
d. Options. This is not a shared universe. In fact, it’s a blank slate for nearly everyone, so these picks can be used to further define your universe. Option picks can draft additional crew, additional villains, locations, or special technology. You have four option picks. (See FAQs and Clarifications below for details on this style of selection.)
3) 12 Rounds. That’s a total of 12 rounds. The draft begins on July 1st at Noon EDT. Each round follows at one per day, starting Noon EDT. Because there are 12 rounds we will not be taking the weekend off So we will pick on the 1st through the 12th. The poll should go up one week later on the 19th. Anyone joining late will make as many picks as needed to catch up. In other words - if you join on the 3rd you'll make 3 picks immediately, join on the 4th you'll make 4 picks, etc.
FAQs and Clarifications
General:
Can I choose alternate versions of characters?
Alternate versions are acceptable. However, once a particular character is chosen, all alternate versions are off the table. For example: if Classic Captain Kirk is drafted in round two, this eliminates Mirror Kirk and New Kirk from the rest of the draft. Also, drafting Starbuck (Katie Sackhoff) from the remake of Battlestar Galactica eliminates Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). If there are multiple examples of a character, you must select one.
Can I draft real people?
No, real people seldom make it into Space Opera type stories, so only fictional creations.
Do the characters have to come from space opera stories?
No, they can come from anywhere. Sometimes having Howard the Duck at your space station makes perfect sense.
Base of Operations:
Clarifications
Size: Your Base must be capable of supporting a crew of at least six. Therefore, light fighters and unmanned vessels are out of bounds. Beyond that, it can be any size, from the Millennium Falcon to a Star Destroyer. It also comes with the standard technology from the original story in which it appeared.
Stationary Bases: Satellites, such as Deep Space Nine or Babylon 5 are perfectly acceptable. Planetside operations, such as Stargate Command, are acceptable, too. Whole planets may be acceptable, too, as long as they’re very focused with small populations, such as Oa or Hoth.
FAQs
Do we get any crew for free?
If you choose a very large base, it will come with the requisite nameless crew to run the operation. Otherwise, the bridge crew must be selected. Small ships come with no crew at all. There is one exception: MOYA (Farscape) will come with Pilot.
Do we get the Vipers with the Galactica?
Yes. Small fighters and shuttles are a standard part of many types of ships. You don’t get specific pilots or crew for free, though.
If we choose Oa, do we get free Green Lantern rings for everyone?
No. If you draft characters that don’t have GL rings, and want to give them rings, you may use an Options pick.
If the Enterprise from the original series is selected, can I still draft the Enterprise - D from Next Generation?
Yes, these are distinct and separate ships, not merely alternate versions. However drafting the JJprise will take both the original and the Discovery versions off the table and vice versa.
Crew:
Does Luke Skywalker come with his light saber?
Yes, if you want. Any technology common to the character comes with them.
Does Luke Skywalker come with his X-Wing fighter?
Yes, if you want. Small, personal vehicles are included. It may not always fit your story, though.
Does Luke Skywalker have Jedi powers?
Yes, if that’s the one you want. You may draft a character from anywhere along their evolution.
Villain:
Does The Empire come with Darth Vader?
Yes and no. A large race or force will come with all the equipment, ships, troops, and the Big Boss. But you only get the other named personnel if no one else drafts them. Drafting The Empire gets you The Emperor, but not Vader, unless no one else drafts him. Want to be sure of getting Vader? Use an option pick.
Does The Empire come with the Death Star?
Yes, unless somebody else specifically drafts it. The Death Star may still be drafted by other owners since The Empire is so large and does not require the Death Star to define it.
Option Picks:
Clarifications
The option pick is to help you define your universe further. There are five options you can select with the Option Pick:
1) Crew. Select another crew member. Pretty straightforward.
2) Villain. Select another villain. Many stories use only one villain, but many others use several. For example: use this to get both Klingons and Romulans.
3) Allies. Characters that aren’t a part of your crew, but may be essential to your universe or story. Examples include UNIT (Dr. Who), Yoda (Star Wars), Captain Zapp Brannigan (Futurama), etc. (Note that this doesn’t mean these characters can’t be a part of your crew if you want.)
4) Locations. Special locations that aren’t a part of your base but help to define your universe. Examples include Cloud City (Star Wars), Milliways (The Restaurant at the End of the Universe), the prison planet Takron-Galtos (Legion of Super Heroes), etc.
5) Unique Technology. Technology is a major part of any SciFi universe. Sometimes you want the tech, but not the character. If you dream of giving a Luke Skywalker a Green Lantern ring, this is how you do it. The technology pick gives you unique technology that does not otherwise come with your base or characters. GL rings, light sabers, stargates, mecha, etc.
If Hal Jordan has been selected, and I draft GL rings, does Hal lose his ring?
No, personal technology will not be taken away by Option picks.
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I think Sluggy and Faans have some book releases.
