Archive-name: star-trek/card-games
Posting-frequency: Weekly
Last-modified: 10/18/96
Version: 1.5

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Rec.games.trading-cards.startrek Frequently Asked Questions  10/18/96
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CONTENTS

1) What is rec.games.trading-cards.startrek all about?
2) I'm new to Star Trek card games. Can I still contribute to discussion?
3) What do these acronyms stand for?
4) Where can I find information on ST:CCG?
5) Where can I find information on ST:TCG?
6) Who are Q, DAnswerMan, and FSNetRep?
7) Who is Wesley and what does COTD stand for?
8) I have some great stuff for sale! Should I post it in r.g.t.startrek?
9) The rules to the game I play are unclear in this situation. Can you help?



1) What is rec.games.trading-cards.startrek all about?


   Rec.games.trading-cards.startrek is a group where you can discuss collectible
   card games based on Star Trek. As of October 1996, these include "Star
   Trek: The Card Game" from Fleer/SkyBox International and "Star Trek: The Next
   Generation Customizable Card Game" from Decipher, Inc. The official charter
   follows, which gives a detailed explanation of this group:

   CHARTER: rec.games.trading-cards.startrek
 
         This group is for discussion of trading card games
         related to Star Trek. Discussion of all aspects of the games
         is welcome, as well as announcements about tournaments,
         expos, etc. Official announcements from the manufacturers of
         the games should also be posted here. Discussions of
         collecting the games are welcome as well; however, trading
         (including buying, selling, and auctions) and trading related
         discussions are not appropriate for this newsgroup and should
         be posted to rec.games.trading-cards.marketplace.misc.

   
   Of course, this only tells of the present-day r.g.t.startrek. A bit of
   history is necessary:

   The group was originally proposed as r.g.t.decipher, which would have
   included not only ST:CCG, but also the Star Wars card game that Decipher now
   produces. This idea was scrapped because the lasting popularity of the
   Decipher games was questioned by some. The group proposal was changed to  
   r.g.t.sci-fi. This new offering restricted discussion topics less than
   r.g.t.decipher since any game of the sci-fi genre could be discussed. The
   proposed group's subject was then narrowed because of high ST:CCG mailing
   list traffic that would warrant a group dedicated only to Star Trek.
   R.g.t.startrek was born. The new group was proposed, discussed, and voted
   for. It passed, with 193 YES votes and 75 NO votes. And the rest is (more)
   history. 

   For the original r.g.t.decipher, sci-fi, and startrek proposals and charters,
   e-mail the author of this FAQ at the address below.



2) I'm new to Star Trek card games. Can I still contribute to discussion?

   
   This group is not only a group where experienced players discuss Star Trek
   card games. It is also a group where beginners can learn more about the game
   in which they're interested. New viewpoints make r.g.t.startrek more
   interesting. Everybody is welcome to add their two cents in any discussion.
   And questions about the games are always well-received, especially if you 
   have read this FAQ and the ST:CCG FAQ before posting (see below, #4).



3) What do these acronyms stand for?

   The following acronyms are commonly used on r.g.t.startrek:   

   - ST:CCG = Star Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game (by
   Decipher)

   - ST:TCG = Star Trek: The Card Game (by Fleer/SkyBox)

   - AU = Alternate Universe (an expansion set for ST:CCG)

   - QC = Q-Continuum (an expansion set for ST:CCG)

   - ST:TNG = Star Trek: The Next Generation

   - ST:TOS = Star Trek (The Original Series)

   ST:TNG and ST:TOS are used by some to represent ST:CCG and ST:TCG,
   respectively, to avoid confusion of the two similarly-titled games.



4) Where can I find information on ST:CCG?

   
   Decipher offers many documents that can make you an informed player of their
   ST:TNG card game. Two of the most important documents are the ST:CCG FAQ and
   the AU Rule Notes. They'll bring you up to date on how ST:CCG is played, and
   they'll prevent you from posting a question or comment that has been posted
   before. However, don't ask fellow newsgroup readers to e-mail you any sheets,
   for you are wasting your time and theirs. All official documents concerning
   ST:CCG can be obtained through the following channels from Decipher.

   - The EmailBack system: Send an e-mail message to EmailBack@decipher.com with
   the subject heading CATALOG to receive a listing of the information available
   through Decipher's EmailBack system.

   - The Web site: http://www.decipher.com

   - The FTP site: ftp://ftp.decipher.com/pub


   If you are looking for other places to discuss ST:CCG, Decipher offers a WWW
   bulletin board at:

   http://www.decipher.com/stccg/stccg-bbs.html


   Another forum for discussion is Decipher's ST:CCG discussion mailing list. To
   subscribe to this list (or any other Decipher list mentioned in this FAQ),
   send a message to majordomo@decipher.com with no subject and the following
   text in the body:

   subscribe <list>

   Replace <list> with the name of the mailing list to which you want to
   subscribe. In this case, you would subscribe to the discussion group:

   stccg-discussion

   Another useful list is Decipher's list for major company announcements,
   appropriately titled:

   decipher-announce

   For more detailed instructions on how to use the "Majordomo" mailing list
   manager, send a message to majordomo@decipher.com with no subject and the
   following text in the body:

   help 



5) Where can I find information on ST:TCG?

   
   Information on ST:TCG, which includes the checklist, game rules, and FAQ can
   be attained from the Fleer/SkyBox website:

   http://www.skybox.com/skybox

   Information requests can also be directed to the Fleer/SktBox NetRep (see #6)
   at this e-mail address:

   FSNetRep@aol.com



6) Who are Q, DAnswerMan, and FSNetRep?

   
   Q is Decipher's "NetRep"- he will answer any questions you have about ST:CCG.
   You may also see Q listed as DAnswerMan. It is the same person; DAnswerMan is
   what Q was formerly called. If you have questions for Q, you can either post
   them on rec.games.trading-cards.startrek, or you can e-mail him at
   Q@decipher.com.

   FSNetRep is from Fleer/SkyBox and will handle any questions you have
   concerning Star Trek: The Card Game. Questions to FSNetRep can be posted to
   rec.games.trading-cards.startrek or e-mailed to FSNetRep@aol.com.



7) Who is Wesley and what does COTD stand for?


   Wesley has been the author of Wesley's ST:CCG COTD (Card of the Day) since
   March 1995. He is not Wil Wheaton, and he is not affiliated with Decipher.
   However, he is an avid ST:CCG player and an excellent strategist in the game.
   Wesley's Card of the Day is posted to r.g.t.startrek and the stccg-discussion
   list mentioned above. Past issues are recommended reading for those who wish
   to develop new combos and strategies. They are available at this web page:

   http://www.worldonline.nl/~ldp/COTD.html



8) I have some great stuff for sale! Should I post it in r.g.t.startrek?

   
   Simply put, no. As is clearly stated in the rec.games.trading-cards.startrek
   charter, sale/trade posts are inappropriate. The group that your post belongs
   in depends on what you are selling.

   Sale/trade posts concerning Star Trek trading cards that are game-related
   belong in rec.games.trading-cards.marketplace.misc.

   Sale/trade posts concerning Star Trek trading cards that are not game-related
   belong in rec.collecting.cards.non-sports.

   Sale/trade posts concerning Star Trek figurines, models, and other
   collectibles belong in rec.collecting.


   ST:CCG dealers (_not_ ST:TCG dealers, sorry) can also explore the options
   that Decipher offers. There is a WWW bulletin board at:

   http://www.decipher.com/stccg/stccg-mkt-bbs.html

   A ST:CCG sale/trade mailing list is also maintained by Decipher. It is:

   stccg-marketplace

   To subscribe to this mailing list, follow the instructions given in
   Answer #4.



9) The rules to the game I play are unclear in this situation. Can you help?

   
   There are many excellent players in this newsgroup that can help you with
   rules questions. However, your questions are most appreciated when they have
   not already been asked. Before you post a rules question, be sure to read the
   rulebook for your game thoroughly. If your question concerns ST:CCG, also
   check the ST:CCG FAQ and the AU Rule Notes, available from the sources given
   in #4. If your question remains unanswered, post it. You should get a fairly
   quick response from fellow players.


--
In no way, shape, form, or phase do I guarantee the accuracy of everything
in this document.

Special thanks to: Kathy McCracken, Nicolas Bier, George AKA FSNetRep,
Thomas Langberg, Wesley Crusher, and the boys at Icon Factory.

This FAQ is archived. It can be fetched for your reading pleasure at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/star-trek/card-games

Any questions or comments on this FAQ can be e-mailed to its maintainer, John Teti Jr., at this address: johnteti@kear.tdsnet.com.
