FASA and the Star Trek universe in the 1980's

[Mikey]

I've never been into the FASA Star Trek games, but I did buy into their manuals and I even had a pretty nice size collection of their ships.

Today thinking back, the FASA universe has been all but forgotten.
Around when Next Gen came out, suddenly everything FASA wasn't canon anymore and I reluctantly had to reeducate myself on just about everything Trek.

Anyone else get kind of pisched when Paramount made the FASA universe non-canon ?

[txteach]

I have actually never heard of it Mike. What does FASA stand for? Is it an alternate universe?

[Seeker]

Yeah I had a copy of the Federation, Klingon and Romulan ship recognition manuals as well as several of the small models.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I had the basic game and a lot of the expansion games but to tell the truth I was too lazy to read all the manuals and learn how to play. I actually sold it all on ebay last year. I think I might still have some of the information manuals like ships of the federation. I had a lot of the ships too. I used to like painting them but I think I gave a few to my son to play with and the rest I tossed.

[Mikey]

I have actually never heard of it Mike. What does FASA stand for? Is it an alternate universe?

FASA was a role playing game that dominated the Star Trek geek universe in the 1980's.
They made games, mini ships and technical manuals.
Most of it was set during or right after the classic movies.

Paramount led the fans to believe it was all canon.... But when Next Gen came out, they did a 180.

[Seeker]

I had the basic game and a lot of the expansion games but to tell the truth I was too lazy to read all the manuals and learn how to play. I actually sold it all on ebay last year. I think I might still have some of the information manuals like ships of the federation. I had a lot of the ships too. I used to like painting them but I think I gave a few to my son to play with and the rest I tossed.

Yeah its alot like me and Warhammer. I build and display the models and like reading the codexes and such for the back stories but could care less for playing the actual game.

[chunky B]

I have a few of my ships still, I think a cargo one, a destroyer, a broken Constitution Class and a few little lead Tholians and D-7. I didn't know they were non-canon though.

This is what you are talking about right?

star-trek-destroyer

[Earth 2 Chris]

At one time, wasn't EVERYTHING canon? Comics (at least the DC series), novels, games, animated series, etc?

I remember when the first Trek Encyclopedia come out, they stated upfront nothing but the live action stuff was canon (I think they even mention that Star Trek V was considered apocryphal by Rodenberry). Although clearly some aspects from the animated series made it in (Robert April for one).

Chris

[Mikey]

I always wondered if Micromachines used some of FASA'a old Starship moulds.

The finished products look very familiar

[johnmiic]

Mike,

You have FASA miniatures? I had the Excelsior and the FASA Romulan warship. They used the Romulan warship in the DC comics stories. I lent them to a guy who was going to re-cast them in plastic for me and when I asked him how it was coming along the bastiche says to me: "What Miniatures???" The denebian slime devil stole 'em from me just like that! Post some pics sometime when you get a chance!

ChunkyB,

That looks like it was plastic. I think someone other than FASA was doing plastic earlier on. I know I have the Enterprise and The Dreadnaught. I never had the skill to paint them tho and they remain in storage and un-painted. I'll have to dig them out sometime.

[Mikey]

Mike,

You have FASA miniatures? I had the Excelsior and the FASA Romulan warship. They used the Romulan warship in the DC comics stories. I lent them to a guy who was going to re-cast them in plastic for me and when I asked him how it was coming along the bastiche says to me: "What Miniatures???" The denebian slime devil stole 'em from me just like that! Post some pics sometime when you get a chance!

ChunkyB,

That looks like it was plastic. I think someone other than FASA was doing plastic earlier on. I know I have the Enterprise and The Dreadnaught. I never had the skill to paint them tho and they remain in storage and un-painted. I'll have to dig them out sometime.

That really sucks, John

What a SOB

I don't have any of mine anymore.

I gave my whole collection away back in the mid 90's

I think I had ......

Enterprise (classic)
Excesior
Reliant
Gorn ship
and a few Federation ships never seen on screen.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

When FASA got the rights to the game they HAD to clear EVERYTHING through Paramount and Roddenberry. So the game stuff was cannon. Mostly. The game designers would come up with the plots, histories, back stories.... they'd get approved and then get published.

But things changed when the Next Gen came out. Roddenberry wanted the new show to have a less military feel; and kaiboshed anything vaguely militaristic. Which is a big part of why the line died soo after the show came out. Worst thing; they had a Gorn manual ready to be published, but it got shelved 'cos it was too war-focussed.

Don C.

[Captain]

Never actually owned the manuals, but i've read some of them. Even at the time, I never really thought of any of it as canon though.
I will admit the ships were cool, and I still consider some of those sort of official. Especially the names, which were much more creative than calling everything a warbird or a bird of prey. Orion Wonderer class, Romulan Graceful Flyer, etc....great stuff.