Remember the 80's

[qoSagh]

I just found a box with many of my older Star Trek books in it. One such book was written in 1987 and is called The Monsters and Aliens of Star Trek. I has an almost 2 page long article about the Klingons, which is interesting because of the fact that much of what we use for source material was not out yet. Here are some interesting excerpts.

The Klingon Empire is smaller than the federation. A long frontier links the two. Since the only Klingons ever met by Federation representatives have been military, our understanding of the race is one-sided. Their home world is unknown - even its name is not found in any records...

...Though females are not barred from the Klingon military, they do not seem as evident as in other aspects of their lives. Klingons view their women as too important for warfare. It is the responsibility of women to raise children for war. The women train their sons and daughters in the arts of warefare...

... Klingons do not believe in medicine. Their philosophy teaches that only the weak die of disease, and the race is better off without weaklings. ...

... In an effort to stop the plague of Tribbles unleashed accidentally by Kirk, the Klingons developed a spiderlike creature called a Glommer. The devour Tribbles and restore the ecological balance. ...

... There are Klingons of such ruthlessness and innate savagery, they are considered insane even by the standards of their own race. One such is Kahless the Unforgettable. ...

These section would have fit with many of our debates on these forums, but I thought the historical perspective was better if they were grouped together.

[ShinRa]

foolish federation! mere propaganda and slander, we do have medicine! and kahless was not insane by any stretch of the imagination ;p

[GTman05]

HA HA HA, ahhh the 80's, the decade time would like to forget, as for those books and magazine collection of yours, hang on to them, there actually worth quiet abit - well atleast they are here in down under.

[voraq]

When reading that "information" on Klingons, one particular quote came to mind:

"What is this!!  The DArk Ages!?"  To quote a certain Starfleet doctor

[X'na]

 

You're kidding. Good Gods, how far off could they have been? Not sure they could have been more wrong if they tried. Hind sight is a fun thing, isn't it? 

I have a "Star Trek:The Roleplaying Game" copyrighted '83 (but it's actually a re-release of the same game put out in 66, according to the copyright notice). Check out this little bit of Federation Propaganda from the "Cadet's Orientation Handbook"..:

QUOTE: "The Klingon Empire, a military dictatorship controlled by the alien race known as Klingons, is the chief foe and rival of the United Federation of Planets. Klingon culture has raised treachery, assassination, and similar acts to high arts." UNQUOTE


Treachery? Them's fightin' words..

There's lots more, but it was so far off the mark that at first I was mad, then I just had to laugh at the silliness of it all. Since this game is TOS, the two sectors did fight a lot, but there's no need for mud slinging. <chuckle>

[Abbot Nej vIt]

X'na,

Was this One of the FASA rule Books?

[Klythe]

     I think that it has to be Star Trek's copywrite that was 1966 since that was the first season of TOS.  No way any RPG books date that far back.   But, yes, the "Cadet's Orientation Handbook" is part of FASA's base system.   And it actually is deliberately written as Federation propaganda.   When they released the Klingon, Romulan and Orion supplemental books they were divided into two books, one book full of propaganda to give to the 'fleeter characters, and a deeper, truer book for the GM (or the appropriate alien Players).

(fixed typos - Klythe)

[Abbot Nej vIt]

My "Guess" is that you are Right Klythe, as is my Own... To My Knowledge Chain Mail and its Eventual D&D Supplemental Pamphlets were the First Formal RPG books on the Market and those came out in the Mid Seventies... FASA was the First Trek Specific RPG System that I was, or Have been, Aware of...

And I Still Have the Romulan And Orion "Books of Deep Knowledge"... But alas, Most of My Klingon FASA has Gone Walk about... (I am Generous to a Fault about Lending Books)... Have Not Even Looked at the Feddie Source Material in Forever... (Except the Ship Stuff as I was Working on a Simplified Fleet Battles for KSG)... So I Do not Recall off hand what is said about the Empire...

[X'na]

X'na,

Was this One of the FASA rule Books?

Apolgies for the length it took me to reply to this, I am offline during the weekends.

Yes, now that you mention it and as I look at the box, it does say FASA on the left hand corner of the box. The Game is a Second Edition, Basic Game. It's all intact, everything is there. I never really played it, having nobody to play it with, and not being into TOS that much.

[Abbot Nej vIt]

X'na,

Roger that... The Klingon Supplements to that Game have had a great Deal of impact on Klingon Fandom (Particularly in the "Early" Development of Several of the Klingon Specific Clubs out there)...

Regardless, you have a Genuine Collectors Item there...

maj! (Good)

[X'na]

X'na,

Roger that... The Klingon Supplements to that Game have had a great Deal of impact on Klingon Fandom (Particularly in the "Early" Development of Several of the Klingon Specific Clubs out there)...

Regardless, you have a Genuine Collectors Item there...

maj! (Good)

I'm willing to sell or trade for it if anybody is interested. I would rather it belong to somebody that can get something out of it, rather than it just collecting dust in my possession. If anybody is interested, email me (my addy is in my profile) and I'll give you all the details about condition, etc. 

[Klythe]

    I still have my old books from back then.      I should go look and see if I have First or Second Edition.