Editing Star Frontiers (section)

== Publication history ==
Although TSR was a pioneer in developing science fiction role-playing games like the [[generation ship]] game ''[[Metamorphosis Alpha]]'' (1976) and the [[post-apocalyptic]] ''[[Gamma World]]'' (1978), they didn't immediately publish a [[space opera]] to rival [[Game Designer's Workshop]]'s very popular ''[[Traveller (role-playing game)|Traveller]]'' (1977). Then in the early 1980s, [[David Cook (game designer)|David Cook]] and [[Lawrence Schick]] developed the rules for a TSR game they called ''Alien Worlds''. Those rules turned out to be too complex, and Cook and Schick severely edited the game to produce a more streamlined system — a 1984 article in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' noted that much of the material excised from ''Alien Worlds'' "was felt to be too complex; playability was emphasized in the final version over complete realism."<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Star Questions | magazine = [[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] | date = May 1984 | issue = 85 }}</ref> The revised game was titled ''Star Frontiers'' and was published by TSR in 1982.

In 1983,  Mike Gray, Allen Hammack, Harold Johnson, David C. Sutherland III, and Steve Winter revised and expanded the game; this was released as ''Star Frontiers: Alpha Dawn''. About the same time, TSR released ''[[Knight Hawks]]'' (1983), designed by [[Douglas Niles]],<ref name="Dragon #108">{{cite journal |date=April 1986 |title=TSR Profiles |journal=[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] |location=[[Lake Geneva, Wisconsin]] |publisher=TSR, Inc. |issue=#108 |pages=66 |quote=In the summer of 1982, I designed my first game, the Knight Hawks rules for the Star Frontiers game, with much help from my editor, [[Steve Winter]].}}</ref> which provided rules for using starships, and for starship combat.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Slack| first = Andy| title =Open Box: Knighthawks | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 51 | pages =12 | publisher =[[Games Workshop]] |date=March 1984 }}</ref>

TSR released several more adventures to take advantage of the expanded rules in ''Alpha Dawn'', including SF-3: ''[[Sundown on Starmist]]'' (1983), SF-4: ''[[Mission to Alcazzar]]'' (1984), SF-5: ''Bugs in the System'' (1985) and SF-6: ''Dark Side of the Moon'' (1985).

Adventures using the ''Knight Hawks'' spaceship rules included SFKH-1: ''[[Dramune Run]]'' (1984)<ref name="Imagine15">{{cite journal |last=Nutt |first=Stephen |date=June 1984 |title=Game Reviews |journal=[[Imagine (game magazine)|Imagine]] |type=review |publisher=TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |issue=15 |pages=18–19}}</ref> and a trilogy set "Beyond the Frontier" in which the players learn more about the Sathar and foil their latest plot (SFKH-2: ''[[Mutiny on the Eleanor Moraes]]'' (1984),<ref name="SG2">{{cite journal |last=Epperson |first=Jerry |date=July–August 1984 |title=Capsule Reviews |journal=[[Space Gamer]] |publisher=[[Steve Jackson Games]] |issue=70 |pages=47}}</ref> SFKH-3: ''Face of the Enemy'' (1985), and SFKH-4: ''The War Machine'' (1985)<ref>{{Cite web |title=SFKH - Star Frontiers Knight Hawks {{!}} Series {{!}} RPGGeek |url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgseries/249/sfkh-star-frontiers-knight-hawks |access-date=September 15, 2022 |website=rpggeek.com |language=en-US}}</ref>).

[[File:Cover_of_Star_Frontiers_Character_Record_Sheets_1984.png|thumb|right|[[Star Frontiers Character Record Sheets]], cover art by [[Larry Elmore]], 1984]]
In addition to adventures, several game aids were released, including the ''[[Star Frontiers Referee's Screen and Mini-Module]]''  in 1983, and the ''Star Frontiers Character Record Sheets'' in 1984, a 32-page book of [[character sheet]]s<ref name="Imagine15"/> with cover art by [[Larry Elmore]].<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5 |page=316}}</ref>

Two modules published in 1984 also re-created the plot and setting of the movies ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' and ''[[2010: Odyssey Two]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rasmussen |first1=Merle |title=2001 A Space Odyssey |date=1985 |publisher=TSR Hobbies Inc |location=Lake Geneva, WI, USA |isbn=978-0880380836}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nesmith |first1=Bruce |last2=Smith |first2=Carl |title=2010 Odyssey Two Adventure |date=1985 |publisher=TSR Hobbies Inc |location=Lake Geneva, WI, USA |isbn=978-0880381833}}</ref>

In 1985, TSR signalled a new expansion to the game by publishing ''Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space'' (1985) which introduced several additional races and radical changes to the game's mechanics.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 1986 |title=GameMaster Reviews |url=https://rpggeek.com/rpgissuearticle/31830/gamemaster-reviews |journal=GameMaster Publications |issue=3 |pages=58}}</ref> Although several more volumes were planned, they were never published, as TSR abruptly ended support for the ''Star Frontiers'' game.<ref name=mahg /> Various reasons for this sudden termination have been proposed — RPG historian Stu Horvath presented the possibility that TSR was angling to gain the game license for ''[[Star Wars]]'' and "ditched ''Star Frontiers'' on the hubristic assumption they could outbid the competition." Whether or not this was the reason, TSR ultimately lost a bidding war for the ''Star Wars'' rights to [[West End Games]].<ref name=mahg />

=== ''d20 Modern'' ===
After TSR's takeover by [[Wizards of the Coast]] (WotC), the ''Star Frontiers'' [[campaign setting]] was resurrected and updated for WotC's ''[[d20 Modern]]'' role-playing game system in the science fiction supplement ''[[d20 Future]]'' (2004); the new revision was titled ''Star Law''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Appelcline |first=Shannon |title=d20 Future (d20M) - Wizards of the Coast {{!}} Product history |url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3738/d20-Future-d20M |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218140434/https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3738/d20-Future-d20M |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |access-date=September 15, 2022 |website=[[DriveThruRPG]] |language=en}}</ref>