Difference between revisions of "Digest Group Publications"

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(I just stumbled on the previous edit and was surprised by its inadequacies and incomplete picture. The fixes were byond a mere edit pass so I offer to you this rewrite. In particular the section about DGP's demise and having it's Traveller license pu)
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'''Digest Group Publications''' (DGP) was started in 1985 by [[Joe Fugate]], [[Gary L. Thomas]], [[Nancy Parker]] and others. DGP was one of several publishers which produced material for Traveller under a license granted to each by [[Game Designers Workshop]] (GDW). Between 1985 and 1993, DGP published for Traveller: 21 issues of the [[Travellers' Digest]], 10 sourcebooks, and 4 issues of the MegaTraveller Journal. ''For a complete list, see the'' [[DGP_List|DGP bibliography]].
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Digest Group Publications (DGP) was started in 1984 by Traveller fans [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Joe_Fugate Joe D. Fugate Sr.] and [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Gary_L._Thomas Gary L. Thomas] . The venture was founded around “[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Travellers%27_Digest_%28meta%29 The Traveller's Digest], a [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Designers_Workshop GDW]-approved publication inspired by the “[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Journal_of_the_Travellers_Aid_Society Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society], but adding a new spin. Each issue followed a regular cast of four characters as they toured much of the game’s [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Third_Imperium Third Imeprium], allowing them to explore areas of the game’s established background which were only previously little more than interesting sounding map locations.
  
In 1986, GDW used the exploding production talents of DGP, with Joe Fugate as lead developer to produce [[MegaTraveller]], for which DGP produced the core rules. In addition to writing and editing books for GDW, DGP also produced material for MegaTraveller under their own imprint.
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The quality of the work and fidelity to established Traveller universe details made the publication popular with dedicated Traveller fans and DGP soon expanded their product line to include Traveller gaming supplements which included “[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Grand_Survey_%28book%29 Grand Survey]”, “[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Starship_Operator%27s_Manual The Starship Operators' Manual], a detailed expansion of the supplement on the game’s [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Races Major Races], and many others.
  
Writing credits for Joe Fugate include [[Robots|Book 8: Robots]], the MegaTraveller Core Rules, and Knightfall, all published by GDW.
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Joe and Gary were contracted by GDW to work on the official Traveller rules modifications introduced with the release of [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/MegaTraveller MegaTraveller]. Additionally the launch of the “[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Rebellion/Rebellion Rebellion Era]” was coordinated to be launched through joint promotions and revelations in the DPG and GDW product lines.
  
After the release of the March 1993 issue of the MegaTraveller Journal Four (MTJ4), DGP's last publication, the publisher was no longer allowed to contribute to the Traveller universe.  This was due to a rift in the management of GDW in which the leadership of Traveller development shifted from Marc Miller to Frank Chadwick.  Chadwick decided to take Traveller in a new direction, and created [[Traveller the New Era]] (TNE).  Digest Group, which had already worked out an end to the saga of the Rebellion (which was scrapped by Chadwick), was blindsided by this move, and was further insulted by him by not being invited to participate in the development of TNE. It was made clear that DGP's license was not going to be renewed. With its current license to expire relatively soon, and faced with the prospect of supporting a crippled and deadended milieu (which is what MegaTraveller had become when the Rebellion plotline was scrapped), DGP announced in MTJ4 that it would no longer be supporting the Traveller game with new material.  The DGP name and intellectual properties (IPs) were subsequently sold to [[Roger Sanger]].
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As the planned Traveller’s Digest ''grand tour ''story arc came to an end, DGP decided to focus the publication to shine a light on how the Rebellion effected a single area of the Shattered Imperium, in detail. The [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Domain_of_Deneb Domain of Deneb] was chosen as the focus target.
  
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Around this time DGP decided it needed to branch out with its own original product line and development started on “[http://forum.rpg.net/archive/index.php/t-225296.html A.I.]”, a game set in post-industrial future where nanotechnology had reshaped the planet and its ecological mechanics. The game never got as far as production release.
  
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In the early nineties an unexpected family health crisis created a financial burden that forced Joe Fugate to close DGP’s operations and sell the name, product line, and creative rights to [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Roger_Sanger Roger Sanger], who has not kept the publications in print. As such many of the DGP creations have been dropped from the property's continuing canonical lore.
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Through its operational span, DGP’s staff included Joe D. Fugate, Sr., Gary L. Thomas, Patty Fugate, [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Nancy_Parker Nancy Parker], [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Robert_Parker Robert Parker], [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Rob_Caswell Rob Caswell], Deb Zeigler, and [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/James_Holden James Holden]. Between 1984 and 1993, DGP published twenty-one issues of the Travellers' Digest, ten sourcebooks, and four issues of the MegaTraveller Journal. For a complete list, see the [http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/DGP_List DGP bibliography].
 
[[Category: Publishers]]
 
[[Category: Publishers]]

Revision as of 18:13, 11 May 2012

Digest Group Publications (DGP) was started in 1984 by Traveller fans Joe D. Fugate Sr. and Gary L. Thomas . The venture was founded around “The Traveller's Digest”, a GDW-approved publication inspired by the “Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society”, but adding a new spin. Each issue followed a regular cast of four characters as they toured much of the game’s Third Imeprium, allowing them to explore areas of the game’s established background which were only previously little more than interesting sounding map locations.

The quality of the work and fidelity to established Traveller universe details made the publication popular with dedicated Traveller fans and DGP soon expanded their product line to include Traveller gaming supplements which included “Grand Survey”, “The Starship Operators' Manual”, a detailed expansion of the supplement on the game’s Major Races, and many others.

Joe and Gary were contracted by GDW to work on the official Traveller rules modifications introduced with the release of MegaTraveller. Additionally the launch of the “Rebellion Era” was coordinated to be launched through joint promotions and revelations in the DPG and GDW product lines.

As the planned Traveller’s Digest grand tour story arc came to an end, DGP decided to focus the publication to shine a light on how the Rebellion effected a single area of the Shattered Imperium, in detail. The Domain of Deneb was chosen as the focus target.

Around this time DGP decided it needed to branch out with its own original product line and development started on “A.I.”, a game set in post-industrial future where nanotechnology had reshaped the planet and its ecological mechanics. The game never got as far as production release.

In the early nineties an unexpected family health crisis created a financial burden that forced Joe Fugate to close DGP’s operations and sell the name, product line, and creative rights to Roger Sanger, who has not kept the publications in print. As such many of the DGP creations have been dropped from the property's continuing canonical lore.

Through its operational span, DGP’s staff included Joe D. Fugate, Sr., Gary L. Thomas, Patty Fugate, Nancy Parker, Robert Parker, Rob Caswell, Deb Zeigler, and James Holden. Between 1984 and 1993, DGP published twenty-one issues of the Travellers' Digest, ten sourcebooks, and four issues of the MegaTraveller Journal. For a complete list, see the DGP bibliography.