Stardate

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StardateLogo.jpg
Stardate
(final issue titled StarDrive)
Product information
Type Magazine
Primary writing John A. Theisen, Blaine Pardoe, Jordan Weisman, Robert Gray, Jack Freeman, Richard Tucholka, and others.
Pages varies
Cover Artwork Various artists
Interior Artwork Various artists
Illustrations Various artists
Publication information
Publisher Various (see article):
First published 1984-1987;
1988 (StarDrive)
MSRP $4.00
$3.50 (Vol. 3, StarDrive)
Content
Era Succession Wars era

STARDATE magazine (always spelled in capital letters within the magazine, and renamed StarDrive for its final issue) was a magazine initially published by FASA as a house magazine to support their Star Trek line of games. It later expanded its scope to cover other games as well, notably BattleTech.

The first issue was dated November 1984. FASA published five issues of the magazine, two of them numbered as double issues (No. 3/4 in February 1985 and No. 5/6 in April 1985) for a total numbering of 7 "issues". Beginning with issue #8 (October 1985), Associates International took over as publisher and although the issue numbering continued, issues 9-11 are listed as "Volume 2". Ten months after issue #11 was published in April 1986, the magazine resurfaced for a "Volume 3" run with new numbering in February 1987, now published by Reluctant Publishing Ltd. and billing itself as "The Science Fiction Gaming Resource".

For its last issue (February 1988), the magazine was renamed StarDrive, explicitly described as "Formerly STARDATE magazine" on the cover. Despite featuring content heavily geared towards FASA products (namely Star Trek and BattleTech), the editorial writing in StarDrive was notably critical of FASA. Reluctant Publishing Ltd. went out of business after this issue. (Another official BattleTech periodical, BattleTechnology, was published with FASA's bessings through Pacific Rim Publishing since 1987.)[1]

The first two volumes included the the front, back, and inside covers in the page numbering. Volume three did not include the covers but adopted the numbering style of many journals, with the first issue numbered 1–52, the second 53–120, and so on, reaching 526 in issue six; the total number of pages varied by issue, peaking at 118 with number five. StarDrive restarted at page 1 and did not count the covers.

This article is focused on the magazine's BattleTech-related content. Issues not featuring BattleTech at all are not covered here, and content relating to other game systems is omitted. Many issues carried ads for BattleTech but these aren't considered noteworthy.

Canonicity

As a magazine, STARDATE/StarDrive is not counted among the sources contributing canon to the BattleTech universe at this time.

Even during its time as a FASA house magazine, the imprint contained a disclaimer stating that the magazine's content was the author's opinion and not official rulings by FASA for their games, unless otherwise noted. Later issues were not official FASA publications at all, but licensed third-party content (even though Vol. 3 Number 2 is announced as an "official BattleTech issue" on the cover).

As an official publication with a valid license at the time, its content can be regarded as apocryphal.

Volume 1, Issue 5/6 (March 1985)

Featuring: Battledroids History

Article: "Before the Succession Wars", a BattleTech article by Patrick Larkin and Jordan Weisman concerning the early (in-universe) history of the BattleTech universe. It was reprinted in MechWarrior: The BattleTech Role Playing Game on pages 3-8 under the header "A History of Human Space, 2001-3025".[2]

Volume 3 Number 1 (February 1987)

52 pages.

Volume 3 Number 2 (March 1987)

68 pages numbered 54 through 119 (plus advertisement pages without page number), continuing the page numbering from Vol. 3 Number 1.

Volume 3 Number 3 (May 1987)

Volume 3 Number 4 (Summer 1987)

  • BattleMech Tech: Gremlin armored car and Quicksilver hover scout for BattleTech (by Jack Freeman)
  • BattleTech Variant Salvage Rules by Richard Tucholka
  • Body Armor Optional Rules for MechWarrior.
  • Closing the Gap: Q&A by Robert Gray.
  • Infantry Against BattleMechs by Blaine Pardoe.

Volume 3 Number 5 (October 1987)

  • Three-Legged 'Mechs
  • A BattleMech named the Pillager which would be used as the basis for the later canon Pillager PLG-1N.[3] Designed by Jack Freeman, this was the first BattleMech with dual AC/20's. The stats differ slightly from the canon version but has identical movement, jump jet capability, heat dissipation, and nearly identical weaponry. A variant called the Matchmaker MTM-4B featuring Flamers is also presented.[4][5]
  • Terminus - BattleTech Fiction, Scenario and Character Stats by John A. Thiesen
  • Galt's Grenadiers Go Shopping: Scenario by John A. Thiesen
  • Basic Training - MechWarrior character generation program for Basic-80, Rev 5.21 [CP/M version]

Volume 3 Number 6 (Winter 1987)

Cover: This issue had atypical cover artwork, Death Dealer by Frank Frazetta, the same artwork popularized on the Molly Hatchet self-titled album. This was uncharacteristic of this magazine which typically featured science-fiction artwork on the cover.

StarDrive (February 1988)

52 pages.

Gallery

  • Stardate, Issue 5/6

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 1

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 2

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 3

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 4

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 5

  • Stardate, Vol. 3 Number 6

  • StarDrive

Notes

  • Since 1997, a nonfictional astronomical magazine was published under the title "StarDate", with no connections to FASA, BattleTech, or gaming.

References

  1. ↑ Stardate Magazine
  2. ↑ Stardate (March 1985)
  3. ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrades Unabridged (Clan & Star League)
  4. ↑ HMP Forum Discussion of Stardate Magazine
  5. ↑ Origins of the Pillager

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