For a story that wasn't supposed to last more than ten weeks, the Accobar saga has now logged roughly 100 more hours of storytelling, in weekly episodes alone, than The Next Generation (& VOY/DS9 separately) over the same seven year period. I'm just as amazed that we're still playing RPG-X as I am that the Accobar System is still being toyed with. This has just made it even more difficult to decide how to wrap up a large chunk of that in Asteroid Base.
Having the very Day of The Doctor sequence last year, hearing and seeing characters, heroes and villains from both eras of the series really helped to bridge the gap and make it feel like it was celebrating everything that had come before while pulling it in to the present. My plan for Distorted Reflections really didn't do that. It was quieter and largely ignored the first four seasons of AB. Then last night's improvised Asteroid Field minisode (helmed by MT) highlighted how disconnected it was from the larger picture.
I think I'm still feeling the effects of losing the Asteroid Base map after six years. Trying to do Asteroid Base without Asteroid Base is the least satisfying thing ever and is the whole reason why the name was dropped, many of the characters were dropped and the story was rebooted elsewhere. With the current delay, I've accepted that it won't hit the anniversary month, but it will still take place in it's seventh year. But for as long as I'm busy trying to rework it, Asteroid Field is going to suffer. So for that reason, the Asteroid Base finale - 'Distorted Reflections' - will be pushed back to plug the mid-season gap for the fifth season of Asteroid Field.
We're going to go back to focusing on AF and while the first run of episodes are being roleplayed, I'll be setting the scene for the hopefully new-and-improved conclusion for AB & Amber Munro. Nothing that happens in the AB special affects Season Five, so it's of little consequence to Pioneer and her crew. But it will make a lot of difference to me, trying to work out a more satisfying set of episodes without the distraction of preparing Asteroid Field, too. It also means we don't have to put the return of AF off even longer.
So apologies for the delay, but I do like to get these things right - and after two false endings for Asteroid Base, this third and final attempt to 'get it right,' is even more important. Until then, I hope you enjoy what the next run of Asteroid Field episodes has to offer as he head towards 260+ hours in the Accobar System. There's still plenty of drama, mystery, romance & surprises to come.
Be sure to check back over the next few weeks for details and dates - and additional AB anniversary content, including Accobar: [A Bit More of] The Full Story - check out the original chapter, if you haven't already, HERE. (http://www.last-outpost.net/forum/index.php/topic,6311.msg48350.html#msg48350)
Grizz