ZAON.com - Garretson Scoutship: Artist's Interview

Leif was so heavily involved in helping to develop the ZAON role playing game and I was touched when Justin came out with a space ship named for him as a memorial. I hadn't discovered this video about the ship before, an interview with the designer. How I wish Leif could have known about the ship.

Leif posted so many things on the ZAON message boards, and I had hoped to go back and find some of those posts and save them, but I apparently waited too long. I've now read online that there was a database crash, and I did see that the forums had changed and I could no longer find Leif's old postings. Now, however, even the newer ones and the information about the game seem to be gone. I'm sad to see that. There was so much creativity and camaraderie involved for years in working on that game, and the message boards and the guys on them helped Leif through some very hard times in his life. He really wanted to see that game published and was proud of his association with the organization. I hope that somehow it will someday make it.

Garretson Class Tellan Reconnaissance Scout Ship

I've written before about Leif's deep involvement in the development of the ZAON game and his participation in the ZAON forums. It was a major interest of his, an outlet for his creative ideas and opinions, a source of friendship and respect, and a great help to him in overcoming his depression after a failed romance in 2004.

When Leif died, the ZAON forum participants held a vigil in Leif's honor on the day we had his memorial service, and Justin Winters, the ZAON Creative Director, designed a space ship for the game as a tribute to Leif and a way to keep him in the game, offering the blueprints, and sending a copy to us. We were very touched and glad Leif had friends who cared about him that much.

Three weeks ago, Brian Stearns, ZAON Contributing 3D Artist, did two rendered model views of the ship and posted them on the ZAON forum. Justin and Brian gave me permission to post images of the ship here on Leif's blog. I appreciate that.

I wish I could see Leif's reaction to this ship. The ZAON players think it's awesome and say it incorporates all the "demands" Leif kept making for smaller player oriented ships.

I hope Leif is somehow traveling among the stars he dreamed of.

ZAON - Tellan Garretson Recon Scout Ship

For 6 years, Leif was deeply involved in and committed to working with the ZAON team on the development of the game. ZAON offered Leif the mental challenge he needed and a great deal of emotional outlet and support from the ZAON forum members. He was interested in every aspect of the game, and at one point, was so deeply involved in weapons design that he drew designs for a series of weapons, cut the out of wood, and experimented with their usability in size, weight and design. These photos show one he took of himself with one of those wooden guns and another of one of the handguns he made.

When he died, ZAON forum members discussed his death and their feelings about it, and because they could not come to the memorial services, held their own vigil online.

Justin Winters, ZAON Creative Director, memorialized Leif in a space ship design incorporating Leif's ideas, the Tellan Garretson Recon Scout Ship. Leif would have loved this ship and knowing it was named for him. How I wish he could see it! It's a beautiful design, and I thank Justin for providing such a fitting remembrance of our son. He sent us the complete deck plans, and we will treasure them.

You can see the plans online, and there are both a free download and a large, high resolution version for purchase. I hope you'll take a look at it, because Justin has done such a terrific design, and because it incorporates so much of what Leif loved and worked on.

For some reason, I don't seem to be able to get live links to show up within posts, so I will also place links in the Links column.

Link to the ZAON store
https://www.zaon.com/store/

Discussion Forum about the Tellan Garretson Recon Scout Ship
https://www.zaon.org/showthread.php?t=3042