You can look below at the progress being made on project after project, but today I’m speaking about a different movement forward. As you can see above, Onyx Path has kind of followed in the paw prints of White Wolf in terms of how we thought about our booth at conventions. Different set-ups, but basically all designed as selling stages.
Basically: “we’re here to sell you our stuff at this booth at this con”.
But I don’t think that is our best use of having a booth. It’s a familiar use, because a lot of long time members of our community are used to stopping at the booth to buy stuff at cons. We have a transaction relationship, I guess.
Which is cool, and traditional, but not as effective ultimately as it could be. I mean. it’s not like we could have all of WW‘s or even just Onyx Path‘s catalog of books all available at the booth every time. There just isn’t enough room. (And all the vast catalog of books is on the virtual shelf that is DTRPG anyway).
The big issue though is personnel, and by that I mean that the gang we have in the booth selling books are also the folks making them. Like any RPG company, the trip to a convention means you have to Work The Booth.
And frankly, as salespeople, we make great writers and artists.
Well, duh.
All of these issues have been buzzing around in my head, as issues are wont to do, and at MidWinter in January the whole thing kind of coalesced, and I realized that I don’t want to have a selling booth. I want to have a booth where folks get to talk to the creative folks who make our worlds, and where we sell a few select and new projects. Things that are exciting because they are about that very moment in time.
But mostly, I want our folks to be able to show, not tell, how great their games are.
Which is why we’re going to make these changes for Gen Con this year, and then follow through with our con presence similarly after that.
1- We have two wonderful gentlemen who have terrific booth and sales experience, Bill Bodden and Mike Hollywood, who will be responsible for the booth in general and sales of the selected books we’ll have there.
2- This frees up our talented creators to demo their games right there in the booth. Our current plans are to continue the short (10-20 min) demos that worked out really well for Pugmire last year, as well as add longer group demos at the tables in the booth. And then, we hope, folks who enjoyed those can get in on The Wrecking Crew and friends’ games at the con. They will have something like 70 this year.
3- And, of course, we’ll continue to be available to chat, and have giveaways, and have panels and all that, so that we can all talk about the worlds (and characters) we love.
We might have a few more surprises to enhance the experience there, but overall we’re hoping this refocusing enables your time at the Onyx Path booth to be more about interacting with the folks who actually create the projects about their projects, and less about whether Rollickin’ Rose Bailey can add up your order. Would you like fries with that?
So that’s the plan, more face and game time. We’ll see how it works out.
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER!
ANTS! WOOF!: it’s the Pugmire kickstarter! Pledge to enable us to create a beautiful full color, hardcover, 180+ page, 7″ x 10″ core rulebook that we can also get into game stores. We’re doing lots of great stuff with this Kickstarter including both a fiction anthology and turning at least one of those stories into an audio drama. Backers can download the Pugmire Early Access PDF and get playing right away on the basic version of the game so check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/pugmire-fantasy-tabletop-rpg
And here is a very in-depth interview that Eddy Webb had with The Gentleman Gamer where Eddy also answers all sorts of questions about Pugmire, Sherlock Holmes, his work with EarPlay, and Vampire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ePtKD54Bg
ON SALE!
Running for one more week, there are twin Werewolf: the Apocalypse Bundle of Holding Sales going on here: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/WerewolfApoc1 and https://bundleofholding.com/presents/WerewolfApoc2 There are some great deals on these classic PDFs, and 10% of the profits of these sales go to The Bodhana Group to help promote RPGs as counseling tools.
We are waiting for the PoD proof for the Chronicles of Darkness Core Rulebook, and if we get them in time we’ll get the PDF and PoD versions up on DTRPG this Weds!
Gauntlet of Spiragos is a 5E D&D adventure for the Scarred Lands and is now available free as a PDF. Just like the Pathfinder version of Gauntlet of Spiragos, this one will eventually have a physical copy Print on Demand version as well. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171523/Gauntlet-of-Spiragos-5E-OGL-adventure
Condition Card PDFs for both Chronicles of Darkness http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171574/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Condition-Numina-and-Dread-Power-Cards and Werewolf: the Forsaken 2nd Edition http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171573/Werewolf-the-Forsaken-2nd-Edition-Condition-Cards are now up dealt up at DTRPG, with PoD cards soon to come!
The Demon Storyteller Guide has dropped its cover and is on sale as an Advance PDF on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/170165/Demon-Storytellers-Guide
If you are into the Pugmire KS, here are also six Pugmire posters available as free PDFs or $.99 physical posters, suitable for framing:
- Spike Mutt: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150845/Spike-Mutt-Pugmire-Poster-6
- Pan Dachshund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150844/Pan-Dachshund-Pugmire-Poster-5
- Jack Rat-Terrier: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150944/Jack-RatTerrier-Pugmire-Poster-4
- Sgt. Leo Bulldog: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150843/Sgt-Leo-Bulldog-Pugmire-Poster-3
- Princess Yosha Pug: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149750/Princess-Yosha-Pug-Pugmire-Poster-2
- Sister Picassa Collie: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/148516/Sister-Picassa-Collie-Pugmire-Poster-1
Start spreading the Code of Man!
CONVENTIONS!
Gen Con 2016 planning has started.
Here are some cons Fast Eddy Webb will be attending! Talk to him about V20 and Pugmire and Sherlock Holmes and Oxford Commas:
- Cleveland ConCoction (March 11-13, 2016, Cleveland, OH)
- AggieCon 47 (April 1-3, 2016, Bryan, TX)
- ECGC (April 19-21, 2016, Raleigh, NC)
- MomoCon (May 26-29, 2016, Atlanta, GA)
And now, the new project status updates!
First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)
- M20 Book of Secrets (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- CtL fiction anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Ring of Spiragos (Scarred Lands)
- EX3 Backer Charms (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- DA Tome of Secrets (Vampire 20th Dark Ages)
- VtM Endless Ages fiction anthology (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)
- Scarred Lands Player’s Guide 5E: Ghelspad (Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
Redlines
- Mummy Fiction Anthology (Mummy: the Curse)
- Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition
- Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition
- Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes (Beast: the Primordial)
- Dagger of Spiragos (Scarred Lands)
- EX3 Quickstart (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Second Draft
- Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
- Scion: Alpha (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Cavaliers of Mars
Development
- W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- V20 Lore of the Bloodlines (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Beast Ready Made Characters (Beast: the Primordial)
- Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- CofD Hurt Locker (Chronicles of Darkness)
Editing
- Dark Eras Companion (Chronicles of Darkness Dark Eras)
- WtF The Pack (Werewolf: the Forsaken 2nd Edition)
- V20 Ready Made Characters (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- W20 Shattered Dreams (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Shattered Dreams in-book stretch goals (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- W20 Kinfolk (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
Post-Editing Development:
- V20 Ghouls (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Scarred Lands Player’s Guide: Ghelspad (Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
Indexing:
- Beast: the Primordial Core Book (Beast: the Primordial)
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- V20 Ghouls
- W20 Shattered Dreams
- Promethean: the Created Second
- Scarred Lands PG
- Dark Eras Companion
- The Pack
- Secrets of the Covenants
- Necropolis Rio
- W20 Kinfolk
In Layout
- Mage: the Awakening Second
- V20 Black Hand
Proofing
- Ex 3 core book – From RichT: Sent last notes on the fixed PDF from the Devs to Maria and next getting an index for it.
- Dark Eras
At Press
- Pugmire Early Access
- M20 Deluxe Edition
- Chronicles of Darkness Cards
- Gauntlet of Spiragos 5e
- Forsaken 2 Condition Cards
- Chronicles of Darkness
- Demon Storyteller’s Guide
- Beast Screen
- Truth Beyond Paradox
- Lore of the Clans LtD Edition
- Lore of the Clans Screen
- Dreams of Avarice
Special- projects on hold in the art and production area until an external factor is resolved
- Wraith 20 – Can’t go further until art notes come in, still being developed by Rich Dansky.
- Pentex Employee Indoctrination Manual – Some added and amended text needs to come in.
TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: To shitstorms that always happen when we’re all in our weekly meeting. Seriously, such tsuris.
Comments
65 responses to “Convention (not Mage) Changes [Monday Meeting Notes]”
This sounds like cool plans for Gen Con, it would be neat to play Cavaliers someplace.
BUT! The big question!
When are we going to get Secrets of the Covenants and the Pack? They’re so near the end of the Development Status’ but we don’t hear anything about them.
They’re both on there. In fact, The Pack is noted in two places.
Yeah, I meant we don’t hear anything about them elsewhere. Most of Pack’s information came from the Gen Con Brochure.
With as many projects in the works as we have, and most of our developers having “real jobs” outside of their work with us, we unfortunately can’t always tease everything we’ve got in the development pipeline.
Think of it like a pleasant surprise. 🙂
Will we receive a tracking number for our M20 deluxes when the shipping company sends them off?
Let me second that. I can’t wait for this book.
That has been the case for years with our KSs.
I have thus far only received one deluxe (Book of the Wyrm) and I received my tracking number well in advance of the book. I in fact got the number a couple days before the book was actually handed to the shipping company. So it was not useful for a while after I got the email. Book of the Wyrm is one of the more recent books, so I would expect if there were problems getting the tracking numbers out previously it seems that has been tackled in more recent deluxe shipments.
Based on my experience: yes…the e-mail with the tracking number usually arrives two days after I have the book in hand.
Doing demo games at the booth is a great idea. Getting new players from 0 to the fun of playing a game is something we’ve tested out. We’ve found simplified characters sheets and easy roleplaying cues help a new player get into it pretty quickly. All good ideas.
Part of my thinking on this has been based on talks with you and Dave. Thanks!
Having never been to a convention (I don’t handle crowds much bigger than my gaming group well, especially if I don’t know them), I have to say I’m surprised that all of the publishers aren’t already doing what you’re describing.
If I want to buy a game, I’ll go to the FLGS or get online. At a convention, I’d want to chat with and get to know the people listed in the credits section of the books. If conventions really are just giant book fairs than it sounds like I haven’t missed too much.
Some publishers are big enough to have both play and sales areas. It gets harder to do both in the smaller booth sizes, and it’s really hard for smaller publishers to afford a convention without sales to offset the cost. In Onyx’s case, we’re using some of our marketing budget on cons.
Depends very much on the company. Smaller companies that have booths are often staffed by the creators (because who else is there?), bigger companies can often afford to wrangle someone into working the booth for them.
Woooooo Trinity finally gets a Development Status! Exciting days!
Super bummed I’m missing Gencon this year, sounds like you guys are putting together a good show. Hoping to hear some good Trinity updates.
Yep, hope to have something Trinity to play there!
Hey guys,
Now that we’re getting closer to M20 Deluxe being done, is there any sense of how far behind the Quintessence editions are going to be? Not expecting an exact date, just wondering if we’re talking days, weeks, months, a year, etc?
Thanks!
They’ll be shipping the same time as the regular Deluxes. Hope that helps!
HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME.
I’ve been watching for years; waiting for the news that would pull me from my hybernation. My friends have been waiting, too, and there are many of them.
There are of us who have gone unspoken until now, anxiously awaiting the day that the Trinity Continuum would return.
This is not that day, yet the embers that glowed faintly still from epic campaigns waged 15 years ago are beginning to be fanned into flames once again.
My time for silence is over. Since the day a few years ago that my google search returned new results for Trinity, I’ve been waiting for this game in silence. It’s time to begin telling Onyx Path how much demand there is for Aeon!
Dark Eras is in Proof stage? Does that mean it’s very near? :)~
Getting closer every day!
How much more before Mage: the awakening? I don’t know if I can take another layout week before going catatonic.
We do not make estimates on the time a project requires. If it’s freaking you out, might be better if you just check out the On Sale part of the BLURBS!. Maybe less frustrating?
Oddly I’m actually pleased by the fact that the layout section is only mage and black hand now as from what we’ve been told that part of the process has been a bit of a bottle neck what with a lot of projects hitting that stage at once and adjusting to the new processes with Paradox.
I think if I pulled up the Monday meeting notes and see Mage in the blurbs I’m in danger of squealing girlishly on the train to work (which where I usually am).
Projects in layout ebb and flow as the different stages of layout occur. Developers need to see and provide proof notes on different stages, which provides time for other projects to get attention. It’s an unholy Tetris game, really.
It’d been so long since I’d heard anything about Building a Legend that I’d fully forgotten about it and had to turn to the google to refresh my memory. Having refreshed it, I’m quite hyped, of course. 😎
Glad to hear it!
Saw something on FB a few weeks back about a White Wolf Event in New Orleans, will Onyx Path be there?
Maybe, we’ll let you know.
Curious, art notes for Wraith20, what’s up with that delay? Is it just on the back burner because of other projects or? I understand it will take as long as it has to, no complaints, but I am curious.
Until RichD has the text done, there is nothing Mirthful Mike can do without art notes.
Ah, I understand now, thank you.
Who is responsible for Proofing of book in developers team? Book’s Lead Developer or Art Director?
I ask is that Proofing for Dark Eras means that works on Layout of Mage: the Awakening 2ED will start this week, as they are done by two different persons?
Doesn’t matter.
Are the Exalted titles taking extra time while the corebook is finalized?
The developers have certainly had more time to work on them as we are very sure we want EX3 itself completely finished before getting deep into the next books. We really need to be sure the core has the right stuff as it is the template for the rest of the line.
I’m surprised Hurt Locker has been moved backwards.
I noticed that too. In fact, the schedule lately has had a number of regressions in production, including the Pentex Employee Indoctrination Manual. Usually, such a reduction happens with kickstarted projects that need supplemental material, but it’s not unheard of for projects to slip back a step. It seems to be happening a little frequently lately – I hope this is due to a large impending release block they are projecting and not some other issues.
As an aside, I know Onyx Path is largely unconnected to White Wolf’s information briefings, but it seems the company will be present at the video game event DICE summit. Any idea why that might be?
I’m assuming because they want to be there. Honestly, if I knew something beyond what they have said do you really think I’d discuss it here? We try to be as transparent as possible with Onyx Path info, but their business is theirs to announce. Thanks!
Sometimes projects need a bit more work in a particular phase. Could be some added or subtracted text, could be shifting around of layout elements or art. If it so happens to be back in an earlier phase on Monday, then we post it that way.
Is V20 Ghouls going to be the next Kickstarter, and if so, is it coming soon.
We’re not planning on doing a Kickstarter for Ghouls, no. Thanks!
Okay, have you decided what the next Kickstarter is going to be.
Slightly technical question: I got a few emails about Demon STG getting updated files, but I noticed nothing got said on the notes, are those just minor updates with a final still unreleased, or are those meant to be the finals?
Good question. Any time we make changes to a PDF file up on DTRPG, you should get a notice. Therefore we try and make all the corrections before final release at once, but sometimes, like with DStG, we catch something at the last minute. Ultimate answer: when we put the PDF and PoD up for sale together, that’s when we consider the project as finished.
Hey rich, thanks for the up. Just to say that i’m a little concerned with oWod. I read yesterday an interview of Martin Elricsson,and he said that Chronicles of darkness is your baby, but your license on oWoD is only about books in nineties nostalgia… Said like that, it seems not really interesting. That with no anouncement for new products in the wod20 line worry me because i really love your work on the setting. I hope you will not abandonned your work on oWoD…
Currently, we still have plans to continue the 20th Anniversary lines and to give them the same attention and direction as previously. It was always possible to label them as “nostalgic” in that they were designed to bring back the same feelings you had when you first opened your first book from that game. Which I have to say I think we have delivered on (and will keep on delivering) pretty darn well. ??
Beast has been in indexing for quite a while. How long does indexing normally take?
Normal being a relative term: depending on the dice of the book and the needs of the index, 3-8 weeks has been our experience so far.
I’m feeling like Mage 2nd Edition is really getting close now. I am really looking forward to running a game of it.
Can I just say EYAHAZZ
First Draft
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
So, Kickstarter soon-ish, please.
Can ya feel me smilin’ right now
Yes, yes you can.
We’re probably going to wait until we’ve got the book closer to completion. Generally we try to share the pre-editing draft, and I don’t even have the first drafts in yet.
Please have “Be one of the Aeon Society” as a backer option. and have another one that allows you to get your picture (in suitable dress, of course) in the book.
Some good thinking there…
Dear Rich!
Please tell us that ADVENTURE! is the first book in support of the Trinity Continuum. I mean we want to go chronologically after all right?
Right?
🙁
We’re doing them in original release order. John Snead is busy on Aeon, which should release alongside the Trinity Continuum core rulebook.
Nah, not with the big three. Why mess with tradition?
I feel your pain brother, but tradition is sacred. It may come late, but we will have a new adventure edition, let that knowledge give you strength.
So how’s the CofD pod looking? Will we get it this Wednesday?
If the mail delivers the last PoD proof, yes.
That’s like down to the wire man. I appreciate the bear optimism like that. ” if it’s good it’s released” even if it was in good shape and you got it before Wednesday. With it this close I wouldn’t be surprised if you had just wanted to wait until next wed. It’s sorta suspenseful. Which I can dig. I’m looking forward for this one. Among the other cores coming out.
If the Aeon book will be released either alongside or shortly after the Continuum corebook, does that mean Aberrant will begin writing immediatly after release, or is there downtime to see if any bugs or kinks to work out first? Basically asking if Aberrant is looking for a kickstarter in 2016 or 2017?
I really doubt we’ll be doing an Ab KS in 2016.