Happy day after Presidents’ Day. I know this is a big deal holiday for every single person reading this, so I bring it up. 🙂
Eddy and I discussed the Deluxe Hunters Hunted II Kickstarter that just closed yesterday at 211% of the funding goal with Stretch Goals that added sections on The Inquisition, Project Twilight, The Arcanum, Organized Crime, a smattering of lesser-known hunter organizations, and hunter gear to the book itself. Like I said last week, this was the first time we added additional content to a book because the backers both requested those sections and pledged past the Stretch Goals, and I think the response was really exciting. I don’t know how or when we’ll use the same kind of goals again, but its nice to have such enjoyable goals added to our Kickstarter bag of tricks. We also allowed backers to be the determining factor in how many short stories we’d commission for a Hunters Hunted II short story anthology that Justin will develop, and that went really well as final continuing Stretch Goals. We’re at 7-8 stories, btw, which is a nice number for a small fiction book.
We talked a bit about the Open Dev Process and how now that folks are enjoying it that it’s become something they demand. Which is pretty gratifying for those of us who believe in the ODP, but fans being fans, there seems to be a bit of upset whenever an interesting project isn’t as fast, or as thorough, or whatever, compared to this other project that “did it right”. Since I hear the same thing from some people about our different Kickstarters, let me address this right now.
There is NO “one right way” to do these things. There are ways that resonate with you personally, but each project is different- and we want them that way. For a long time we’ve talked about “getting off the production treadmill” when it comes to making decisions about quality, and process, and creative talent, and part of that is to look at what works best to get the coolest project out to you folks. That means, we look at what is best for the project- knowing that the best book, or game-line, or fiction, is the project you (and we) deserve. Not the one that follows a set pattern of process, or rewards, or stretch goals, but the one that is created using a flexible set of tools. If Developer A is the best developer for Monkey: The Flinging, then that dev is who I want on the project. And if they love the Open Dev Process, then we throw wide those gates and you folks get all the blogs you could ask for, and more. If, however, they work better iterating their ideas with a small team behind the scenes, and are uncomfortable with revealing their cool ideas to everyone beforehand, then that’s the way info about the project will get released. I’m not going to force creative folks to adapt to my ideas of how a book should be developed even if I’m fully committed to the Open Dev Process. (Sorry if that was ranty, it wasn’t meant as anything but explanation of how I see things in this regard).
In any event, Eddy is certainly using the Open Dev blogs for V20: Rites of Blood and having a great time, just as Justin has for V20: Anarchs Unbound.
We talked CCP Approvals and got some great feedback on a bunch of art, and I let Eddy know that I’ll be submitting the 2014 WW Schedule this week once I hear back from our Devs on their thoughts now that it’s assembled.
And here’s where we are on 2013 projects right now:
– God Machine Chronicle (nWoD) is in Layout and most art has been CCP Approved, but we need to redo a few pieces.
– Strix Chronicle Fiction Anthology (VtR) Strix is into Editing.
– Mummy the Curse – A new PDF containing all the KS Backer names has been created and we’re going to upload that for backers to get this updated version and let them tell us if we messed up any names. I also expect that folks will have some comments on the changes that CA Suleiman made, and we’d like to hear them. Meanwhile, the PoD version is being readied, and Chaney is also splitting the single book PDF into Players, Storytellers, and SAS books to be bundled into the Virtual Box Set. And once I get a cover template from the printer now that the final page count has been settled, we’ll get those files out to start the creation of the traditionally printed KS version.
– Exalted 3rd Edition: More art sketches coming in. Our intention is to have some smashing new pieces ready for the EX3 Kickstarter in late February. The DEVs are currently head down and deep into the Charms section.
– V20 Hunters Hunted 2 As above, we just wrapped up the Kickstarter for the Deluxe version, and all the new sections are getting written. We’re doing that while Amazon Payments verifies all the payments.
– V20 Anarchs Unbound is almost done in post writing Development. You can check out How to shatter praxis and install your own Anarch utopia. here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dv0KioEpiNhKVeHIpFHA7ItYYPch8zEi9xrr1e8Pn7c/edit
– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition Kickstarter W20 Index has doubled in size beyond our Indextrix’s dreams or nightmares. Expecting the clean files in a day or two. Mike Lee is half-way through his novel. The Storyteller Screen and Wallpaper are approved by CCP. Bill is preparing the W20 Anthology outline and looking for prospective writers. The Skinner is ready for Editing.
–Deluxe Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition has been confirmed for September-ish 2013 and Phil Brucato has started assigning writers and has started writing his part. Talking to a guy about the art.
– W20 Changing Breeds is pretty much approved art-wise and in Editing.
– W20 Rage Across the World is in Art Direction.
– Guildhalls of the Deathless (MtC) is being written.
– Conventionbook: Progenitors (cMtA) is done in Editing, art is going to CCP for approval.
– Mage Translation Guide has begun being written, we have an Editor ready.
– W20 Book of the Wyrm is being written and red-lined. Check out the W20 blog notes: http://whitewolfblogs.com/w20/
Reason for Drinking: A toast to George and Abe. As I get older, I grow more amazed that they managed to do what they did in the times they were in
So, after that index is done, W20 will be finished, right?
In any case, I thank you guys for your hard work on these projects. I really enjoyed Hunters Hunted IIs Kickstarter and the add-on idea that made the book basically into a ‘what kind of opposition humans can hope to bring’ book.
Thanks- yep, we’re hoping to pull the whole book together fast after the Index.
Nice, so next weekish at the earliest?
Can’t for W20 and Hunters Hunted II! Hopefully the W20 pdf will be out soon!
Also, I really hope the picture with this post is from Hunters Hunted II – I’d recognize that roof line and dash anywhere after spending about five years or so restoring my mustang 😀
Yes- one of the full-page chapter openers by Michael Gaydos-
Man, I love it! I know it wasn’t intentional, but it’s still so cool seeing my car used to hunt vampires!
The attention to detail in that piece is fantastic. So much so that you can even tell it has the wrong speedometer for the interior options on that Mustang 😉
Rich, just to let you know… if you guys do Monkey: The Flinging, i’m throwing my money into it. 😉
Make an interesting Kickstarter…
I’m thinking you could make it like a Stretch goal, a quick 5000 word supplement hijacking the creation rules from say the Book of the Wyrm or something. Or maybe a standalone sumplement where you copy and paste creation rules from something like Freak Legion and throw a few merits and powers in.
Think “Dudes of Legend” size, which I thought was f**king hilarious.
Monkey: the Flinging coming to an online rpg pdf near you!
Loving what has been going on. Take your time. Do it right (as in with passion and an eye for what is fun/intriguing/etc).
Been reading the first draft of Mummy and really loving the setting and ideas within it. Can’t wait for W20. Can’t wait for Changing Breeds.
Thanks, that’s the idea and I appreciate you’re speaking out in favor of it!
Can´t wait for GM. Is it going to be kickstarted? I would also love to see how the 2014 schedule looks like. Not to mention that we still don´t know the full 2013 schedule, so there´s plenty of room for surprises.
Yes there is…
The very idea of Monkey: The Flinging is awesome and ripe with role-playing possibilities.
And even a MET version? I’ll need to talk to By Night…
For what it’s worth, I think what you said needed being said 🙂
On that regard, I know I ask a lot of questions and that I suggest a lot of things. I hope I manage to do so in a manner that is respectful and not too intrusive. My intension is only ever just to be informed, give feedback and help in pointing things out when I can. If I ever appear to be insistant, it will be for the love of a good conversation or intellectual debate. I will never do so to enforce or put pressure. In my mind, these books are yours, guys; they’re your work and your calls to make. So, go Richt! Go Onyx Path! You guys are awesome. 🙂
You’re great- don’t worry about it.
Thanks. Looking forward to more great conversations with the W20 staff on the blogs then 🙂
Woot! Fired up for Mummy and W20. 😀 Going to start running a game or two over Google+ soon.
Regarding Mummy: the Curse, is there going to be a unified version of the PDF? I’m curious as you mention splitting it for the virtual box thingy. And is MtC going to be heading to retail stores, or is it going to be strictly PoD? Sorry if those have been answered before, I’ve missed a few blog posts here and there I think.
Retailers who picked up one of the Retailer tiers in the Kickstarter will have it in stores. Otherwise all of our products are PDF/PoD only.
Ah, okay. I am pretty sure that rules out my FLGS. A question then, is the PoD version essentially the same as the retail, as far as binding goes? I’ve not yet bought a PoD book from DTRPG.
I’m not anyone from OPP or DriveThru, but I have bought some of the PoD books. If it’s a color hard cover book, the only difference between the PoD books and the traditionally printed books is that there’s nothing printed on the end papers directly on the inside of the cover. Color soft cover books are identical to traditionally printed books.
Black and white books have a small white border around each page. This is only noticeable in books that have images/image borders that go all the way to edge of the page.
Oh, I know about the white border around the page, and I know why they’re there. I’ve been in the print industry for 14 years. 🙂
I was just curious about the hardcovers, because I want them to match up with the other WoD hardcovers I have. Thanks PookaKnight!
I’ve been really happy with the hardcover binding on the demo copies I got, so I think they are getting more and more to the point where you won’t be able to tell the difference between PoD and traditionally printed.
Are the comments about Open Development directed at the complaints about Mummy? Because people didn’t want open development for that, or even to see the whole manuscript. I just wanted to have the actual premise of the game explained to me before I bought it, instead of having to put money down and wait.
The premise was explained in the Kickstarter, I’m pretty sure. And the Mummy blog described many aspects of the game.
While they may not have offered the majority of the text for reading-through, there were the Mummy seminars at Gen Con (which are and have been available on YouTube and other locations) and such that offered a lot of insight to the product as well.
There have been other projects and the likes that have not received as much Open Development as many of the V20 projects have. While Justin and Ryan Macklin seem to really enjoy the feedback during development, projects like W20 had more input when it came to the Ron Spencer and Steve Prescott drawings than much of the inner text and the supplements have asked for input at times, but given little in the way of replies. As Rich mentioned, some creators prefer to be more active with the fans/audience in the project’s creation, and others prefer to be more active without folks poking their fingers in the pie before it’s ready.