This week, what I can relay about our Monday Lunch Meeting is pretty limited in that Eddy and I had quite a bit to cover, but most of it was behind the scenes or stuff that’ll be talked about soon. Nothing we can really blab about as yet. Which leaves the twenty minutes we talked about not letting the personal creative flame go out- buried beneath the weight of demanding job responsibilities, serial projects, and regular life. I’m struggling with wanting to do more Creative Director stuff- like finishing the “Making of the Art” PDFs for Children of the Revolution and W20– but needing to be The Publisher of Onyx Path, and Eddy is in a quandary as to how to balance his very exciting and demanding full time gig on the WoD MMO, with developing V20 projects, and doing personal work. In either of our cases, the need for focus and discipline, and to create to the order of external forces- no matter how cool our jobs are- has to be balanced with the fun and unordered exploration of creativity driven by forces from within us. After all, before we had our careers (and in my case that was around the time the dinosaurs (Jesus Horses?) ruled the earth) the creative impulse was what propelled us forward. It’s still there and access to it is what brings the fun and freshness to our creations- and the lack of it can burn us out. So it’s kind of an essential thing we were discussing, at least for us, but not something to belabor because YMMV.
So here are some very creative projects in progress:
– God Machine Chronicle (nWoD) Reviewed one proof of two- will the second come Tuesday?… I’ll have some thoughts about GMC and Strix/Blood & Smoke Chronicles in a blog on the Onyx Path site (and probably linked elsewhere) that should be at least a little interesting. A teeny bit, maybe.
– Strix Chronicle Fiction Anthology (VtR) Strix is in Editing.
– Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle (VtR) Crisis handled, new authors working on the project, and we’ve pushed back our release estimate by a month to compensate.
– Mummy the Curse – The single volume PDF and standard color PoD, as well as the “virtual box set” PDFs are on sale and doing great. We’ve added separate product listings for the Player’s Book, the Screen PDF, and the SAS. Sent the KS edition files to the printer. We have gathered a double handful of online questions for CA Suleiman that he’ll be answering and we’ll post this week.
– Exalted 3rd Edition: Ian is working on the KS video- we’re fine-tuning it now. We’ll drop that into the rest of the KS shell and get feedback from our Dev team. From there we’ll submit. The Map artist/cartographer is moving to finalize the painted map- have printer samples that might be really map-tastic.
– V20 Hunters Hunted 2: Sending Chaney the HH2 backer names and we’ll make up the PDF. Justin’s writers have a deadline for their first drafts of the HH2 Anthology of 5/10.
– V20 Anarchs Unbound is in editing and we are getting art for it.
– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: Sent the Deluxe W20 files to the printer (both Standard Deluxe and the Heavy Metal Edition). Saw proofs and the few corrections are going back to the printer this week. The W20 PoD versions look good right now, but waiting on new proofs. Mike Lee is three quarters-way through the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel. The Storyteller Screen files are going to press with W20. Bill has prepared the W20 Anthology outline and contracting prospective writers. The Skinner is in layout and almost all the art is in. Jess Hartley is writing the White Howlers Tribe Book and the W20 Cookbook is being outlined. Check out some news here: http://whitewolfblogs.com/w20/2013/03/18/w20-cookbook-update-white-howlers-outline/
–Deluxe Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition has Phil Brucato writing like a maniac and developing his writers, also like a maniac. Art notes and contracts out to our full-page artist, once we have some feedback from him I’ll look a posting an art blog along with Phil’s developer notes. Very early sketches for the fulls look awesome. Talking to more artists this week.
– W20 Changing Breeds is in layout.
– W20 Rage Across the World: Most of the art is in but a bit continues to trickle in.
– Guildhalls of the Deathless (MtC) is being written.
– Conventionbook: Progenitors (cMtA) is onsale now at DTRPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/113471/Convention-Book%3A-Progenitors.
– Conventionbook: Syndicate (cMtA) is in editing and art direction.
– Mage Translation Guide is in Layout.
– W20 Book of the Wyrm is being written and red-lined. Check out the W20 blog notes: http://whitewolfblogs.com/w20/
– Trinity Continuum: Looking at the schedule to start setting up writing. John Snead is chasing me through the internet.
– Scion: Scion: Extras PoD is about ready to go live, and we’ll drop a small price tag on the PDF as well. Monica has some designer notes and extras we’ll be posting on the OP site.
– Demon: The Frutang: lots of example of play commentary including from Black Hat Matt McFarland’s play test are up on the new Demon blog: http://whitewolfblogs.com/demon/ Check it out, there are quite a few playtests posted now and they give a very interesting (if early) look at the game. Text is being redlined and Rose is trying to get early art notes together.
– Free RPG Day Project: Reap the Whirlwind, for VtR, is a combined 64 page booklet that combines a revised version of “Into the Void” and additional rules files from the Strix and God Machine Chronicles. This will be available at participating friendly local game stores June 15, and is on its way to the FRPGD warehouse.
Reason for Drinking: We’re up to a quintuple shot, but very close now to when the EX3 KS is ready!
I’d suggest just upgrading it from being measured by shots to fifths. Saves some math efforts later.
I like your thinking!
Request: Please let us know when it is submitted to the Kickstarter site.
Or perhaps share the length of time from submission to approval and posting.
Information shared from random sources on random KSes have thrown out a day to a week. Being in on the down-low would be cool. Would also serve as a reliable reference for future projects.
They’ve always given us a heads up at least 24 hours before. Mostly via Twitter (www.twitter.com/TheOnyxPath) which is usually thrown onto the forums faster than the devs can get there. If you follow the forums, you’ll see an explosion of posts- Probably reaching as far up the list as General Discussion. I’d suggest keeping your eyes open, but it’s not like it’s “first in, best dressed” unless you’re planning on throwing a good few thousand onto getting the upper tiers (and possibly having John or Holden running a game for you and your friends).
In this case I was just requesting it for further insight into the process and to get a sense of time seen inside the process.
Though it is certainly good to get that info out there. Feels like the question “Will there be 24 hours notice?” has come up every week for the past few. 😀
Personally I’m not in as much of a rush anymore. Though I suppose I kind of just want it to be out and known and done so I know how I’m budgeting around student loans and other bills while working towards another promotion at work.
How did that go again? All work and no play make Homer something something…
Hooray! A mention of the W20 art book! 😀
Just for you.
Hooray! (This may be a truer statement than I may wish to believe. But who cares?! Hooray artwork! 😀 Thank you, Rich.)
“God Machine Chronicle (nWoD) Reviewed one proof of two- will the second come Tuesday?… I’ll have some thoughts about GMC and Strix/Blood & Smoke Chronicles in a blog on the Onyx Path site (and probably linked elsewhere) that should be at least a little interesting. A teeny bit, maybe.”
Does this mean, assuming there are no problems with the proof, that it’ll be coming out later this week?
I would like to know this as well. Not to be a naggy pest, but out of good natured enthusiasm and excitement. Rich, I assume even if you proof it, it would still have to go through DTRPG’s processes?
Or even right now- http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/113340/World-of-Darkness%3A-The-God-Machine-Chronicle
Alright, that was pretty slick! Plus you answered my question about the Trinity Continuum. I have to reward that level of communication so I broke down and bought it immediately. In case anybody is wondering, the PDF is 252 pages of awesome!
I am also excited about the Trinity Continuum, but am prepared for that to take some time. Can you give us any indication of what will be your initial focus? Aeon, Aberrant, or Adventure?
So far, we are discussing a similar roll-out backwards through time as the first time, but with some interesting additions to how we do it this go around. After all, we’re calling it the Trinity Continuum this time and there are reasons for that. Seeeecret reasons.
Well then, I guess it’s time for me to see what all the hype was about.
That comment was supposed to be about the GMC release post.
Backwards roll out!? Oh I approve! Every good mystery is like an onion, you have to peel off one layer at a time!
(I am hoping for a good re-balancing with Aberrant though. LOVED the setting, but the mechanics could be shaky)
Looking forward the blog on Onyx.
This might have been asked before: are there plans to do updates to the limited gamelines after the main lines have been done? I’ve been considering picking up Promethean again and running a campaign so it crossed my mind.
At this point, I don’t think it has been officially stated that the other main game lines will get one. The writers really want to do them, but we need GMC and B&S to do well.
As Sean says- we have to see how these go.
Well… GMC is out now. Go buy it. 🙂
Done and done, good sir.
GMC is looking pretty good so far – less than 24 hrs out and its already an Electrum seller on Drivethru.
Looks brilliant as well. It may be a couple of days before I can get the chance to read it in detail but you’ve excelled yourselves on the art and design stakes.
Andrew is in a land far away and while the current team is rocking away at the Continuum, he’s working hard on his own job and projects and has graciously expressed support for ours.
Gaah! The God Machine Chronicle and W20 came out on DriveThruRPG on the same fnording day. You people want ALL my money, don’t you? DON’T YOU?!
Just a question, well, a request really, regarding Deluxe W20. Would it be possible to see it? A picture of the physical book I mean. If there are completed or test copies in existence, may be that could be arranged?
I’m assuming it’s going to look closer to the V20 thick black leather than it does the classic WTA cover we saw in the PDF and I would just like to actually know and see.
It’s fine if it’s not possible. I’ll just have to wait 🙂
Thanks!
In regards to this week’s topic:
1. What’s YMMV?
2. That’s a very valid concern. Personally, my job allows only limited space for creativity. That is, I believe, why I came back into gaming with renewed vigor about two years back. For the better part of the three first years of my career I was, work work work. But, now I need more. I need to express myself in the best way I know how. I make people have a blast around a table, or deep in the woods pretending they’re Werewolves, or Grey Wardens and soon Technocrates. That balance is super important to me now. Creativity gives me purpose and drive like nothing else can.
YMMV = Your mileage may vary.
i.e. Your experience may differ.
🙂
Thanks! I tried guessing, but I got nowhere near.
Hi guys, I downloaded the free rules update and printed it immediately and was astonished as to how it worked out. However, I still have a big doubt regarding two-weapon fighting. The only reference about it is at page 196: “If a character is wielding two weapons — showing off with a pair of pistols, or carrying a baton and a riot shield — take the highest Initiative penalty and increase it by one.” However, there is no reference whatsoever as to effective Damage ratings, required Strength and so on if one actually decides to *actively* use both weapons while attacking. I do not expect anything as broken as the old Gunslinger or Fighting Style: Two Weapons Merits, but I feel like there is a gray area. How should I rule it? I was thinking of adding the weapons Damage ratings together, assuming that they can be wielded together, and applying a -2 penalty to the attack roll unless the character has the Ambidexterous Merit, but I still feel it’s kind of overpowered, as a 3-dot Merit shouldn’t possibly give +2 damage in exchange for -1 Initiative, e.g. if dual wielding machetes.
Well, based on personal combat experience (not actual battle but real fake battles in various fantasy LARP games), the actual advantage of having two weapons has nothing to do with dealing more damage and it don’t see how it would reduce your initiative except for the part where you get tired much faster (Swords and shields are HEAVY).
You can win a fight via 3 means: Moral (or intimidation), confusion or raw skills. Dual-wielding is mostly a small boon towards the two first. It’s not overpowered in the least, I have lost battle where I had the dual-wielding advantage in the past because my opponent was simply more skilled than I was.
Moral: Point is, a dual-wielding guy looks like a warmachine, so does a dude that clearly knowns how to wield his shield. If your adversary is thinking of yielding, you pretty much already won. He’s going to screw up, or he’s actually going to yield. In game terms, I guess that should lower your adversary’s defense a little (Assuming he fails a “Willpower” check)
Confusion: If your foe can’t process what’s happening, he can’t dodge or parry. Dual-Wielding can help do that against slower opponents who can’t track both weapons at once. Meaning you can exploit oppenings far more often and easily. Meaning you’ll have more opportunities to act as long as you can remain on the offense. It’s also easy to parry if you fall on the defensive. In game terms, um…. I suppose it would reflect as raising your defense and your initiative a little (assuming he fails a Wits check).
But not damage. Of course, Damage would come up as a result of the likelyhood of landing hits more often.
Of course, battle is a truly complex and chaotic thing. Quite likely the experiences of other people would run contrary to mine and we’d probably both be right. So, take this for what it’s worth.
Thanks for your comment, though I was hoping that maybe a dev or two would weigh in on the subject. I would really like an “official” statement. 🙂