Yes, we’re getting all crazy here at the end (or at least the end on Thursday) of the Prince’s Gambit casual card game Kickstarter, and we’re thrilled with how well it has gone so far! As I mentioned at the start, this is a very different kind of KS if only because it is a card game, and we’ve never done one of them on KS before!
So seeing how this KS compares and contrasts to our Deluxe KSs has been fascinating and we haven’t yet seen the end. The price point being so much lower ($19 plus shipping for the deck), shipping being estimated until we add it after the KS in BackerKit, it not being like VtES or other familiar cards games from the original WW days; all of these and more have provided interesting responses and data that we know we’ll be able to use in the future.
The Kickstarter is over on Thursday- so pop in if you can – it’s a really fun game and you can even watch Eddy and Justin and friends play through it at this link: https://youtu.be/4eZT40BlavE
We’ve been asked about this, so I was thinking it would be helpful to let you folks in on how Onyx Path has evolved these past five years, and particularly in terms of how we’ve improved our internal processes. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but maybe not with quite this emphasis on what happens behind the scenes.
For example, before our Office Manager, LisaT, was hired, I was the person getting in the freelance creator pay sheets as submitted by the art director and all our developers. Then it would take me a solid day to go through the sheets, find errors or other questions that needed answering, and get replies and write out all the checks. As you might imagine, trying to keep those two dozen+ payments straight and accurate every couple of weeks took up a lot of my bandwidth, but I stayed on top of it as best I could and made sure that even if I rolled late I always got the checks out.
Now, we have LisaT, who was hired specifically to make sure we didn’t let any freelancer linger unpaid as we grew and had more and more creators contracted, and the payments are happening much more smoothly even as their number every couple of weeks has greatly grown.
Similarly, Rollickin’ Rose Bailey was brought on to help our developers manage and complete their projects as we revitalized the Chronicles of Darkness lines with 2nd Editions and reactivated the WoD lines with the 20th Anniversary Editions. That’s a lot of lines just there, nevermind Exalted, Scion, Scarred Lands, Trinity Continuum, and Pugmire and Cavaliers of Mars.
We could only grow as we needed to because Rose stepped up, and even with her there helping on the development, writing, and editing side, I realized we needed another Onyx Path staff member in there connecting that work with finished books and projects getting into the right sales venues, and we were lucky to get Mighty Matt McElroy to come onboard late last year.
One of the very first things we three did together was to reconfigure our freelance writer pay rates by removing the 5 cents a word pay rate cap that had been in place for over a decade as a legacy of the original WW days. We could do that because we had grown as we needed to during the first five years, even if it was a clunky and inelegant growth process.
For developers, we scrapped the old model, also a holdover from old WW, of paying by the word, and instituted a single amount by project. Bonus amounts are now added for such things as if it’s a core book or we know we’ll need the developers to contribute to the Kickstarter.
For any of our freelancers, we also have created several different payment options, in terms of method of pay and the timing of when folks are paid.
We could make these changes, now that we can afford them, because of the oversight LisaT, Rollickin’ Rose and Mighty Matt can give to making sure these process changes actually work as intended. Which is, primarily, as an increase in the financial reward in working on these amazing projects.
Make no mistake, I’m not saying these changes will let our freelancers quit their day jobs, as we are still trying to make things work in the tabletop RPG biz mostly. But we have slowly built up the business so we’re at the point that we can replace legacy processes that I brought into Onyx Path from old WW (because I knew how all the pieces worked, and could be managed by a one or two man company).
BUT: even with all the above in place, if you have been unpaid for work you have completed for us under contract, I absolutely want you to know you can contact me directly at richt@theonyxpath.com. We have a great team, but mistakes happen, so I’m here to help.
Another thing our great team here was able to do is to put together a plan to get more Exalted 3rd material flowing again!
We’ve got the first batches of releases to be released as monthly mini-releases in progress, as noted in the Project Progress list below, and a couple of tasty excerpts from upcoming books.
This week, our EX3 devs, Robert Vance and Eric Minton, have provided an excerpt from Arms of the Chosen. I give you: Gnomon, the Starmetal Wrackstaff Artifact: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7FqViticwNuam9lbVJBWFhJM2s/view?usp=sharing
Enjoy!
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER!
The Prince’s Gambit casual vampire card game Kickstarter is entering it’s final nights! We’re almost at the Stretch Goal for adding new art and then come the Assamites, and we’re hoping the 48 hour push gets us even to more cool rewards! So please check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/princes-gambit-casual-vampire-card-game .
Designed by long-time Vampire: the Masquerade tabletop RPG developer Justin Achilli, Prince’s Gambit is a fast-paced social deduction game set within the world of Vampire, but which requires no special knowledge to play. Players must cooperate to gain the favor of the Prince while deducing who among them are secretly the traitorous Sabbat infiltrators.
Next, the Monarchies of Mau KS is scheduled to come after Gambit.
ON SALE!
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: https://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/
You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages!
Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial, PoD and PDF versions going on sale Wednesday!
This book includes:
- An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.
- A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.
- Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin (Demon and Skinchangers 1486-1502 Aztec Empire). Ahuitzotl sits on the throne at the height of the Aztec Empire, overseeing his sorcerer-priests’ sacrifices and the endless flower wars his jaguar and eagle warriors carry out in his name to keep the altars well-supplied with victims. The gears of the Aztec Empire turn smoothly and inexorably, but not everything is what it pretends to be. Skinchangers take the shapes of animals to run the wilds or bring down human prey, the Unchained cobble together identities from stolen lives, and stranger things still lurk in the deserts and jungles beyond the walls of Tenochtitlan.
On sale in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/206028/Dark-Eras-Beneath-the-Skin-Skinchangers-and-Demon-the-Descent
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Into the Cold (Demon: the Descent 1961 Berlin). East Germany erects a wall against its Western counterpart, turning West Berlin into an island within its own country. As the Cold War heats up, demons find themselves the targets of increasing human scrutiny, and begin to realize that the God-Machine’s plans didn’t end with the War.
On sale now in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/206081/Dark-Eras-Into-the-Cold-Demon-the-Descent
The splendor and horror of Rio is unwrapped! Cursed Necropolis: Rio for Mummy: the Curse is on sale in PDF and PoD versions: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/205257/Cursed-Necropolis-Rio
Beneath the splendor of Rio de Janeiro seethes a hotbed of occult activity. Over a score of mummies keep their tombs in Rio, their presence seeping into the soil and stones and souls of the city. Over all this reigns the infamous Teshra-Gemet, the pretender Pharaoh.
The city of Rio births marvels both bright and dark… and you never know which kind you have until it’s too late.
Cursed Necropolis: Rio contains:
- The secrets and schemes of Rio’s Arisen.
- New Utterances, from the perception usurping Horse and Rider to the cleansing fire of Baal’s Due.
- “The Serpent’s Tooth,” an all-new adventure to introduce players to the conflicts and power plays of Rio de Janeiro.
Beasts are added to Hunter: the Vigil with Hunter: Tooth and Nail, coming atcha in PDF and physical book Pod versions on DriveThruRPG.com! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204066/Hunter-Tooth-and-Nail
Tooth and Nail is a bonus chapter/companion book to the previous released Hunter: Mortal Remains that explores antagonists inspired by the Beast: the Primordial RPG.
Hunter: Tooth and Nail includes:
- Fiction and story hooks to bring these beasts of legend to your Hunter: The Vigil chronicle.
- New bestial Dread Powers.
- New Compacts and Conspiracies which hunt the monsters, but also sometimes hunt the zealous heroes that hunt as well.
The Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd REVEALED this Wednesday on DTRPG! Physical copy PoD version coming to DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199280/Secrets-of-the-Covenants
Continuing our individual Dark Eras chapters, we offer you Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms on in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/205483/Dark-Eras-Fallen-Blossoms-Hunter-the-Vigil
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Doubting Souls (Hunter 1690-1695 Salem). Immigrants and tribes struggled to co-exist on the Eastern Seaboard in the ever-expanding Colonies. Violent clashes, supernatural beliefs, and demonic influences spelled disaster for Salem Village and its surrounding towns, while others fought werewolves and vampires on the frontier. With so much at risk, only god-fearing men and women were deemed innocent — and those were few indeed.
Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204372/Dark-Eras-Doubting-Souls-Hunter-the-Vigil
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Bowery Dogs (Werewolf 1969-1979 NYC). New York City in the 1970s. Crime. Drugs. Gang violence. Vast economic disparity. And werewolves. It’s a lean, ugly time to be alive, and the lone wolf doesn’t stand a chance out there. In the end, all you really have is family.
Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/203762/Dark-Eras-The-Bowery-Dogs-Werewolf-the-Forsaken
The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! PDF and physical copy PoDs are now available on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199275/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Hurt-Locker
Hurt Locker features:
- Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.
- Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.
- Expanded equipment and equipment rules.
Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire (Mummy 1893-1924). Perhaps the quintessential era of the mummy in the minds of Westerners, this period saw the decline of the two greatest empires of the age: British and Ottoman. Walk with the Arisen as they bear witness to the death of the Victorian age, to pivotal mortal discoveries in Egypt, and to the horrors of the Great War.
Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/178801/Dark-Eras-Ruins-of-Empire-Mummy-the-Curse
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Sundered World (Werewolf and Mage 5500-5000 BCE). At the birth of civilization, in the shadow of the Fall, the Awakened stand as champions and protectors of the agricultural villages spread across the Balkans. In a world without a Gauntlet, where Shadow and flesh mingle, the steady taming of the world by humanity conflicts with the half-spirit children of Father Wolf.
Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202272/Dark-Eras-The-Sundered-World-Werewolf-the-Forsaken-Mage-the-Awakening
CONVENTIONS!
Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).
In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: https://www.gameholecon.com/
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)
- Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
- M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
- Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)
- Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
- DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)
- The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- We were going to list Adversaries of the Righteous (EX3 Antagonists) and Hundred Devils Night Parade (EX3 Bestiary) here but since we’re doing monthly small releases with them, we figured that would just get annoying and confusing. So this week, they go here, but after that they just exist.
Redlines
- Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
Second Draft
- V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)
- Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)
- Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
- Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)
- WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
Development
- W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
- SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)
- M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- CtD C20 Jumpstart (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)
Editing:
- Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition
- BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)
Post-Editing Development:
Indexing:
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- Beckett’s Jyhad Diary – Waiting on the remainder of the art.
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – AD’d
- Dagger of Spiragos
- VTR: Thousand Years of Night – Contracted
- Cavaliers of Mars – AD’d(ish)
- Monarchies of Mau Early Access – Sketches incoming. Got McEvoy’s finished piece in.
- BtP Building a Legend – AD’d
- Wraith 20 – AD’d
- W20 Changing Ways
- Ex3 Monthly Stuff – AD’d
In Layout
- Prince’s Gambit
- M20 Book of Secrets – Layout in progress.
- Pugmire Screen – Doing up the front.
- Pugmire Cards – Done, waiting for format from printer.
- Pugmire – Prepping files for press.
- M20 Art Book – Still in the queue…
Proofing
- C20 – 2nd proof.
- V20 Dark Ages Companion – Sending to WW for approval.
- CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology – At WW for approval.
- M20 Book of Secrets
At Press
- Ex 3 Screen – Shipping almost completed.
- Ex 3 core book – Shipping almost completed along with map and bookmarks.
- W20 Shattered Dreams – Shipping almost completed.
- Shattered Dreams Screen – Shipping almost completed.
- Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.
- Beast Conquering Heroes – PDF and PoD going on sale this week on DTRPG.
- Dark Eras: To the Strongest – PoD proof on the way.
- Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin – PDF and physical book PoD on sale!
- Dark Eras: Into the Cold – PDF and physical book PoD on sale!
- V20 Lore of the Bloodlines – PoD proof ordered.
- Dark Eras Companion – Files uploaded and processing.
- W20 Song of Unmaking – Inputting errata.
- EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – PDF out to backers.
- C20 Anthology – Out to backers, gathering errata.
TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: US Tax day! Celebrate through your tears if you are from the US! Celebrate not paying our taxes if you are not!
Yay, A bestiary and writeups of enemies for EX3 is what I’ve really been wanting. Thank you!
We’re thrilled to be able to start getting these sorts of useful (and cool) releases out to you!
I’m looking forwards to these as well. Can I just say how much I love the book titles we’re getting this edition? What Fire Has Wrought is still up there as one of the coolest but I’m liking these a lot as well!
Glad to hear it! I keep trying to get them to make duller titles, but writers gotta be all creative and writerly, I guess.
So, is there an ETA on Lore of the Bloodlines now that the proof is ordered? I’ve been dying to get my hands on it and would love to know when it’ll finally be ready to purchase!
Earliest would be next week, so pop in for next week’s Monday Meeting Notes!
You guys need any Dev help on the M20 cookbook? I’m pretty handy with a whisk.
If only we knew earlier! Right now, Satyr Phil is just waiting for one more bit to come in.
Well if you want to write a follow up wine/cocktail pairing guide let me know.
How do you feel your rates compare to your more direct publishing peers like say Green Ronin and Monte Cook Games, and the big fish like WotC, Paizo, and Fantasy Flight? Do you think you are coming in above the industry norms? I ask because some of your previous partners and Devs have been pretty critical, but thats only really their side of things. I was pretty dubious of the claims that you dont give your authors comp copies of the books they contribute to for example.
There are companies that pay much less, and others that pay more. As for comp copies, we provide free PDFs for our creators, and at cost coupons for PoD books. Unlike with stacks of traditionally printed books, every PoD book given as a comp would cost us full manufacturing costs, which doesn’t make a lot of sense for us to pay instead of raising pay rates.
One of your freelancers, who has written for four books, still makes $0.03/word, which is the rate she started with. Is that common? You keep talking about having raised rates.
It’s not uncommon, but nor is that unfair to a writer new to the industry.
Pay increases are awarded for a number of reasons. Hitting deadlines, consistent quality, minimal need for developer intervention on work, volume of words written and books contributed to, the good references of the writer’s developers, and of course, writer request.
It certainly can be. Not knowing the freelancer, I can’t say. Did she do significant chunks of those books, was her first draft clear and clean, how did she respond to the redlines and was her final text reflective of the dev notes? Did she hit her deadlines, and if not, did she communicate what was happening to her dev? And beyond all that: is her writing good?
Is her writing good? Well, I don’t know. By what metric?
Would she have been rehired four times by two of your devs if her writing was bad? Would they have each rehired her if she didn’t communicate with them?
By good, do you mean the reaction of the fan community to her content? Like, when some of them say:
“I feel no reservation whatsoever in giving you what I think may be the greatest compliment possible for such a thing: I want to play one of these.”
“Easily among the best eras in the book.”
“You have me riveted for what is to come.”
“Just finished reading through the book. Very solid product. I like the concepts, in particular the Rotting Debris and Scalpel Hands Horrors. There are some interesting concepts in there too. I probably won’t use the characters as PCs – my players already have theirs – but they might show up as NPCs, or at the very least inspirational material. Well done!”
“Personally I loved the Changeling’s backstory and character details. I especially love how she (and all of the characters) fits into the brood so nicely.”
“It fits perfectly in the setting, and provides further good examples of what Beast and Horrors can be. Very happy with it.”
I’m not going to post more, but there’s more, and you should be able to figure out who the writer is from this. But I don’t know. Does this mean she’s a good writer? Should she have still been making three cents a word? Who, exactly, is getting these raises?
Sounds like folks are enjoying her work, which is really fantastic and encouraging, but doesn’t really change my point. Which is that there are a lot of aspects to whether someone gets a raise or not, and the fact that they have written for four books may or may not factor in.
She should maybe check with her developers and find out if she has been suggested for a raise, as we really rely on the devs to let us know when writers are deserving. Thanks!
I believe I know the writer to which you’re referring, but I won’t name her as she’s not posted here herself.
If her developers haven’t put her forward for a raise, maybe she should go to them for their constructive feedback as to why? In all fairness to Rich, he has no way of monitoring the individual performance of every freelancer. That’s the role of those who hire her, and it’s their feedback that determines whether OPP pays her more.
That’s her prerogative to do or not. But as a fan, I’m seriously perplexed and troubled by the questions Rich asked. “Is her writing good?” I don’t know. Does Onyx Path frequently rehire, three times, writers you think are mediocre?
I might think a writer is great, while Matthew may totally disagree. Tastes and judgements vary. Some writers are not thrilling, but they are clear. Others really deliver a sense of place, but can’t convey emotions. And bcause these are RPGs, there’s the whole question of effective rules writing as well. It is a big, and often subjective question, and again, only one part of the equation when determining whether a writer gets raises.
Haley Margules, right?
I’ve heard that she was making numerous complaints about Onyx Path and White Wolf in general.
If not, nevermind.
“but thats only really their side of things.”
And that’s usually the case. Disgruntled ex-employees generally have more to say(and more they CAN say) about things while the “company” does not have the leisure to discuss. Twitter, Facebook, etc. have given more power to this ability, unfortunately, and mobs will grab their pitchforks without hearing ALL sides of the story.
Rich is a good man, and Onyx Path is a good company. His past history, love for the worlds(of darkness, tee hee), and overall professionalism is something that should never be questioned, in my opinion.
I have to agree with this. When something happens in any company that causes rifts with an employee (on the side of either party), there are words said that don’t always illustrate the truth. That said, I have followed these Monday Notes for quite some time now and also followed the company since it’s birth and see a great company here. Of course, that’s from the outside.
I think it’s worth pointing out that just becuase Rich and OPP are good people doesn’t mean upset former employees are bad people.
The kinds of decisions that go into running a creative business like OPP are often not the kind where you can just examine all the data and have obvious solutions. There definitely are lines between what’s a fair and appropriate resolution and what isn’t, but exactly where those lines lie can be debatable. I think Rich generally does a commendable job trying to run OPP in a way that supports the creative people that work on their projects. But it’s an imperfect system involving people who, despite having the best of intentions, are neither omniscient, nor always perfectly capable of putting those intentions into practice. If there’s people out there who feel they got burned by it, well, you can disagree with their feelings without suggesting that they’re all liars out to ruin Rich’s good name.
Life’s complicated, sometimes things don’t work out and people get hurt. Better to let things heal and help people make the best of the situation than to keep picking at the scabs.
Hooray for Ex3 material! Hooray also for getting tax returns for being poor!
“So whatcha gonna spend the money on?” Well, Exalted, Scion and Trinity stuff probably.
…I have a problem.
You are a hero.
Oh, you know I’m just kidding. I haven’t regretted spending money on Onyx Path products before and I’m not about to start now.
Besides, I make enough to suit my needs, which is more than a lot of people, god bless them.
And I hope you know how much we appreciate you choosing to pick up our stuff! Thanks-
I feel ya, man. I’m personally committed, finances permitting, to all future TC, CofD, Exalted, Scion and Pugsteady campaigns, and I hope one of these days my tastes and circumstances converge on a WoD-XX campaign (if I hadn’t had some recent medical bills, I swear I’d have bought into Prince’s Gambit).
Onyx Path is largely dedicated to physical media it seems, but are there any plans to create companion apps for the games? Like a quick reference guide or something like D&Ds D&D Beyond.
That would actually be a great idea. I see that there are some oWoD phone/tablet apps but nothing developed by Onyx Path for 2E. Outside of a ‘quick character generator’ and ‘dice rolling app’ a rule compendium (quick merits search, etc.) would be nice on any device for Storytellers and Players alike.
We’re just getting started on some app licensing of game aids, and rest assured I’ll be talking about them here on the MMN blog when we have something to announce. Thanks!
I hope you’re looking into Hero Lab and Realm Works from Lone Wolf Development. WW had a deal with them years ago. It would be great to see CofD added to this great product.
Different electronic gaming initiative for us (if you dig back through the MMN blog archives I go into great detail about our Extended Media efforts), but yes, we are looking into those sorts of venues too.
Will we be hearing any updates soon for Signs of Sorcery? Just wondering if it’s on hiatus, or moving up the calendar? So excited for this.
Changeling 20th is cllllose !!! Yay I have alot of friends who are looking forward to that one. I take it the backer names are the ones to be added last in such a book ?
In this case, pretty much, at least for the Backer PDF. I imagine the index will be the very last thing when we get to that stage after Backer PDF errata.
A couple of your proof items are listed as “At/Sending to WW for approval.” What approval authority does White Wolf have over the CtL 2e Anthology?
Well, the new White Wolf Publishing owns the WoD, CofD, and Exalted properties, and part of our agreement with them is an approval process so that they can be sure we’re publishing material that they are good with.
I’m so excited about the V20 Dark Ages Companion. I still hope to see the advance pdf next week. *keeps fingers crossed*
It also looks like Wr20 ist more or less completely written. \o/
Would it be possible to send something like an advance-advance pdf to the backers?
I mean without layouting it. text-only.
That would be great 🙂
I appreciate your excitement, and you have been waiting for this for longer than we expected, but no, we really need to stick to our process.
No surprise, I know how difficult things can be if you stray from the tried and proven way to do things.
Still, can’t blame a girl for trying 😉
Absolutely no blame involved…I’m anxious and impatient to get it to everyone, too!
I’m glad you’re looking forward to V20 Dark Ages Companion! I hope you like the work we put into it. I’ve reviewed the second proof, and it looks excellent.
I like seeing domains a further away and the last preview about Mangaluru already gave me a few nice ideas, and you can always get me with more information about Constantinople and Carthage (that was the primary reason I backed Beckett’s Diary – which is coming along nicely as well. I’m pumped!)
Woohoo!
I just realized I forgot to ask a very important question several weeks ago!
What IS the Ex3 Orichalcum Edition’s metal plate made out of?
Only the freshest of ground up and pressed Solar Essences.
Brass, I believe. Wait, no! It’s really Orichalcum, of course!
Brass is a very pretty metal. Kinda makes you wonder why people were so hung up on gold.
Scarceness and the tarnishing that happens with brass, I bet. How many times do we hear of gold’s purity? And maybe because man makes brass, but gold we obtain?
For the new exalted books(antoginisrs and bestiary), do we come here to download(alla the previews) or do we go to drivethrurpg? Also will they just be announced when done, instead of moving through the progress bar?
We’ll be treating each section as a PDF release, so I’ll announce them here, and they’ll go on sale on DTRPG. Then, when we have enough sections to put together as a book, and there may be different numbers of sections for each book, that will be released and announced as a PDF/PoD like we do our regular books.
So would it be better to wait for the full PDF of the bestiary or buy it piece by piece?
Depends on what you need and how you like to get your stuff. Personal preference, I think, unless future decisions we make change how we’re planning on releasing them.
Is there any possibility that people who have bought the individual chapter .pdfs for these could get a discount on the full .pdf?
I’m torn between wanting to get the material sooner and wanting to have it in a single .pdf for the sake of convenience.
Why haven’t even put the first one out yet, let’s see if there’s enough interest to keep going to the book. But we’ll consider it, thanks!
When the full books are released, will the sections still be available in case someone only wants to pick up a particular section?
Dunno yet, we haven’t even got the first ones out yet. 🙂
I have wondered: How has the approval process changed? I got the impression since CCP didn’t really care anymore that with them, the approvals were mostly a formality. Does New White Wolf actually suggest/”request” changes? Or is the approval process still pretty much just a formality?
They can do, and have done, but no projects I’ve worked on have been changed fundamentally. Usually WW just want to add something that makes a game closer to their vision.
Rather than say that CCP didn’t care in the latter days of our working with them, I think it is more like the focus of their concerns shifted, and the folks doing approvals had a great deal of confidence in Onyx shepherding game worlds we understood better than they did. The gang at new WW are very focused on the game lines, having been fans for years, and have strong plans for the future, so we have more indepth approvals as they make sure all these projects we do work into the mosiac of licenses they are creating.
Any idea when Deviant might show up on the radar?
I’ve said before* that I quite like the peeks ‘behind the curtain’ of your updates, RichT, but know that I ALSO really dig how you (and your devs and others at Onyx Path) are willing to continue that into the comments on these. There’s something refreshing to see how the ‘open’ in Open Development is taken to heart at Onyx Path. It’s great to know that there are people behind the names we see in books!
* Said maybe once before? 😛
Well, my thinking is that the blog is something I’m monologueing, I’m broadcasting basically, for good or ill. While the comments give all of us a chance at conversation and clarification, which I like a lot more.
There’s a typo on the document for the staff, the text just cuts off mid sentence at the end of the fourth page.
Yes, we are aware. The text has not been through editing yet. Thanks!