This might be a good place to explain why these notes are always about this Monday lunch meeting that Eddy and I have, and why I’m always talking about our conversations. Come with me back into the dim mists of time, back before White Wolf was a company…
I worked at a TV station in Philadelphia (WTXF-TV29 for all my Philly-ites) in Creative Services. We did all the advertising, both internal and external, and I also did news graphics on the crudest computer graphics tablet known to man. This was late 80’s- early 90’s. My boss in the department, Denise, was one of the best bosses I ever had, and she held a Monday morning meeting to start the week. I thought it worked really well to get all our creative asses in line and at least starting out going the same way. In ’92 I headed down to White Wolf and there was already a Monday lunch tradition for the whole company- all eight or nine of us- so that dovetailed neatly into the Monday meal idea. Then, WW grew so fast that within months we just couldn’t all have a meal together and actually get anything done, so we split the company onto different days and I vehemently insisted on keeping Monday as my department’s lunch-together day because of what I’d learned about starting the week together from Denise.
Even after I moved back to Philly and was telecommuting as the head of the department and then Creative Director, we still continued the Monday lunch meeting. I started a Live Journal (remember those?) to do essentially what I do here now- give updates and inside looks at what we’re up to- and when I moved over to work on the MMO, it fell to Eddy as the fastest and most cohesive writer to keep up the notes from that Monday meeting. Once Eddy and I started the CCP Transmedia Group after V20, we got back to having these Monday weekly meetings and posting about them- first Eddy wrote them and then I took over as they became an Onyx Path thing. Since they have been just between he and I for the last 5 years, we’ve developed a sort of “what’s interesting to you this week?” back and forth, that also covers the business and approvals that Eddy oversees in our license arrangement with CCP. So the first part of these posts is usually me taking the random media conversation we just had, and digging into it as to why it relates to the projects we’re doing at Onyx Path. Because we’re both so focused on game creation that it almost always does.
Which brings us to today and the fact that Eddy and I did not meet, and aren’t going to meet this week. Things are ultra good between Onyx and CCP, and Eddy’s job with the MMO- what takes up 90% of his CCP job responsibilities- is requiring him to engage in one of those awesome and exhausting day-long Scrum scoping meetings. (Scrum methodology is a project planning system used by CCP and other companies in the computer game business and elsewhere.) Let me underline this as we heard some folks in LA who were confused about who is connected to and does what with which company. Eddy is employed by CCP to help create the WoD MMO. Because of our good and long time relationship, and his understanding of the WW gamelines, he is also Onyx Path’s liaison with CCP and is now our connection for both approvals and business issues. To further confuse things, Eddy is also one of Onyx’s freelance V20 developers. Eddy is not however an employee of Onyx Path beyond his freelance contracts, nor is he a secret owner. Right now, I am the sole employee and owner of Onyx Path Publishing, LLC.
Just wanted to get that upfront and repeated for those of you who are new to this blog.
Finally, along the same lines: the entire staff of CCP are going on a retreat starting on Weds, and we’re not sure if Eddy and I will meet next week. If not, I’ll write a blog about Kickstarters and how far we’ve come in a a year and a half of doing them. If we do: more Sherlock Holmes talk! What?
Projects Being Worked On By Freelance Creative Talent Right Now:
– Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle (VtR) In Editing. Art is all contracted. Mirthful Mike has contracted several new artists, including a couple from IlluxCon.
– Mummy the Curse – Deluxe and Screen: Books and Screens ARE STILL SHIPPING! All US single books and single books w/screens are out, as well, I’m just told, are all International single books &screens. The MtC Ready Made Characters Pack is in layout and then it will be ready for approvals from CCP. Cursed Necropolis DC being red-lined by CAS and then back for second drafts from the writers. KS backers have been approached about their character info needed to go in the book. Please get that to me ASAP, folks! !!!
– Exalted 3rd Edition: While John hunkers down to rewrite the Charms chapter, the rest of the team is working on a couple of EX3 chapters that continue to be finalized for Editing: Awareness Charms are done which finishes off the Night Caste charms, the Wyld and Fair Folk sections are in editing. Evocations are in progress. Both EX3 novels as well as Zub’s EX3 Comic are in progress, and the EX3 Music Suites are being scoped out.
– V20 Hunters Hunted 2: Deluxe is being assembled. PoD and PDF versions on sale at DTRPG. This is another book that really benefited from the PDF reviews that our community had a chance to let us know about. HH2 Fiction Anthology text is in editing.
– V20 Anarchs Unbound is in layout and we are prepping for its Kickstarter- setting aside time at the end of the week to create this. Justin is having a strange “phantom voices” issue with his playback for the KS vid but we think he solved this.
– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: Regular Deluxe is done with binding, and I actually had a copy with the claw-marks lasered through in my hands and it looks sweet. Heavy Metal Deluxe is being worked up now as a prototype with their new press. Mike Lee is submitting chapters of the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel to Bill for dev review. The Storyteller Screen files are done and ready for W20. Bill has theW20 Anthology stories done and they are in editing. Jess Hartley is submitting the White Howlers Tribe Book to Stew Wilson for development notes, and the W20 Cookbook is almost done in editing
– Deluxe Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition has Phil Brucato mostly developing now like a maniac and most of the book has been written and we are prepping an editor for this big ol’ thing. Check out our first M20 art blog by Mirthful Mike Chaney: https://theonyxpath.com/mirthful-mikes-art-blog-mage-20th-anniversary-preview-1/
– W20 Changing Breeds Kickstarter expanded material has been put into the new layout and the backer names and all the art except the opening comic- which is taking longer- are being dropped in, and the Changing Breeds Fiction Anthology is being contracted by developer Jess Hartley.
– W20 Rage Across the World: In layout.
– Guildhalls of the Deathless (MtC) the PDF is going live on DTRPG…in the next couple hours?
– Conventionbook: Void Engineers (cMtA) is in second layout proof.
– W20 Book of the Wyrm is in editing.
– V20 Rites of the Blood: is in editing, Eddy is preparing art notes.
– Under the Darkening Sky (classic Dark Ages): In editing.
– Trinity Continuum: We now have a whopping big Aeon outline and a Trinity Continuum Core Book outline and writers are writing.
– Scion: Joe’s team is hammering systems- big time. Reviewing the first system doc this week.
– Demon: The Descent: In layout. Demon Quickstart PDF is free on DTRPG and the PoD version is Now LIVE.
– Hunter: The Something About Monsters: Writers are writing. Many first drafts are getting red-lined.
– nWoD: Dark Eras: Writers are writing.
-V20 Dark Ages: Scribes are scribing.
– DtD Players Guide: Flowers Of Hell?: Being written in a pit filled with bone white violets, and violet roses.
Reason to Drink: Our elected offcials.
Looking forward to Guildhalls of the Deathless… tomorrow, I suppose?
Word got out that you’d asked for the list of dinosaur rewards for the Exalted Kickstarter? Any chance we can get the list as an update once it’s official?
Dino final list? I’ll run that past our Devs and see if they’re comfortable with that idea- I like it.
I’ll drink to that.
I’d certainly hope so.
Amen. Even to my elected officials.
So, is the plan for them to print the plate (or dip it, depending on the method), then attach it to the leatherette book, and then punch it all at once on a press? Or are they going to try to punch the plate and try to line it up with the laser-cut press?
I would still like to suggest a complete glyph-book at some point (perhaps as a KickStarter add-on?) that gathers ALL of the glyphs from W:tA, and include some new ones (RANKS!) to add in… Maybe some Tribe-specifics (Computer? Cellphone? Twerking?) 😀
I’m not likely to be a part of the Anarchs Unbound KS (I can’t support them ALL!), but… you never know… I supported the V20 Player’s Guide for a screen, sooo…) But with the other KSs around the corner (and the By Night Studios doing the Mind’s Eye Theater: Werewolf: the Apocalypse: More Semi-Colons::::!) and what feels like a dozen more W20 KS in the future… I’m just not gonna be able to help on that one… *sigh*
Speaking of BNS… did you see their Google-powered Bug Reporter thing? 🙂 Keep up with them on that and see how it works out. Something like that could be very useful for your projects too! (I’d include a “page #” category for easier tracking, personally.) If it works out, it’s free and … well, you’ll see how it works for someone else. 😀
Can we get ANY teases, or updates on any of the upcoming W20 KickStarter stuff? Any development tid-bits? A piece of art-sketch? A snippet of text? Chapter-names to get us an idea of just what “W20 Rage Across the World” is actually going to include? 🙂 *grabby hands* Please? How about the cover for the W20 Cookbook? Who’s illustrating that? 😀
Thanks for the Monday Meeting updates nonetheless. 🙂
Brother, understand that the symbol for “twerking” cannot be communicated with our typical glyphs, for it is only known by the battle scars that such foolish Garou must wear across their faces if they are witnessed participating in such a vile ritual. :p
The glyph book should be called “The Silver Record 20th”.
As I remember that book covered glyphs for Garou, Bastet, and Corax. Would be interesting to see other Fera styled glyphs. But I also want to know if Ajaba use the Garou glyphs too or have their own glyphs that look similar to Garou ones.
One way to support if your having trouble supporting them all: Is the lowest tier in a KS. You may not get the book, but you will be credited. In the case of By Night Studios, it gets you the ability to vote on their next KS.
Or just getting the pdf. like I did for Exalted. Cause that book was expensive.
I might do the same for Mage 20th, but eventually get the POD copy when it becomes available. But I always have to get a book and a screen from any Werewolf KS (That means both Apocalypse and Forsaken, so yeah, will be trying to support Dark Eras when that comes about).
I hope BNS’ W:tA KS doesn’t come about when another OP KS is happening at the same time, since I want to get some tribe/breed pins/necklaces.
I remember LJ, as I still have a LJ account and the site is still going.
I still remember Usenet, Geocities, Angelfire, Alta Visa, Netscape, Ezboard, and when White Wolf used to have a DNA fourm.
I’m supposed to see their prototype approval copy soon of the HME W20, so I’ll let you know which direction they have decided to go for the metal lasering. New Silver Record would have been cool for W20…should have thought of that. I thought Stew posted Rage Across the World Open Dev snippets? Did we hold off on those in order to concentrate on CB?
Well, we got the layout months ago. It was very promising. There’s been nothing new in that front since.
^.^ Well, it doesn’t have to be stories of the Silver Record like “The Silver Record” had, but a compendium of glyphs would be cool to have for those of us who like making pack glyphs and stuff. 🙂 However, for those who like fiction and stories and such, a new “Silver Record” for W20 would be cool, especially if you decide to update the setting on “What happened after the Red Star”, or whatnot (IF you decide to go that way with W20.) However, with Rage Across the World and Book of the Wyrm and Umbra coming out, I’m sure it’d make a fine KS supplement (especially if it’s just taking the vectors of the glyphs you have and putting them into one document…)
Open Development for W20 books has sorta died, it seems. I didn’t know if the developers just prefer to work behind a curtain and reveal the stuff when necessary, or if I’m just missing (or forgetting) the information released. But with several books in development, I’d love to see more information regardless (and moar art! 😀 )
I am also amused that you got Prescott to do the Tradition-Splat pieces for M20. I guess you guys treated him well enough during W20 that he came back to do a bazillion more pieces, huh? 😉
To be specific, last update that wasn’t “Hey! There’s a CB Kickstarter” was June 3rd and it was about recipes for the cookbook. Not complaining here. Just updating Richt. Although, yes, to be honest i’d love for us to be more involved in Rage Across the World in an open dev way. That’s THE book that covers lupus culture amonsht the Garou. I’ve been wanting that for many many years 🙂
Of course, at the same time. I’m just really happy the book will exist so, i’m not going to complain. 😀
Looking forward to the W20 Heavy Metal preview. Neat stuff.
Not really related to anything in this post, but I was listening to the old VtM Succubus Club CD the other day and I just wanted to comment on how motherloving cool that was as a companion product. While I have no idea how feasible it would be after costs, licenses, and other business concerns are taken into consideration, I think that another album with clan/tribe/tradition/whatever themed songs would make for a great product or stretch goal. (I’d say it should be a WtA thing, but I’m quite biased 🙂 )
We’re kind of just getting our feet wet on music with the Exalted 3rd Music Suites. Let’s see where it all goes.
I don’t think that a “CD of music inspired by the Tribes” would work out well because each Tribe’s culture is so different from one another that I don’t think it’d work out for background music.
Instead, I think setting music like “Deep in the Forest of the Wolves”, “The Moot”, “The Attack”, “Gathering for the Departed”, “The Urban Jungle”, “The Umbra”, “Frenzy”, and the likes would probably work out well.
Then again, if you’re looking for W:tA music, there’s always the Slipknot album “Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.” where we learn that Pentex, The Black Hand, and Bone Gnawers all suck. 😀
I remember the old Livejournal! I could never find it when I wanted to read it, though.
Behold: http://whitewolf-lj.livejournal.com/
Gagh! Oh, uh- great! Thanks, Ian.
Wow, I’m finding those hard to read.
I am absolutely looking forward to seeing new Trinity, Aberrant, and Adventure! books! And Glad you can go back to calling it Aeon, instead of having to call it Trinity because MTV and its trained, attack lawyers think people would confuse it with Aeon Flux…
To be explicit, we’re calling it “Trinity Continuum: Æon,” which shouldn’t be confusingly similar to anything. (:
Glad you’re looking forward to everything! So am I. We’ve got a lot of fun stuff planned.
Can you tell us anything more than, “- Trinity Continuum: We now have a whopping big Aeon outline and a Trinity Continuum Core Book outline and writers are writing?”
My great late friend did a home video of the MTV symbol as an animated video love letter to them. He was 16 at the time and sent it to them as a show of his talent, and instead of thanking him or any such thing they instead threatened to sue him.
I very much like Trinity Continuum: AEon as a name, and am very much excited about seeing these books come out.
On the edge of my seat for the physical copy of Mummy and more so for Blood & Smoke. I’ve got a table of players hording Beats every Thursday so they can buy the third dots of their Disciplines.
Awesome- you should have Mummy soon.
I received mine on Friday and it is a thing of beauty!
Got my copy. It is indeed a beautiful book. Looking forward to making use of it.
Wow, just perused the old WW Live Journal. It goes back to January 2005, interesting to read about those heady days when the nWOD was young. Times have changed, mostly for the better, but the world is different.
That’s for sure!
Hi Rich, just wanted to share that I got my deluxe MtC book and screen today, stunningly beautiful and despite the wait, well worth it 🙂
The gold gilding, embossing and silk bookmark are beautiful. To you, CAS and the entire team, job very we’ll done!