What's the buzz on FFE?

[DaveMage]

I haven't heard anything from the Fast Forward Entertainment group lately. Their web forums are pretty dead, and it was reported that they were not at GenCon.

Was there any discussion about them at GenCon?

Ed Greenwood's Castlemorn setting is supposedly due out from them in September. I know FFE has been hurting for a while (and not been paying some of their freelancers on time), but they had sounded quite excited about Castlemorn.

Anyone know what's up?

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'll second this. I was looking forward to the new Ed setting.

 

[Sheridan]

I posted a subject-similiar message over on thier boards the other day in an attempt to elicit a response, but no such luck as of yet.
*Sheridan

 

[jaerdaph]

On a semi-related note, I've become absolutely addicted to FFE's Inning A Minute Baseball this summer.

 

[Christina]

I know FFE has been hurting for a while (and not been paying some of their freelancers on time), but they had sounded quite excited about Castlemorn.

On time? We'll be lucky if we get paid AT ALL!

 

[trancejeremy]

Don't freelancers talk to each other about which companies pay? I mean, I've known FFE has been late/not paying their freelancers for ages, and I'm mostly a fly on the wall. (Not that they don't want to, they just aren't selling much). I'm surprised people work for them without getting some money up front.

 

[Sheridan]

Don't freelancers talk to each other about which companies pay?

Not really. There really isn't any popular form of "freelancers-network" (unless you consider personal e-mails) where info like that is available. When you enter a freelance contract, its...well...a contract...and you expect both parties to perform as contracted.

I mean, I've known FFE has been late/not paying their freelancers for ages, and I'm mostly a fly on the wall. (Not that they don't want to, they just aren't selling much).

That pretty much sums up the situation.

I'm surprised people work for them without getting some money up front.

Actually, we don't work for them anymore. When FFE first announced they were going to have problems paying freelancers for work already done, they immediately stopped using freelancers for future work until such time as they had the capital to pay off their debts and future freelancers. So no freelancers have been doing new work for them (by thier own request) since they announced their fiscal problems, we're just waiting for pay on past projects. In some cases, material in the possession of FFE that had not yet been published when they announced thier problems was offered back to the uthors so they could pursue publication elsewhere with it. A much nicer alternative than having it sit forever in limbo. (Shameless personal plug: look for some such material to show up in Khan's Press' upcoming Soul Harvest II).

FFE does have some very cool intellectual properties, such as Dungeon World, Sundered Reaches, and Metamorphasis Alpha (that last one is actually Jim Ward's personal property), and I would really love for them to dig out from underneath their current problems and have an opportunity to work on some of these properties again.

*Sheridan

 

[MEG Hal]

Ed Greenwood's Castlemorn setting is supposedly due out from them in September. I know FFE has been hurting for a while (and not been paying some of their freelancers on time), but they had sounded quite excited about Castlemorn.

Anyone know what's up?

I heard it may come out but nor through FFE, and they were not at GenCon.

 

[Michelle Lyons]

They were at Origins. They may just be picking their shows more carefully.

 

[Napftor]

They were at Origins. They may just be picking their shows more carefully.

But wouldn't they have had more customers at GenCon over Origins? After they treated the poor souls who wrote for them (myself included), I don't really care what happens to them. I can say I'm in several books with James Ward, one of the 'ol TSR big-wigs, but that's about all I've got to show for my efforts. Well, I did take books instead of payment but only so I could get something material from the company before they went under and were unreachable. Who knows, maybe those books which violated the OGL will be worth something someday? :\