Big Bang Volume 4 Now Available.

[Dana_Jorgensen]

Volume 4 of the critically acclaimed Big Bang: The Mostly Illustrated RPG Guide to Modern Weapons is now available.

As with Volume 3, this one is also themed. This time, we take a look back to the dawn of modern military firearms, between 1870 and 1890. This is the period when the world of firearms radically changed, when metallic cartridges came into widespread use, the technology to create copper and nickel jacketed lead bullets developed, and the first smokeless propellants were also created. The issue draws on the article "Small Arms of the European Armies", originally published in 1889, as the basis upon which covered weapons were selected. This is also an era filled with the atmosphere of revolution that swept across post-Napoleonic Europe.

This volume covers over 50 variants of the Hotchkiss, Jarmann, Krag-Jorgensen, Kropatschek, Lebel, Lee, Remington-Keene, Vetterli, and Vitali rifle families. As usualy, it is filled with all the same tasty fluff and crunchy goodness that fans of the series have come to expect.

To date, the Big Bang series has detailed in excess of 425 weapons, from hand guns to SMGs to assault and bolt-action rifles, to heavy weapons including machine guns, anti-aircraft missile systems, and anti-tank guided weapons and rockets.

This PDF book can be purchased from RPGNow.


http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=425

 

[Leopold]

we ever gonna see one big book of these?

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

we ever gonna see one big book of these?

Not likely, because if I did one big book, no one would be able to afford it. As is, the four volumes plus the special edition total up to in excess of 400 pages. With the way people are complaining these days about the $50 price tags on licensed products, I don't think anyone will be willing to pay that kind of price for a paper version of an unlicensed product, even if it does support D20, Action! and FUDGE.

And even though it is already over 400 pages of very detailed material covering over 425 weapons, I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet. I've got a very long way to go. After all, I am trying to write the equivalent of a "Jane's Guide" to guns for roleplaying games.

Besides, when I add support for a new game system, would you prefer to download a free update or would you prefer going out and buying the updated version of a book?

The way it is now, you can organize material the way you want (by nation, manufacturer, weapon types, or year or era of manufacture), the cost is reduced, and most importantly, the cost is spread out, rather then being one monstrous lump sum. You also have control of the end product, getting as cheap or as durable a physical product as you want. For instance, I print mine out via laserprinter on a very nice hammermill 80lb cardstock, and I stick it in a manstrously large D-ring avery binder, one of the ones with the outer clear vinyl pockets for covers.

If I go to paper, I have to become concerned about printing, shipping, and distribution costs, and I end up having to cut corners, greatly abbreviate the information provided, and I end up with a run of the mill, inferior product that gets lost a the sea of mediocrity.

And I have looked into the possibility of doing a series of 64-page books at about $12 each without altering the format from the PDF version, but I don't think that will do well in current market conditions.

I am working on one physical product for it, a series of binder dividers by weapon type, each with a "gunbunny" illustration by some popular artist.