Choices to be made...things to ponder.

[DarkShadow316]

Greetings all,

I was hoping I could get some feed back from every one here on some choices I have to make concerning the RPG company I purchased last week, Visionary Entertainment Studios Inc., makers of the Everlasting Role Playing Game.

For those who don't know what the Everlasting Role Playing Game is about let me give you the 411 on it.


The Everlasting Role Playing Game is a legend making experience created by Steven C. Brown. Those of you who have been gaming for a while will probably recognize him as the man who wrote the Sabbat and other Vampire the Masquerade books for White Wolf in addition to doing some work for other game companies such as Steve Jackson Games.

Let me basically put one of our information packets here for ya...just one sec...





The Secert World , a day dream shadow of our reality, is waiting for you. Break down the walls of disbelief..join modern-day angels, dragons, ghouls,elves,vampires,mythic gods, immortal grail knights, werewolves,grim reapers, and others on adventures in lands of legend, myth and terror. Explore modern-day dungeons, rule the kingdoms of night, and duel with other eldritch creatures. Battle to save reality from destruction by the forces of evil; for if the secret world falls, so does our world.
The Everlasting is more than a game; it is an Interactive Legend making Experience From the mind of Steven Brown, author of numerous White Wolf books, including the infamous Sabbat and Black Hand Books, comes the sate of the art, cutting edge in role-playing. Drawn from years of professional experience and design work, The Everlasting Combines gamemasterless options, communal protagonists, personal mythology, live-actions elements, and many other never before seen innovations with the most incredible and detailed setting you have ever seen.
The core guidelines ( since there are no "rules") come complete in each of the first four books, which are called the Foundation Books . Each foundation book is a stand alone role-playing system but the foundations are fully compatible and may be used in conjunction with one another for greater diversity.

What is the Secret World?

You are living in the Secret World right now. The Everlasting takes place within that portion of reality we never perceive because we lack the receptiveness and imagination required. The Primary setting is modern day earth, but many worlds and dimensions are intensely detailed through the foundation books. Adventure in modern day dungeons filled with orcs and other monsters, travel the Faery Kingdoms, or take refuge in New Camelot with the grail knights. Rule your own Dreamworld or become a powerful somnomancer in Phantasia. Delve into the deepest reaches of the Astra where you'll find Primordium a pangea-like world ruled by dragons, the Mythic Homelands of the gods, the Verdant Lands where Yggdrasil stands, the Menagerie where totems rule, and many other worlds. Explore the many Agarthic Spheres, such as the fantasy world Apocalyptia , which is being studied by undercover operatives of a covert government operation.

What is an Interactive Legendmaking Experience?

The Everlasting is like a magic mirror that reflects what you put into it. You can go on hack n slash adventures or use storytelling for in-depth personal tales, but you can do so much more.

*Interactive makes you an integral part of everything happening . Trade communal characters with fellow participants each adventure, spice up the drama with live-action and props, personally customize the guide lines and choose between dice, playing card, Tarot card, and freeform options. You don't even need a gamemaster; everyone becomes a storyteller.

* Legendmaking takes you beyond role-playing and into a higher realm of intensity through the concept that psychologists call Personal Mythology. Through it you will build your own mythology and perceive the mythic forces at work within your own life, giving you a brand new, magical way of looking at role-playing. Conquer your enemies and fears, assume mythic archetypes, and live out the monomyth through Personal Mythology. Translate your beliefs and emotions into symbols and explore your convictions through make-believe.

* Experience something you never have before with The Everlasting. Learn to control your dreams for solo legendmaking and inspiration. Feel role-playing epiphanies, use opening and closing ceremonies for a more mystical time, find higher states of consciousness, delve into the mysteries of the universe, or just have fun fighting the monsters. It's all here waiting for you..

What kind of characters can I play?

The Everlasting features an incredibly diverse and original variety of character types. Each character type has its own personal chapter, featuring its culture , history, mythos, lifestyle among mortals, subgroups, supernatural powers, magic’s, secrets, torments, weaknesses, relations with other eldritch races, adventure ideas, and much more. The four foundation books feature the following

* The Book of the Unliving- Dead Souls(ghosts), Deathmechs( un-dead cyborgs), Ghuls( ghouls) Golems, Reanimates(Frankenstein’s monster types, some represent the perfection of humankind, others are hybrid things with horrible mutations and oddities) Revenants( ghosts who have regained earthly bodies), and Vampires (including over 10 races, such as Barthora, the Dracul and the Dakini)

* Book of the Light- Angels, Daveas ( mythical gods) of many households such as the Aesir, Tuatha de Danann, Kuni Tzu Kami, and Milesians, Demons, Questers ( knights of the round table who drank from the grail and became immortal), and Wer ( werewolves)

*Book of the Spirits- Gargoyles( spirits bound into physical simulacra), Leviathans( the demons of dragon kind), Manitou ( animal Totems with human hosts) The Possessed ( dream and nightmare lords with human hosts), The Possessed ( dream and nightmare lords with human hosts), Somnomncers ( people who are master warriors and wizards within the Dream worlds), Djinn, Spirits ( astral and dream entities) and Unnaturals( cosmic and extra dimensional horrors).

* Book of the Fantastical- Adventurers ( modern day human adventurers, some of whom helped invent role playing games as a means of finding new members for their guilds), Dragons ( that walk among mortals in human form), Dwarves( including Agents of Law and Chaos), Elves, Faerie( over 20 races) and Orcs.


I could go on and describe the system in greater detail but I feel this is enough for now. Well I just bought the company that makes the Everlasting RPG and I have the task of releasing the first product in almost five years. Not since the Book of the Spirits has VESI released anything new. Well I plan on changing that.

I know I want to look into going d20, or possibly follow the lines of Mutant and Masterminds ( if it is OGL) as that would broaden our appeal to more gamers. However I do want to keep the old system to as it had some nice features. The choices I have to make in the near future is what should I do? Should I release a dual stat book four and start releasing dual stat versions of the previous three core books? Should I release the Fourth Book in d20/OGL and then release the Fourth Book in it’s original form? Then should I release future supplements dual stat or one for each ( original and OGL?) Any input as to what you the consumer would prefer would be helpful.


Also does anyone know if M&M is OGL?

 

[mistergone]

Yes, M&M is OGL.

 

[Lugh]

[disclaimer] I am not a professional in the gaming industry. I know nothing of marketing. I am a long time gamer, part-time freelancer/playtester, and I have seen a lot of games come and go. [/disclaimer]

OK, a couple of questions first off. Why do you want to go d20? It seems like your primary reason is to tap into the large market. This is certainly not a bad reason. But, I'm not sure it's a good idea for your product. First, you are touting your designer as someone who made his name in the Storytelling system, not d20. Second, I think your game would appeal more with a unique system (since most of the flavor, at first glance, could be duplicated with d20 Modern with minor conversions). You can tap into a counter-culture that way, of people who prefer to swim against the herd (this makes up a surprisingly large segment of the gaming community). Third, your promo bit there talks about some fairly unique rule sets that d20 can't support/has trouble supporting (e.g., "gamemasterless play," LARPs).

My suggestion would be to look closely at the product. Why did you buy it? What do you like about it? Is it a good, strong system? Or does most of the fun come from the setting? Figure out what the pros and cons of your current product are. Then, figure out how pros will be kept and how many cons eliminated by going to a different system.

Then, ask some players. Finding people who still play might be tricky, but some serious searching on the 'net will likely turn up a few. Tell them that you are looking to revitalize the game, and they will likely fall all over themselves giving you suggestions. Listen carefully to what they say, but realize that players inevitably want the sun, the moon, AND the stars, and all for less than $20. The key things you want to listen for are gripes and house rules. If you have a lot of house rules out there, you likely have a flawed (or at least incomplete) system (not necessarily, but likely).

Finally, look at who you currently have on board. Keep in mind that finding a good, talented d20 designer is tough these days. Most of them have been snapped up by one company or another. However, finding a talented guy to work on a proprietary system shouldn't be as hard. Just tap into that fan base you found in the last step.

Doing that should give you an idea of whether or not the conversion will hurt your product, and/or gain you market share. I'm suspecting that you will find that you don't want to convert, but then I haven't actually looked at your product. If you'll notice, though, White Wolf's World of Darkness hasn't converted. Palladium hasn't converted. Steve Jackson hasn't converted. Just because d20 has a strong market today doesn't mean that's what you have to go with to have a strong market.

And remember. There's nothing that says that you can't issue on open license on your system, too....

 

[DarkShadow316]

Thanks for the advise Lugh,

I know the maker of the game very well and I am personal friends with several of the original play testers. Steve has agreed to help me where he can and for that I am very grateful. I have a great way of getting in touch with the fans of the game over at the offical fan site that I started a couple of years ago before I even though of purchasing the company. VESI Fan Site has fans from all over the country and some parts around the world.
In regards to the story teller elements I was thinking of keeping that with the original system. Possiably going the dual stat route.

 

[Lugh]

Personally, I would advise against the dual-stat route. It means that roughly a fourth of the book is useless to anyone who purchases it (assuming that only half of any book is stat-based). It will also disappoint your die-hard players (many of whom probably spit on d20), while tending to confuse new players.

One option would be to produce a d20 supplement for the game. Create a solid conversion system between your proprietary system and d20. Put it into a book with the basics on each of the Foundations. If you can come up with a good, clean conversion system (definitely the hardest part), you can attract the d20 players without alienating your existing players. Then, I would not dual-stat any future books. If you still really want to support a d20 audience, put the "official" stat conversions in web supplements, that people who purchase the book can download for free.

I think that's your best long-term strategy. The d20 bubble is eventually going to burst. If there is not a pressing reason to tie yourself to it, I would advise sticking with the original system. Otherwise, when the d20 systems start going the way of CCG's, you can be there as an alternative with history and a solid fan base (hopefully).

Good Luck!

 

[ced1106]

One option would be to produce a d20 supplement for the game.

Yet another option is to put the d20 information online, as well as **some** dual stat info in the book, and the rest online. Pros and Cons for presenting the information this way abound.


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^