Companies on the Edge...

[JoeGKushner]

So how often do you think a company has to put product out to stay in the consumer's mind? I keep thinking of Privateer Press but without some new products, all the news updates in the world aren't goingto keep people playing in the Iron Kingdoms. I don't see quite the same issue with Eden's Odessy line since it's not a setting but I know a lot of poeple are very curious to see how their final 'big books' are going to come out.

On the other end, I don't oftne hear people talk about the Scarred Lands too much. Has it been Rifted? Too much support?

Oh well, just shooting out some ideas.

 

[annadobritt]

As long as a company puts out two quality products a year, I'm happy.

 

[Nightfall]

On the other end, I don't oftne hear people talk about the Scarred Lands too much. Has it been Rifted? Too much support?

Oh well, just shooting out some ideas.

If it's dead, I don't believe it's my fault Joe!

 

[Grazzt]

Re: Re: Companies on the Edge...

If it's dead, I don't believe it's my fault Joe!

Even if it were dead (which it isnt), Nighttfall would kick it, hit it, administer CPR, etc. until it came back to life.

 

[Nightfall]

Among other things, yes I would Scott! Course I think Clark would do the same IF Necromancer did fade off the scale (which it WON'T! )

 

[trancejeremy]

That's a good question.

Part of the trouble I've had with a lot of companies who put out modules and a setting, is they either released some modules, but delayed their setting, or put out a setting book, but delayed putting out any modules or other.

I mean, how are you supposed to run a campaign using them without enough material? Not very well. You can either put it on hold until something new comes out, make up stuff (which will screw you up later), or do what I do, use planar travel, right out of the Elric novels, and move the PCs from world to world by the hands of Fate. Neither is particularly great (though the last is mostly hard on the players)

I mean, Chaosium and DLOM. I know, supposedly it was supposed to be out earlier (like a month after DLOM), but their first module for it was about a year after it came out. (They had also stripped out the intro adventures when they search & replaced Elric! into DLMO)

Sovereign Stone had a somewhat similar problem. They put out the setting book first, then put out a magic book, then put out a race book, then finally put out an adventure a long time after that.

It was somewhat hard to get a feel for Sov. Stone because while the main book gives an overview of the setting, a lot is devoted to rules. It wasn't until I read the first two novels for it, that I was able to get a good idea of how the world felt.

Especially the Orks in it. The Orks in their world have low charisma not because they are ugly, or beastly, but because they are blunt and have absolutely no tact. It wasn't until the novels that this was really obvious.

Of course, it really can't be helped. A lot of d20 companies are very small and have neither the time nor the money to pump out products at first. They have to go slowly, one product at a time. Some, most notably Green Ronin, put out almost monthly updates on Freeport on their web site until the main book finally came out.

But in some cases, like Chaosium, or even Sovereign Press, they had previous, non-d20 editions of the game that they could either refurbish for d20 use, or put up on their website, as background material. A lot of the early Kalamar adventures were like that, I believe.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Scarred Lands is fading by far but it does seem to be going the rotue of the Forgotten Realms in early 1st/2nd ed where sourcebooks were plentiful, adventuers less so, and as we see, WotC seems to think that's not the way to go.

 

[Lady Dragon]

It is frustrating with several of the smaller companies who put out fantastic teaser products and now a year later haven't come through with the real thing like the campaign world.Privateer Press,Gaslight Press and chaoism are all guilty of this and there are others Paradigm hasn't put out anything since november.Sovereign press is also way behind as mentioned.

I think its better however that they take there time and put out quality rather than rush it out half done just to make a self-imposed deadline.I've noticed that it tends to be the on time companies or somewhat ontime companies that also put out poor quality stuff sometimes.

As for scarred lands I think the world is coming along nicely but I would really like it if they would put out a full size adventure its been almost 2 years its time.

 

[tensen]

Hopefully we will see more of the situation like Dragonstar. Where several companies are working towards material for a single setting.

 

[Nightfall]

Well there WILL be a mega adventure, the first called "Serpent in the Fold" part of the Serpent Amphora series. I believe that the first one will be available in September.

Joe, the reason there are a LOT of sourcebook is, there is more to the Scarred Lands than just ONE continent. Thus there has to be more than a few sourcebooks than adventures, MAINLY because adventures aren't always applicible to one or more continents. That and the fact that adventures are, as you noted, not profitable unless that's ALL you produce.