Thanks for the feedback guys.
Justin can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the plan is first the 96 page color pdf. In 2005, a full color print edition, over 200 pages worth, hopefully hardcover.
Well, this is partially correct. Operation Quick Launch (the setting material focusing on Eos) is turning out to be much longer, on the order of 160+ pages. As for the full print version, it will include all of the material for the Helios system. It will be available 1st Quarter of 2005. I'm guessing it will end up at 300+ pages. We are still toying with the permutations, i.e., hard vs. soft-cover, full-color vs. partial color, etc. We'll know more on that front in December.
the Vaasi are mentioned a few times in the opening material, but not mentioned in the rest of the product. Just the nature of the first-chapter and they're covered later in stuff not included, but maybe like a "note" or something? I"m assuming they're the "Darklings", but that could be wrong.
The vaasi are indeed the "darklings." I'll have another look through it as well. Rest assured much more info on the vaasi (particularly their servitor races) are in OQL.
Anyway, could be cool. Some of my players are fans of Firefly, and this has some undertones. Old West Sci-Fi. I like the verisimilitude of it.
A Firefly-type campaign would be very easy to run with DS. That's one of my favorite shows. Obviously, you'd have to tinker with the plot elements to go full bore, but for an unlicensed product, I don't think you could do any better than Dawning Star for that type of campaign.
Now that there has been a long story about the colony's history, no more story please! Lets give maps, and description of regions and points of interests on the planet, as well as description of other planets and moons. Also, lets describe some ruins and alien things, give tables and lists of what adventurers could find in these ruins, etc. I mean, something directly usable to ease the GM's job.
Maps? Got em! Descriptions of regions and points of interest? Got em! Description of other planets and moons? Got em! Ruins and aliens? Got em! With tables and lists? Of course! Heck, we've even got an intro adventure with a weather-modifying relic in it. One of the things I'm happiest about with OQL is the fluff/crunch ratio.
How much will the upcoming 96 page preview cost?
Hmmm.... Don't know if I should spill the beans on that one yet. Let's just say, I guarantee you'll be able to afford it.
(Oh yeah, and its 160+ pages.)
Is all the artwork in the same style. I find that rather appealing. (You might want to give credit to the illustrator. I see you have art director and designer in it but such great illus should be credited.)
Yes, all the artwork and layout is by Gary Simpson. I let him write his own credit, so he has no one to blame but himself.
But I'll tell him to add something to make it clear he did all the art too. Gary's got such breadth as an artist, he's the only guy I could see doing the whole kitchen sink.
What do you have planned if anything for support after the initial launch?
We've got a list a mile long on supplements for the DS series. A book on Eotian relics and ruins. A book on the saurians, the wolves, etc. A biota catalog for Eos. A starship construction/combat sourcebook. Sourcebooks for some of the other transport ships. And about a dozen others.
My biggest question is whether there will be adventures? A few good adventures (or one epic one) is more interesting to me than sourcebooks.
There's an introductory adventure in OQL. There'll be another/different one in the print version. We have an idea for a regular-sized adventure and plans for a mega-adventure,
Shadow War, a full-scale war against the vaasi.
Why did this one ship have all the terraforming equipment? I think each ship would be redundant. That is, each ship would have all the equipment necessary to survive on its own. The people planning the future of the race would definitely consider the possibility of separation or destruction of one or more vessels.
It simply wasn't practical. First, a ship that could carry
everything would have been much too large. The terraforming equipment alone takes up a full transport ship. And if each ship had been given
some equipment, its effectiveness would have been severely compromised.
Also, what happened to the rashes and lung irritation caused by the atmosphe? It was just mentioned but not further developed.
It's mentioned later in the book, but the terraforming process eliminated most of the irritants.
Thanks again for your interest.
