Finding the BCCS

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Well, I've been trying to get my hands on the BCCS for almost a month now. I ordered from Amazon, originally, because I'd be paying 15$ less. It's been a while since I used Amazon, since I tend to get better prices and shipping from Barnes&Noble dot com. Unfortunately BnN don't seem to have access to the book at all and up to this day still have a page up saying it isn't available from their site. The book never appears at any of the local BOOK stores and there's only 1 hobby shop on my side of Cincinatti that I know about. I've been told there are more hobby shops in town, but haven't been able to really locate them.

Amazon has been pushing the ship date back since the week I ordered it. First by a week. Then another week. Then another week. This morning I was going to contact Customer Service and figure out what was up ... and they sent me an email saying they'd have to delay until middle-late MARCH.

So I'm definately going to cancel the order. I can't really keep waiting for the book, as I promised a player that we'd try to incorporate the magic system into a game we're running. Because the shipping got pushed back the first time we decided to reverse-engineer and wait it out, but we've met three times now and it's to the point where I'm going to need the book or throw out any semblance of working to that system and create my own.

Is the distro on this thing horrible? Did GR not anticipate demand and its already sold out? If I order directly from GR are they going to punt it to another distro warehouse company that doesn't have any copies left? I'm not waiting another month and a half for this book. If they can't get copies to retailers to get a copy in my hand I can do well enough on my own.

--fje

 

[Old One]

Heap,

Have you tried your FLGS? There is a small local one that I use on occassion...not a lot of shelf inventory...but they can get just about anything in from their distributor in about 2-3 days. You are paying full sticker...but it sure beats waiting 3 months!

~OO

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

That's just it. I live in Oxford (read "Podunk") Ohio, about 40 minutes from Cincinnati Ohio. EDIT -- Well, by going through GreenRonin's site I've actually stirred up two stores nearish my area that supposedly carry GR stuff. I'm going to put in calls to each and see if either has a copy and is open on Sundays. I might just stir myself up a F(reasonably)LGS, if they're nice places. Each has a website and seem pretty nice. One of them is, apparently, down the street from the Avian-specialist Vet we have to take our Sugar-Gliders to. Maybe I'll get a copy of this thing after all.

-fje

 

[Old One]

Hmmm...

You could always try the GR Forums and see what they suggest...beyond that, just post here and we will try to hook ya up !

~OO

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Have you contacted GR about ordering it direct? The most expensive option, I know, but they will tell you whether they have it or not and it took only 3 days when they shipped it to me.

Failing that, FRP games is cheap and fast:
http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=14109

 

[Krieg]

Which store in Cincy are you familiar with?

If you want I can give you directions to the other stores in the area (when I first moved down hear I spent several weekends chasing down & visiting everything in town).

FWIW it would probably be worth it for you to just drive up to Fairborn (near Dayton) and go to The Bookery.

BTW FRPGames currently has tBCCS in stock.

 

[Nikchick]

Amazon has been pushing the ship date back since the week I ordered it. First by a week. Then another week. Then another week. This morning I was going to contact Customer Service and figure out what was up ... and they sent me an email saying they'd have to delay until middle-late MARCH.
[snip]

Is the distro on this thing horrible? Did GR not anticipate demand and its already sold out? If I order directly from GR are they going to punt it to another distro warehouse company that doesn't have any copies left? I'm not waiting another month and a half for this book. If they can't get copies to retailers to get a copy in my hand I can do well enough on my own.

--fje

Wow, this is not the first time I've heard this from people about the Black Company book, but I honestly don't know why it's happening. Green Ronin is stocked in the book trade through Ingram, who supply all Amazon, B&N Borders, all of 'em. I know some of the hobby distributors went light on their initial orders (only because the book released so close to the end of the year) but they've all been restocking like hungry animals since then (I think Alliance put in two restocks in one week, for example).

I know everyone in the distribution chain tries to order 'just in time' to minimize their risks. I'm not a big fan of the strategy, but I understand how it came about. The problem is that when you hear things like this, the 'just in time' strategy is NOT WORKING. There's a breakdown somewhere, and it's intensely frustrating for we publishers to hear from fans who want the books that we have but the vehicle that's supposed to deliver the product to the end user isn't doing it.

I'll bring it up with Osseum the next time we have a conference with them, though. I seriously want to address these supposed product shortages, it's just really difficult trying to figure at what step along the way it's all breaking down. :\

Regards,
Nicole

 

[Banshee16]

Wow, this is not the first time I've heard this from people about the Black Company book, but I honestly don't know why it's happening. Green Ronin is stocked in the book trade through Ingram, who supply all Amazon, B&N Borders, all of 'em. I know some of the hobby distributors went light on their initial orders (only because the book released so close to the end of the year) but they've all been restocking like hungry animals since then (I think Alliance put in two restocks in one week, for example).

I know everyone in the distribution chain tries to order 'just in time' to minimize their risks. I'm not a big fan of the strategy, but I understand how it came about. The problem is that when you hear things like this, the 'just in time' strategy is NOT WORKING. There's a breakdown somewhere, and it's intensely frustrating for we publishers to hear from fans who want the books that we have but the vehicle that's supposed to deliver the product to the end user isn't doing it.

I'll bring it up with Osseum the next time we have a conference with them, though. I seriously want to address these supposed product shortages, it's just really difficult trying to figure at what step along the way it's all breaking down. :\

Regards,
Nicole

Would I be correct in interpreting that Green Ronin still has a lot of stock in the book? Personally, I'm very interested in purchasing it, but I don't believe I can afford to place an order until the end of the month.

I haven't read the Black Company novels yet, but I was flipping through the book at my FLGS, and a lot of the new rules, and *flavour* seemed very cool. The magic system was really neat, and I bet it could work for a number of other worlds that have dark magic, like Tad Williams' Osten Ard, Raymond Feist's Midkemia, etc.

Having rules on more damaging crits, as well as infection in wounds, ambush rules etc. make it a much grittier game. I was thinking of combining aspects of it with Midnight..

Banshee

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Well as to distro breakdowns:

I've found that Barnes&Noble don't get RPG books in for quite a while. I've looked for quite a few books within two months of their release dates at BnN stores and have NEVER found them. They'd get alot of my PRG dollar if they actually recieved the books before I went elsewhere for them.

Amazon ... I used to order from them alot, but started trying to visit LGSs a little more often. This is the first time I tried to get a book recently, and it certainly didn't turn me on to them again.

I called The Violet Nexus or something like that, and Comic Book World, both on the north end-ish area of Cinci. CBW was the last one I called and the guy was friendly and offered to order it today (Monday) and said if their distro had it he should have it in-hand on Wednesday. He hadn't even HEARD of the book. We'll see if he comes through on Wednesday. Not knowing it didn't really instill alot of security in me, but I'll give him a chance.

And yea, the pubs might want to talk about how distro gets done. I'd honestly buy more RPG books if I could get my HANDS on them. I was hot for D20 Future when it first hit the ground, but couldn't get it from BnN on or offline and by the time I was seeing copies of it a friend of mine had already gotten one somewhere else and let me borrow it, so I never bothered to buy it. Same thing almost happened with both "Mutants and Masterminds" and "Nocturnals". I wanted both of them, but couldn't get the revised printing of M&M after it came out nor find Nocturnals. Lost interest, but saw them in a store and decided to pick them up.

--fje

 

[Nikchick]

Would I be correct in interpreting that Green Ronin still has a lot of stock in the book? Personally, I'm very interested in purchasing it, but I don't believe I can afford to place an order until the end of the month.

It's been a strong seller, but we're not at risk of running out of books just yet. I think you're safe.