Orcus
First Post
I love the HM Screen and was blown away to see someone actually put out something like that. As a publisher, I cant help but look at things and calculate costs and margins when I look at them. Even with WotC size print runs that is an expensive product to make. I wish them the best of luck with the product since I think it is great. Perhaps Kenzer will do a d20 version.
I spec'd out the cost and it is very expensive relative to other printed works--full color art, laminate, funky cut, etc. But not impossible. Dave is right, most small print run companies would have trouble making money on such a product and would most likely take a bath. So Colonel you probably wont see many of them from the smaller d20 companies...
...unless, as is often the case in gaming, someone just wants to make something cool and doesnt care too much about making money. Look at Fiery Dragon for example. Full color counters in products, handouts, odd page sizes for print runs, ads inside covers. That is not a company that is focused on the bottom line. Or Necromancer even. Crucible costs $8.00 and you get over 60 extra pages of free content on the net--including a follow up adventure essentially larger than the module itself! We could have sold that stuff as a second module but we gave it away. For free. So I guess since people in gaming are often motivated by more than money, maybe you might see a d20 company do one. Particularly a company that had access to high quality low cost color artists. An FD screen would be great with Claudio's art, for example.
As for Kenzer's patent assertion, that isnt much of a put off to me, were I to decide to do one. But hey, if Kenzer wants to spend $1000 on the filing fees alone and pay for a prior art investigation (even more money if they do one) just to file for a patent (let alone the fees to maintain it) when it may prove indefensible, more power to them. I certainly dont see any need to license the design from them. Of course, were I Kenzer, I might want to look into the patent matter if I thought others might try to follow suit, so I see why they mention it.
I hope someone takes up your call Colonel and gets us a d20 version. It is an impressive screen.
To me, however, just doing a flip screen with info wont be as cool as the HM screen. I like the HM screen because when you go to "combat mode" you flip over to some nasty scenes of the characters getting their butts kicked. That, frankly, is my favorite part about it.
Clark
I spec'd out the cost and it is very expensive relative to other printed works--full color art, laminate, funky cut, etc. But not impossible. Dave is right, most small print run companies would have trouble making money on such a product and would most likely take a bath. So Colonel you probably wont see many of them from the smaller d20 companies...
...unless, as is often the case in gaming, someone just wants to make something cool and doesnt care too much about making money. Look at Fiery Dragon for example. Full color counters in products, handouts, odd page sizes for print runs, ads inside covers. That is not a company that is focused on the bottom line. Or Necromancer even. Crucible costs $8.00 and you get over 60 extra pages of free content on the net--including a follow up adventure essentially larger than the module itself! We could have sold that stuff as a second module but we gave it away. For free. So I guess since people in gaming are often motivated by more than money, maybe you might see a d20 company do one. Particularly a company that had access to high quality low cost color artists. An FD screen would be great with Claudio's art, for example.
As for Kenzer's patent assertion, that isnt much of a put off to me, were I to decide to do one. But hey, if Kenzer wants to spend $1000 on the filing fees alone and pay for a prior art investigation (even more money if they do one) just to file for a patent (let alone the fees to maintain it) when it may prove indefensible, more power to them. I certainly dont see any need to license the design from them. Of course, were I Kenzer, I might want to look into the patent matter if I thought others might try to follow suit, so I see why they mention it.
I hope someone takes up your call Colonel and gets us a d20 version. It is an impressive screen.
To me, however, just doing a flip screen with info wont be as cool as the HM screen. I like the HM screen because when you go to "combat mode" you flip over to some nasty scenes of the characters getting their butts kicked. That, frankly, is my favorite part about it.
Clark
