Kalamar Atlas Web Preview posted

[Hard8Staff]

Eridanis,

We do a lot of things other publishers wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. For us, it's not about the money. Heck the principals of the company all could have been well off (if you consider 6 figs/year as well off) by simply keeping their day jobs (the funniest, of course, is Brian's Master's Degree in Nuclear engineering -- he used to work as a Homer Simpson at the Zion nuclear plant before doing engineering consulting work and then ultimately KenzerCo full time).

The atlas is just one product in a long line of "too much development cost/value for the price" type products.

Examples:

D&D Shield (32 panels)
HM GM Shield (24 panels)
HM PHB (400 pages)
HM GMG (450k words -- or roughly quadruple most other $30 products)
ImageQuest in all Kalamar and some HM adventures (the art cost is killer)
Many "heavy" minis (and in particular the gnomes...)The maps in the core KoK book (ask yourself why no one else has made maps that big...)

So how do we stay in business??

My guess is that once someone purchases a K&C product, they're hooked for all future products. We like to thing that we hook 'em with value and keep 'em with quality.

Of course, I've been known to be wrong. Perhaps all the added value will make us go under while smarter companies give less and better match consumer expectations. I dunno. I suppose we can check the scoreboard in 5 years and see what's up.

Dave Kenzer

 

[Eridanis]

So how do we stay in business??

My guess is that once someone purchases a K&C product, they're hooked for all future products. We like to thing that we hook 'em with value and keep 'em with quality.

Dave Kenzer

Thanks for the reply, Dave. I know I'm very happy with the Kenzer products I own (Kalamar Player's Guide, Geanavue, and years of Knights of the Dinner Table, of course!). Keep up the great work!

 

[KnowTheToe]

Eridanis,



So how do we stay in business??

My guess is that once someone purchases a K&C product, they're hooked for all future products. We like to thing that we hook 'em with value and keep 'em with quality.


Dave Kenzer

That is exactly what happened to me. Unfortunately, my group does not yet play in Kalamar, but that does not stop me from really enjoying thier products.

I was hoping to pick up the Atlas at Games Plus during Chicago game day, but since I have waited all summer, I can wait some more. I can put it on my christmas list.

 

[Geoffrey]

Is this product pure atlas, or does it also have d20 rules in it?

 

[Hard8Staff]

Geoffrey,

It's a pure atlas. Think Brittanica, Rand McNally, etc. but for a fantasy world.

There have been world "atlases" before...but never a "real" atlas.

Thus, there are no game rules. "Just" topographical maps, wind aptterns, ocean currents, resource maps, trade routes, etc etc.

As far as use outside the Kalamar world...let's just say we showed a map to a guy running a D&D 3e game set in ancient greece and he was drooling over it. Just looking at a section of mountains made him want to grab his MM and start placing lairs.

Of course, individual mileage will vary.

 

[Hard8Staff]

Meepo,

The whole book is NOT in color. All of the maps are and some other stuff, so it's mostly color, but we could see no reason to have the location index (page no and map coordinate given in latitude and longitude) in color (most RW atlases use B&W for this part anyway).

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Meepo,

The whole book is NOT in color. All of the maps are and some other stuff, so it's mostly color, but we could see no reason to have the location index (page no and map coordinate given in latitude and longitude) in color (most RW atlases use B&W for this part anyway).

I was mostly worried about the maps But wow, all of them are full color? This sounds like a must-buy.

I'm a map junky. Looks like I won't be disappointed.

Any plans for a similar product for Garweeze Wurld?

 

[kenjib]

Not only has the stuff been great as a campaign setting in itself, but the Kalamar Campaign Setting book has also really helped me in homebrewing - kind of giving me a how-to guidebook of all the important things to keep in mind in making a convincing, living, world. This atlas looks to be really great in this regard too, showing examples of how population centers and resources are distributed in order to created a believable economic structure. I'm hoping it will get my gears turning in terms of trade routes, roads, and the strategic significance of this type of stuff. Great stuff!

 

[Snoweel]

The KoKCS has been a great help to my homebrew as well. It's been invaluable to the realism of my setting, particularly keeping the numbers sane (population, distance, etc).

 

[jgbrowning]

Well this is strange.. I went and looked at your atlas and the first thing i felt was pain.

A deep down disappointing pain.


See, since i was a wee one, i'd always had a dream of seeing my world done as a real atlas. Someone beat me to it.

but, MY GOD!, does it look awesome!

consider this atlas your first sale to a new Kenser and Co. customer. And well, i'll have to give your other stuff another looking over. Anyone who'd be crazy enough to do what i've dreamt of for years probably deserves a good thorough looking at.

joe b.