lmpjr007
Explorer
Cergorach said:
Well then let me explain why I made the change. I have been working on Haven: City of Violence for the last 7 years. The concept of doing a modern setting game for WOTC only came up a few years ago. Based on TSR & WOTC past support of the modern genre game systems (Dark Matter is a prime example) I was a little PISSED that they were going to do something like this again. I surely did don't what to buy a games system that would be supported by 3 products then canceled. Haven: City of Violence is something a worked a long time with to make sure that we would build it in a way to make people have fun with it at the same time supplying people with product to make sure the line would survive on its own strength.
After putting Haven: COV in to the market we have gotten a good response, but the comment I heard most was, “I would play it, but it is not D20 Modern, and since I don’t what to learn more new rules, I would not play it.” Now think about that for a second as a business person and publisher. You have people saying they would play it, but only if you changed the “engine” of it. They didn’t say they would play it because it was “bad” or “poorly constructed”, they did not play it because they did not what to learn a new game system. So tell me what would you do as a business person and publisher who is trying to be successful? Ignore the people and not give them what they are demanding?
Now for my bashing of D20 Modern versus Haven: COV that is very easy. I am a small independent gaming company with a staff of 3 people working with me and I am going against Hasbro, Inc. with thousands of employees and a budget equal to some small nations in the world. Since they can kick my ass in every way shape and form in the business arena, what can I do to get some of the people that would be interested if they go a chance to see it? I act like a terrorist and go after their weak points. Terrorist, that is what the big, well equipped and well trained army call the small poorly trained and poorly funded army. To the British Empire, George Washington was a terrorist and to WOTC and am a terrorist, and I am going to act like one. Most of you have never played Haven: City of Violence but you have heard of it. Many of you would not have “heard” about Haven: COV if it not for my D20 Modern bashing ads. The ads found a weakness in the D20 Modern system and exploited it. Sun Tzu was right, “Business is war” and I have to use every weapon in the world to “win”.
Now to my payment of my writers, artist and editors, I am sorry that we can not pay writers 10 cents a word to write, artists $100 a page and editors 5 cents to edit, but we can’t. Like I said before we are a SMALL gaming company we don’t have that kind of budget. But if you feel I don treat any of the people that work for me correctly then why don’t you contact them directly and ask them. I have links for most people who have worked for me at these links:
http://www.lpjdesign.com/DevilsWorkshop/DWcontact.html
http://www.lpjdesign.com/Company/contact.html
You can e-mail these people directly and talk to them about how I have treated them and how much I paid. Then you can judge me on my business tactics.
Like I said before I am making the change to D20 Modern because it is a GOOD BUSINESS DECISION. Giving people what they want is at the heart of business and why certain companies hang so long. Well I want to be one of those companies. So once and again I am going to have to place my ego aside and do what is right for the company.
