[Paradigm] Living Arcanis: No Longer the Best Kept Secret in Gaming!

[Paradigm]

MIAMI, FL - Paradigm Concepts announced a new retailer marketing campaign today in order to raise the awareness of the sales impact of the Living Arcanis organized play system. The announcement indicates that Paradigm Concepts’ marketing plans will include:

• Advertising in retailer-targeted publications.

• Posters, catalogues and hand out materials such as bookmarks and postcards for in-store use.

• Exclusive Living Arcanis adventures that can only be played at retailer game-days for stores with in-store gaming

The wildly successful Living Arcanis organized play environment is the lynchpin in Paradigm Concepts’ marketing for the Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires product line. Living Arcanis is the largest RPGA campaign not run directly by Wizards of the Coast with thousands of players worldwide and one of the largest roleplaying organized play communities in existence. Its events have regularly been the largest RPG events at major shows such as Origins and Winter Fantasy, often drawing more players than official Wizards of the Coast campaigns. The official mailing list of Living Arcanis is la_talk@yahoogroups.com, an active 1000 member internet community where all things dealing with the campaign are discussed. The listserver boasts an average of more than 1000 messages a month.

To encourage the players to purchase Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires material the campaign mandates that, in order for a player to make use of a rule or character option from a book, the player must have a copy of the title present at the table. As a result, players obtain several titles for use in the campaign. Not only has Living Arcanis spurred sales of Paradigm Concepts’ titles, but inclusion of other manufacturer’s titles has spurred sales of such diverse titles as "Freeport: City of Adventure", "Broadsides!", and "Nyambe: African Adventures".

Paradigm Concepts supports the RPGA sanctioned Living Arcanis campaign by investing thousands of dollars per year in free adventures keeping the community engaged and bringing the world to life, providing the fan-base with enough material to sustain the campaign, but not so much that the players cannot also find time to play printed adventures that are for sale in game shops. “Our commitment to Living Arcanis has been key to our success,” says Paradigm Concepts’ President Henry Lopez, “Our strict authorship standards insure that Living Arcanis adventures remain the best offered through the RPGA.”

Event hosting will direct players to the retail location by way of the event listings on the RPGA website. As a result, retailers will experience increased customer traffic, higher sales, and will see many repeat customers. Not only will sales of Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires titles such as "Codex Arcanis", "Forged in Magic", and the "Player’s Guide to Arcanis" increase, but the increase in customers will sell other game product as well. "RPGA campaigns bring people into my store," says Matt Blank of Neutral Ground NY, "Living Arcanis game-days sell books and generate a lot of excitement for the store."

The RPGA is the roleplaying arm of organized play at Wizards of the Coast and is dedicated to providing play opportunities and support for Dungeons & Dragons and other d20 System games. Set in Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires, Living Arcanis challenges RPGA players' skills in role-playing, problem-solving, and d20 combat in ways that other campaigns do not.

Paradigm Concepts’ products are available to distributors through Osseum Entertainment.

Eric Wiener
Paradigm Concepts, Inc.
6800 SW 40th Street #638
Miami, FL 33155
Vox: 305.525.9808
Fax: 305.667.2386
Em: ewiener@paradigmconcepts.com
Web: www.paradigmconcepts.com

Joel Williams
Osseum Entertainment
410 E. Denny Way, #19
Seattle, WA 98122
Vox: 206.568.6700
Fax: 206.374.2955
Em: joel@osseum.com
Web: www.osseum.com

 

[brunerr]

Living Arcanis is already the finest of the RPGA living campaigns. PCI has provided a consistantly high level of product combined with a an amazing collection of free adventures for RPGA play. A campaign more people who think rpg's should exercise the mind as well as the arm that tosses the dice.

 

[HvF]

Living Arcanis, a world loosely based on the fall of Rome, is the best fantasy campaign in the RPGA constellation. Its also the favorite fantasy setting of most RPGA judges in the Portland OR area. It has earned such high marks by a dedication to colorful recurrent NPCs, an overarching metaplot, excellent stories (in each adventure), and respect for the intelligence of its fans. Like an onion there are several layers to Arcanis and as PCs unravel some of the mysteries of the world there are deeper questions and truths to be found. Layer after layer. The outermost layer is the intrigue between the fading Coryan Empire and several successor states. The campaign is vibrant on this level even if PCs never delve deeper into other aspects. Whom your PCs will think of as a hero, an honorable opponent, a person of failed potential, or an outright villian will depend in part on where you hail from and what political factions you endorse and oppose. That's the top layer, now several years in, most PCs have had the oppertunity to learn of other shadowy groups that intervene in the affairs of their world - usually for ill.

Arcanis is not plain vanilla, and some people may not like all aspects of it as a result. In the Living Arcanis campaign the fact that other gamers in a random party may or may not share all the same goals as your PC is exciting to some players. It is a turn off to other players, and a few modules do create real interparty friction. Mature players usually handle this well. The possibility for some form of result of "less than perfect" success is also higher than in a typical "living" adventure as a result. In my opinion victories earned are sweeter for all that.

Retail products published by Paradigm Concepts Inc are also currently some of the best on the market. Like many 3rd party companies under the OGL a few of PCIs earlier products suffered from uneven editing (such as the adventure the Spear of Loghin) even when they concurantly had good or even brilliant storylines. PCI has moved past that phase. Currently their books are well thought out, well laid out, and (of course) have great ideas behind their stories. Judges & DM especially should be pleased with the wealth of material to work with.

If you've never seen Arcanis before and are interested, the eagerly awaited Players Guide to Arcanis (due at the end of August) is the logical place to start. By all accounts and previews it should be spectacular. The older softcover Codex Arcanis is also invaluable as a source of information on the world, though it does not have as high a production value as their current products.

If you looked at Arcanis in the past and gave it a pass, it might be a good time to come back and take a second look. Their material keeps getting better. I doubt any serious gamer will be disappointed.

-Eric Gorman

 

[Paradigm]

Living Arcanis will be big at GenCon

GenCon Indy, the Arcanis Experience

The all-new Arcanis adventures: LA-SP3-16 Lusting Leeward and LA-AP3-03: A Pebble Upon Still Water will be debuting at GenCon Indy.

Also, Paradigm Concepts is pleased to bring you the one-time special event How the Mighty Have Fallen, a two-round battle interactive.

How the Mighty Have Fallen
by Derrel Weaver and M. Sean Molley

The balance of power between Sicaris and its nominal rulers in the Coryani Empire has long been precarious. When the Commander-Magistrate sends word that a terrifying army has arisen from the desert sands and threatens to overwhelm the city, who will answer the plea for aid? This two-round Living Arcanis Battle Interactive is for characters of all levels and will help determine the future of Onara in a cacophony of blood and steel.

LA-AP3-03: A Pebble Upon Still Water
by Chris Sanders

An elder Elorii bids the adventurers to journey deep into the cursed Golden Boughs of Saluwe, to an outpost near the haunted city of Arkosia. While Arkosia would never easily surrender her treasures, when forgotten events from the past wash over the present, the meaning of true horror becomes known. (Supports APL 4-12; 3rd through 13th-level characters)

LA-SP3-16 Lusting Leeward
by Jeffrey Witthauer and Jeffrey Meehan

An Altherian freighter is seized by the watch for carrying contraband into Old Coryan. Both the Medja and the Cafelans want to get their hands on the cargo inside. But other forces are at work,both within and without, all in search of one thing -- more firepower. Players are strongly encouraged, but not required,to play LA-SP3-12 "Virtue's Crypt" before playing this module. (Supports APL 2-12; 1st through 13th-level characters)

About Living Arcanis

Living Arcanis is the largest member-run RPGA campaign with thousands of players world-wide. Set in Arcanis: the World of Shattered Empires, Living Arcanis challenges the role-playing, problem-solving, and d20 tactical skills of RPGA players in ways that other campaigns do not. Legends are born each day, play Living Arcanis and leave your mark upon the Shattered Empires!

 

[Paradigm]

How the Mighty Have Fallen

This event only has 18 tickets remaining unsold out of an original allotment of 144. Anyone that wants to play this event should make a point of getting tickets ASAP. We are not able to expand this event beyond the planned 24 tables.