Spy-genre Poll

[Morgenstern]

Isn't Mongoose printing and distributing your products? Between AEG dropping the line and Mongoose picking it up, have you printed or distributed any products on your own? They may not have the rights to the IP, but if you're entirely dependent on them for printing and distribution, I'd say that they have quite a bit of control over whether the line continues.

We have produced and distributed 3 products since taking over from AEG (less that we hoped for by now, but the learning process has been useful). Given that Mongoose came to us, and thus far the most onerous requirement they've put on us has been "Did you mean for the section header on page 84 to be a different font from all the rest in the book?" (to which we replied 'Uh, no. Thanks for catching that. Corrected file to be uploaded momentarily.') we're pretty happy with the arrangement. If that kind of partnership between companies makes you nervous... *shrugs*

Just two assumptions, really:

1. Crafty Games can't afford to print and distribute their own products.

Crafty Games has made a mutually agreeable deal with an established printer/distributor. Most people would consider that a good sign- people combining experience in their respective fields to make money. How you extract our finacial situation from that, I have no idea. *looks in pockets* Those look plenty deep to do what we want to do.

2. The contract with Mongoose has escape clauses or a term limit.

Indeed, as any contract of that nature would. Very suspicious I tell you! Whole sections insuring that should Crafty become unhappy with their arrangement they remain free to release their creations elswhere as they see fit.

Incidentally, have you checked out Paradigm Concepts' Conspiracies? It seems like you might find the subject matter interesting .

 

[AscentStudios]

If you'd care to officiate why Crafty Games ins't handling printing and distribution in-house, that would go a long way toward alleviating my concerns (unless, of coruse, I'm correct in assuming that they can't afford to do so, in which case it woudl confirm them). Ownership of IP or control of a license means nothing if you can't get stuff out the door on your own (as GoO, Eden, and a few other publishers have proven).

'

How about "mutually beneficial business arrangement?" Both Crafty and Mongoose are improving their profiles through this arrangement (we get an established publisher with a good distribution base; they get a quality "boutique game", our customer base, and diversify their publishing offerings). Like Morg said - they came to us and we're both coming out winners. This is essentially the same arrangement between Malhavoc and Sword and Sorcery, and I don't see the same allegations about Monte's business...he could have gone it alone, but there was obviously strength in that relationship with WW that kept him there.

Again, you make some serious (as well as incorrect) assumptions about our status as well as our output. We've put out a few PDFs this year (with a few more along the way imminently, World on Fire, our next print book, is finished and in Mongoose's print queue as I type, and Ten Thousand Bullets, our book to follow World on Fire, is in production with well over half the work done. Though 2006 has been a wind-up year...the hammer's dropping in 2007.

 

[Pbartender]

I'm hesitant (as a consumer) to invest money or time in a game line that is entirely at the mercy of somebody other than the actual IP holder. The line could end at any time, without notice -- there is no guarantee of sustained support.

I'm curious, James...

Given this line of reasoning, which game lines do you invest in? Are there any third party companies that you purchase from?

 

[wingsandsword]

d20 Modern.

I tried Spycraft when it was in its first edition and there were just so many changes from stock d20 that I didn't want to have to essentially re-learn a whole system for one genre. Same with True20. They are mechanically fine, and if somebody wants to run it I'll play in it and learn enough about the variant to play in it, but I see no need to learn a whole new major d20 variant well enough to run it well, when I'm already fluent in one I like a lot.

For the spy genre, d20 Modern is flexible enough (to me at least) that I can run over-the-top superspy action (GoldenEye), lower powered spying (Sneakers), or things more in the middle (Casino Royale, Bourne Identity). If I want to add the supernatural/psionics, it's right there, if I want things from the future or past, or cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic I've got those books for it.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Ah, the joys of the interweb. Baseless assumptions at their finest!

Though the die has already been cast (for both), I am with the bulk of the people here, Spycraft 2.0 is better suited for this than D20 Modern. I have little against D20 Modern, but Spycraft is excellent.

The Auld Grump

 

[Angel Tarragon]

D20 Modern has my vote.

 

[solkan_uk]

The decision's been made folks. No point arguing about it now.
While I don't have True20, from what I know if it, it'll be an easy job to convert stuff, wasn't that part of it's strengths?

Spycraft does stray from standard d20 in quite a few ways, and while anything is convertable, it'll take more work than converting to a more standard d20 game.

I'm happy with the decision.

 

[Gundark]

The decision's been made folks. No point arguing about it now.
While I don't have True20, from what I know if it, it'll be an easy job to convert stuff, wasn't that part of it's strengths?

Spycraft does stray from standard d20 in quite a few ways, and while anything is convertable, it'll take more work than converting to a more standard d20 game.

I'm happy with the decision.

Even Spycraft 2 would take little time to convert.

 

[solkan_uk]

True but in a matter of degrees, everything's supposed to be compatable in True20 (IIRC), so you can drop a feat into it with few worries, or even for the sake of quick conversion an entire NPC (yeah it won't be built the same, but I gave up worrying about that too much a while back).

Spycraft is a smidgeon more different, as they reworked many feats (tending to balance them all against the more powerful end of D&D feats, rather than against ones like Dodge), reduced/enhanced skills (not sure on skills in True20 actually), and generally tinkered with the system.

Admitedly you could still just brush over these details in an adventure (okay this guy gets +4 spot *cough* sorry Notice). It just seems like it there would be more to brush over.