Wizards of the Coast/Kenzer & Company License Agreements Expiring

[viscounteric]

Just to clarify we've been playtesting a new edition of HM for a while now. A&8 hasn't been getting ALL our time and money.

I assumed it was going one, but like the good Colonel, I hadn't seen any comments posted/printed/written on a napkin. This warms the cockles of my heart, maybe even the sub-cockle area.

Here's hoping that HM 5 takes on all the changes that A&8 updated (particularly Q&F and Skills) and doesn't go to the 1/10th of second combat actions A&8 uses for gunfights. Unless you're that damn good (or masochistic) gunfights are to be avoided unless necessary. The climatic gun fight in say, Open Range ? Probably all day event for newbies, 4 hours or less for an experienced or advanced group. (I hope... we just started playing with the rules).

Fighting ALL the humanoid legions of doom in the dungeon of the Hill Giant Chieftain could be a disaster I'd never get my group to go against the Frost Giant Jarl and the Fire Giant King dagnabit!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I assumed it was going one, but like the good Colonel, I hadn't seen any comments posted/printed/written on a napkin.

Yeah, y'know, if anything, there have been vague denials that a new edition of HM was in the works. At least, that's the impression I've gotten everytime I've seen the question posed. I assumed A&8s was a test bed for a new edition of HM - I'm sure a lot people did. Regardless, this is very cool, interesting news.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Well I'm glad that Kenzer has prepared for this, though I'm curious what they're doing in their preparation.

I've bought a few hundred $ worth of Kalamar items because of the quality of it. Maybe some day I'll run a game of it. Though I fear I won't do it justice.

 

[jgbrowning]

Already out. (about a month now).

It's real 'iffy' at this point if we'll still have copies at GenCon. We seriously underestimated demand for it.

The book is moving fast and we're at the point a reprint is order.

I can tell you for sure a few days before GenCon if we'll have copies at the booth.

Either way we should have display copies for people to look at as well as demos.

Glad to hear it's doing well. I looked over it at Origins and was very impressed with the graphic design and presentation. Didn't get into the system elements at all (not enough time), but it looked beautiful.

joe b.

 

[Jolly_Blackburn]

Here's hoping that HM 5 takes on all the changes that A&8 updated (particularly Q&F and Skills) and doesn't go to the 1/10th of second combat actions A&8 uses for gunfights.

no worries. the 1/10 of a section combat action of A&8 was expressly designed with pistols in mind. When a character can empty a pistol in a matter of seconds it doesn't make sense to have combat rounds 10 seconds long or even longer. A&8's rules were written with guns in mind.

But things like the updated and improved Skill system (and Quirks and Flaws) are defiinitley a hint of things go come. A&8 was definitly an opportunity to play with some of the HM Rules and look forward.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

no worries. the 1/10 of a section combat action of A&8 was expressly designed with pistols in mind. When a character can empty a pistol in a matter of seconds it doesn't make sense to have combat rounds 10 seconds long or even longer. A&8's rules were written with guns in mind.

But things like the updated and improved Skill system (and Quirks and Flaws) are defiinitley a hint of things go come. A&8 was definitly an opportunity to play with some of the HM Rules and look forward.

Outstanding-I cannot wait to see this in HM!

 

[Jolly_Blackburn]

The climatic gun fight in say, Open Range ? Probably all day event for newbies, 4 hours or less for an experienced or advanced group. (I hope... we just started playing with the rules).

Actually I think two hours would be do it. If the GM has combat down and keeps his players moving combat runs very quickly. You can read some blow by blow accounts of combat by players on our boards that read like bloody accounts of gunfights in the newspaper.

We frequently run two-hour demos with as many of 12 players in which only 1 to 3 players are still standing when the smoke clears.

Which isn't bad for a 'climactic battle' -- something you're not going to do every session in an A&8 campaign.

But you are right -- it's not set up for to run things like a typical Dungeon crawl with lots of hack and slashing weapons.

And therefore isn't something we're using in HM5.

 

[Jolly_Blackburn]

Yeah, y'know, if anything, there have been vague denials that a new edition of HM was in the works. At least, that's the impression I've gotten everytime I've seen the question posed. I assumed A&8s was a test bed for a new edition of HM - I'm sure a lot people did. Regardless, this is very cool, interesting news.

Let me clarify. Our in-house game (ahem) has basically been a playtesting of new rules and such for quite sometime. But a 'new' edition of Hackmaster isn't imminent. Hence the denials. I'd say it's at least two years out. We want to give it the same treatment we gave A&8.

We'll continue to support HM 4e until then.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Let me clarify. Our in-house game (ahem) has basically been a playtesting of new rules and such for quite sometime. But a 'new' edition of Hackmaster isn't imminent. Hence the denials. I'd say it's at least two years out. We want to give it the same treatment we gave A&8.

We'll continue to support HM 4e until then.

Regardless, this is good news, mostly because it's concrete news. Any hints/ideas of what you guys may be considering doing for HM? Personally I'd like to see a few original modules that draw inspiration from the ones mentioned by characters in KoDT, such as the Temple of Horrendous Doom, or completely new ones - and yes, the ones you've released recently to pdf are a good start. I also wouldn't mind seeing a couple of genre-mixing adventures along the lines of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, or perhaps a crossover between HM and A&8s (oohh, I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth now!)

 

[Ranger REG]

That only now really sunk in: You live in Honolulu and still have an enormous post count. How did that happen? Wireless connection that reaches all the way down to the beach?

Coconuts trumps fiber optics.