The Forge Archives

The publisher who was supposed to produce several of my works (and was under contract to do so) has basically defaulted--no money changed hands, and my property of course remains mine thankfully. Now I've got several /not under contract/ materials, and nothing to do with them--one is a complete fantasy game, needing only art, final layout and editing.


So what do I do?

Hi there,

#1 - Take a number. You and about a thousand other people, including me, have had the same experience. (Hey, you know what's really special? Contracts aren't binding! Sign whatever you want and they don't mean shit!)

#2 - This may sound deranged, but I think you are far better off than before. "Nothing to do with them"?? I suggest there are twenty games within a stone's throw (forum-wise) that will suggest otherwise.

How about .... making some money? Do that art & layout on the cheap (but good, which is not hard to do), PDF'em up, and sell'em. All the resources you could imagine, including friendly labor, are right here at this website.

Tell me some more. What have you got, how good is it, and what do you think you might be willing to do with it? Bluntly, are you willing to own it for real, which means promotion, support, and commitment to play?

Best,
Ron

IF (and that is a big if) what you really want is to see your book in print and on shelves, perhaps something like Mark Arsenault's Golden Pillar Publishing service would be worth investigating.  They can take your manuscript and help you turn it into a book.

Hmmm, I can't seem to get to their website.  www.goldenpillarpublishing.com

Well that's it, I need help

I've got a preliminary layout done (do to the way my brain works it's easier for me to set things up how I want them to look as I write.)

  I do need editing help as I'm my own worst editor, and I'm aware of that. Some of the work is just for me going through and tearing out the Index tags and actually turning those into page numbers but /after/ I get the art since the present layout has no room for them.


I will promote my game, I will support it.

I've done this much work so far, why would more work on it scare me?

There are just some things I am incapable of doing (art--I can do some, it might even be good enough for first edition of the game but I just don't have enough of that quality...)



As for Golden Pillar, the problem is, if I actually had enough money (money to pay to produce it) I could do it myself (I still can it just takes longer, and how many artists you know who work for free?)

I came to ask at the suggestion of another Forge-goer who said someone might be able to point me at the right resources.



As for my game--it's fantasy, simulationist (I presume) the idea was to create a game that gave someone the tools and setting to run Fantasy that /felt like/ the fantasy of better Fantasy novels. It has most of the common stylistic elements of fantasy but of course with my own slant on them.



I would quote a playtest review someone did of it, but I don't have his permission.

What I the writer think is good:

It's vanilla fantasy, that's what it's /supposed/ to be--using the familiar tropes to tell stories about the mythic struggle of Good Vs Evil, of civilization vs savagery. Heroism is rewarded by giving someone the means to achieve /more/ heroism yet without cheapening that heroism (by making all the characters overpowered )

"Charting the path of heroism from common* origins"
would be a way to describe it.


The system is fairly simple: Compare Ability/Skill to Target number and that that comparison gives the chance for success of the task--roll 2d10 and get that or less. (Basically if ones skill/ability is dead equal to the difficulty you've a 55% chance of success)


But with some optional "details" like every 5% being an increased quality level.

I wrote it to be easy to learn (my definition of easy *L*) yet still complex enough to satisfy the fans of more crunchy games.




Anyway here's the Short Intro (do I need copyright disclaimers?)




INTRODUCTION:
The mists cleared slowly and one man stood alone; alone against the Fane-Drake Vaeonm. The drake lifted its head, opened its jaws and exhaled a gust of burning spittle. The man rolled aside as the flame erupted, barely avoiding the fate of hundreds before him. He steeled himself and lunged....

VALOR:    (n. Bravery or courage especially in battle)

HIGH VALOR: A fantasy Role-playing game of courageous knights, steadfast wizards, and pious priests, caught in the eternal struggles of Good and Evil. Few can stand against the darkness, yet now is the time, as it brings forth its power to rule once again.





other excerpts


From "Common Aeian Idioms"
"By the Fane" {Index Misc, Idioms}
A curse used mostly to indicate a measure of fear and surprise. More likely used by noblemen





From "The Sky above Aeia"

Dreamer's Throne: High in the heavens is a series of stars in a pattern reminiscent of a high backed chair, surrounded by a nimbus of light (a small pattern of stars and a luminous nebula). {Index Misc Stars and Sky)


The Wolf and Her Cub: A collection of stars that gives the vague appearance of a wolf bitch suckling her cub. It appears in the Western sky above the Free Kingdoms in Green Tide. {Index Misc Stars and Sky)



and



"Fane-Lords"

Malmach
"The Flame of Madness" appears as a giant horned skeletal figure sheathed in flames, his touch sears flesh, and he dwells in Mordul Kaligoth, the Fire-Crown also known as the City of Ash. His power lies over fire, disease, and madness and he is the (disputed) ruler of the Fane.  



"Aeian Misc"


          The Festival of Awakening, which once marked the first sprouts of GreenTide, is  now held between Windsrule and Heaven's Weep.




Anyway, just tidbits of what's there in almost 200 pages (-197 actually) with proto Index and TOC--taking out  the calander it comes to closer to 185 or so as the calander takes up lots of space)

Hi there,

I finally figured out that you were not the same guy who used to post under that web-handle (or was he "samhain?" or something?). If I hadn't made that mistake, I would have posted these immediately. Sorry about not getting back to this sooner.

I Spent Zero Dollars (Sort Of) Indie Publishing which provides a good example of what I suggest you might do.

Discouraged but still trying which includes many links to other useful Forge discussions.

What to expect which also includes several useful off-site resources.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Best,
Ron

As far as I know I'm the only Sidhain (being that I've used that name for oh many years and it comes from my gaming writings..)

Thank you Ron for pointing those out!


Peace and Good Gaming

Sidhain,

Have you seriously considered your e-book options? The market is small right now, but it's better than no market at all, and if you have something that stands out from the norm you might have a decent shot at making a small but useful amount of money.

Of course., you might want to listen to the advice of a megalomaniac such as moi who thinks he can start his own game company from virtually nothing, but it's worth a try.

And you have other options besides Golden Pillar from Print-On-Demand. My typesetter lives in Quebec and has access to several shops that will do the work dirt cheap by comparison to USA houses and have less restrictive technical requirements.

I suggest that before doing anything else you get your hands on a good design program and a copy of Adobe Acrobat (the full version, not just the reader). Not only is PDF the default format for e-books, but the Adobe version makes much better-looking files than its cheaper alternatives. I got my copy two years ago and I have no idea how I ever lived without it.
Many printers also accept PDF files for book publishing and, once you have Acrobat installed, ALL your word processing and layout programs will save to it.

MY two cents.