Print version on the horizon

[GreatWolf]

It would appear that it is time for the annual Alyria forum post.  Here's hoping this isn't premature, but the time seems to be right.

As I type, Crystal is putting the finishing touches on the print version of Legends of Alyria.  This will be printed through Lulu.  The current page count is about 156 pages with 6.625" x 10.25" dimensions.  I haven't figured out a price yet, but I'll announce it when we actually release the game.

I anticipate that we will be releasing the game in a couple of weeks.  Be watching this space for more details.

[M. J. Young]

I am really looking forward to having a copy of this, and let me say that you picked an ideal day to announce it--Thursday is my "visit the Forge" day.

Thanks for staying with it, give my love to Crystal (miss you guys, don't see much of you anymore), and let me know if I can help.

--M. J. Young

[Marhault]

Glad to hear it, Seth!

How different will the print version be from the Blog version?  Will the Blog version stay online after the book is released?

[greyorm]

Yay!

[GreatWolf]

Glad to hear it, Seth!

How different will the print version be from the Blog version?  Will the Blog version stay online after the book is released?

It's the same text as the blog version, but prettier.  It will also include a large index, because anything worth writing is worth indexing.

I'm also hoping that a print version will be easier to use than the blog version.

[Ron Edwards]

Hack - gasp - wow!

Seth, it's about time a wonderful thing. I'm a guaranteed customer - and guaranteed further actual play.

Best, Ron

[hix]

Hey Seth,

I'm very excited by this.

Anything specific that's prompted the shift to print?

And will the final layout have art in it?

[matthijs]

Super cool!

[GreatWolf]

Hack - gasp - wow!

Seth, it's about time a wonderful thing. I'm a guaranteed customer - and guaranteed further actual play.

Best, Ron

I chuckled when I saw your note, and I accept that completely.  Actually, once the print version actually gets out, I was thinking about writing up something about my experiences getting Alyria to print.  Something about not being intimidated by other people's shorter production schedules, and such.

Hey Seth,

I'm very excited by this.

Anything specific that's prompted the shift to print?

And will the final layout have art in it?

The final layout will not have art per se.  Instead, we're getting maximum mileage out of Raven's excellent clock graphics.  Each major chapter will have a frontplate with one of the clock faces and the appropriate office printed across it.  Except the first chapter, which uses Gordon Landis's haiku.  That's part of Alyria lore at this point (at least for me), so in it goes.

Why did I decided to go to print?  It's quite simple, actually.  I didn't feel like the project was finished yet.  I posted the blog and, within a couple of weeks, I started thinking, "Hey, a print version would be a good thing...."

Honestly, at this point, it's mostly about me.  I look around at the current indie scene, and it feels like Alyria's time has passed it by.  Honestly, there's a couple of spiritual descendents of Alyria already on the market (Universalis[/i ]and Polaris, for completely different reasons), and I wonder if their aged predecessor has already been overshadowed by them, let alone the many other quality games out there.  However, this is a project that I've been working on for eight years or so; if I don't finish it, I will be untrue to myself.

And if it is received well, then that's just gravy at this point.

[Eero Tuovinen]

This is most excellent. I was never in the inner circle of the illuminati when the game was in active development, but when I later got my paws on it I was very pleased with it, and have ever since waited for a produced version (yeah, with all the indie activity in recent years it seems I don't have any real time for non-book games anymore). Reading Legends of Alyria transports me back to the creative space where some of my all-time favourite games like Dust Devils were designed; I like how you're publishing a 2001 game in 2006, it's a breath of nigh-nostalgic air at this point. This thread inspired me to reread the thing from your blog version; I'm surprised how strong my itch to play Alyria is now, that resource system is one smart bit of design.

So yeah. Jolly good work, old chap. Carry on.

[Steven Stewart]

Sign me up man. Great game. Are you going to do pre-orders or anything?

Cheers,

[GreatWolf]

Sign me up man. Great game. Are you going to do pre-orders or anything?

Nah.  We just got the last piece in place today, so all that's left is one last once-over and uploading to Lulu.  So at this point, pre-orders aren't really going to help anyone much.

[GreatWolf]

I just got my proof in the mail, and I'm finding that there are some adjustments that I need to make.  Specifically, there are a couple of graphics that look just a bit too blurry.  So, it'll be a couple more weeks until a final version is ready.