Are they REALLY final? Also: Join me on Discord
about 4 years ago – Sun, Mar 22, 2020 at 11:15:52 PM

Really Final?

Over in the comments from the last update, I got asked a question that I felt was leading, but in a good way. Basically, are these really the no-crap no-changes final copies?

Well, yes and no. Mostly no.

I've already received about three-dozen fix requests. Mostly these are bringing the formatting standard from the early books up to that of Rosgarth. Things like standardizing what gets bolded as "Game Mechanical Text" and what doesn't. Some of this is a bit arcane.

For example:

• All uses of verbatim skills, spells, advantages are not only bolded, but capitalized as terms of art.
• Conditions (nauseated, unconscious) are bolded but NOT capitalized.
• One never writes a penalty to a skill as Skill-X; it's "Roll at -1 to Guns," not roll Guns-1. Because the second one could potentially be read as a skill level, not as a penalty.
• However, and of course, there's an exception, you CAN write it that way if you're describing a default use of something. Roll DX-4 in a Quick Contest is fine; so is "this defaults to Guns-4."
• Monster names are NOT capitalized but ARE bolded; you face five draugr, not five Draugr.
• When used verbatim, I use colored italics text prior to an external reference. If it's not verbatim, it's bold. If it's not part of an external reference, it's bold but not colored italics. So you might see "If you use Scoring Extra Cash (Exploits, p. 14), you can . . . " (and the entire phrase would be dark green in Rosgarth, Dark Blood Red - yes, really . . . I picked out a color matching dried blood) - in Forest's End. And so on. But if I'm repeating myself and not calling out a reference, it's "and note that many of the options in scoring extra cash are likely to land you in the gaol."
•  Gantlet is a real word. That isn't a formatting example, but I thought I'd throw it in there.
• Interestingly enough DX, ST, and other ability scores and traits are almost always bolded...but never when referring to them as rolls. So you might roll against DX, but you make a DX roll. The use of the attribute before -based is in italics. Make a DX-based roll.

One of the things I hope to do as I now transition to the next projects is take the time to make something like - and maybe exactly like - a Wiki that authors and proofers and fans can use to understand how this stuff works. Including myself.

Anyway, it's not too late. If you see something, say something.

Join me on Discord

If you want to be a bit social, please consider joining me and diverse others on the Gaming Ballistic Discord Channel. 

I'm there a lot, and others are too. If you want to rap about stuff, I'm there.

ALERT! ALERT! FOUR NEW FILES READY TO GO!
about 4 years ago – Sun, Mar 22, 2020 at 02:18:29 AM

PDFs All Ready

And from a PDF standpoint . . . that's a wrap.

I'm about to upload and push "distribute" on finished PDF files for all four books. I'll communicate with Livonia and see if they're operational, and if so, get a final spine thickness for the 96 and 112 page books. Then I'll make sure the print covers are ready, spool and upload, and get those going.

The shorter books are going to be handled by Mixam in the UK and USA, and I'll get those kicked off and sent to them on Monday as well.

Delivery is a big ol' question mark. But I'll get them to you as fast as I can.

Need Some Thoughts

So, life is real interesting all over the world. And since you guys don't have the print files yet, the Kickstarter is very much not done.

But I'd still like your thoughts on whether I can offer the PDFs for sale now that they've been distributed, or if you guys think I need to wait until all of the print files are out.

I see valid yes/no either way. My high level thought is "the backers need to have each version of the file first; they made it happen, they get it before anyone else."

On the flip side, I can also see "the backers need to have ALL of what they paid for before outside revenue is generated."

Share your thoughts privately or publicly. Nothing will happen for a bit in any case.

Likely distribution this weekend
about 4 years ago – Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 12:04:06 AM

I have gone through all the errata folks have sent me from Hand of Asgard, Forest's End, and (now) Dragon's of Rosgarth. I've checked Nordlondr Folk, but not found anything that wasn't caught the first time around.

I hope to distribute new copies of the prior two files, and an honest-to-goodness "this is supposed to be done" Dragons of Rosgarth before the weekend is out.

I will then take a single deep breath, and then prepare files for printing. I'll get the short books quickly. The longer ones will take about a month to print.

I have NO IDEA what Covid-19 will do to delivery schedules. I will keep you informed as I can.

This is something I planned to do but only got around to today. The spear indicates text that CAN be read directly to players; you don't HAVE to, of course! But all of that info represents things that are, as the box notes, obvious. No roll required, you just see it.

So...hopefully you'll have your files real soon.

Last Call for Errata on ALL FOUR BOOKS
about 4 years ago – Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 12:21:29 AM

Here's the New Errata Page!

I'm coming down to the end for The Dragons of Rosgarth. Today, "thanks" to Coronavirus-related school shutdowns and social distancing, plus a pair of kids who happily kept themselves occupied productively for nearly nine hours, I got the hyperlinking and indexing done. I also realized that I'd missed a whole page of unique magic items (the source of the Bang'a Gong errors, as an example). 

But it all got done. Plus lots and lots of errors corrected in the main text and bestiary.

A few more pieces of art came in too.

So now I feel like I'm down to a few pieces of art, maybe a few "please fix my name" things.

Final Requests

This means that if you have any changes to request on ANY  of the four books, please make them now. Let's assume that the last changes I made to the other three were made the last time I sent out files. So if there's something in Nordlondr Folk, Hand of Asgard, or Forest's End that you haven't sent me using the new errata page, please take the time to do it now.

If things go to plan, I'll have all the remaining art by the end of the week, and I'll start placing print orders this coming Monday.

Errata Page Again

The new submission system is working out really, really well. So I'm going to insist that all new requests for changes use it.

Thanks! So very close!

An updated Dragons of Rosgarth file
about 4 years ago – Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 03:34:09 PM

I've sent out another preview file. I've added enough art, made enough corrections, and moved things forward enough that I think it's worth it.

I have removed the old file from the distribution list. So right now, the "March 14" version is the only one you can download from Backerkit.

What's been done?

• Lots of small fixes. Typos, clarifications, and such.
• Much more art.
• The back cover text is no longer lorem ipsum (fake bad Latin)

What's still left to do?

There are a few submitted errata that I haven't yet executed. Also, a word-for-word reading to update the glossary for any funky terms not explained. Finally, indexing and hyperlinking. The index is obviously required before the book ships; the hyperlinks not so much so, but really, doing one is doing the other, so...

With luck and time, this thing will be fully complete for text by the end of the weekend. Then it's just the last few outstanding pieces of art (about 12 remain, of which I've seen four in near-final status). All of those are expected next week.

That means I expect to send the book to the printers next weekend if things go well.

Coronavirus

The world is - justifiably - doing the wacky due to the global pandemic. I don't know what, if anything, this will mean for print and distribution schedules for the books. I expect delays, but I don't know how many, or how long. I'll keep you posted.