Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way releasing on May 22nd

[svensson]

I was wondering when this was going to release. Glad to see we now have some dates.

[g33k]

3 hours ago, Richard S. said:

Found some copies on shelves at my LGS today, a little earlier than scheduled.

 ...

Huh.  I think someone in fulfillment messed up!
You're in TX, right?
Chaosium USA webstore still doesn't list it as available when I look...

[jajagappa]

1 minute ago, g33k said:

Chaosium USA webstore still doesn't list it as available when I look...

That's because it is not yet May 22.

Likely part of the wait is to ensure distribution can get books to the Bits & Mortar stores before the launch date (and therefore some of those, as in this case, may have received their orders already). 

[g33k]

22 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

That's because it is not yet May 22.

Likely part of the wait is to ensure distribution can get books to the Bits & Mortar stores before the launch date (and therefore some of those, as in this case, may have received their orders already). 

uhhh... *maybe*?

I had understood that Chaosium wants stock at *distributors* (not retail outlets) on the same day they release to their webstore.  Everyone orders at the same time, whether ordering from Chaosium-direct or from a FLGS (who orders from distributors).  On that understanding, it looks like an error.

But maybe I'm mistaken?

[Jason Farrell]

27 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

That's because it is not yet May 22.

Likely part of the wait is to ensure distribution can get books to the Bits & Mortar stores before the launch date (and therefore some of those, as in this case, may have received their orders already). 

That's what street dates are for, a common practice in videogames if not in publishing (though  I suspect also in publishing).  It's not good form to have a store selling a book still unavailable from the publisher.  Of course, there could be a street date (the 22nd, natch) in place and that store just ignored it or made a mistake.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Jason Farrell said:

Of course, there could be a street date (the 22nd, natch) in place and that store just ignored it or made a mistake.

That's my suspicion here, but still just a guess.

[PhilHibbs]

11 hours ago, Richard S. said:

Found some copies on shelves at my LGS today, a little earlier than scheduled.

The Gift Carriers have been dispatched.

[Professor Chaos]

There are some excellent points here but what strikes me as a RQ2 Grognard is that while never in Glorantha's long history has there been so much content being produced remarkably little of it is 'official'.

Now while one can identify obvious production chokepoints - everything having to go through Jeff being the most obvious - most of this is actually structural. 

Having gone from a relatively low rules game system to an extremely crunchy one means that yes every cult has to be re-written (or not if you are Lanbril) and re-published to be playable and the decision to break them up into ten volumes means this has now become the top priority and will be for years.

Similarly Chaosium having embraced what are by previous Gloranthan publication standards extraordinarily high production values means that official books take way longer to produce - and then have to be printed in kleptofascist China or otherwise would presumably be too expensive for even the gamer boomer market and then shipped across the world via one and what before very long may be several war zones.

Personally while I love the art I would much rather see the content while I as a boomer gamer am still alive and compos mentis enough to appreciate it - and I am not even sure at this point I'll still be around to see the last volumes of the Cult books never mind the legendary Gamesmasters Guide. 

And I don't have a solution and if Chaosium is making money this way they probably think they don't need one.

Yes the last thing I want to see again is Dobyski quality 'art' or Mongoose's terrible proofreading - but would it really be such a terrible thing for there to be less art and more content produced in any given year?

And as multiple JC volumes show a book can be produced outside of Chaosium with superb art and layout - which makes me wonder why those books are not 'official' - after all how many years will we have to wait before Jeff - who is just a man and not a Mostali machine - can get round to giving us the definitive official books on the West or Esrolia or the Seas or the Lunar Empire - let alone Pamaltela or Kralorela? 

So why not empower those proven producers?

Because none of us are getting any younger and it is the end just a game.

 

[PhilHibbs]

2 hours ago, Professor Chaos said:

...and then have to be printed in kleptofascist China...

They are printed in Poland.

2 hours ago, Professor Chaos said:

...and it is the end just a game.

Does not compute.

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Professor Chaos said:

So why not empower those proven producers?

Why do you believe they haven't empowered us already? We are writing and producing!

2 hours ago, Professor Chaos said:

which makes me wonder why those books are not 'official'

Do you really need a Chaosium logo stamped on the cover for those works to be so? People have embraced and are running Six Seasons in Sartar campaigns. People have embraced and are running campaigns in my Imther setting. The wealth of content and ideas is there!

 

[Jason Farrell]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

Do you really need a Chaosium logo stamped on the cover for those works to be so? People have embraced and are running Six Seasons in Sartar campaigns. People have embraced and are running campaigns in my Imther setting. The wealth of content and ideas is there!

 

Besides, if those books are "empowered" in the way that you seem to want them to be, Prof Chaos, that would just mean being buried in Chaosium's interminable production queue instead of being on the individual timetables of those writing and drawing them.  Andrew Logan Montgomery has written for the Sartar book, for example, many years ago now... .and that book is nowhere in sight. 

[theconfusingeel]

I can't wait for tommorow lol

[Professor Chaos]

On 5/19/2024 at 1:15 AM, jajagappa said:

Why do you believe they haven't empowered us already? We are writing and producing!

Do you really need a Chaosium logo stamped on the cover for those works to be so? People have embraced and are running Six Seasons in Sartar campaigns. People have embraced and are running campaigns in my Imther setting. The wealth of content and ideas is there!

 

Absolutely you are!

My comments are all about official Chaosium content and why there isn't quite as much of it as there might be and asking whether there is anything that can be done about that

To which the response seems to be no! - it's all great!! 

But I am hugely impressed by and grateful for the Jonstown Compendium without which we wouldn't have hardly any RQG scenarios to actually play - but thanks to which there is an embarrassment of riches.

 As an old gamer it just seems odd to me - as if back in the day TSR or GDW or for that matter Chaosium had decided they didn't need to publish any adventures at all for their RPGs but just further rules and setting books and left it entirely to the likes of Judges Guild to produce the scenarios and campaigns. 

[Nick Brooke]

19 hours ago, Professor Chaos said:

… as if back in the day TSR or GDW or for that matter Chaosium had decided they didn't need to publish any adventures at all for their RPGs but just further rules and setting books and left it entirely to the likes of Judges Guild to produce the scenarios and campaigns.

That was Wizards’ initial approach with D&D 3e, wasn’t it? The real money is in selling core rulebooks; adventures and campaigns are a loss-making proposition, so you can outsource those to other companies via the OGL (and worry about the consequences later).

FWIW, I don’t think this is Chaosium’s intent. I think they’re just finding everything harder than they expected, and focusing on stuff that “has to be done right” (e.g. the Cults books) rather than stuff that’d be “nice to have” (e.g. adventures); and I’m not saying they always get that focus right. Unforced mis-steps a-go-go (e.g. announcing a Game Master’s Guide).

Still, between the beautiful Chaosium releases (keep watching the skies, she’s a-coming!) and the abundance of high-quality licensed community content, we have literally never had it so good.

 

Edited May 22 by Nick Brooke

[Nick Brooke]

Hardcover: The Lunar Way.

Leatherette: The Lunar Way.

Digital: The Lunar Way.

Currently shown as available from the US & EU warehouses only, so keep an eye on the shipping charge if you usually order from 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺.

[MOB]

1 hour ago, Nick Brooke said:

Hardcover: The Lunar Way.

Leatherette: The Lunar Way.

Digital: The Lunar Way.

Currently shown as available from the US & EU warehouses only, so keep an eye on the shipping charge if you usually order from 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺.

As our UK customers will be aware, shipping to the UK has become more challenging in recent years. We regret that Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way is not currently available from our UK warehouse, due to circumstances beyond our control. While we track down a missing pallet, we are rushing another order to the UK and the Lunar book should be available there next week.

Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way will be available from our Australian and Canadian warehouses next month.

[NickMiddleton]

What’s the chances that it will be available from the Chaosium stand at UKGE?

[Nozbat]

1 hour ago, NickMiddleton said:

What’s the chances that it will be available from the Chaosium stand at UKGE?

Is that..

(a) A challenge?

(b) A bet?

(c) A mathematical problem expressed as either a curve or equation?

(d) An opposed skill roll? 

[Scotty]

15 hours ago, NickMiddleton said:

What’s the chances that it will be available from the Chaosium stand at UKGE?

100% (with the usual caveats)

[Wheel Shield]

I took a break from the boards for a couple weeks. That said, I wanted to say that I ordered the hardcover just now directly from Chaosium. That is, I kicked up a fuss, but I bought the book, fair and square. I really look forward to perusing it in a little bit.  And I look forward to what ever the next Runequest book will be.

[Scotty]

 

[Nick Brooke]

[MOB]

12 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

To emphasise the point, Cults of RuneQuest: The Lunar Way is now available in the UK!
Order yours today!

https://www.chaosium.com/cults-of-runequest-the-lunar-way-hardcover