clarence Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 This is just a quick update on the progress of things. - The title has changed to BRP Space, to better reflect the content. - Atgxtg is working on the crunchy bits of the combined vehicle-gear-augmentation rules. - Special Planet Features has been added to the World Building chapter, as well as a description of the concept Deep State. - Aliens & Occupations explores ways to find plausible pursuits for extra-terrastrial lifeforms. - Rules for improving & inventing new gear. - New black & white art by David Sladek is continously being added (see example below). - Some lengthier examples of how the rules work are now included in the sidebars. - All chapters have been clarified & updated to be easier to follow. The biggest issue though is how to best proceed to get the rules in print. As BRP is a trademark of Chaosium there are a few things to consider. One route is to skip BRP altogether and go for "D100 Space" instead. Another approach is to make it a "pro" product (with all the financial and organisational repercussions that follows). I don't know yet which way it will go, and if you have any recommendations or suggestions I'm all ears. What end product would you like to see? 1 Quote FrostByte Books M–SPACE d100 Roleplaying in the Far Future Odd Soot Science Fiction Mystery in the 1920s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Well, I don't really use pdfs, and as a BRP/RQ/CoC gamer from way back, I'm gonna venture to say that in this company that's not as rare as it might be among fans of other games. So, since I'd like to see as many people as possible playing your book, I'd like to see it available in printed form. Don't know if hardcover is called for, as long as the book is sturdy enough. I require a sturdy book. OTOH, money is always tight these days. I won't spend $40 on a book. I know that many other gamers don't flinch at $70 books, but I won't buy one. My two credits worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nclarke Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Lulu would be your friend for producing a hard copy (soft or hard bound) from a pdf. If the author submits it to Lulu and it's structured right then they can offer it at a specific price to purchasers and supply a voucher so they'd get a hard copy from whichever Lulu print plat is closest to them avoiding high shipping costs. Quote Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Is it easier to go with OpenQuest perhaps if there are too many copywriter issues with BRP? Also crowd funding on Kickstarter or Indigogo could be an option possibly.... Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethereal Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I would like to see it as independent of other games. From what I read of the system as developed it is pretty much a game system in itself. To tie it to another system, even if they are compatible might require agreement from other parties and limitations. Clarence came up with the idea and original systems mechanics, and the determination to carry it through, I would kind of like to see him finish it. He's got it this far with some help from good people, and I think he will finish it either way. (other systems notwithstanding) Independence would give him a lot of leeway to carry it in a direction that he could feel comfortable with. I vote for complete independence of already established systems and am comfortable with either Lulu, drivethru, kickstarter, for printed copies, hardback or soft cover. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Nice point, Ethereal. "Compatible with" on the cover might be good though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Oh, and I don't do kickstarters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarence Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I agree that doing this as an independent product will give more freedom. It will probably reach fewer people though, as I cannot compete with the marketing done by more established publishers. How about this: - A new title, "D100 Space". Does this work? - "Compatible with Basic Roleplaying, Runequest, Legend & OpenQuest" written on the front or back. - Most of the text left unchanged, except direct references to BGB. This means skill names (for example) will not always match with the compatible games. Is this a problem? In many ways this is the easiest (and speediest) way forward. The proposed new title is slightly awkward to me, but I think I can get used to it. I have very seriously considered Kickstarter. What puts me off is all the work I have to put into the presentation of the project - time I would prefer to spend on writing. Quote FrostByte Books M–SPACE d100 Roleplaying in the Far Future Odd Soot Science Fiction Mystery in the 1920s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 - "Compatible with Basic Roleplaying, Runequest, Legend & OpenQuest" written on the front or back. - Most of the text left unchanged, except direct references to BGB. This means skill names (for example) will not always match with the compatible games. Is this a problem? . This "compatible" thing is something no one has ever tried before for d100. It may - and I stress "may" - be legal, but I have a strong suspicion that no one of the five publishers whose trademarks and games you are mentioning would appreciate it. And upsetting five publishers with a single sentence is indeed a brave action, but not necessarily the wisest one. I leave it to the aforementioned five publishers to contradict my statement if I am mistaken. As for the incompatibilities, it is not so simple. There are differences among the systems, and they go far beyond skill names. So the compatibility that you declare on your book cover might not - in fact - be there. At least to the point of pissing off some customers who do not like to tinker with things on their own, too ("Hey, you said it is compatible with Legend, but where are the rules for the frigging Hit Locations of aliens!?" or "Hey, it is full of small bonuses and penalties here, how on Sol III is this supposed to be an OpenQuest supplement?"). All in all, this is a move that might sound acceptable to the usual attendees of this fine board, but it might also turn out to be misleading to your average d100 user "out there in the wilds". And there are many of them. Fortunately, I wish to add. For other considerations I will send you a personal email, I hope within this weekend. Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarence Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks everyone for your support! And yes Paolo, I agree to the points you have made. The trademark issues can probably be avoided, but the compatibility takes a bit more work to pull off in a good way. And I just want to add, a bit contrary to what I wrote in an earlier post, that I'm also discussing publication with Alephtar Games as Paolo has showed renewed interest in the book. I'm keeping both options open for the time being, with Atgxtg continuing work on vehicles/gear/augmentations in the meantime (and hopefully one or two chapters more for me...). The benefits of a professional publisher is the much better reach of the book, and that I don't have to do things I'm not very good at (like marketing). I will let you know how all this develops. Quote FrostByte Books M–SPACE d100 Roleplaying in the Far Future Odd Soot Science Fiction Mystery in the 1920s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmitchell Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The benefits of a professional publisher is the much better reach of the book, and that I don't have to do things I'm not very good at (like marketing). Not to mention professional editing. That chapter on Robots is awful. Quote Frank "Welcome to the hottest and fastest-growing hobby of, er, 1977." -- The Laundry RPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 "...your average d100 user "out there in the wilds". And there are many of them. Fortunately, I wish to add." Help me find those wild D100 players, PLEASE! I feel like the only lonely around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yojimbo Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 - "Compatible with Basic Roleplaying, Runequest, Legend & OpenQuest" written on the front or back. How about "compatible with d100 role playing games"? That avoids using trademarked names. The other option is seek a license from the publishers. I rather think that Chaosium or TDM would only license it as an exclusive product. James. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarence Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yes, "Compatible with d100 roleplaying games" would probably work (though I suppose it could be mistaken to include RoleMaster or Eclipse Phase). Regarding a license, I have been in contact with Chaosium and it is a viable option. The problem is that I would need help from a handful (or two) of backers to pay for the license, and I really don't know if that is possible without a Kickstarter campaign. And I'm not too keen on that, even though it wouldn't take much more than, say, $400 to reach the goal. The work involved at the moment seems a bit overwhelming (a snazzy video with me speaking broken English? I'm not sure if I should smile or weep…). I might change my mind though : ) Quote FrostByte Books M–SPACE d100 Roleplaying in the Far Future Odd Soot Science Fiction Mystery in the 1920s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Put up a Kickstarter and you will be able to raise $400 fairly easily - All you need is 40 backers at $10 each - Throw in a printed copy at a higher price and you are there. Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threedeesix Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 If you just want to get it published and not have to spend anything in the process, talk to Chaosium about going the Monograph route. It would be sold in both PDF and dead tree versions through their website and online stores like RPGNOW and Drive Through RPG. Plus, you don't have to worry about distribution, print runs, etc. You won't become rich doing it that way, but it gets your foot in the door so to speak, and you can make a little money in the process. Plus you still retain the rights to your book if you decide to do something else with it down the road. Rod "Been There, Done That" Leary Regarding a license, I have been in contact with Chaosium and it is a viable option. The problem is that I would need help from a handful (or two) of backers to pay for the license, and I really don't know if that is possible without a Kickstarter campaign. And I'm not too keen on that, even though it wouldn't take much more than, say, $400 to reach the goal. The work involved at the moment seems a bit overwhelming (a snazzy video with me speaking broken English? I'm not sure if I should smile or weep…). I might change my mind though : ) Quote Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info "D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Aw, no video? Rod has to step in, like The Voice of Reason, and spoil everything! ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nezeray Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 If you decide to do a kickstarter, just have one of your more charismatic friends, or board-mates here, join your "team" as spokesman and do the video. :-) I would spread the KS link as far and wide as I can. I Love D100 based games and have been looking for a GOOD adaptation for space for a while. I want to do Traveller, without d6 and the clunky character gen system. :-) James / Nezeray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 One idea I've suggested, due to the costs or making a BRP product is that we could do up as a independent RPG with mechanics similar to (but not identical to) BRP. While that would hirt a bit in the BRP compatibly department, it would free the game up from any licensing issues and costs. It's not our first choice, but it might be our last resort. 1 Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soltakss Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 One idea I've suggested, due to the costs or making a BRP product is that we could do up as a independent RPG with mechanics similar to (but not identical to) BRP. While that would hirt a bit in the BRP compatibly department, it would free the game up from any licensing issues and costs. The Legend OGL would be fine for this. Quote Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. www.soltakss.com/index.html Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atgxtg Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yeah, but it also has it's drawbacks. Those who are not fond of MRQ or Legend would shy away from the product. Quote Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethereal Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 One idea I've suggested, due to the costs or making a BRP product is that we could do up as a independent RPG with mechanics similar to (but not identical to) BRP. While that would hirt a bit in the BRP compatibly department, it would free the game up from any licensing issues and costs. It's not our first choice, but it might be our last resort. Actually this would be my first choice, although probably not the easiest. The more I read of the discussion and what people had written the more I think that an independent RPG and publication would be the best option. I have not published anything through them but Drivethru/RPGnow might be a good option. http://www.rpgnow.com/join.php is their publisher's page. This is the publisher's website page. I purchase most of my PDF and print copies through them, as BRP and smaller companies usually do not make it to game stores. We have a very large game store here in Portland, yet not much BRP. It has two pages of information explaining publisher's options, agreement publisher's menu. It's an option. Other than that I would recomend Lulu. Drivethru/RpgNow does do a little promotion on their site, whereas Lulu you have to know it is there and then look for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I don't know how "compatible" this space-based game is with any particular d100 game anyway. What does that actually mean, especially in this case? Every different d100 'game' and edition has all sorts of fiddly changes that make it different from every other one, to some extent or another. Since we're talking SF, just how close was "Ringworld" to any of its contemporaries (CoC, RQ, Stormbringer, Elfquest etc)? How close is your game to the "Ringworld" edition? Supply all the necessary rules in your book. Make it stand-alone. Figure out the "polite" reference you want for the cover that says, essentially, "This game was written by fans of such games as Runequest, Call of Cthulhu and other Basic Roleplaying games. If you see a resemblance, don't be surprised." And if you want to make some sort of business deal with a publisher of one of the other games, by all means do so. It all depends on what your goals are for putting it together. Personally, the monograph sounds like an interesting option from what Rod says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yojimbo Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The Legend OGL would be fine for this. You also have GORE, OpenQuest, Renaissance and the 1st Edition of Mongoose RuneQuest as OGL SRDs. GORE being a retro-clone of CoC is probably the closest in style to Gold Book BRP. James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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