Quote:A Preliminary Letter to All Interested
(emphasis on Preliminary; chill, dude)

Nothing's ready. Nothing's cast in stone. Things are still coming together.
HOWEVER, even at this early date, I'm willing to say a couple of things on the record.

* Who’s Involved *

The core group isn't finalized but will probably be

Frank Mentzer (same name hereabouts, ExTSR elsewhere on the 'net),
Jim Ward (JamesMWard),
Tim Kask (Kaskoid), and
Chris Clark (ForgeMeister)
...and I'm hoping to add Harold Johnson (years and years at TSR, co-author of Tamoachan, fabulous at production & art coordination, etc)... tho he doesn't hang out at DF. Yet.

(Cripes, we haven't even decided on the company name yet. Unlax, something will come up soon; maybe Old School Games or something like that, who knows...)

* Scope *

We want to publish new and innovative OGL products with an Old School approach (defined for the moment as rules-light, very dependent on DM quality, heavy on innovation & enjoyment), addressing many different OGL-based game systems, including BFRP, Savage Worlds (Pinnacle), Hackmaster (Kenzer), Castles & Crusades (Troll Lords), and Pathfinder (Paizo).

We would like to include OSRIC (Ronin Arts), Labyrinth Lord (Goblinoid) and RuneQuest (Mongoose) but haven't talked with them yet about permissions. The first two are very probable; we'll see about Mongoose.

It appears that Lejendary Adventures is off the table for now, not part of the lineup. (Don't go there. We'd LIKE to support L.A., but...)

If you think we should consider OTHER games to add to this lineup, please suggest which.

btw, I would also LOVE to print some of the 'way kewl stuff available for (free) download right here, to broaden the exposure. I'll talk to Steve and company about that, tho.


* You *

The important part... some of you are saying 'what can I do?'
(Besides buy stuff, which will be supremely important but comes later.)

We'll write a lot of stuff. We want yours too... if you're good enough. Adventures, settings large & small, low level or medium or high, whatever. Got an idea for something nobody's ever done? We'd love to see it.

At the moment all such submissions should be brief outlines, mere sketches, via email. We'll be implementing the usual legal documents soon, which will provide absolute protection for both you and us. If you'd rather wait before you say a word, fine; hold off. Meanwhile, I promise that anything we get in advance of that formal stuff will be handled ethically; after 30 years in the biz I certainly know better than to get into ownership fights. (Except for the creation of RPGs as a class of games, no single idea in this vein has ever been worth stealing; the legal costs are too high. It's simple pragmatism.)

Specifics about YOU

1. Do you play? First and foremost we need GAMERS -- volunteers who know the game systems listed above. We'll need folks to take a product we give you and stat it for the system. (We're good but we don't know all about those great games, not like YOU do.)

We already have volunteers for some. Want to get in? Tell me which games you can cover. Ideally we'll escalate, on the basis of the quality of your work, to actually paying you (wowie zowie!). You could even become our Lead Agent for a given system, and end up working with the original publisher/authors too, as our intermediary. But that's all tasty bait for down the road... early on it'll be volunteer, for our gratitude. We'll remember it.

2. Do you write? We’ll need PRODUCT submissions at some point, despite having some pretty heavy hitters on the core team. Until the money starts flowing there are limits on how much time we can put in. (Hey, we got families and debts and stuff too, like everybody.) Now for THIS gig you gotta be REALLY good, pro-published if at all possible, self-published maybe. Do NOT send me samples (or products) yet... but this one's not very far off.

3. Do you draw? We'll need publishable ART. B&W interiors don't have to be great but they have to be related and, in the beginning, have to be cheap too. We'll have to pay full rates for covers, to get quality, but this is (again) an opportunity for as-yet-undiscovered artists with potential. Hang in there through the slim startup and you could be riding high with a backlog within a year or so. Contact me if you have a portfolio to show. Do NOT send me samples yet, but again, we'll need some of this fairly soon (within 6 months).

4. Do you geek? We'll need TECH advice. There's so much going on at or near the leading edge of technology that we need advice... what's hot, what's out/old, what's coming... tips (or even actual coding) on website design... the whole shebang. Same story as authors & artists, tho... we can't pay what you're worth in the beginning, but it could be a helluva ride.

5. Are you overseas? We'll need EUROPE & Australia. (Surprise!) I'm gonna need helpers in a dozen countries to develop contacts with publishers, authors & artists, distribution, everything. (Translators too of course, tho that's usually a paid gig, as we can afford it; but if I use a stock translator who's a non-gamer I'll sure need you to double-check their work.) I seem to have a lot of fans sprinkled around Europe and Oz, and I'm not about to ignore you. On the contrary; a lot of you got started on my D&D Basic set (in your own native Italian or Swedish or whatever), and I think that gives me (us) an edge in this regard.

6. Are you well-off? We'll need MONEY! Yeah, this is the ugly part. We're nowhere near ready to start collecting cash (haven't even completed the corporate filings yet), but here's what I'd LIKE to have:

a. Major investors in blocks of 5,000 $US, for which you'll get preferred (dividend-paying) stock. (I really want to keep company control, which is a different type of stock, and I don't care about dividend income.) Realistically we'll need at least a quarter mil (which is only 50 blocks) to stoke the base financial engine. I already know 30+ well-off folks who can afford it. Did I miss you? Talk to me.

b. Minor "XP" investors; give us a buck ( 1 $US) and get 1 XP in the company. This isn't shares, and it sure isn't expensive; it's a lesser category, basically loaning us a little money, and conveys no actual ownership. (Still gotta flesh out the legalities but it seems that it'll work.) So you -- yeah, YOU, really -- could be a part of making this happen. Every little bit helps.

Thus, if you're interested and able to buy one or more Blocks ($5k @) once the paper is ready, please do let me know asap, and we'll stay in touch. (Do NOT get into Blocks if $5k is A Lot Of Money to you. Of course it's Meaningful, but is it A Lot? Then don't go there.)

And don't worry about the second category yet, and for pete's sake do NOT send me a check yet. I'll let you know when it's time to pony up. (General pledges are non-binding but they help in planning; signed pledges we'll be counting on. You won't have to come up with a penny until you like the corporate framework & documentation.)


CC (concluding caveat): things are kinda crazy here at the moment; word has gotten out and a lot of folks want my time (often because they want jobs, sigh, so I'm saying No a lot). So:

Contact me (Frank Mentzer) at the below addy only if it's about these topics.
Use my regular gamer addy (ExTSR@aol) for other gamer stuff.

The special and temporary Email addy (for this project only) is:

GamesOfAmerica@aol.com


Hope to hear from ya.

Frank

Quote:You buy "Venus Attacks!" from us as a generic RPG adventure. (No we're not doing Venus Attacks. This is an Example. I'm not calling on you again.)

So it says right there on the cover of Venus Attacks (or on the web page) that's it's fully compatible with OSRIC, C&C, Hack, and others. It's got the logos and stuff to reassure you. And you're a C&C player so you buy it. You rip off the shrink asap and check it out.

The adventure is fat and juicy with kewl full-page high quality illustration and side plot-hooks and all kinds of stuff -- but there's no stats! No crunchy bits! WTH? And what's this in the middle, a catalog?

Aha! That fat thing in the middle is ALL the stats for ALL the game systems, keyed to the adventure. Within seconds you realize how this is used... you open the adventure, read stuff to players, all the usuals... but meanwhile you turn to page 4 of the stat book and it's all C&C for that page and the next 3 pages. No fumbling around; nothing but C&C (for that part of the booklet at least). And there are even DM notes on special system-specific mechanics to check along the way, overland or between encounter areas or whatever. It's customized by a real C&C player who knows the ins and outs. (That'd be one of you guys, a volunteer, his/her work checked by the Trolls to be sure it's kewl.)

Yes, you do buy some few pages with stats you don't need or want. But maybe you spot a couple of kewl things that another system is doing that yours isn't (by skimming the stat book). And we hope you'll say "hey I've never checked this game out and this part looks pretty cool, easy to play... so THAT'S how they do --" {saving throws, poison, parrying, pick your controversy)" And you go out and borrow a copy from a friend and find out more. And if it rings your chimes you got out and buy it and try a new game. And THAT's a pretty kewl side effect, from the point of view of the Troll Lords or Kenzer & Co. or whoever.

All clear? You never have to worry about picking up the Hackmaster version or the Savage Worlds version or the OSRIC version. They're all the same product -- with everybody's stats in the center pullout. Cost, you say? A few sheets of paper for stats won't cost much. We can retail for the same as another format -- while printing quantity to address players of 10 games instead of just one. And that creates a pretty good situation.

Why doesn't somebody aready do this? The Trolls (for example) have to support C&C and they never have enough time or cash so they produce for C&C and nothing but. Same story for every publisher with a game out there. Even if they tried, it could be tricky getting permissions; they're all competitors for the same dollars (buyers of Old Schoolish game systems). But as a producer of quality multi-system accessories, I can get such permissions (not competing, supporting instead) and make this happen.

I think I'll be imitated. It's happened before.
It's the price you pay for leading the way.

Quote:Some of you might have heard at Gen Con (or elsewhere on the net) that Frank Mentzer, Tim Kask, Jim Ward and others are forming a company to produce quality, old school gaming products (primarily modules, at first). These products will be compatible with numerous game systems such as ADnD, C&C, Hackmaster, OSRIC, Savage Worlds and BFRP. For those of us who are interested in or prefer older editions of pen and paper gaming this is great news. For those of you who prefer CRPG/MMO-based PnP games there is Hasbro/WoTC.

Quote:Interesting stuff. Something I'll be keeping an eye on. Right now I'm still waiting for my Pathfinders RPG book to come to my local gaming store - it was suppose to be in last week but it seems Amazon.com is experiencing difficulties shipping it. I consider Pathfinders to be the next progression of D&D (3.75 if you will) and feel that 4th is more of the bastard edition catering to a young, power-hungry crowd. Since WotC stopped producing 3rd edition stuff, I'll be sticking to Pathfinders for "official" 3rd edition stuff, and hopefully this new company can produce some interesting tie-ins.

Quote:Frank has contributed generously and freely to the ADnD community while Jim Ward seems only interested in landing a job.

Quote:From what I've heard, Pathfinder sold very well at Gen Con so perhaps the difficulty Amazon is experiencing has to do with supply and demand.