Some Interesting Looking Characters Here. [Monday Meeting Notes]

Monday Meeting

Our Onyx Path Monday Meeting crashed and burned today because only three of us could get together on Skype due to their recent issues. And one of us kept having to rejoin. We’ll be rescheduling.

So, while Eddy and I were still able to talk earlier (oddly enough about his computer and Skype woes wrecking his productivity last week), I have little to pass on to you this week, except something I kind of touched on last week, and which was brought to mind by the screen proofs you can see in the pic above.

I was looking at the art sides of the V20 Dark Ages and Mage20 Storyteller Screen proofs, and I thought “Those are some interesting characters there”. Not that my experience with selling game books to our audience tells me that we need identification characters for our mostly white, male, middle-class audience. Nor, the question of whether there are enough people of color and non-male characters represented there. Just that I’d like to know more about these characters.

Look, I’m not making a Statement with a capital S, just a statement that what I’m looking for in our games are cool characters that can inspire a wide range of players in the creation of their own characters and stories. If in our representations we can show characters that look like they have a wide range of stories behind their visuals, and the hints of those stories appeal to that wide range of players, then that’s a good thing. If seeing a character that you can identify with encourages you to play, whether that is because of their story or because they look like you, or because they look like how you want to look, then we’ve done good work.

And even though we at Onyx Path do work on how to be more inclusive, and always have, it’s gratifying when someone else picks up on the way that comes through in the actual projects. For example, last week we were glad to get the link for this Paste article: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/09/making-the-table-bigger-diversity-in-tabletop-gami.html

We don’t do it for praise, although that’s nice of course, but like I said above: because it’s a good thing to include more people in this hobby of ours.

Sermon, off.

Eddy and I did also talk about Pugmire today as he just managed to get some work in on the Early Access materials after he solved his computer woes. We went into some detail on the history of the dogs after the founding of the city of Pugmire. In particular Eddy and I went over the idea of a dog vs cat war that occurred in the past as their two territories and interests came into conflict. Is it more useful to have had that war closer in time to the PCs, or further? Did their parents fight in that war, or their grandparents?

Both options are valid, but as I mentioned to Eddy, I feel like a war that took place a bit further back gives a wider range of possibilities for stories as the conflict becomes less of the moment and more historical for the new puppies looking to make their marks on the world. We can have more of a Cold War situation without the need to avenge your dad’s death in a battle. A hot war kind of mandates a lot more of a hostile mood towards cats in Pugmire than we might want. As always, Eddy is going to make the call on that, but that’s how we bat ideas around.

Eddy pointed out that this whole war thing also plays well with our idea that Pugmire will be operating on several levels: kids will have no problem with playing out cats vs dogs, just because cats vs dogs is something kids “get”. Older players will be able to see the ramifications of such a conflict, and understand why some dogs might get fanatical against the “Calico Menace” and why others might be willing to trade their freedom for security. And other such storylines that a broader knowledge of how the world works, and its history, will provide a deeper meaning to.

We also talked about getting set for Midwinter Con in Milwaukee. It’ll be our first year really exhibiting there as both he and I have been Guests of Honor before, but not with a booth and a bunch of demos and all that. So, a new kind of experience there that we hope will give us a chance to usher a few more gamers along The Path.

Finally, as you’ll see below in the Blurbs!, we have Mage20 ready to go on sale in both PDF and PoD versions on Weds! Backer PoD discounts links tomorrow and the Deluxe printer files (both Deluxes) out to the printer this week!

Yes!

It was more of an ordeal than it should of been, and Special K thanKs to Matt, Meredith, and the big man himself, Steve Wieck, at DriveThruRPG for staying on the PoD printers until a resolution could be found!

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And now, the BLURBS!

Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition PDF as well as Standard and Premium Print on Demand physical book editions will go on sale this coming Wednesday, September the 23rd on DTRPG!

Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages is NOW available in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com! This massive full color tome is part of the V20 line but does not require V20 to play and enjoy.

The Pugmire Pamphlet we had available at Gen Con is now ready for PDF download. Read about the world of Pugmire from the enthusiastic and optimistic pen of Princess Yosha Pug, as well as notes from the gruff and worldly hunter Pan Daschund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/153518/Pugmire-Gen-Con-Brochure

The sixth and final Pugmire poster for now, Spike Mutt, is on the loose now as a free PDF or $.99 physical poster, suitable for framing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150845/Spike-Mutt-Pugmire-Poster-6

The fifth Pugmire poster, Pan Dachshund, is ready now as a free PDF or $.99 physical poster, suitable for framing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150844/Pan-Dachshund-Pugmire-Poster-5

The fourth Pugmire poster, Jack Rat-Terrier, is on-sale now as a free PDF or $.99 physical poster, suitable for framing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150944/Jack-RatTerrier-Pugmire-Poster-4

The third Pugmire poster, Sgt. Leo Bulldog, is available NOW as a free PDF or $.99 physical poster, suitable for framing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150843/Sgt-Leo-Bulldog-Pugmire-Poster-3

The second poster, Princess Yosha Pug, is available now: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149750/Princess-Yosha-Pug-Pugmire-Poster-2

And the first poster, Sister Picassa Collie, is here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/148516/Sister-Picassa-Collie-Pugmire-Poster-1

Start spreading the Code of Man!

Dread Names, Red List for V20 is now on sale! This collection of the most dangerous Kindred ever called Anathema is available in both PDF and hardcover PoD versions: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150381/V20-Dread-Names-Red-List

CONVENTIONS!

We’re finalizing plans for a big Onyx Path presence at Mid Winter Con again this year this January in Milwaukee. Big blurb when that is all worked out.

I’ll be at Ovino in Milan, Italy signing Magic the Gathering cards on October 2-4, so any of our community in the area that wants to stop by and say “Ciao”, I’d love to see you. More thoughts on that convention next week. http://www.ovinotournament.com/

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And now, the new project status updates!:

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Book of Secrets (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

CtL anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Pugmire Early Access

Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition

Beast Ready Made Characters (Beast: the Primordial)

Beast Fiction Anthology (Beast: the Primordial)

Cavaliers of Mars

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)