Erick: What can you tell us about the New Guys?

[Trevelyan]

Roger was very, very clear, in conversations with me, and with many others, that he was speaking about his legacy, and what was to happen after his death.

Erick

That works for me.

Shame really.

[RPGPundit]

I don't see it as so much of a shame. It was so that second-rate crap like the Betancourt novels wouldn't happen, and that if they did everyone would know it was WITHOUT the author's consent.

RPGPundit

[Nihilistic Mind]

I found out that my sister-in-law-to-be loves the Amber novels! Bad thing is she also 'enjoyed' the Betancourt ones too...

I scold her every chance I get about it.


But anyways, I just wanted to ask RPGPundit, have Eric or Edwin spoken to you about making this forum kind of the 'official place' for fan discussion of the Diceless by Design developments?

I wonder how much input fans will end up having. I'm curious to know what they have in mind... Share their own take on the ADRPG, welcome input from people like us, offer online support once the book is out, call for playtesters, fanfiction, art contributions...?

I know most of us pretty much made it clear that we'd like to help in any way we can. I guess I'm just getting giddy over the whole idea. It takes time, so forgive the outburst...

[RPGPundit]

I found out that my sister-in-law-to-be loves the Amber novels! Bad thing is she also 'enjoyed' the Betancourt ones too...

I scold her every chance I get about it.


But anyways, I just wanted to ask RPGPundit, have Eric or Edwin spoken to you about making this forum kind of the 'official place' for fan discussion of the Diceless by Design developments?

Sadly no, they haven't yet. This despite the fact that I've invited them to several times already, and asked Erick about it several times too.

Then again, the guys haven't seemed to have done much of anything else yet either, so maybe they're just waiting.
I certainly hope that they decide to work with us and make use of the resource that this site already is, rather than going it alone.  Maybe Erick will speak to them about it again.

I wonder how much input fans will end up having. I'm curious to know what they have in mind... Share their own take on the ADRPG, welcome input from people like us, offer online support once the book is out, call for playtesters, fanfiction, art contributions...?

Again, despite multiple requests for the same, information has not been forthcoming.

I know most of us pretty much made it clear that we'd like to help in any way we can. I guess I'm just getting giddy over the whole idea. It takes time, so forgive the outburst...

I'm worried its been taking too long a time with no development.

RPGPundit

[Otha]

Again, despite multiple requests for the same, information has not been forthcoming.

I'm worried its been taking too long a time with no development.

The initial stages of writing a game take a long time.  I would expect it to take a month per 20,000 words of the final manuscript.  You can't be consulting with people during this stage or everything comes out incoherent.

[Uncle Twitchy]

Particularly if the rights issues still haven't been settled yet.

[gabriel_ss4u]

I just wanna know where the line is to start for the game play-test!
:devil: :toast: :unicorn:
Chaos     &     Amber

:scorpion:

[RPGPundit]

The initial stages of writing a game take a long time.  I would expect it to take a month per 20,000 words of the final manuscript.  You can't be consulting with people during this stage or everything comes out incoherent.

Oh, I can understand that, but I'd feel more confident if there was something more on their website than just a placeholder.

RPGPundit

[Nihilistic Mind]

There's something that I really like about a developper's blog: you can keep track of progress, or lack thereof.

I'm not saying nothing's happening, but this thread allows me to nag them into sharing behind-the-scenes info... Or just plainly piss them off.

J/k, of course. I'll be patient for a while longer.

[Otha]

There's something that I really like about a developper's blog: you can keep track of progress, or lack thereof.

I'm not saying nothing's happening, but this thread allows me to nag them into sharing behind-the-scenes info... Or just plainly piss them off.

J/k, of course. I'll be patient for a while longer.

I really doubt they're reading this.  It would be a mistake, at this stage.

[gabriel_ss4u]

I have a question for Diceless by Design....

Do you plan on filling in some useable houses... of Chaos... and those references to Amber as well... ?

I often see the paradigm of trying to encapsulate an uncontainable system into regimented #s and graphs and rules and categories... (and sometimes... gasp! dice! Sometimes it helps, sometimes it hinders...)
but I think it would help if there were a regimented system for Houses / backgrounds of Chaos on the Logrus side of things.

I broke down most of the houses IMC to act as cabals in a triumvirate of power checks & balances.

3 Major Houses supporting the Crown
3 Major houses supporting the Church of the Serpent Hung on the Tree of Matter
and 3 Major Houses grouped to support whatever the GM chooses
(Trump/Demons/Secret Elders of the Abyss/'the Beyond'... what have you.

These each have their own houses sworn to them;
(3 other major houses to each corner of the triangle.)

then 6 medium powered houses each, and however many lesser
(I did 3 lesser houses each cause 27 houses is a lot to come up with...)

These are under the Chaos house thread... but I also have stats and backgrounds of houses and members.
This I think is the best way to run a successfully rich Chaos campaign.

(I'm sure there are 100s of houses of Chaos... but this is an epic style game, so we're only concerned with the Major players, pawns are created on the spot.)

Arref, MaBerry, Wujcik, and many famous writers are thanked for their insight and web page information.
Some reference is easy to see; Diablo, Moorcock, Starcraft, ALIENS, Asgurd, DrangonLance, WhiteWolf, comics, books etc...

[jibbajibba]

Gabriel,

I still think there is a real issue putting too much background information in the core rule book. The core rules should be just that a core rule system with good clear worked examples. details about Chaos houses, names individuals , even the various versions of the elders should be in a separate book or books.
I want to see good clear rules with variants. So a core system, an optional partial Powers system, maube an optional skill system. You do need to deliver the flavour of the Amber universe but you don't need complete stats for the major 20 Chaos houses , that is for the DM to design into their campaign.

[finarvyn]

1. There is a potential problem with creating additional information and calling it "Amber". The Zelazny estate may limit the RPG to names and ideas pulled directly from the novels, but may not allow much extrapolation. (This is the problem IMO with "The Complete Amber Sourcebook" and others -- too much information not directly coming from any actual Zelazny source.)

2. As jibbajibba said, there would certainly be a problem in supplying too much campaign information. If you look at Amber games on the web, you'll notice that there are vast differences between most of them. If you set up a complete setting in the rulebook, a very large population of gamers might decide it's not worth their money because that isn't information they will use in their own game.

3. To combine the first two points, I suspect that when ADRP-2 is done it will resemble ADRP-1 in many ways. I would expect to see the same general Elders, same style of format with quotes from the books for atmosphere, the same kind of general background information. Where the new version may differ could be in terms of game mechanics, suggestions for how to run an Amber style game, and hopefully some options for players to use in their campaign. Major background information will likely not be added.

[Uncle Twitchy]

All I really want is a clarification of how handing out Experience should work.

[Otha]

The innovations will come in the area of rules.  

The setting information is fixed; there is no room to expand it, and little reason to amplify it.  They might as well pull it whole cloth from the original work.

Instead, we will see a modernization of the system.  Exactly how, I don't know, but it will happen, because otherwise there's no point in putting out a second edition.  Otherwise, a reprint would be in order.

This, I believe, will be enough to infuriate Pundit, since it seems that he believes that the first edition rules are the best of all possible Amber rules.  As such it will be loudly decried, condemned, and repudiated.

Ample reason for the authors not to come within flaming distance of this board.