Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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SUPER GENIUS GAMES ACQUIRES 'WARLORDS OF THE APOCALYPSE' FROM ADAMANT ENTERTAINMENT
December18, 2012
Super Genius Games, critically-acclaimed publisher of supplemental material for the Pathfinder, Savage Worlds and Call of Cthulhu role-playing game systems, has acquired the rights to the Pathfinder-compatible WARLORDS OF THE APOCALYPSE game setting from original developer Adamant Entertainment.
WARLORDS OF THE APOCALYPSE, first announced in 2010, brings the gonzo, over-the-top world of classic post-apocalypse science-fantasy to the Pathfinder rules system, featuring mutants, psychic powers, radioactive beasts and warriors of the wasteland.
"The game ran into some major snags during development," says Gareth-Michael Skarka, director of Adamant Entertainment. "We soldiered on, trying to pull it together, but it became apparent that the property would be far better in the hands of Pathfinder experts like the crew at Super Genius. We're very glad they expressed an interest and that we were able to come to an agreement that honors not only WOTA, but the existing pre-order customers, who were our primary concern."
Customers who had pre-ordered WARLORDS OF THE APOCALYPSE will see those orders fulfilled by Super Genius Games. "We are well aware folks have already been waiting a very long time, and shown amazing patience," says Owen K.C. Stephens, the Line Developer for WOTA at Super Genius. "We'll be outlining our full plans soon, and setting up a forum for open discussions. We know we'll eventually put the book in the hands of the pre--order customers, and we're working out how the general public can get involved. Since we want the biggest, best release possible for Warlords of the Apocalypse, we're even considering a Kickstarter campaign."
Stephens and Skarka both expressed enthusiasm for the project and it's future in the hands of Super Genius Games. "It's such a fun genre, and Super Genius has strongly established themselves as seriously excellent developers," said Skarka. "I look forward to seeing WARLORDS OF THE APOCALYPSE in its final form. I'm sure it will be brilliant!"
Super Genius Games was founded in fall 2007 by game industry veterans Hyrum Savage and Stan!, SGG is dedicated to publishing quality PDF and print products for a wide range of games and game systems. For more information contact owen@supergeniusgames.com.
Adamant Entertainment is a digital media company founded in 2003 by Gareth-Michael Skarka. For more information, visit http://www.adamantentertainment.com.
I didn't see this one coming. Nice.
Nice! I will most likely purchase a copy now.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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Like I said before, "Wahoo!"
Yeah, that's how I feel about this too. :D
Can't wait to see the finished product!
Me neither!
Also excited to see if you do a Kickstarter campaign.
That's a distinct possibility. We are absolutely going to get a hardback book into the hands of the pre-order customers, no matter what. If we do a Kickstarter they don't have to participate (though they may if they want to!), and we'd do a book for them even if the Kickstater fails.
But I'd like to do a bigger, better book with more resources. for example, I'd like a new cover. I'd like to get some other authors involved -- but like consumers, a lot of authors are nervous about this book. I'm not likely to get many folks to write for me if I tell them they have to wait for it to be a big hit to get paid...
We are well aware there's a lot of skepticism around this book. We are, no matter what, doing this. Exactly how and in what form is going to be the subject of some decisions.
I have some trust-earning to do. It starts with open, prompt dialog, and this forum is going to be part of that. In addition to being visible and responding to folks here, I have set up a Google Group mailing list for anyone who wants to opt-in to weekly updates: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/warlords-of-the-apocalyp se
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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Soooo...when will it be out?
I was wating for this question. I have an answer all set up!
"I don't know yet."
I just got the files recently, and they are not in a publishable form. Further (see below) there are changes and expansions I want to make. It would have made my life a LOT easier to not tell anyone this had happened until I had more answers.
But as soon as I signed the contract, the pre-order customers became my customers. And they deserved to be updagtes immediately, and that was the very first thing I did. Every person who still has a pre-order should have gotten an email from me already, letting them know we had taken over, and beginning a line of communication. They deserved it, even if I had nothing to do with this project's delays, and had no answers for the toughest questions.
I don't even have a final outline for what the product is going to look like, I absolutely can't give a deadline on when it'll be done yet. And I may not be able to tackle doing that until Q1 2013... I didn't make my current schedule with this project in mind.
It'll be an ongoing discussion, and I'll be as open as possible. But what I don't want to do is make promises, or even give hints, I can't follow through on. So as unprepared as it makes me look, I'd rather honestly say "I'm working on it, but I don't know yet" than make a guess and be wrong.
Also, will there be any tweaks made to the product in terms of increasing compatibility with the Anachronistic Adventurers line?
There's going to be more than tweaks. There are sections unfinished. There are sections not done to the style and tone SGG uses. And yeah, there are things I plan to change because I believe I have a better way of doing it.
The Anachronistic Adventurers material is very much in my mind as I plan this out, and there's a good chance I'll use it as the framework for WotA classes, though that will call for tweaks at both end.
But I am really excited. I've worked on Gamma World, d20 Apocalypse, and the obliterated Hutt homeworld for Star Wars to name a few post-apocalyptic game settings. I want to do an awesome Pathfinder-compatible Post-Apocalypse expansion, and I'm looking forward to the hard work ahead.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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From the now-closed thread;
Sorry if I broke this before you had planned, Owen. When I got the email from Skarka, I got a little excited...
Absolutely no apology needed. I knew that by sending all the remaining pre-order folks a message first I was going to have word get out. It was inevitable, and I didn't feel like asking people who are 2+ years past due on a book to keep my secrets. :D
I sent the message anyway, because it was the right thing to do, and just accepted it would mean a bit more work. It's worth it.
Very cool!
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Seriously, as one who pre-ordered this book back when it was first announced I am thrilled to see something being done with it. Bigger and better, more writing. All of this translates to (in my mind); not being released anytime soon, with soon being the first half of 2013, maybe even not the second half. Which is fine, I've waited two and a half years for this book. Another year and a half or whatever won't kill me. Your promise of communication is HUGE to those of us still holding out for Warlords.
There is one thing, concerning the artwork. I never cared for the cartoony second cover that was done for the book, but the original... The girl standing in the middle of a ruined metropolis with a make-shift stop sign shield... I would LOVE to see that piece in the book somewhere. If not the actual cover, maybe a full page piece inside. That was very cool piece and I'd hate to not see it again.
Okay so, what the HECK happened at Adamant that caused this book to fall into oblivion until you rescued it?
Owen, will you be using DSP's material for the psionics involved?
So basically you have kind of backed your way into doing a pathfinder modern/future with a post apocalyptic setting and may kickstart it to get the project moving?
If you do kickstart this, would there be any correlation between the pathfinder modern kickstart and this one? Particularly around those first 6 backers for the iconics. Not insisting or anything I am just curious. And I am insanely interested in where this will go. I have always been curious about the project and its potential, but I am way more confident in it with SGG driving it, particularly with the existing original pre-orders as a reasonable commitment for a finished product.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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Seriously, as one who pre-ordered this book back when it was first announced I am thrilled to see something being done with it. Bigger and better, more writing. All of this translates to (in my mind); not being released anytime soon, with soon being the first half of 2013, maybe even not the second half.
I think that's a realistic attitude -- but I'll be talking more about scheduling after I've absorbed what I have.
Which is fine, I've waited two and a half years for this book. Another year and a half or whatever won't kill me. Your promise of communication is HUGE to those of us still holding out for Warlords.
:D
There is one thing, concerning the artwork. I never cared for the cartoony second cover that was done for the book,
We have the rights to that cover, and a lot of advertising was done with it. It doesn't match my view of what I want WotA to be... but it's something we've paid for and can use.
I genuinely don't know yet what the odds are I can make the budget work with a new color cover. I will if I can (and a Kickstarter might be part of that thinking), but I will release the book with this cover if I have no other choices.
but the original... The girl standing in the middle of a ruined metropolis with a make-shift stop sign shield... I would LOVE to see that piece in the book somewhere. If not the actual cover, maybe a full page piece inside. That was very cool piece and I'd hate to not see it again.
I liked it to. To me, a woman with a Stop-sign shield is iconic for post-apocalypse rpgs. It didn't match the style I'd like to see for my cover, but the thematic content was great.
Sadly, we don't have the rights to it. I'm not in a position to say why that is the case, but it's not something I can change. We just don;t have the legal authority to use it.
That said if I can get a new cover, the elements are much more likely to be like that cover than the "current" cover art.
Interesting...following.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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Okay so, what the HECK happened at Adamant that caused this book to fall into oblivion until you rescued it?
There are lots of reasons I can't give a satisfying answer to that question.
First, I wasn't involved in the project in any capacity back then, so I just don't know what happened.
Second, if I did know anything, it would be the height of unprofessionalism to talk about another company's problems. I just did business with Adamant, and they treated me well for that process. Doing anything to badmouth them would be not-cool.
Third, there will never be a satisfying answer to that question. Things happen, and they are rarely as interesting or sensational as folks wish they were.
Instead, I'd really like to focus on what we're going to do now. There's a lot of work ahead of me, and I think we'll all be happier if my efforts are concentrated on communicating with folks and getting the game ready, rather than dancing around touchy issues of the past. :D
Well said and good luck. I've toyed with the idea of getting into such a game and with your name associated with a Pathfinder version...
It will be hard to turn down.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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If nothing else, the chance of seeing post apocalyptic (even psionic) archetypes for the AA classes makes me very excited for this.
Owen, will you be using DSP's material for the psionics involved?
To be honest, those decisions haven't been made yet.
I am very likely to use revised versions of the Anachronistic Adventurer classes as the frame for most (if not all) WotA classes. but that's not set int stone. If I did, they would likely have mostly new archetypes. and I might not call them archetypes -- backgrounds or templates are both in consideration.
I will certainly include rules for using DSP psionics in WotA, but I don't want to duplicate their books. I may just assume if you want psionics in WotA you';ll have access to DSP rules, and add expansions for a post-apocalyptic setting. Or I may be adding a complete psychic powers system, and include a sidebar on using DSP psionics.
I'll also likely have a sidebar on using normal Paizo magic and classes, in case you want post-apocalypse-swords-sorcery-and-cyborgs types of games.
But... nothing is decided yet.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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So basically you have kind of backed your way into doing a pathfinder modern/future with a post apocalyptic setting and may kickstart it to get the project moving?
Yeah, that is high on the list of ways I see this coming together.
If you do kickstart this, would there be any correlation between the pathfinder modern kickstart and this one? Particularly around those first 6 backers for the iconics. Not insisting or anything I am just curious.
I honestly don't know yet. I certainly want to give respect to the people who supported us in the failed p20 Modern Kickstarter, but I also want to treat the wotA pre-order folks well. so I do not know where I'll draw the "give extra treats" line. I hadn't even thought about it yet.
But when we start talking about a date for beginning a Kickstarter, I'll be sure to address the question. With luck, I think of a way to make all our biggest supporters feel valued. :D
And I am insanely interested in where this will go. I have always been curious about the project and its potential, but I am way more confident in it with SGG driving it, particularly with the existing original pre-orders as a reasonable commitment for a finished product.
Thanks!
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The Anachronistic Adventurers material is very much in my mind as I plan this out, and there's a good chance I'll use it as the framework for WotA classes, though that will call for tweaks at both end.
This must have been in the works for a while. You folks have let slip a couple times that you were planning something special that would use the AA's quite some time ago.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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This must have been in the works for a while. You folks have let slip a couple times that you were planning something special that would use the AA's quite some time ago.
Both yes, and no.
We had another setting in mind for the AA material back in march/April of this year. It seemed like a good idea, and we did some concept art, some product outlines, and worked on making it gel in our heads.
It didn't.
So as we were considering going a different direction, this opportunity came along. Since I have a HUGE fan of Post Apocalypse gaming I had always kept the idea of a AA PA setting in mind (Mutant Age was my working title, and I ran a long playtest campaign for it). But that was never meant to be Warlords of the Apocalypse.
When we talking about this idea at a SGG Planning call, it just seemed like a better fit for what we wanted to do. so, our plans changed.
That said, working out details both internally and with Adamant has taken a while. In fact, we're done done with the internal discussions. But when we actually had a contract I decided we had to go public first, and work out details later, rather than doing it in the normal order.
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This must have been in the works for a while. You folks have let slip a couple times that you were planning something special that would use the AA's quite some time ago.
Both yes, and no.
We had another setting in mind for the AA material back in march/April of this year. It seemed like a good idea, and we did some concept art, some product outlines, and worked on making it gel in our heads.
It didn't.
So as we were considering going a different direction, this opportunity came along. Since I have a HUGE fan of Post Apocalypse gaming I had always kept the idea of a AA PA setting in mind (Mutant Age was my working title, and I ran a long playtest campaign for it). But that was never meant to be Warlords of the Apocalypse.
When we talking about this idea at a SGG Planning call, it just seemed like a better fit for what we wanted to do. so, our plans changed.
That said, working out details both internally and with Adamant has taken a while. In fact, we're done done with the internal discussions. But when we actually had a contract I decided we had to go public first, and work out details later, rather than doing it in the normal order.
There's something to be said for happy coincidences. Good luck with it, can't wait to check it out!
Sounds very interesting, Owen. Best of luck! I'd support a kickstarter for it!
Temp Thread Jack: People mentioned other post-apocalyptic games on the other thread (which is now locked), so I just wanted to mention Rogue Mage, which uses a tweaked version of M&M2e: http://www.misfit-studios.com/store/storefront/?slug=product_info.php&p roducts_id=105&src=MisfitsStudiosProductPage
It's based on the fiction of NYT bestselling author Faith Hunter.
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but the original... The girl standing in the middle of a ruined metropolis with a make-shift stop sign shield... I would LOVE to see that piece in the book somewhere. If not the actual cover, maybe a full page piece inside. That was very cool piece and I'd hate to not see it again.I liked it to. To me, a woman with a Stop-sign shield is iconic for post-apocalypse rpgs. It didn't match the style I'd like to see for my cover, but the thematic content was great.
Sadly, we don't have the rights to it. I'm not in a position to say why that is the case, but it's not something I can change. We just don;t have the legal authority to use it.
That said if I can get a new cover, the elements are much more likely to be like that cover than the "current" cover art.
:-/
Well, I guess I hope this gets a new cover then, because that other... it's just bad.Oh well. Fingers crossed and looking forward.
Wow... reminds of my old Gamma World days!
unexpected...but mightily intrigued. I didn't pre-order but wanted too and then the project went bust and I was glad I hadn't, but I am very interested in a Kickstarter.
Count me as another very excited person!
Good luck!
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I'm excited to see progress, having given up hope and decided that my pre-order was a sunk cost.
In the intervening many moons since the pre-order, I've moved on from Pathfinder; so, I wonder if WotA will be written with 3.5 compatibility explicitly addressed or if PFRPG will be the sole focus. I'm looking forward to the results of your work either way.
I am very excited for SGG and for WotA.
Post-apocalypse science-fantasy, mutants, cyborgs, psychic powers, radioactive beasts and warriors of the wasteland. You had me at post-apocalypse. This is fantastic news! I was following this project back when Adamant first launched it and was pretty disappointed when it stalled out. A quality, Gamma World style Pathfinder compatible game setting is a niche that desperately needs to be filled. I'm a big fan of SGG game products and know you folks will do a fantastic job. If you do decide to set up a Kickstarter project count me in as a backer.
P.S. Please, please have some sort of random mutation chart that let's us create really bizarre mutants.
P.S.S. Please (x 3) have one of the mutations be something along the lines of the "gamma eyes" from the original Gamma World :)
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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In the intervening many moons since the pre-order, I've moved on from Pathfinder; so, I wonder if WotA will be written with 3.5 compatibility explicitly addressed or if PFRPG will be the sole focus. I'm looking forward to the results of your work either way.
I strongly suspect we will only be looking at Pathfinder compatibility, though if there is a strong cry for 3.5 compatibility I'd take that into account. But I look to have enough on my plate to get a solid game out as things are -- trying to make it compatible for two close-but-different-in-tricky-ways game systems is likely to introduce errors, which would drive me nuts.
I personally want to have a campaign setting book that is 100% Pathfinder compatible, so if you decide the Freemont Troll is actually the Jabberwocky, you can grab its Pf stats (or anything you want from a Pf book) and use it with no modification.
And yet at the same time make the WotA book run post-apocalypse gaming smoothly and competently.
So yeah... I have already put a lot on my plate.
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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P.S. Please, please have some sort of random mutation chart that let's us create really bizarre mutants.
P.S.S. Please (x 3) have one of the mutations be something along the lines of the "gamma eyes" from the original Gamma World :)
I'll keep both of those requests in mind!
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It will be hard to turn down.
It will be impossible to turn down (for me).
If you do a Kickstarter for it (which I VERY MUCH hope you do), it'll go from "impossible to turn down" to "you may end up with a mildly creepy nerd stalker munching Doritos and staring at you in the dark as you sleep."
:: munch munch ::
Well played, Owen.
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Sorry I'm late for the party. ;) So glad this got picked up. I actually had finally given up and sent Gareth an email last week asking for my money back. He sent an email telling me that the change over was pending and asked if I wanted to wait. I was like sure, I can wait two weeks since I'd already gone so long.
Anyways...
Owen, have you guys thought about maybe making it a rules lite borderline stand alone game? I'm thinking along the lines of what TSR/WotC did with Gamma World for Alternity only with Pathfinder, but then explain that for expanded rules the game relies heavily on the corebook. If anything it could be one of the stretch goals if you do run a Kickstarter.
My thought is that there is so much that has been added to the coreline of Pathfinder that it is beginning to be intimidating to new players who might want to pick it up.
Just a thought.
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I'll also likely have a sidebar on using normal Paizo magic and classes, in case you want post-apocalypse-swords-sorcery-and-cyborgs types of games.But... nothing is decided yet.
Ariel! Ookla! We Ride!
Ariel! Ookla! We Ride!
Lords of Light!
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Ariel! Ookla! We Ride!
So...
Post Apocalyptic.
Plus Pathfinder.
Plus Super Genius Games.
If this has rules for making it a zombie apocalypse rather than a nuclear one I belief I shall have to start using 'Shut up and take my money' gifs.
I pre-ordered through Cubicle 7. How does this change affect those orders given that SGG are not a partner of C7?
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Contributor; Developer, Super Genius Games
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If you do a Kickstarter for it (which I VERY MUCH hope you do), it'll go from "impossible to turn down" to "you may end up with a mildly creepy nerd stalker munching Doritos and staring at you in the dark as you sleep."
I'm sure my wife will be happy to share her Doritos, and one more set of crunching noises won't bother me. :D