Thanks to Mikko and all the 3PP people who took the time to do these interviews. It's been a great series, I've learned a lot from these, and I'm even more interested in other companies' products I didn't even know about.
Thanks!
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Thanks for the comments and questions! It's been a blast to interview all these talented people!
So you have no upcoming dates - what is happening next?
I'm reserving the four August slots for some things I've been wanting to post for a while: some advice articles and possibly an interview with Robert Brookes (RPGSS 2014 top 4). I suppose I could do 3PP interviews at the same time, but I just don't want to spread myself too thin, with ongoing freelancing work and other things.
In September, I'll start interviewing 3PPs again. I intend to interview all remaining major 3PPs that publish content for PF, and any number of smaller ones too. If time allows, I may also interview individual freelancers later.
At some point this fall, I might (co-)host a monster design contest, but at the moment, it's just an idea, I haven't really started planning it yet. It would be awesome to get a few "celebrity judges" (whether RPGSS finalists or publishers). Well, remains to be seen what I'll come up with.
From December onwards, I'll be focusing on RPG Superstar 2015. I'm planning to interview the top 32 contestants and alts, and to keep people entertained with games and other things while they're voting and waiting for the results.
Interjection Games is going to have a kickstarter soon-ish I believe. Worth noting! Should interview him if you can work out a time when he isn't silly busy.
Heck, if this one's a success, it'll be followed by a tinker book with "kamikaze dice" and everything. Just you wait. This could be one hell of an inflection point, plus I guarantee you a "Brady Bunch" tinker cover will be a hot contender for cover of the year :P
As before, I'll be making an exception with Kickstarter interviews because they're more time-critical. Which means I'll be publishing Pathfinder-related KS interviews anytime.
The series is definitely bearing fruit Mikko - a fantastic set of answers from Jason Nelson - a wealth of experience and a keen eye for the ups and downs of the industry, the possibilities and pitfalls for 3PPs and the requirements of being a good freelancer...
Agreed, there's some very good advice there, definitely worth reading!
Thanks to Mikko and all the 3PP people who took the time to do these interviews. It's been a great series, I've learned a lot from these, and I'm even more interested in other companies' products I didn't even know about.
Thanks!
No problem, and thanks to you too! It's always good to hear someone's actually reading the things I post in my blog. ;-) (Well, ok, the site stats tell me quite many people are reading/viewing them, but comments/feedback(/occasional praise ;-) ) is invaluable!)
Still planning on interviewing specific freelancers?
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Still planning on interviewing specific freelancers?
Short answer, yes. Long answer, yes, but it may take a while. I've got quite a lot of content lined up to be published, and I want to finish the 3PP series of interviews before I move on to a new series of interviews.
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This week I interviewed one of my fellow runners-up in this year's RPG Superstar, Robert Brookes. We talked the contest, freelancing, maps and his blog. Fans of the contest as well as those interested in freelancing might find it interesting, here's the link.
@Serpent - Well, of some upcoming freelance cartography work coming my way, too bad I didn't learn about it soon enough to get it into my Interview article, but I just learned that I will be freelancing as secondary illustrator for Prima. I will be creating the maps for the tactical guide books for the upcoming Activision Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Bungi Destiny RPG MMO. So I guess I'm moving up to the big time! I have to fly out to LA and speak with the developers at Activision in the first week of September, before all this starts.
For a guy wondering how I could get my cartographic foot in the door for the video game industry - I guess I'm fully inside the door now! And I didn't contact them, rather the art director at Prima found my G+ community, and that's how I got these gigs.
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Michael, that's awesome, congratulations! I hope to hear more about it, so I'll be keeping an eye on your updates on google+. :)
Anyway, some news about my blog:
There will probably be two Kickstarter interviews later in August. More about them later!
And as promised, I'll continue interviewing 3PPs in September. And I've already got an interview booked!
6 Sept: Eric Morton Presents
13 Sept: [open]
20 Sept: [open]
27 Sept: [open]
Meanwhile, I'll be posting more teasers about something... And today I posted an update about what I've been up to lately.
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The countdown begins! Something big is going to happen that involves not only my blog but also a number of 3PPs, a well-known RPG designer and what's best, many of my readers (I hope)!
Some more info: Countdown
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I'm posting monster design tips throughout the week. Here's the first article about the unwritten rules in monster design.
I'm posting monster design tips throughout the week. Here's the first article about the unwritten rules in monster design.
You, ah, lookin' for feedback or debate on these? My first published work was the stuff I did for Psionic Bestiary, so it seems relevant to my interests.
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I'm posting monster design tips throughout the week. Here's the first article about the unwritten rules in monster design.You, ah, lookin' for feedback or debate on these? My first published work was the stuff I did for Psionic Bestiary, so it seems relevant to my interests.
Comments are always welcome, whether it's something you want to add or something you disagree on. The reason I mentioned the articles here is, however, to just keep people updated on what I'm up to before I continue doing interviews. There's also a second reason... which will become apparent in a week. :-)
Would you prefer commentary here or on ze blog itself?
Curse you Mikko!! (Unless I'm involved then no Curse you)
I want to know and I hate waiting :)
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Curse you Mikko!! (Unless I'm involved then no Curse you)
I want to know and I hate waiting :)
Well, you get to choose if you want to be involved in it. ;-) Don't worry, it'll be announced on Saturday. That's.. what, only 4 from now?
The waiting is the hardest part ...
You might want to talk to Louis Porter Jr. about a certain AP Kickstarter on the horizon.
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Marc, maybe it's a KS, maybe it isn't. :)
Thanks for the tip, Jeff!
Anyway, because I don't want to derail my "Upcoming interviews" thread completely, I'll reveal that I'm planning to interview five lucky (or talented?) individuals in the near future.
Oh and I just posted more monster design advice in my blog. Feel free to comment.
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You might want to talk to Louis Porter Jr. about a certain AP Kickstarter on the horizon.
Horizon? Don't you mean that light at the end of the tunnel that is really a train coming toward you in the way of the Cross of Fire Saga Adventure Path Kickstarter?
You might want to talk to Louis Porter Jr. about a certain AP Kickstarter on the horizon.Horizon? Don't you mean that light at the end of the tunnel that is really a train coming toward you in the way of the Cross of Fire Saga Adventure Path Kickstarter?
Really looking forward to this. I hope I'll have the money to contribute more than 5-20$.
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Ok, time for another teaser about the upcoming announcement.
I've never realized before how nice a blood-stained sword, a raging bird, an arcane glyph, a psionic eye and a map design looked side-by-side. Now I do. ;-)
I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
-Sigh-.
In order - Legendary Games, Raging Swan Press, no idea, Dreamscarred Press and possibly Adventure-A-Week/Mike Myler?
I'm thinking some sore of crossover.
Disappointed Mikko.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
The problem with giving you everything at once, is that we may NOT have everything ready to go. It is not us teasing you, it us actually giving you what we have, when we get it.
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Ok, time for another teaser about the upcoming announcement.
I've never realized before how nice a blood-stained sword, a raging bird, an arcane glyph, a psionic eye and a map design looked side-by-side. Now I do. ;-)
I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
-Sigh-.
In order - Legendary Games, Raging Swan Press, no idea, Dreamscarred Press and possibly Adventure-A-Week/Mike Myler?
I'm thinking some sore of crossover.
Disappointed Mikko.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
OSW, I'm sorry to hear you disapprove of teasers. Though in my defense, when I started posting teasers, I stated when the big reveal would be, and it was only 7 days before the announcement date, not an unbearably long period of time. The monster contest--which is what the teasers were about--was announced a week ago, and the 3PPs I hinted at are our magnificent sponsors. :)
I hope you can forgive us our marketing strategy and actually consider entering if you can fit it in your schedule. :)
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Ok, time for another teaser about the upcoming announcement.
I've never realized before how nice a blood-stained sword, a raging bird, an arcane glyph, a psionic eye and a map design looked side-by-side. Now I do. ;-)
I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
-Sigh-.
In order - Legendary Games, Raging Swan Press, no idea, Dreamscarred Press and possibly Adventure-A-Week/Mike Myler?
I'm thinking some sore of crossover.
Disappointed Mikko.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
I'll be frank, mate. I'm horrible at the "teaser without being cheesy" thing, but there's no denying that a properly-done teaser is a gold mine. If I could pull it off, I'd be less frank and more teasery as a matter of course.
Just look at the story behind those radios inserted into Portal 1 that were a roundabout teaser for Portal 2. That's brilliant stuff, and there's a lesson to be learned from it. If obfuscation is your teaser strategy, you either need to be super light on the obfuscation or make it so complex that people feel ACCOMPLISHED when they decode your Morse. Anything in the middle makes people grumpy.
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If obfuscation is your teaser strategy, you either need to be super light on the obfuscation or make it so complex that people feel ACCOMPLISHED when they decode your Morse. Anything in the middle makes people grumpy.
Well said, and I'll definitely keep that in mind the next time I'm planning something new!
@Mikko - don't take a grumpy wolf to heart. My point stands.
I actually read the monster competition thread before I posted my acrid response to your now-old post. Didn't put the pieces together. Still unsure who the arcane glyph is nor the map icon. ;)
The problem with giving you everything at once, is that we may NOT have everything ready to go. It is not us teasing you, it us actually giving you what we have, when we get it.I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
And sometimes it is just marketing designed to make me more intrigued Louis.
I appreciate your blogposts keeping folk updated, and your Transparency Agenda.
I don't appreciate the "guess what is coming!" approach. It takes everything away from "here is some exciting new stuff you can enjoy in your game" and replaces it with "I'm a businessperson and I have a new product to sell." Both are correct, or quote unquote "true" but as you well know, being well versed in marketing it's all in the spin.
Ok, time for another teaser about the upcoming announcement.
I've never realized before how nice a blood-stained sword, a raging bird, an arcane glyph, a psionic eye and a map design looked side-by-side. Now I do. ;-)
I thoroughly detest this method of "garnering interest". A firm believer in if you have something to tell, tell it. You don't build any more interest by -NOT- telling people stuff, and you'll actually turn people like me off by the method.
-Sigh-.
In order - Legendary Games, Raging Swan Press, no idea, Dreamscarred Press and possibly Adventure-A-Week/Mike Myler?
I'm thinking some sore of crossover.
Disappointed Mikko.
As I often say in Louis' threads deriding this method, at least my post gets you further publicity. Oh the irony.
I'll be frank, mate. I'm horrible at the "teaser without being cheesy" thing, but there's no denying that a properly-done teaser is a gold mine. If I could pull it off, I'd be less frank and more teasery as a matter of course.
Just look at the story behind those radios inserted into Portal 1 that were a roundabout teaser for Portal 2. That's brilliant stuff, and there's a lesson to be learned from it. If obfuscation is your teaser strategy, you either need to be super light on the obfuscation or make it so complex that people feel ACCOMPLISHED when they decode your Morse. Anything in the middle makes people grumpy.
Actually nothing makes me more grumpy than having someone tell me how smart or stupid I am Bradley. ;)
Look, I have to completely disagree with you. I'm not into having my canonical knowledge-level stroked or rewarded or being in some kind of pop-culture in-crowd. I don't want to be tested or pandered to. I don't want to feel accomplished - I have enough fulfillment in my life without feeling like I need to participate in a game just to understand someone. If I feel like I'm being gamed then I immediately stop playing, and a lot of my fellow consumers are wired the same way. Some play the game regardless, for various reasons. Some truly don't care. I do. And I'm vocal about it. That's all. I'm likely an outlier. But I don't want to be teased by esoteric incunabula. It gives me the freaking ****s.
As for your approach Bradley, you can't really get more transparent than constantly posting your calculus for whether or not you will make more content for a particular concept. Personally I find it venal and distasteful, but me dear old mum admires you (and your professional approach) for it. That's right, I both insulted you and praised you and admitted I talk about your business model to my mother.
You are obviously a knowledgable and very gifted designer, and I thank you for your time and help in trying to contain the Synergist i submitted to Amora Games for the Libris Communis KS, but just once I'd like to see you just make something because it was interesting to you, not because it might be a good unit shifter in the third quarter after rationalisation and upbaking costs. At least that's how it comes across to me. I am a mere dilettante, and not trying to make my living as you are, so please take my comments with that implicit understanding.
That's frank. Teasers suck. I think you do frank very well. I just don't always like it.
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@Mikko - don't take a grumpy wolf to heart. My point stands.
I actually read the monster competition thread before I posted my acrid response to your now-old post. Didn't put the pieces together. Still unsure who the arcane glyph is nor the map icon. ;)
Alright. :) I appreciate the feedback even when its negative. This is the first contest I've ever organized, so there is certainly a lot of things I haven't necessarily even thought about. I think Mike, Jacob & I got a lot of things right, though, and overall, it looks like it's going to be fun & educative contest for entrants and judges alike!
The arcane glyph appears in the logo of Rite Publishing, and the map one is Cartography by Tommi Salama. I'm sure everyone has heard about the "rite way to game", whereas Tommi is a talented cartographer and layout designer who's been working with Raging Swan, AAW, and Rite Publishing, if I remember correctly. Tommi made our Here Be Monsters logo, which is why I included him on our list of sponsors.
As for your approach Bradley, you can't really get more transparent than constantly posting your calculus for whether or not you will make more content for a particular concept.
It's much less of an approach than it is me trying to function with Aspberger's, mate. The world is black and white, and work must be shown. If I act otherwise, I'm down for the count like Rocky in the first half of every single one of his movies.
Also, I looked up venal. Assume I'm shaking my fist at you :P
For designs whose motivation had nothing to do with good business sense, see: The Tinker, The Maestro (I've been told NEVER to do music classes), Incremental Antimagic, Perplexing Puzzles #2, and The Corpseshaper's Toolbox. There are others, of course, but I've forgotten them.
I invite you to come on down and take a ride on the insane system that is my thought process sometime, and you'll see just how much of the process is pure "squee and numbers". Heck, I'll give you an explicit invitation. Would you like to work together on my first stretch goal archetype?
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I published a new Kickstarter interview: The Veranthea Codex.
I've actually signed up to design something for this project... if the 4th stretch goal is met. :) So... remember: September the 5th!
@Bradley - Understood. You have evidently found the best method that works for you.
You show the grace of a true professional too - I tear strips off you and you turn it around into a positive.
Look, I'd be a fool to turn your offer down - tell you what - I'll take you up on it insofar as I am able - I'll likely only be able to provide squee to your numbers anyway. But this does alert me to the fact you may be the best person around to help me with a few things of my own. As long as I can afford your rates. ;) I'll send you a PM...
@Mikko - thanks for the headsup as to the icons and their respective owners. I am already a big fan of Rite Publishing's new logo...
Given it's the only one of the list I couldn't figure out, it's likely suboptimal for that particular brand of teaser, though.
How would one describe the Strange Magic team - an unlucky wizard, a cosmic fistpump, and excited punctuation?
@Bradley - Understood. You have evidently found the best method that works for you.
You show the grace of a true professional too - I tear strips off you and you turn it around into a positive.
Look, I'd be a fool to turn your offer down - tell you what - I'll take you up on it insofar as I am able - I'll likely only be able to provide squee to your numbers anyway. But this does alert me to the fact you may be the best person around to help me with a few things of my own. As long as I can afford your rates. ;) I'll send you a PM...
Wait, money? Huh, didn't expect that. Alright, sure.
Well you don't work for free right? That was, in part, my original point. ;)
PM sent...
You'd be surprised how little of this feels like work, my good man.
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Coming soon: New interviews!
6 Sept: Eric Morton Presents
10 Sept: Strange Magic Kickstarter
13 Sept: [open]
20 Sept: Creighton Broadhurst of Raging Swan
27 Sept: [open]
4 Oct: [open]
11 Oct: Here Be Monsters winner interview
12-17 Oct: Here Be Monsters runners-up interviews
18 Oct: [open]
25 Oct: [open]
Towards the end of the year, I'll be publishing RPG Superstar advice articles and such, but if there are more Pathfinder-compatible publishers interested in doing an interview than I've got open slots, I'll make some space!
I am hoping we can get you our answers for the Oct. 4 opening.
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6 Sept: Eric Morton Presents
10 Sept: Strange Magic Kickstarter
13 Sept: [to be decided]
20 Sept: Creighton Broadhurst of Raging Swan
27 Sept: Jonathan Nelson of Adventure-A-Week
4 Oct: [open]
11 Oct: Here Be Monsters winner interview
12-17 Oct: Here Be Monsters runners-up interviews
18 Oct: [open]
25 Oct: [open]