Author Topic: Director's Briefing - October 2021  (Read 2512 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

  • Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,022
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • Director of Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd.
Director's Briefing - October 2021
« on: October 18, 2021, 10:56:44 AM »
Welcome

To the one hundred-and-twenty-third Briefing and ninth scheduled Briefing of 2021. I hope that you and yours are staying well.

Terry Amthor RIP

As you have undoubtedly heard, Terry Amthor has passed away. I still cannot really believe that we have lost him. It feels like we have lost our very own Tolkien, but a Tolkien whom we all knew as a friend, not just as a creative genius.

Terry lives on in his work, through his contributions to Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Middle-Earth, and, most especially, in his most glorious creation Shadow World.

Shadow World

I know many of you have been wondering what will happen to Shadow World. Terry’s Estate have been in contact and are seeking to locate all of his manuscripts for us. We hope that their search will be successful.

We will continue to publish new Shadow World modules from other carefully selected writers, with Priest-King of Shade scheduled to be first. We will support Shadow World in both RMU and HARP.

HARP

Speaking of HARP, the HARP Garden of Rain adventure module was released at the start of October. Although it is formally named as part of the HARP line, it is statted for RM Classic and RMSS/FRP. We hope that you will find it a useful addition to your collection of ready to run adventures. If you find any errors, please let us know and we will remedy as part of the creation of the print masters.

We are expecting to create the print masters for HARP Bestiary shortly. Nick Morawitz has been undertaking a layout pass on HARP Beyond the Veil and has taken over the layout work on HARP Subterfuge.

RMU

I am back on the case of RMU Creature Law.

Until next time

Please stay safe.

Best wishes,
Nicholas
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
Dr Nicholas HM Caldwell
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
Publisher of Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Shadow World, Cyradon, HARP & HARP SF, and Cyberspace, with products available from www.drivethrurpg.com
Author: Mentalism Companion, GURPS Age of Napoleon, Construct Companion, College of Magics, HARP SF/HARP SF Xtreme

Offline Micael

  • Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2023, 09:44:17 AM »
To ICE management,
please be so kind and respond in the discord forum why you only promise something (like publishing shadowworld products) and never do it- many people want to help and take over roles, but because of inaction you are loosing many fans and customers:

https://discord.com/channels/737958249936060416/750324220533145680/1143553560752164975

Thanks for your response
Micael

Offline 5th Knight of Xar

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 111
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2023, 01:18:46 AM »
To ICE management,
please be so kind and respond in the discord forum why you only promise something (like publishing shadowworld products) and never do it- many people want to help and take over roles, but because of inaction you are loosing many fans and customers:

https://discord.com/channels/737958249936060416/750324220533145680/1143553560752164975

Thanks for your response
Micael

Imagine for a few seconds that ICE isn't a multi-billion company, but a small company of a handfull of people who work on rpg books for various settings part-time. ICE has done a lot for HARP and RMU over the last decade, with plenty more to come. Shadowworld was as far as I know mainly driven by Terry, it is very much understandable that this setting is a bit halted currently. As a decades long fan of ICE products myself, I do understand the desire to contribute, but shifting focus back to ICE being a company, you have to trust that anyone being involved in creating products is actually capable of doing, I for one wouldn't want to hand over control of well established settings to "just anyone". Just my two cents.

Offline Spectre771

  • Revered Elder
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,384
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2023, 04:23:50 PM »
To ICE management,
please be so kind and respond in the discord forum why you only promise something (like publishing shadowworld products) and never do it- many people want to help and take over roles, but because of inaction you are loosing many fans and customers:

https://discord.com/channels/737958249936060416/750324220533145680/1143553560752164975

Thanks for your response
Micael

Imagine for a few seconds that ICE isn't a multi-billion company, but a small company of a handfull of people who work on rpg books for various settings part-time. ICE has done a lot for HARP and RMU over the last decade, with plenty more to come. Shadowworld was as far as I know mainly driven by Terry, it is very much understandable that this setting is a bit halted currently. As a decades long fan of ICE products myself, I do understand the desire to contribute, but shifting focus back to ICE being a company, you have to trust that anyone being involved in creating products is actually capable of doing, I for one wouldn't want to hand over control of well established settings to "just anyone". Just my two cents.

Hear, hear!
Well stated.
If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline MisterK

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 655
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2023, 05:54:30 AM »
The problem is - and let's be very clear, it's no fault of ICE - he is probably right in some way. A neglected product line tends to bleed customers because it's in the role description: customers buy things. If there's nothing to buy, they drift to something they can buy.

And I'm not sure anyone will be able to "keep the Shadow World line pure", so to speak. Let me take a purely theoretical example: I have been playing and GMIng in Shadow World before it was called that way (I started in '86 with the World of Vog Mur and Cloudlords of Tanara). I have bought almost every SW product I could, including a number I would probably have been better off not buying because of the lack of product line direction at the time.
Would I be helpful in developing the product line in a way that would satisfy the existing customers ? In all likelihood, absolutely not. And I think the answer is the same for everyone who could be considered for the job - not because they would do a bad job, but because people have their own Shadow World canon. Terry had authority because he was the original creator and owner - people deferred to his view because he was the author: you might have a different opinion, but it's *his* work, not *yours*. Shadow World was never the 'bring your own food' kind of setting the Forgotten Realms are (and even the FR had their share of problems with line continuity).
And now, it's directionless because the authority - literally - is gone. And there's nothing ICE can do to fix that. A new line director will not have authority until they imprint their own mark on the setting, making it their own - and alienating a part of the customer base in the process. And it will be a different Shadow World - the same name, but not the same thing.

So yes, in that way, Shadow World died with Terry. What is left is the dozens of SW headcanons that diverged from it at one point or another.

Now people might think I advocate putting SW to rest and starting fresh with something else. I do not, if only because the material is there and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. But It has to be engineered, designed, built and maintained differently, and the fact that it will not be the same Shadow World as it was 'before' should be fully supported as well. I have my own preferences in how it should be managed, but that's not my responsibility nor my burden to bear. I know that any new SW product I buy will be from a new line which might or might not be compatible with what was before. I also know that I might buy one and conclude that it's not for me anymore - it doesn't *owe* me anything, and I don't owe it anything either.

So he's right - people will leave, because it's unavoidable. And it shouldn't matter. What matters is that the *new* Shadow World, whatever it is and whenever it goes out, is something that is built to be globally consistent, and built to outlive the people who work on it. Whether it manages to retain the old customer base or not is peripheral (people will complain anyway).


Offline 5th Knight of Xar

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 111
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2023, 02:54:32 AM »
My two cents were more of a pointing out the reality vs expectations over trying to correct his post. In the end ICE gets to decide what they do with the IP they own, all of them. Knowing ICE, they have more Shadowworld content coming, just give them the needed time to properly publish the new RMU books first.

Offline Micael

  • Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2024, 11:42:29 AM »
The problem is - and let's be very clear, it's no fault of ICE - he is probably right in some way. A neglected product line tends to bleed customers because it's in the role description: customers buy things. If there's nothing to buy, they drift to something they can buy.

And I'm not sure anyone will be able to "keep the Shadow World line pure", so to speak. Let me take a purely theoretical example: I have been playing and GMIng in Shadow World before it was called that way (I started in '86 with the World of Vog Mur and Cloudlords of Tanara). I have bought almost every SW product I could, including a number I would probably have been better off not buying because of the lack of product line direction at the time.
Would I be helpful in developing the product line in a way that would satisfy the existing customers ? In all likelihood, absolutely not. And I think the answer is the same for everyone who could be considered for the job - not because they would do a bad job, but because people have their own Shadow World canon. Terry had authority because he was the original creator and owner - people deferred to his view because he was the author: you might have a different opinion, but it's *his* work, not *yours*. Shadow World was never the 'bring your own food' kind of setting the Forgotten Realms are (and even the FR had their share of problems with line continuity).
And now, it's directionless because the authority - literally - is gone. And there's nothing ICE can do to fix that. A new line director will not have authority until they imprint their own mark on the setting, making it their own - and alienating a part of the customer base in the process. And it will be a different Shadow World - the same name, but not the same thing.

So yes, in that way, Shadow World died with Terry. What is left is the dozens of SW headcanons that diverged from it at one point or another.

Now people might think I advocate putting SW to rest and starting fresh with something else. I do not, if only because the material is there and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. But It has to be engineered, designed, built and maintained differently, and the fact that it will not be the same Shadow World as it was 'before' should be fully supported as well. I have my own preferences in how it should be managed, but that's not my responsibility nor my burden to bear. I know that any new SW product I buy will be from a new line which might or might not be compatible with what was before. I also know that I might buy one and conclude that it's not for me anymore - it doesn't *owe* me anything, and I don't owe it anything either.

So he's right - people will leave, because it's unavoidable. And it shouldn't matter. What matters is that the *new* Shadow World, whatever it is and whenever it goes out, is something that is built to be globally consistent, and built to outlive the people who work on it. Whether it manages to retain the old customer base or not is peripheral (people will complain anyway).
You are probably right - but couldn´t there be some news in the meantime like: The estate had found files from EMER IV, Dungeon of death and his Novel part II - we have fixed it and are working to publish his nealry finished products first ... but you hear nothing at all...
Thanks
Micael

Online nash

  • Seeker of Wisdom
  • **
  • Posts: 226
  • OIC Points +0/-0
    • Homepage
Re: Director's Briefing - October 2021
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2024, 11:50:20 AM »
From the Jan 2024 directors briefing:

Quote
I am very mindful of Shadow World as well, whether this is in terms of doing justice to Emer IV or to Priest-King of Shade and Night of the Third Moon. With the first two RMU core rulebooks fully published and the next two safely on their way, the future context for Shadow World is now a different one. Various options are being considered.

However a bit more detail would be nice.