Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[egdcltd]

Well, remember that those spiral bound books were run on a laser printer by me back in the 90's (Haalkitaine was in 1998, 16 years ago.) And sometimes the shrink-wrap could actually damage it if exposed to heat and sunlight.

Yes, modern PoD quality is really excellent when compared to older actual print runs.

Oh, and about Loremaster Legacy (remember the novel?), there was some interest in a PoD hardcopy. I have it mostly done, if there is still interest; in any case I have formatted it in InDesign, which should make for a better layout. And the next book has a bit of a different flavor, with groups splitting off across Jaiman...

I was actually just thinking about that last night, partly because I was looking at Amazon's CreateSpace site.

[Terry K. Amthor]

The old covers in particular were run on a laser printer, using a heat-fusing toner, so we could not do perfect binding because it would melt. The interiors were basically run on a high-speed digital copy machine.

So, of course when you buy a new PoD book, you are getting a much more stable book.

I am still not sure exactly how the PoD process works, but their covers especially are gorgeous, with such brilliant color, and an nice protective UV coating. The color interiors seem to be some kind of high-end inkjet, but again, I am speculating. In any case, it is unquestionably more stable than what I was printing 15-20 years ago. Print technology has leapt forward with inks and papers.

[Valkrist]

Thanks for the update on Haalkitaine, Terry. As long as it is still in the pipe, I don't mind waiting a few more months. It sure beats paying $120 for that old copy, even if it is listed at Near Mint condition. 

[Terry K. Amthor]

Thanks for the update on Haalkitaine, Terry. As long as it is still in the pipe, I don't mind waiting a few more months. It sure beats paying $120 for that old copy, even if it is listed at Near Mint condition. 

Holy crap! $120! No, please don't. I am unclear about why GCP does not offer the old versions as PDFs, but they are pretty crude, if better than scanned. And of course the ones I am working on will have lots of new material. So I guess I just beg your patience.

[egdcltd]

I think GCP discontinued selling any PDFs that are being upgraded, so that people only get the new version, not the old. And $120 is actually on the low side. It's listed on Amazon UK at £400+ for a used and £540+ for new. Maybe I'd better get mine sealed up and preserved! I still have the PDF.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

We don't offer the old versions of Haalkitaine etc as pdfs so as not to distract people from the new enhanced versions. (*cracks whip*)

Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn will be softcover only. It should be big enough for a sound perfectbound softcover. I think technically it might be possible to have a hardcover - I would need to check the specs - but it would not be a happy hardcover binding - just a bit too small.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[egdcltd]

Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn will be softcover only. It should be big enough for a sound perfectbound softcover. I think technically it might be possible to have a hardcover - I would need to check the specs - but it would not be a happy hardcover binding - just a bit too small.

Yes, I'd agree with it being a bit small. I just got Cloudlords in hardcover, and I don't think anything much thinner would really look any good.

[Terry K. Amthor]

We don't offer the old versions of Haalkitaine etc as pdfs so as not to distract people from the new enhanced versions. (*cracks whip*)

Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn will be softcover only. It should be big enough for a sound perfectbound softcover. I think technically it might be possible to have a hardcover - I would need to check the specs - but it would not be a happy hardcover binding - just a bit too small.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

Thank you Nicholas for that clarification! Thank, you master! Smeagol will obey master! Smeagol loves his keyboard! Preciousssss Adobe Illustrator Maps, oh, preciousss InDesign Tablessss! Yesss. Mouses, yes, move the mousessss....   

(a certain writer has had a lot of coffee... and another 2000 words of Wuliris in the last 6 hours, and truth be told has the most patient editor you could ask for. But maybe TKA should go back down the list and just get something done!!!)

[Terry K. Amthor]

Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn will be softcover only. It should be big enough for a sound perfectbound softcover. I think technically it might be possible to have a hardcover - I would need to check the specs - but it would not be a happy hardcover binding - just a bit too small.

Yes, I'd agree with it being a bit small. I just got Cloudlords in hardcover, and I don't think anything much thinner would really look any good.

Far be it for me to criticize people who like hardcovers, though they just seem less practical for me. I actually had the spines cut off all my old RM books back when I worked at a printer and had them spiral bound so they would lie flat.

But someone did ask abut detachable maps. It would be easy to add copies of maps at the end of the POD book with blank backs, and the owner could slice them out, but it would add to the cost. Would you want us to do that?

[egdcltd]

I bought the hardcover because it was on offer at the same price as the softcover, really. It's nice, though.

[Terry K. Amthor]

On a totally unrelated front, I have been rather interested in the upcoming vote. I am Scot/Welsh on my mother's side (Clan Maxwell) and English/German on my father's side (Amthor is German). I respect the reasons for Scotland wanting to leave, considering recent politics, and while I don't understand the nuances, I would be sad if they left the kingdom. There was actually a funny story recently where a commentator said, maybe the US should offer to join. Hah! If we were a commonwealth nation then the Queen could dissolve the worthless Congress! Could she appoint Harry as Duke of America? It' can't be worse than what is going on now over here.

But I digress. Believe it or not, friends in the UK, some of us over here in the US do know the difference between England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and the commonwealth realms.

[Tommi]

I think GCP discontinued selling any PDFs that are being upgraded, so that people only get the new version, not the old. And $120 is actually on the low side. It's listed on Amazon UK at £400+ for a used and £540+ for new. Maybe I'd better get mine sealed up and preserved! I still have the PDF.

I have spare copies of Emer I, Emer II and Halkiitaine unused in original plastic wrap. Hmmmm.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Wow, I have a few copies of Emer II (well, damaged through moving). I am a mazed at these prices. Maybe I should sell off those last few ME modules.

[RandalThor]

But someone did ask abut detachable maps. It would be easy to add copies of maps at the end of the POD book with blank backs, and the owner could slice them out, but it would add to the cost. Would you want us to do that?

Personally I don't need them detatchable, but printable. So no watermarks, please. (Lets keep that down to a minimum with the rest of the document too, OK?)

[egdcltd]

Wow, I have a few copies of Emer II (well, damaged through moving). I am a mazed at these prices. Maybe I should sell off those last few ME modules.

I have Raiders of Cardolan, Woses of the Black Wood, Pirates of Pelargir and Tales of the Loremasters all in the original shrink wrap. If I remember correctly, I bought them from a shop that was closing down back in the 90s, then never opened them for some reason. Now, I don't want to. I think the Eidolon Studio stuff is probably more collectable, though. I still have all my old stuff, too, mostly AD&D, AD&D 2nd Ed and D&D, but other stuff that struck my fancy at the time. Then, I bought a house, and didn't have as much spare cash.

[Terry K. Amthor]

But someone did ask abut detachable maps. It would be easy to add copies of maps at the end of the POD book with blank backs, and the owner could slice them out, but it would add to the cost. Would you want us to do that?

Personally I don't need them detatchable, but printable. So no watermarks, please. (Lets keep that down to a minimum with the rest of the document too, OK?)

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean by watermarks... as in type overlaid on a comp photo? There should not be any sort of watermark on any PDF purchased from GCP/ICE. If you bought a PDF you should be able to print it.

[Valkrist]

I was the one that asked about detachable maps because I only buy the hard copies and I think it is a very useful perk to be able to hand your players a map, like a region or a town.

[RandalThor]

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean by watermarks... as in type overlaid on a comp photo? There should not be any sort of watermark on any PDF purchased from GCP/ICE. If you bought a PDF you should be able to print it.

I haven't seen it in any ICE/GCP (thats how I think of the company, with ICE first ;-) products but I just want to throw it out there because I have seen others do it and it makes it impossible to read sometimes. I love me some artistry, just don't loose out on the functionality. And yes, text over pictures or a fancy background is what I am talking about. Just make sure that all the text is clearly readable and OCR'd please. If it is highlightable and copy-able I can more easily put together player packets by copying and editing instead of typing it all out. (I put together a 20-page Gnomes of Greyhawk for my most recent AD&D game, along with similar packets for the other races. Being able to copy and paste the text directly into a word document really, really, really helps out. Of course, there were pictures (not over text!) so it wasn't 20-pages of wall-to-wall text.)

[Terry K. Amthor]

I was the one that asked about detachable maps because I only buy the hard copies and I think it is a very useful perk to be able to hand your players a map, like a region or a town.

I agree; that's why I designed that special PDF of printable GM handouts for the Xa-ar module. However, I never got much feedback on it, so wasn't sure if it was worth doing for books since.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean by watermarks... as in type overlaid on a comp photo? There should not be any sort of watermark on any PDF purchased from GCP/ICE. If you bought a PDF you should be able to print it.

I haven't seen it in any ICE/GCP (thats how I think of the company, with ICE first ;-) products but I just want to throw it out there because I have seen others do it and it makes it impossible to read sometimes. I love me some artistry, just don't loose out on the functionality. And yes, text over pictures or a fancy background is what I am talking about.

Ahh, I realize what you mean now. When you said 'watermark' I immediately thought of some kind of copy-protection stamp like photo service use, but you also mean when there is faded artwork behind type. I did use that effect on some of the intro text of Emer III, but I wouldn't put it behind smaller type, or as a backround on every page. You won't see the same clunky artwork taking up a lot of space along the side of every page or repeating on the background on SW books as long as I am doing them...