Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[Terry K. Amthor]

I just realized that I guess I am the last of the original ICE founders still involved with the latest incarnation of the company. 

[egdcltd]

I just realized that I guess I am the last of the original ICE founders still involved with the latest incarnation of the company. 

I don't think many of the original people are still involved with their original companies.

[darb]

Your department has also been the most productive of the entire company.... BY FAR.  In fact, I think you are the only one to put out new, commercial product in the last couple years.... tip of the hat to the Old Guard!!!

[Tommi]

Yesterday I was googling old product numbers (didn't want to go downstairs...) ended reading Wiki about Iron Crown and its old cadre.
What surprised me was that some others (Pete, Coleman) are still working (according to Wiki) in the game industry while not in ICE. However Terry is the last mohican (at least in Finland we use this term).

[Valkrist]

I just realized that I guess I am the last of the original ICE founders still involved with the latest incarnation of the company. 

Always sad when a Fellowship breaks up, isn't it? 

I hope you are still in touch with your old pals.

So, which SW project are you moving off to once Eidolon and Gryphon Inn are finished?

[Terry K. Amthor]

I just realized that I guess I am the last of the original ICE founders still involved with the latest incarnation of the company. 

Always sad when a Fellowship breaks up, isn't it? 

I hope you are still in touch with your old pals.

So, which SW project are you moving off to once Eidolon and Gryphon Inn are finished?

Yes, actually I keep up with many of the old gang (Pete, Coleman, Olivia, Rick... other former ICErs, many artists) on FB.

I'm well along in the NE Jaiman book (looking bigger than Xa-ar, and more of a 'sourcebook'), and we have commissioned a new more detialed map.

[DragonReborn]

I've not been involved with Shadow World from the beginning (guess I wasn't ready back then ). But once I found out that ICE reincarnated and the world is expanding again I was sold. Chapeaux Terry! To me, this is was it is all about. Can't wait to see the new finished books.

[RandalThor]

I'm well along in the NE Jaiman book (looking bigger than Xa-ar, and more of a 'sourcebook'), and we have commissioned a new more detialed map.

Yay!!!! Bigger, better maps!!! Yippie!!

[Terry K. Amthor]

Totally off topic, but with so many international friends, I am curious. My internet recently has been 20MB/s down and 5MB/s up, through one of the most advanced fiberoptic systems in the US (Verizon). Lately they have been crowing about how they offer equal up/downloads so I contacted them and after some bitching, they offered me 50MB/s up AND down for less money! Wow, it pays to complain, and wow it is so fast. So what does everyone else get on their internet?

[egdcltd]

35GB/month for about £25/month (that's about $39), with a tested speed of 8Mb/s up and 1 down. It's not a good deal, but my local company has an effective monopoly.

[Jinor]

Where I live In Finland I get 100/10 Mbit/s fiber for 9,90 €/month. Unlimited use.

[Terry K. Amthor]

oh, mine is just at home, the phone is separate. I only use my phone for talking and chat and email, rarely web. I am old-fashioned.

[DragonReborn]

I opted for the slowest deal in the German outback: 29,95 EUR for 16/2,4. My connection maxes out at 6Mbit because the infrastructure can't support the full bandwith.   

The whole package is more expensive though. We integrated the contracts for local phone, two mobile contracts and internet to a whopping 80 EUR a month. But that's everything unlimited mobile and local for two people.

[Tommi]

I have home fibre (in Finland) 100M/10M for 39,95€/ month. However that includes IP-TV with some channels and 7500GB storage for TV programs. I have three kids and 4000+GB childrens programs... and about 1000 saved movies that I'll never have time to watch... Cable company removed my telephone when they replaced copper with fibre . I consider normal phone as safety backup. I seldom used it but was happy paying the bill. They tried to tell me that it is impossible to transmit phone calls over fibre... I asked if the person in customer service really believed what he was told to tell customers or did he know that he was lying.

[markc]

 From the studies I have heard about and read most developed countries have it better than the US in terms of speed and some undeveloped countries that have new installations also have great service. 
 But in general in the US, internet service speeds can differ vastly depending on region, location and wealth of such places.
MDC

[terefang]

From the studies I have heard about and read most developed countries have it better than the US in terms of speed and some undeveloped countries that have new installations also have great service. 
 But in general in the US, internet service speeds can differ vastly depending on region, location and wealth of such places.
MDC

Even here in Austria (Europe) it depends vastly on your location.

As a Teen, i used to live in southern Vienna with bad internet connectivity first Dialup later DSL but never cable/fibre.
Later i used to live in northern Vienna with good to to superb internet connectivity (+phone +mobile) Cable/Fibre (8-100Mbit 10-50Euro, Flat Rate).
Now i'm living just 2km from my old appartment (just outside of Vienna) and have a choice between DSL (30Euro, 8/1Mbit, flat) and 3G (15Euro, 64k-20Mbit, flat).

i bug the providers once a month for their latest advertised premium packages, but none of them seam to become available right at my new home.

Curiously, i'm working for a tech company that has decent 10G all over core Europe ...

[zyax1]

Sweden: 80MBit both up and down, and this cost around 30-40 EUR a month with IP-tele included. Its fiber and I can probably get more speed for more money but as is now I am OK with 80MBit...

[damage]

New Zealand: about $65 USD for unlimited VDSL, 10M/50M.

 - David.

[kmanktelow]

UK it's also variable speed and Quality - Currently using Cable with 152M download with around 10M upload. £41 a month. Evenings, speed can be quite variable - often more dependant on Traffic at websites than anything else. Rest of the time it is pretty fast - provider is already looking at 200M download speeds...

But, I know people who quite happily plod along with 5M download speed for less than a fiver a month.

All the best,

Kevin,

[Terry K. Amthor]

Wow, been awhile since I've made an update! Unfortunately, I have nothing concrete to share. Gryphonburgh continues to inch, tortoise-like, towards completion, awaiting 2 pieces of art.  The major revision of Eidolon is also inching towards the finish line, with over 30,000 words of new text, some new art, 10 new adventures, many new interesting NPCs (who the PCs might actually meet!), and more. While sadly another printing of the 20 x28 poster map of the city is not practical, back when I had access to a large-format scanner, I scanned my copy of the city map and stitched it in PS to one large PDF, that is high-enough quality to be printed (most local printers and Fedex Office places can even do this now). I also windowed the map in sections in the (full-color) book at a couple of different scales, so it is easily at your fingertips.

And now back to Eidolon Adventures. A plague, murders, stolen artifacts, conspiracies, drugs, stolen plans...