For those of you unaware, Goblinoid Games entered its "terrible twos" in October of 2008. So what is in store for 2009, as GG becomes 3 years old?
Looking back it's been an interesting ride so far. I started Goblinoid Games initially to support OSRIC. Then I got some other crazy ideas to add on to this. My first tentative stab at writing a retro-clone game was GORE. I've sort of let that lie fallow for a long time, but at some point I want to clean up the presentation. Then of course I wrote Labyrinth Lord, which is starting to pick up a little steam, then my good friend Ryan Denison and I put together Mutant Future. I think MF is also picking up steam, but it will get a major kick start when it reaches distribution. Which brings me to the goals of 2009.
1) Get Mutant Future into distribution. I'm still thinking about how to approach this, but tentatively I think I'll release a limited edition hard cover of MF some time this summer, to help generate funds for a print run of MF to send for distribution. This limited MF book will be different than what I did with LL, though. I think I'll commission a new cover illustration just for this book, to make it truly unique. I'm not sure what the illustration will be just yet but I want it to be full of hardcore mutant ass-kicking goodness. It will likely be a full page size, and maybe even a wrap around cover. It will probably go the Lulu route because a) their hardcovers are good quality and b) this means I don't have to buy a print run ahead of time, in case there is not much interest in this book. The sales would likely be limited to about 75 copies at $50 bucks apiece. Anyway, more on that in the coming months.
2) Release more LL and MF material. I'm going to be under time constraints this year (and into the first half of 2010) because I'll be doing my analysis/writing up of my dissertation. None-the-less there are a few projects I want to get out the door.
The first is a campaign supplement I've been plugging away slowly at for...damn...a year now. More on it later, but it will be cross-compatible with OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord, and Swords & Wizardry. For this one I'm still debating whether it will be print only or also in PDF. I've noticed some of my products appearing on torrent download sites, which is frustrating because I make so little off this stuff anyway. But there is no way to stop it.
Other things that will see light in 2009 will be an Advanced Edition Characters supplement for LL, that will allow LL to be played more like "advanced" fantasy games. This will be similar to the already available Original Edition Characters, in that it will be a complete player's guide. I also have the beginnings of an MF adventure I'd like to get out.
Finally, I have been toying around with the idea of a project for which I would solicit submissions. It would be a book that is basically a collection of briefly described campaign worlds, inspired by the way the deadworld book from Eden Studies was handled (I wrote a world that was included in that, in case anyone is curious). I'm tentatively thinking submissions would be around 5,000 words, and could be worlds for Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, or a combination of the two. Please do not send me emails yet asking about this! I still need to think about it.
Of course, small things may come up here and there, and I do plan to continue with support for the Scribe of Orcus.
7 comments:
Sounds exciting! And I'd definitely be interested in submitting a Labyrinth Lord world or two, eg my primary LL campaign world and a firmed-up version of the 'Ruins of Ancient Earth' setting sketch I posted on the GG LL forum.
There are a lot of fantasy adventures around that make good LL adventures, but a severe dearth of published MF-compatible adventures, IMO. I'd love to see a book of short MF adventures, that would be something I'd pay for an e-download of, which I rarely do (though of course I bought print copies of LL & MF).
I'm not sure it's a good idea to do the Distribution Drive via Lulu. That way nobody from Europe, Canada or Australia will be able to buy books!
... And I think the German version of Lab Lord (which is 95% finished) should be mentioned as well.
I wouldn't worry about the torrents. At this point, illegal downloading is more of a marketing tool and a rough meter of how popular your product as is than any real loss of revenue. I don't think anybody who is stealing your work would have bought it if they couldn't steal it.
More Mutant Future stuff!
BTW it might be better to do small-area 'Points of Light' style setting sketches, rather than complete worlds. That way they can be dropped into ongoing campaigns. The sample wilderness maps in LL & MF are the sort of thing I mean; MF ones can be tied to the real world, eg I have one for southern California and a New York area PoL.
... And I think the German version of Lab Lord (which is 95% finished) should be mentioned as well.
Yes of course! Sorry about that. It was on my mind but didn't get mentioned for some reason.
I'm not sure it's a good idea to do the Distribution Drive via Lulu. That way nobody from Europe, Canada or Australia will be able to buy books!
The problem is that the only option I'd have is to buy books ahead of time to ship myself. Maybe a better way, when the time comes, would be to take international orders directly, order a bunch to my own address, then ship them myself. We'll handle these issues when the time comes.
Sounds like great stuff on the horizon. And I agree with S'mon that a numbered hexmap done like Points of Light would be great for MF.
I really dig both products (LL and MF) and I agree that I'd love to see some MF modules.
S'mon's wish of a collection of short MF adventures sounds great too.
It's (obviously) easy to use the multitude of old B/E D&D modules that are around for LL, but nothing really plug&play for MF (without conversion, that is).
Anyway, keep up the GREAT work. Your products are very, very cool, and help keep the old-school kickin'!
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