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Illuminated Site of the Week
February 28, 2009: Giving Up A Saturday For A Good Cause
In this case, playtesting with some MIBs who came to Austin on the 21st from around the state. We also got to play with Ross Jepson, in town at the tail end of his New York Toy Fair trip.
We showed off Revolution, which was a hit. We showed off Frag Gold Edition to some Frag fans who were suitably impressed. We got some more work done on Evil Ted, which is approaching the right balance of fun and difficulty. And we played a couple of things we can't tell you about yet, including a new Munchkin supplement that I think is going to be a hit . . once we smooth out a couple of problems that are making it not work right now.
Most of the guests in attendance hadn't seen the new office, so we also got to show off our spiffy building. Many nice things were said -- thanks, guys!
Creating games is fun work, but it's still work. It's nice from time to time to set the work aside and just play. We'll be doing this again!
-- Andrew Hackard
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Unlaw(s)ful Entry
Okay, okay, enough about Robin Laws. How about Dying Earth? Yes, that's still Pelgrane, but shush, we're segueing here. So what's Dying Earth got? A classic (genre-defining, even!) fantasy setting, a solid system, and best of all . . . a sale. All Dying Earth products are currently 50% off. And they'll stay that way until April 1st. (. . . No, seriously. The sale does end on April Fool's Day.) After that, you'll be out of luck. No, not because the sale will be over, but because Dying Earth will no longer be available through e23. So hurry! You only have . . . um, the month of March. Act now! (. . . ish.)
February 27, 2009: Illuminated Site of the Week: Podcast People
What started as a series of articles looks to have become a podcast about conspiracies and skepticism. Karl Mamer, The Conspiracy Skeptic, invites folks from his growing list of skeptics to expound on what the blazes is going on. The first mystery: Why are the shows and articles listed oldest to newest? The roots go deeper than anyone suspected.
-- Suggested by Anders Starmark
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Speaking Of Laws . . .
(Or "typing of Laws," really, but let's not get into semantics.) Yesterday we mentioned an RPG written by one Robin D. Laws. Well, it just so happens that e23 recently got its e-hands on The Esoterrorists, too. Coincidence? Conspiracy? Who cares! This book is yet more GUMSHOE-related goodness for your game table. What's it about? A secret order that protects the world from literally monstrous terrorists who are plotting our eldritch ends. If you're reading this website, odds are this one is right up your Illuminated alley.
Science fiction author Philip José Farmer died yesterday morning at his home in Peoria, Illinois. He was 91.
He was perhaps best known for the Riverworld series, which we had the privilege of adapting for a GURPS supplement back in 1989. Farmer was a lot of fun to work with. He recognized gaming as a storytelling medium, and liked the idea that thousands of GMs would be setting their own stories in the Riverworld. The backstory of the series involves a technologically mediated "afterlife" for everyone who ever lived (including, of course, all the readers). I remember that he enjoyed the idea of a GM starting a campaign by telling the players "You're dead. What do you do now?" He also did us the huge compliment of making GURPS Riverworld the "series bible" for other authors writing Riverworld stories.
Outside of making a small game publisher very happy, Farmer was a very prolific writer and a great influence on the field. He was nominated for the Hugo Award seven times, and won three . . . for Most Promising New Talent (in 1953), Best Novella (1968) for "Riders of the Purple Wage," and Best Novel (1972), for To Your Scattered Bodies Go, the first Riverworld novel. He was also twice nominated for Nebula Awards, and was named a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 2001.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Lay Down The Law(s)
Mutant City Blues is two things: it's amazingly cool and it's written by Robin Laws. The latter point is an obvious reason to buy the book, but what of the former? Why is it cool? Here's the game's schtick: a few years ago, about 1 in 100 people got super powers. Your job is to be the cops that deal with these guys when they fly/super jump/phase through to the wrong side of the tracks. Oh, and you get a super-power, too. If that won't sell you on it, nothing will. (Also, please report for reconditioning.)
So much was going on in our offices last week that I missed our normal Monday announcement of the e23 releases. However, that didn't stop you from finding it all on your own, and buying in record numbers!
First was Pyramid #3/4: Magic on the Battlefield. With a title like that, you don't need much more to figure out what's between the digital covers. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Sean Punch's cabal of mages devoted to sieges, a game aid for David Pulver's Mass Combat, and an article on using Imbuements on your armor. (If you'd like more hints, there's always the preview.)
And speaking of Sean Punch, he also wrote the second release: GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles. New perks, advice for customizing spell lists, and most importantly -- magical styles! Now your wizard can have a spell casting flavor every bit as unique as your monk's Praying Mantis Kung Fu.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 is renovating! To make room for more fnords, we're [REMOVED] and [CENSORED]. While all that's going on, we're shutting down the website, because we won't be able to process orders. Or ship orders. Or, really, do much of anything! The store goes offline some time on Friday the 27th, and we should be back online and ready to go on March 10th. Awww, we'll miss you guys, too!
For years, we've wanted a way to better utilize the space we've got in the warehouse. One oft-discussed idea was a mezzanine, a free-standing structure covering our work area where we could store shipping supplies and the like.
Last December, we got our wish -- a prefabricated structure that will create over 500 square feet of extra storage. Putting it up, however, means big girders moving through the same space we normally pack orders in. So Warehouse 23 will be shutting down, temporarily, while the construction takes place.
The warehouse will be closed this Friday, February 27, through Monday, March 9, inclusive. We won't be taking orders during that period, and we won't be able to ship much of anything. We apologize for this inconvenience, but it will make our warehouse much more efficient! We'll be sure to keep everyone updated at www.warehouse23.com on our progress.
If you're longing for a GURPS book, e23 will luckily remain in service during that time period.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Of course not! That would run contrary to our rampant, out-of-control, material-obsessed consumer culture! You don't just want the Munchkin Quest Extra Parts, you need them. Gotta have them? Already own Munchkin Quest? Don't? Who cares! Buy it! Buy it! Buy buy buy! (We may want to revisit the recent decision to try "more aggressive" advertising. Needs more coercion, less psychopathy. -Ed.)
February 23, 2009: The Future Belongs To Those Who Plan
We've pointed at underground facilities before, but each required the purchaser to do some major renovation. What if you'd prefer to have something built for you, instead of getting your subterranean lair second-hand?
Now, Radius Engineering has the answer. Actually, they have a variety of answers, from a six person storm shelter to a 200-person underground condo. With a variety of air scrubber and power supply options, this Texas builder can protect you and your family from tornadoes, wildfires, or terrorist attacks.
I don't know if I should be thrilled or terrified, but I know I want one.
-- Paul Chapman
Once upon a time there was a game called Once Upon A Time. The game lived in a warehouse. Then, one day, a customer bought the game! The game was shipped (possibly along with some related and reasonably priced other games) to the customer. The customer and the game fell madly in love and would have married if not for the social mores of the time. But they did live happily ever after. The end!
One element of cyberpunk gaming (like Shadowrun) is the availability of high quality drones: little semi-autonomous robots that crawl and fly to do recon for their operators. But that's military hardware -- how does that get to the streets?
Chris Anderson has created the answer (although he was just being a hobbyist -- really!): a $25 autopilot chip. Combine with an off-the-shelf GPS, an remote control stabilization module (common in RC planes), and some open source software, and you've got a do-it-yourself Unmanned Aerial Vehicle . . . DIY UAV for the acronym obsessed. So, for around $500 and some elbow grease, you can build your own RQ-11 Raven (which the miliary paid about $25,000 for).
From the perspective of a DIY enthusiast, this is very cool. I'd love an "eye in the sky" for . . . well, I have no practical use for it, I admit. But for law enforcement . . . or avoidance . . . there are many, many uses.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Is This A Good Time To Bring Up Traveller Again?
It seems like it is. Yesterday we mentioned our own little in-house brand of sci-fi. Today is a new day. Today we shall mention Traveller. Specifically, the Mongoose-ian version that comes in those dignified black covers. Classy. Now sure, you're probably wondering if you really need yet another flavor of the grand pappy of all roleplaying sci-fi. The answer, of course, is "yes." Yes, you do.
February 21, 2009: Call For Playtesters: GURPS Gladiators
We are looking for playtesters for a new e23 supplement: GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators, written by Volker Bach and Peter V. Dell'Orto. This supplement provides extensive details on gaming with perhaps the most famous martial arts athletes in history: Roman gladiators. It covers:
- More than a dozen new styles, from the familiar net-and-trident-carrying retiarius to the exotic blind-fighting andabata!
- Templates for gladiators, their expert trainers (doctores), and their bosses, the lanista.
- Rules to determine the effects of crowd participation.
- Guidelines for running a campaign as individual gladiators, or running a whole gladiator school - and school vs. school campaigns as well!
- Exotic new weapons like the four-pointed quadrens and the bizzare scissors glove.
- And much more!
Playtesters will need access to and familiarity with GURPS Martial Arts as well as the Basic Set in general. Prospective playtesters will also need to be registered e23 customers who have spent more than $50 at e23 in the past 12 months.
Prospective playtesters please e-mail jwilson@io.com with [GLAD] (for "Gladiators") in the subject, and include your preferred e-mail address for the closed playtest mailing list message, correct spelling of your name as it may appear in print, your e23 login name, and a few words about your qualifications, experience, and current gaming group(s).
Lack of experience with GURPS and playtesting in general will not disqualify you. Newer players' impressions are very important, and we encourage first-time playtesters to apply for a reserved portion of slots available, as well as those with professional or other real-life experience with the subject matter.
-- Steven Marsh
Pah! Pointy shards of metal? What sort of weapon is that? Martial prowess may be all well and good, but you'll get a lot further in your adventuring career with a chest-mounted minigun. That's what Transhuman Space is all about, you know. Chest-mounted miniguns. In fact, that'll be the new slogan for the game. Transhuman Space: "Oh my god, does that guy have a minigun?!" (Need that minigun to shoot Fourth Edition bullets? We suggest getting Changing Times as well.)
February 20, 2009: Illuminated Site of the Week: When Is The County Going To Install Those Potholes?
Zack Anderson and his team at MIT have created a shock absorber that not only cushions a car ride, it derives power from any bumps and jolts along the way. This isn't as practical as, say, his Warcart or the automated party machine, but it did get a disproportionate amount of press from Tech Fragments.
-- Suggested by David Cunnius
Okay, so you can't afford to buy a motorcycle that doubles as a computer and can launch tiny robots that have surprisingly large guns on them. That doesn't mean your character can't. While you're certainly welcome to try and convince your GM that such a beast would be "totally feasible," we recommend shopping from Shadowrun: Arsenal instead. If it doesn't have what you want, it'll probably still have something close, and your GM will hit you with a rolled-up newspaper less often.
When we first got our Munchkin mascot suit, we took it outside and danced around a bit. And I caught it on video. Due to the limitations of my phone -- curse you, technology! -- the audio was too horrible to be used, so it's a silent movie. But he's a good dancer.
We used a better camera during our visit to Ninja Pirate. Sadly, Phil lost his firewire cable, so that video is delayed, but Charles took lots of photos.
Next, we're contemplating taking the mascot to the mall, just to see what trouble we can cause. Yes, we are going to have too much fun with this . . .
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Settlers Of Acronym-Tan
Catan. Five little letters. But what do they mean? "C" is for the "craftiness" needed to win. "A?" That's for how "awesome" the game is. The "T" is clearly for "tabletop," where the game is best played. That second "A" likely also stands for "awesome," because this game too awesome. " That just leaves "N." Does that, perhaps stand for "not on your shelf?" Well, we can probably help you rectify that little situation.
February 18, 2009: Another Look At The New York Toy Fair
It's now Tuesday afternoon and I've officially wrapped up all of my scheduled meetings and events. There's no doubt I'll have a few more unscheduled meetings (and there are a couple of booths I want to visit, including one for a company specializing in creating custom floor displays), but for the most part, the heavy lifting for this trip is over. That means Gina and I have tomorrow to enjoy the show and, if we're lucky, actually enjoy a little of the city.
What else have I seen at the show?
- The prototype for Super Rad Toys' Tootsie Pop vinyl figures. That's him on the right. How many licks? You decide.
- Another cool robot toy, Asoblock is a "build it from the bits" toy line that looks and feels great. The pieces are fairly solid and the toy feels like it could stand up to some severe play.
- The LEGO booth, but only from the outside since I didn't have the necessary contacts to get inside. Still, the new stuff on display -- especially some of the new Star Wars sets -- look as great as ever.
And not at the show, but in the city, Ross, Gina, and I visited The Compleat Strategist, a game store very close to the Empire State Building. This was exactly the sort of game store I love to visit: big, packed with old and new products, and staffed by friendly, helpful employees. I picked up a couple of older products and I'm already thinking about going back for more. Great store.
Overall this has turned out to be a great trip . . . and not just for the fun sites, toys, and people. We've had some great meetings with buyers from several different stores (the Barnes & Noble meeting was especially productive), Ross and I have worked out some ideas to review with Steve when we get back to Austin on Thursday, and I sat in on an informative seminar on child safety testing.
Now it's time for me to walk back to the show. I love this job!
-- Phil Reed
Warehouse 23 News: Tinker Bell They Ain't
Oh, they're faeries all right. Wouldn't call them that to their face, though. Wouldn't call them anything, in fact. Come to think of it, buying Ars Magica: Realms of Power - Faerie might not even be safe. Then again, "safe" and "fun" mix so rarely . . .
Gina and I reached New York on Saturday. After checking into our hotel, we wandered the streets of the city, walking from our hotel -- at 34th and 8th Avenue -- down to various toy stores in the 4th and 2nd Avenue area. We poked around in the Kidrobot store, a great little second floor shop known as Toy Tokyo, and eventually made our way to Forbidden Planet -- where we spotted pink Chibithulhus in their native environment. Hello again, Chibithulhus! After about six or seven miles of walking, and a great dinner, we worked our way back to the hotel and crashed.
Sunday was the first day of the show and was our first chance to meet with Ross Jepson. The original plan was for Ross to fly from Austin to New York with us but various airline delays resulted in Ross spending Friday night in Chicago and arriving in New York on Saturday. Our plan may have been changed, but it all worked out in the end and Ross was given great treatment by the airline so that's good enough for us.
At the show I chatted with several people at the booth. After just one day of showing off the mockup of Revolution! (the set that Alex, Will, Ben, and Richard built in the office last week -- great job, guys!), Ross is already asking me to look into increasing our order. Throughout the day, I managed to escape into the halls to explore. While visiting other booths I:
- Met Matt Doughty, the creator behind Onell Design and his awesome Glyos System toys. I first encountered these designer action figures about a month ago and since that time I've picked up several different pieces in the series. Matt's extremely friendly, loves to talk, and is going to be a great source of advice on working with Chinese factories.
- Drooled over the foam board robot kits from www.microrobotusa.com. With both humanoid robot and dinosaur robot models, these foam board toys -- complete with ball joint articulated limbs and weapons -- make the plastic styrene constructible pirate ships, space ships, and cars look like pre-school craft projects. And standing over 12-inches tall, these foam board robots would make amazing pieces in a game. If only there were a game . . .
- Chatted with the guys at Shocker Toys and got a look at their upcoming The Maxx figure. Their Shockini figures are another toy that really wishes it could be part of a game.
At the end of the day Gina and I went to dinner with Ross. We discussed product plans for 2009, including the recently-completed schedule, and spent time going over ideas for 2010. Overall it was a great first day. Now it's time for me to get ready to head out for breakfast and then back to the show for the four-hour child safety seminar which, if the buzz around the convention center can be believed, is going to be the most attended event at the show. It should be educational and, if I'm lucky, not too boring.
-- Phil Reed
When Batman hunts vampires, what does he pack in his utility belt? S.A. Fisher and Hans-Christian Vortisch took that question and ran with it -- ran a freakin' marathon. The result: GURPS Loadouts: Monster Hunters, a collection of tactical advice and gear lists handy for any adventurer dealing with creatures that just shouldn't be.
Did we mention the gear lists? Good, because that's the focus of the Loadouts series. We provide lots and lots of gear, from flashlights to armor to the ever-popular firearms, arranged in print-and-go lists for quick equipping of characters. Each list covers price, weight, damage where relevant, and a page reference to help you find more info when you need it.
GURPS Loadouts: Monster Hunters -- now you've got the flashlight to see them, the right weapons to take them down, and the chalk to draw outlines of the bodies.
-- Paul Chapman
I had the pleasure of visiting Tribe Comics & Games last week. The store opened last November and gives south Austin something it has lacked for quite a while: a decent game store. The proprietors, Eric and Roy, are old friends of SJ Games, so if you're driving around the south side and need to scratch your game or comic itch, swing by and give them a look.
-- Andrew Hackard
Unless you've been under a rock the last few month, you've heard the wails of economic doom. (And if you have been under the rock, is there room for more? Seriously, it's scary out here!) Logically, gaming is a luxury item and therefore should suffer as families tighten their belts and spend only what is needed. Historically, however, our products have sold normally despite economic downturns.
So we ask: what will you be buying, gaming-wise in 2009? Actually, we have a couple more questions than that, but you get the theme. If you don't mind sharing your planned gaming purchases, we'd love to see your responses. And if we missed asking something you'd like to share with us, feel free to start a thread in our Game Business forum!
-- Paul Chapman
In Nomine. That's Latin, y'know. And people who speak Latin are superior to people who do not. It's true. We did the math. They're 307% better. But learning Latin is hard, so rather than waste your time giving CPR to a dead language, you can just carry some In Nomine books around. Titles like Liber Reliquarum or Liber Castellorum will make you look (and subsequently, act) more successful. "More successful at what?" Um. We don't know, actually. But who cares? We used the word "successful!" Just buy the book!
February 13, 2009: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way...
Every now and then, during chats with fans, we mention that they should ask their question on the forums to get lots of opinions. Occasionally, they reply, "What forums?"
Why, these forums, of course. If you haven't checked them out, please do -- many SJ Games staff regularly read and respond to fan questions there. Sometimes, we'll even tease upcoming releases. And there are thousands of dedicated fans in thousands of discussions about everything SJ Games has ever done. Come join the conversations!
Warehouse 23 News: Enjoying This Advertisement Is Mandatory!
Friend Computer loves you. Friend Computer doesn't want to kill you. It will, of course, if you don't do what it tells you to do, but that would never happen. Only traitors disobey The Computer. Traitors and commies. And mutants. But because you're doing what you're told, you're obviously not a traitor, commie, mutant, or (worst of all) a commie mutant traitor. The Computer loves you so much, in fact, that it's giving you a choice! You can buy Paranoia, or you can march into the reactor without a suit. How thoughtful of The Computer!
The Super Munchkin mascot suit is a very serious marketing tool, worthy of much brow-furrowing on when and where it will appear for maximum effect.
For the moment, though, it's just a great big toy to play with.
We got Phil to put the entire thing on, and walk around the office (and outside!). Maneuvering will require some practice, both for Phil and whomever is helping him not bump into tables. But my biggest worry -- heat exhaustion -- is somewhat lessened by the comfortable fabric and the (very quiet) head fan.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: It's An RPG! It's A BG!
It's BSG! That's Battlestar Galactica. We've got the roleplaying version, where you join a rag-tag fleet that's fleeing Cylon-induced devastation and desperately searching for Earth. We've also got the board game version, where you find who among your friends are really, really good liars. (It's not only fun, it's also educational!)
The 2009 Report to the Stakeholders has been posted. A summary:
• It was a very good year.
• Munchkin rules.
• The shaky economy means that we'll enter 2009 with caution. But we're still going to make you a bunch of games. (After all, if everybody gets scared and quits making games, the economy will crater. Well, the part of the economy that WE care about, anyway.)
-- Steve Jackson
If there is one thing Warehouse 23 is dedicated to doing, it's taking your money in exchange for goods. Anima is a good. In fact, it's a good good. It's no good to have no goods. Or even no good goods. Good goods are as good as making good on Good Friday. So, are we good? Good.
Yes, it's a crummy picture. Under lights, with an iPhone. But this is what I spent last night doing.
Bought groceries, then decided to walk around the shopping center a bit. Aha! Circuit City has its going-out-of-business banners up. So I wandered around. Ran into Will and Casey on the same kind of recon mission, but found nothing that I wanted to buy, and then woot! there was the display of fixtures for sale. Including . . . wheeled, locking warehouse ladders. AKA "A much safer way to deal with big boxes on high shelves."
I only had to talk to four employees to find one who didn't say "No, I haven't seen that display, we're not selling the fixtures." So #4 made the sale, and I went back to the office to get the truck. At which point the phone rang. The Illuminati network is in full operation. It was Phil, who had heard from Will what was going on. So I headed back, and Phil and Gina helped me load the thing into our truck and get it tied down, and then ice cream was eaten.
The trip back to the office was slow, and I stayed on the service roads just to be sure. That ladder wasn't going anywhere, though. It was tied down so well that when you shook the ladder, the truck shook.
I wish somebody had gotten a photo when Phil drove in last week with the truck full of mezzanine stuff. Now that was a heroic drive, all the way from Amarillo. We'll post pictures when we get it built, that's for sure.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Did You Ever Know That You're My Hero?
Certainly, nobody has ever made that joke when talking about the Hero System. Certainly. We here at the warehouse pride ourselves in our originality, cleverness, and overall panache. We would never be so crass as to use an obvious joke. And we certainly would never send our legions of black-suited men out to beat up anyone who said otherwise. Certainly.
e23's latest upload is GURPS Ogre, by Jonathan Woodward (GURPS Banestorm). We all know Ogres are giant cybernetic tanks, but how do you play them as a GURPS character? Now you can find out, with the Third Edition supplement that gives you all the info you need to roleplay in the Last War, as a cybertank or a battlesuited trooper, a tanker or a spy.
Of course, if your roleplaying session leads to a major military battle, all the rules you need for that are in Ogre Miniatures. From personal conflicts to clashes of major armored forces, e23 has the Last War covered.
-- Paul Chapman
Well kids, according to the Big Clock on the Wall of Things That Happen At Certain Intervals (or, colloquially, "That Big, Dumb Clock"), it's time for us to remind you about Traveller. Yes, yes, we know you've probably heard about the adventure gaming industry's most venerable and celebrated science fiction setting ever. But ours is not to question the all-mighty power of The Clock. Those who question The Clock and its unfathomable wisdom will know a righteous reciprocation the likes of which are too horrible to commit to the writen word. Suffice it to say, The Clock is much bigger than you are.
February 8, 2009: Illuminated Site of the Week: You Thought Magnetic Tape Was Slow
Michael Wright, a former curator at the Science Museum in London and now at Imperial College, has built a replica of the Antikythera mechanism. (Remember it? We mentioned it in the January 5th, 2007 Site of the Week about two years ago. Do not be alarmed.) And he cranked it up and turned it on. And it works. No word yet on when we can expect it to achieve sentience and subvert mankind. But it's coming. Wired has the story.
-- Suggested by legere
Warehouse 23 News: What We'd Appreciate
We'd really appreciate it if you'd come to our store and buy some World of Darkness stuff. No sales pitch, this time. We'd just really like to sell some things. We've noticed that these particular things are particularly nice. Will you partake of our particulars?
February 7, 2009: Extraordinary Extravagance For Munchkin Quest!
Want to use both sides of every room tile in every Munchkin Quest game? Did your cat eat all the locked doors? Did a soda spill take out the Mead Hall? Did all the tiny monsters crawl under the couch? You need Extra Parts!
Munchkin Quest Extra Parts contains all the die-cut pieces from the game. You get every tile (including the Entrance!), door, monster standie, and token -- everything from hearts and feet to gold and dropped item markers -- as well as the level counters, all packaged in a resealable plastic bag. Rules are included for using the extra parts, including changing the extra Entrance into the Exit!
Whether you're looking for replacements, or just want to build an insanely large dungeon, Munchkin Quest Extra Parts has what you need. This set is exclusively available from Warehouse 23.
We have limited quantities, so order now!
We finally did it. We turned the iconic Super Munchkin into a 7' tall foam mascot. Phil's just wearing the head here. When the whole thing is together, it'll have weapons, shoes, shoulder spikes -- the complete package. It's going to be awesome!
Next week we'll be testing out the suit's maneuverability, and how fast Phil passes out from heat exhaustion. Yes, we'll take more pictures, and perhaps even video, if you're lucky (and Phil isn't).
The Plan is to send our mascot to various shows this summer, and wander around like a demented fairy godmother, granting random bonuses to whomever we feel like. We'll have the suit at GenCon and PAX at a minimum, but we want to give as many people as possible an opportunity to get their photo taken with a bigger-than-life Munchkin.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: The Greatest . . . Whatever
Y'know what the greatest thing ever is? Fudge! It is, without a doubt, the greatest thing . . . okay, wait a second. We know we've done this before. Some of the Temporal Glue we used for the Christmas party must have leaked out of a container in the warehouse. We'll get back to you just as soon as we scare up a hazmat suit, an intern, and the necessary legal paperwork to convince the intern that the hazmat suit is enough protection.
It's been two and a half months since we announced that our Twitter account was live and running. (A few investigative souls found us a week or so before then, showing the can-do investigative spirit that makes globe-conquering conspiracies proud. Or nervous.)
And in that 70+ days, we've made over 250 tweets, and we have over 1,000 followers. We consider that a success! Hopefully our faithful followers have been amused by the peeks at our behind-the-scenes antics (we're quite weird), inspired by the gaming ideas and hooks, and rewarded with tidbits of information so secret, we dare not even discuss them here!
If you're a Twitter fan and not privy to the inside scoop, check us out and see what all the fnord is about.
Warehouse 23 News: The Greatest Deja Vu Ever
Y'know what the greatest thing ever is? Shadowrun! It is, without a doubt, the greatest thing ever. Your life, the one you're living right now, the . . . Greatest-Thing-Ever-Less thing you call existence? It's meaningless without this thing. So go buy this thing today, before Fate notices . . . say, haven't we done this before?
This post, like my last one, offers a few teasers about upcoming GURPS titles that I've already leaked in my blog. Nothing here is a promise, but everything is truly in progress – this isn't a "blue sky" list or wishful thinking. Today's installment is about PDFs. If Fate cooperates, then 2009 should see us upload:
- Pyramid, every month (duh!). Each themed issue, featuring your favorite SJ Games writers, will be like a mini-genre book on a genre or a subgenre that might otherwise slip between the cracks.
- GURPS Loadouts: Monster Hunters. GURPS High-Tech support from that book's authors, S.A. Fisher and Hans-Christian Vortisch. All the tools you need to hunt down vampires, werewolves, and Elder Things.
- GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles. GURPS Thaumatology support, by Yours Truly. Brings the idea of styles, introduced in GURPS Martial Arts, into the realm of wizardry.
- GURPS Hot Spots: Renaissance Florence. The first item of the GURPS Hot Spots series. By Matt Riggsby, who wrote about the cities of Renaissance Italy in Pyramid.
- GURPS Psionic Powers. Jason Levine treats psi powers with the loving detail of GURPS Psionics but using the game mechanics of GURPS Powers.
- GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators. GURPS Martial Arts support from my coauthor on that book, Peter V. Dell'Orto, and Pyramid historian Volker Bach.
- GURPS Spaceships 3, 4, and 5. Further installments in the GURPS Spaceships series, by David Pulver.
- GURPS Gun Fu. More GURPS High-Tech support from S.A. Fisher and Hans-Christian Vortisch, with an assist from Yours Truly on game mechanics. Cinematic martial arts for gunmen!
- One more GURPS Locations item. You might recall that we kicked off this series last year with GURPS Locations: The Tower of Octavius, by Matt Riggsby. We plan to continue it in 2009.
- At least one more GURPS Dungeon Fantasy volume – and probably two, maybe even more.
- More Transhuman Space support, at least some of it from new line editor but old hand Phil Masters.
- At least one GURPS adventure.
- At least two more free GURPS promo items.
- A PDF of anything we release as a hardback in 2009.
Among other things.
– Sean Punch
Warehouse 23 News: The Greatest Thing Ever
Y'know what the greatest thing ever is? Savage Worlds! It is, without a doubt, the greatest thing ever. Your life, the one you're living right now, the . . . Greatest-Thing-Ever-Less thing you call existence? It's meaningless without this thing. So go buy this thing today, before Fate notices how miserable and pointless your existence is and, in a bizarre sort of pity, wipes you from this mortal coil.
e23 unloaded both barrels last week, delivering a freebie and a classic to its digital shelves.
GURPS Martial Arts Techniques Cheat-Sheet collects all the techniques from GURPS Martial Arts into one handy reference file. And best of all, it's free. If your character, or your campaign, focuses on kung fu, swashbuckling, or just putting the hurt on the baddies via hand to face, this PDF will keep the kicks flying.
And speaking of "kicks," the song says you'll get yours on Route 66. But to get there you'll need a vehicle. And for classic vehicle building, you need GURPS Classic: Vehicles. It's 211 pages of highly detailed gear head crunchiness. When you need to know exactly how many horsepower your jet ski has, accept no substitute!
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: This One Goes Up To 11 . . . Through 20!
If Munchkin has anything, it's numbers. Numbers that go up, numbers that go down, numbers flying willy-nilly from every orifice. The Munchkin Level Counter is small, made of metal, and frees up your head space for dubious plotting.
Since I'm in Austin planning things, I thought it might be fun to share what's coming up for GURPS. Obviously, I can't give away secrets or talk about items without contracts, but I can collect all the stuff that I've already leaked on my blog into a couple of convenient lists. Today's installment is about hardbacks. The next one (cunningly titled "Planned GURPS Releases, Part II") will cover e23 items. From what we project will be soonest to latest (barring all the usual things that can delay and scramble a book):
The Vorkosigan Saga Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game. This book, by Genevieve Cogman, will cover Lois McMaster Bujold's award-winning chronicles of science-fiction hero Miles Vorkosigan. Our intent is for this to be useful as a standalone game. To this end, we've included a version of GURPS Lite that's been adapted to the setting by Phil Masters, and a cut-down, setting-specific version of David Pulver's GURPS Spaceships, which Thomas Weigel and I developed. Steve and I spent a lot of time tweaking this one to get it just right, but now that's done. In fact, everything is more-or-less done, so it's hard to imagine it getting derailed. Look for it soon!
GURPS Low-Tech. This will be the GURPS Fourth Edition version of the GURPS Third Edition classic. William H. Stoddard is reprising his role as compiler and one of the book's authors and editors. Other contributors are Peter V. Dell'Orto of GURPS Martial Arts fame, covering weapons; Dan Howard, known for his Pyramid articles on armor, writing about ("Drum roll, please!") armor; and Matt Riggsby, another Pyramid stalwart, splitting Everything Else duties with Bill. I'd call that an all-star line-up. We're expecting the first draft before the end of the first quarter of 2009. It's conceivable that the hardback will squeak into the end of the year, although that's not a promise and 2010 is just as likely.
GURPS Horror. This will be another GURPS Fourth Edition update of another GURPS Third Edition classic. Kenneth Hite is returning as reviser. Do I really need to say anything else? (Seriously, Ken is The Man for this project.) We hope to see a first draft of this one in the first quarter of the year, too. Here again, Luck might favor us with a hardback in 2009 but Fate might force it into 2010, and it's far too soon to tell which.
– Sean Punch
Warehouse 23 News: Cards And Dice And Everything Nice
Gamers love dice. Munchkin gamers love their dice. So when we tell you that every box of Munchkin Dice has six gorgeous 10-siders numbered 1 through Munchkin head, what more do you need to know? Oh, wait, they also have over a dozen Munchkin cards that you can't get in any other set. How could a true munchkin resist?
We here at Munchkin HQ recognize that much of the fun of the game, for some people, comes from friendly arguments over the rules. We support this!
However, in an effort to make sure that these arguments remain friendly, and to keep you from arguing about places where we may have, um, actually screwed up, we'd like to call your attention to some resources that all true munchkins should make a point of checking frequently.
The Munchkin FAQ has answers to questions that we've been asked -- frequently -- at conventions, by e-mail, and occasionally by people accosting us at bus stops. We haven't yet gotten Munchkin questions by singing telegram, but it wouldn't surprise us. (Nothing surprises us anymore where Munchkin is concerned.) We know the FAQ is overdue for an update; we're working on it.
Sometimes, rules aren't just unclear, they're actually wrong. When that happens, we post corrections on the Munchkin Errata pages. These aren't just our interpretations; these are actual corrections for actual mistakes. Whoops. At least we admit it!
Of course, the forums have ongoing discussions of Munchkin and Munchkin Quest, and rule questions often get thrashed out there before they make it to the FAQ or errata pages. The Munchkin Adventurers' Guild e-mail list also talks about rule interpretations.
We encourage all Munchkin devotees to bookmark these pages and check back regularly. You may want to print out the appropriate corrections and throw them in the box. If you ever play in a Munchkin Tournament, all of these changes and interpretations are considered official, so you'd do well to know them in advance!
-- Andrew Hackard
Warehouse 23 News: Reality Bites; So Do Co-Workers
Just about everyone has worked a menial job at some point in life. A job where the simplest of tasks get met with blank stares. A job where it seemed like there was only one brain to pass around among the various employees. A job where everyone working has an insatiable hunger for human flesh. For everyone who's ever worked such a job, may we humbly suggest a card game: Give Me the Brain! - Special Edition.
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