Reality Storm: When Worlds Collide

[Monolith]

Sounds like a great thing to me! I am looking forward to buying this product, especially to get the conversion system. And anyone who knows me, knows how much I like modules. My poor old brain just cannot think up ideas as quickly as it did when I was an Incompetent Normal. :)

A big "Great Job" to both companies for making this possible for us all.

[BishopofB&W]

That's what happens when you have a radiation accident and you just have to have that extra DC on your attack.:)

[Lord Liaden]

I'm really hoping that this will be the first breeze of a new wind blowing through the rpg industry: joint ventures by different companies, showcasing each others' characters and worlds, and helping people convert between systems. I'm sure that some people will complain that it will increase competition for the limited gamers' budget, but my suspicion is that it will broaden the horizons of people who have narrowly focussed their interest, get them to try different things, and ultimately encourage more people to take up the hobby. Which would mean more money for the game publishers, enabling them to publish more neat stuff for us to buy, etc. etc. :cool:

[buzz]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden I'm really hoping that this will be the first breeze of a new wind blowing through the rpg industry: joint ventures by different companies, showcasing each others' characters and worlds, and helping people convert between systems.

100% in agreement here, LL. I was hoping that HERO and GoO were going to do something like this. All we need to do now is get M&M in on the act. ;)

[Bartman]

I'm just wondering... Which company is going to be the primary on this? Who is going to be deciding style, formating, etc?

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Bartman
I'm just wondering... Which company is going to be the primary on this? Who is going to be deciding style, formating, etc?
DOJ is doing the writing and GOO is doing the layout/production.

[Darren Watts]

Originally posted by Bartman
I'm just wondering... Which company is going to be the primary on this? Who is going to be deciding style, formating, etc?

Well, it's a joint project, so we'll both be involved in the decision-making process. Frex, I've already written the first draft of the translation matrix, sent the sample characters over to the GoO gang to approval, and am currently working on integrating the notes they sent back. Jeff will be working the same way on the art and layout, handling the bulk of the work while we kibitz over his shoulder. Artists will be selected from both of our "bullpens," and since we already share a few freelancers you can expect a few familiar names to turn up. The final product will be printed by one of our printers, and we'll handle the sales and invoicing. dw

[Bartman]

Sounds great. I have to say though, I would have prefered for the layout to match the rest of my Hero library.

[Peregrine]

Let me see...

Reality Storm: When Worlds Collide will have Tri-Stat to HERO conversion rules. Silver Age Sentinels d20 edition has d20 to Tri-Stat conversion rules. Could it thus be possible to convert d20 through Tri-Stat to HERO?

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Peregrine
Could it thus be possible to convert d20 through Tri-Stat to HERO?
It is possible, but you are losing something at every step. d20 to Tri-Stat is taking a 6 characteristic system and converting it to a 3 characteristic system, and then converting a 3 characteristic system to a 14 characteristic system. I would definately think you would lose some of the nuances after doing all that. :)

[Lord Mhoram]

Originally posted by Darren Watts
Artists will be selected from both of our "bullpens," and since we already share a few freelancers you can expect a few familiar names to turn up.

What I think would be really cool: have the "GoO artists" do all the Hero character illustrations, and have all the "Hero aritsts" do all the GoO character illustrations. :-)

[GestaltBennie]

Originally posted by Lord Mhoram
What I think would be really cool: have the "GoO artists" do all the Hero character illustrations, and have all the "Hero aritsts" do all the GoO character illustrations. :-)

More work for Storn all around! :-)

Scott Bennie

[Bartman]

Originally posted by GestaltBennie
More work for Storn all around! :-)
Indeed. Not to denigrate any of the other Hero artists, but Storn is doing some fantastic work right now.

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by Monolith
It is possible, but you are losing something at every step. d20 to Tri-Stat is taking a 6 characteristic system and converting it to a 3 characteristic system, and then converting a 3 characteristic system to a 14 characteristic system. I would definately think you would lose some of the nuances after doing all that. :)

Well, HERO is arguably 8+6, rather than 14 (distinguishing between primary and figured, as both d20 and Tri-Stat are 'primary-only' and lack the equivalent of HERO's figured characteristics), but your point remains valid. Still, I'd love to see a d20-to-HERO conversion based off of the SRD (though it would probably be at least two conversion systems, one from D&D and one from D20 modern, given the differences between the two).

[ShinDangaioh]

Actually Tri-Stat has two figured stats. EP and HP.

EP is equivalent to END
HP is Body

Champions Strength would probably be based off of the Superstrength attribute in SAS. Yes, you can have a guy with a wimpy 2 body using Superstrength to pick up and throw a battleship. Begining Spider-Man is a classic example of the discrepancy between Body and Superstrength(98 lb weakling with superpowers)


I would have liked to see Mutants & Masterminds in on the project as well. Blood of Heroes would have been nice also, but they have an unfortunate setting.

[Tom McCarthy]

And, for those who love the 'love it or hate it' WildStorm Universe, it will be coming out in Tri-Stat D10, too.

I'm really impressed that DOJ and GOO have managed to keep alive such a friendly co-operative relationship when all the 'traditional' thinking would mark them as competitors.

I assume the only reason DOJ and Green Ronin or GOO and Green Ronin aren't doing similar things is because everyone's too busy to do it today, or they don't yet have the face to face relationship that DOJ and GOO presumably struck up along the way at cons or amongst common pools of freelancers. (Though personally, I think Tri-Stat and Hero are closer conceptually and easier to convert than M&M).

[Lord Liaden]

Originally posted by Tom McCarthy
I'm really impressed that DOJ and GOO have managed to keep alive such a friendly co-operative relationship when all the 'traditional' thinking would mark them as competitors.

Steve Long has expressed his philosophy on friendly competition on more than one occasion: The more good games that are out there, the more people who will become interested in gaming, which is good for the industry as a whole. It does seem to be untraditional thinking, but I find it very refreshing (and I hope other game publishers are paying attention).

[Steve Long]

I don't believe it's necessary untraditional thinking. I expect a lot of game designers, at least today, would agree with it. But they haven't necessarily done anything to exploit the idea. We'll see if RS:WWC works as a li'l bit of exploitation for us. ;)

[Lord Liaden]

Say Steve, is that July release for this book tentative, or are you reasonably confident that you'll make deadline?

I'd be happy for you if, even if you can't get Fantasy HERO ready in time, you'll still have a big new book to debut at GenCon. :D

[Steve Long]

We're serious about trying to make a GenCon deadline. I have relatively little involvement with the project (Darren's writing it, and the GOO guys edit it as part of development, IIRC) so that I can work on FH, but AFAIK things are still well on track for a GenCon release.

[buzz]

Originally posted by Tom McCarthy
I assume the only reason DOJ and Green Ronin or GOO and Green Ronin aren't doing similar things is because everyone's too busy to do it today, or they don't yet have the face to face relationship that DOJ and GOO presumably struck up along the way at cons or amongst common pools of freelancers. (Though personally, I think Tri-Stat and Hero are closer conceptually and easier to convert than M&M).

FWIW, the M&M Superlink license would allow M&M stats to be included in the book for free. Though I realize the prodiuct is more about the campaign settings coming together. Just sayin', if ever Hero n' GoO wanted a "three-way"... :)

[Starcorp Man]

I just hope the conversions are better then the earlier system conversions in years pass DC to Hero, Marvel to Hero and so on. I don't do Tri Stat but look forward to this, just so I can use it to convert the Wildstorm Tri Stat stuff easier then Eyeballing it (that's if the Wildstorm stuff doesn't suck.)

I hope to see Storn and Ed Northcott somewhere involved for art.