USPDB

[mangahunterd]

Does anyone know the ship date of the SPDB?

[CrosshairCollie]

My impulse is to simply stay, "Steve." :)

However, if there's one thing I've learned over the course of my life, it's that even if you 'know' the shipping date for a gaming supplement of any sort, there's no way of actually being certain. Production errors, births, deaths, inclement weather, natural disasters, illnesses, and alien invasions all mess up shipping schedules.

[Steve Long]

We haven't got definite ship date yet; when we do, we'll letcha know. ;)

[Thirdbase]

Originally posted by CrosshairCollie
My impulse is to simply stay, "Steve." :)

However, if there's one thing I've learned over the course of my life, it's that even if you 'know' the shipping date for a gaming supplement of any sort, there's no way of actually being certain. Production errors, births, deaths, inclement weather, natural disasters, illnesses, and alien invasions all mess up shipping schedules.

Good thing you didn't just say Steve, since he admits that he doesn't know either.:D

[death tribble]

Good thing it is not booked like films either which have to hit their release date. And can then look rushed.

I have found though with White Wolf stuff that when they say the Americans will get it that everyone else does too.

We'll get it when it is ready.

[Lord Liaden]

One thing that DoJ has vastly improved over former Hero Games management is a consistent release schedule. Almost all their books have come out right around the time that they said they would. The dates they give are approximate, but when they do have a firm date it's usually in the ballpark of the original schedule. And if there are any significant delays, management always lets the fans know and explains the delay. Which is another big improvement: communication. :)

[Blue]

I am enjoying the wealth of new supplements, even if I don't use all of them. I even have Star Hero, and it's likely I'll never get around to running a game.

My players have their champions ideas lined up but are looking to me to solve their power design difficulties. I'm hoping that the USPDB will give them more options. I think it's the best idea for a champions supplement ever!

[Morningstar]

I noticed this just became available to order at RPGShops.com So it looks like it shipped sucessfully.:)

[Steve Long]

In the "latest news" department, I got my copies of USPD today, huzzah! So it should have reached most US distributors by now as well.

[Blue]

Woot! Time to hound my retailer, make him sorry he ever sold me my first game!

[SCUBA Hero]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden
One thing that DoJ has vastly improved over former Hero Games management is a consistent release schedule. Almost all their books have come out right around the time that they said they would.

Yeah, mon! ::thumbs-up smilie::

And it bears repeating (not for your benefit, Lord Liaden, I know you know ;) ) that the release date DOJ gives is release to the printers. The printer must receive it, schedule it, print it, ship to the distributors, and then the distributors ship to your FLGS. All that takes time. I've taken to guesstimating a product will be in my grubby flippers, erm, hands, around the end of the month following the release date. That seems to work reasonably well.

The reason DOJ gives a release to the printers date is that is the last date they have control over.

Off to call my FLGS now! :p

[Crimson-Hawk]

Actually, SCUBA Hero, that's a pretty good rule to live by. I think I'll start living by it as well. The USPDB should be in my hands around May 31st, then. :D

[Darren Watts]

Originally posted by SCUBA Hero
Yeah, mon! ::thumbs-up smilie::

And it bears repeating (not for your benefit, Lord Liaden, I know you know ;) ) that the release date DOJ gives is release to the printers. The printer must receive it, schedule it, print it, ship to the distributors, and then the distributors ship to your FLGS. All that takes time. I've taken to guesstimating a product will be in my grubby flippers, erm, hands, around the end of the month following the release date. That seems to work reasonably well.

The reason DOJ gives a release to the printers date is that is the last date they have control over.

Off to call my FLGS now! :p

Pretty close, SCUBA me boy, but not quite. The date we give is release *from* the printers; in other words, the day the book comes off the final presses (which are the ones that put the covers on, actually), gets boxed up, and leaves either Ohio or Berkeley depending on which of our main printers we're talking about. That in fact is the last day we have any control over, or frankly any information about. After that it's on a truck from printer to distributor, then sitting in a distro warehouse waiting to be processed, then repacked along with a bunch of other books, then on a truck from distro to store, where it hopefully finds its way to a shelf quickly.

That process can take a week to ten days, and that's even if your store remembered to put in an order in advance. If they don't order until somebody bugs them about it, they may have to wait even longer, especially if the distro ran out and needs to get more from us... dw

[ChaosDrgn]

www.gamersattic.com sent a note tonight saying they had just recieved it today. Don't ask me about the cover graphic for it. No idea where it's from, don't care. Hopefully it'll be changed soon.

and yes I do get kickbacks from them (jk)

[SCUBA Hero]

Thanks for the correction, Darren! ::thumbs-up smilie::

[winterhawk]

Picked it up...very cool so far...more later

[Monolith]

Originally posted by winterhawk
Picked it up...very cool so far...more later
I usually have to say "I hate you" to Keith Curtis first, but today I will direct my venom to you. :)

I hate you for getting it before me! :mad:

[Tom McCarthy]

Now that's funny !

Monolith's fingerprints are going to be all over this thing. I think he must have proofread that manuscript to a level no one else did. And he still is impatient for the real thing.

[BobGreenwade]

You and I aren't exactly pikers in that respect either, Tom. :)

[Tom McCarthy]

Yeah, but I sure didn't bang every last power into a calculator. That's dedication.

And I skipped Animal Powers so I'd have something to read when the book came out (cause the wife notices if I drop $40 CAN on a book and am never seen reading it).

Unfortunately, I'm still prodding my FLGS to convince their distributors that there's a book called Millennium City out there.

[Monolith]

I think part of the advantage from all the playtesters is that we come at the manuscript from different perspectives. I am more of a number cruncher. I do not sweat the written details as much as I do trying to make sure the points are correct. I tend to overlook things in the written parts of a manuscript (it is the Evelyn Wood speed reading course coming back to haunt me) that other playtesters catch. The fact that Bob, Tom, and Geoff (as well as everyone else who contributes) all have different criteria when reading the manuscript just helps us catch the greater assortment of errors. We are team of lucky fools all doing what we can, when we can.

And Tom, I only buy the books for the pretty pictures, not all that reading. :)

[winterhawk]

Originally posted by Monolith
I usually have to say "I hate you" to Keith Curtis first, but today I will direct my venom to you. :)

I hate you for getting it before me! :mad:

Just happened to stop into the FLGS as they were unpacking it...and in response to the above NYAH NYAH NYAH

This is one of the best suppliments I've seen for any system. As a longtime gamer (20+ years), this is something Champs needed for a long time. Bravo to all involved...guess I'll actually have to do some work to get a mention in the credits :P

[Blue]

Originally posted by winterhawk
This is one of the best suppliments I've seen for any system.

Oh, now you're just being mean to us folks stuck at work and with weak, slow FLGS'.

[Hermit]

I checked the 'Our Products' section, but didn't see a price on this bad boy. How much?

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Hermit
I checked the 'Our Products' section, but didn't see a price on this bad boy. How much?
I believe the MSRP is $24.99.

[Hermit]

Grazi

[misterdeath]

Originally posted by Hermit
Grazi

Um, Herm old buddy, you're taking that Godfather bit a little too close to home.

I should get mine middle of next week, call for order was placed just after the products shipped. Otherwise I'd have had it today. Sigh.

D

[Hermit]

Oopps... perhaps so. :)

Any further reviews from anyone else who has it?

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Hermit
Any further reviews from anyone else who has it?
Buy the book before you find a horse's head in your bed. :)

[Edsel]

I picked up my copy today. My FLGS got only one copy much to their disappointment. I got there just in time to buy it.:D

This is actually quite odd since we usually end up getting things in about a week or so behind the first posts I see about it on the boards.:confused:

I am really happy to have this since my character is a Supermage with a VPP. This should be invaluable.

[mangahunterd]

You alwasy get the breaks... I must start bribing the game shop to call me first......

[Steve Long]

I think part of the advantage from all the playtesters is that we come at the manuscript from different perspectives.

Another advantage is that more eyes means more "coverage." I usually find a bunch of stuff to change that no playtester does (I have a different perspective and see the manuscript in layout, which they don't), but inevitably it seems like every dedicated playtester finds at least one typo or questionable item that no one else finds. Thus the more, the merrier. :)


I checked the 'Our Products' section, but didn't see a price on this bad boy. How much?

It's $24.99. Considering that it's nearly 300 pages long, if you have any interest in the subject matter it's a major bargain. It really should be more like $26.99 or $27.99, but by the time we realized how large it was it would have been more trouble to re-solicit the book than it would be worth.


I'll actually have to do some work to get a mention in the credits

Have no fear on that score, Winterhawk! We will soon (as in "when Ben gets the e-mail I just sent him") be launching our UNTIL SUPERPOWERS DATABASE webpage, where you (and other Hero fans, natch!) can contribute superpowers for everyone to see and use! I've salted the page with a dozen or so powers that I didn't have room for in USPD, or that I didn't think of until later. There's a "how to contribute" page that will explain the procedure (including the obligatory "this becomes Hero's property" disclaimer) and provide you with the form you need to submit a power write-up.

If we get enough response, we may eventually collect all the submissions into a Database supplement of some sort. Then you (and everyone else who contributes a power we print) will definitely get your name in the credits!

[BobGreenwade]

Hey Steve, out of impatient curiosity, will we be able to contribute entire categories of powers, or just additional powers in the categories already in the USPD?

[Steve Long]

Stick to the USPD categories. There are enough of them, and they're sufficiently broad, that I see no particular need to add any. Any oddball stuff can always go in "Miscellaneous," as always. ;)

[Blue]

Originally posted by Steve Long
Have no fear on that score, Winterhawk! We will soon (as in "when Ben gets the e-mail I just sent him") be launching our UNTIL SUPERPOWERS DATABASE webpage, where you (and other Hero fans, natch!) can contribute superpowers for everyone to see and use!...

Great idea! It's a good time to be a hero system fan, aint it? No sucking up, honest.