What Genre Sourcebooks are next? I need to warm up my Linkage skills ;)

[TheQuestionMan]

As the Title says. What can we expect in the FUTURE!... Future... future... (echo... echo... echo...)

My Top Five
1. Victorian Hero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era
2. Regency Hero (Revolutionary Hero) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Regency
3. Horror Hero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_%28genre%29
4. Western Hero? (or part of Victorian Hero) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerns
5. Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic Hero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-apocalypse_Earth

Cheers

QM

[hancock.tom]

My guess would be

1. Horror HERO (I think this is on the 2006 list actually)

EDIT: Regency Hero Belongs right here. I just read somebody was already contracted to write it.

2. Cyberpunk HERO (a very popular genre, plus has been mentioned by Steve L. a few times)

3. Post Apocalyptic HERO (another popular genre, perhaps this is wishful thinking)

4. Western HERO

5. Steampunk HERO

6. Espionage HERO aka Danger international

7. Historical HERO - the often mentioned victorian HERO and Regency HERO included, perhaps material for the folks interested in civil war era HERO, etc.

8. Pirate HERO

9. Anime/Cartoon HERO,

10. Detective HERO,

11. Anthropomorphic HERO (shudders:nonp: ),

12. Crossover HERO - Basically a book that discusses mixing HERO's other genre books for the best effect. Maybe this isn't needed at all though since mixing is so easy, but so many settings are cross-genre that it seems like a book talking about this would be great. Shadowrun, deadlands, exalted, eberron, rifts, even WOD, many of the more popular pre-packaged settings are cross-genre settings and a book about crossgenre stuff would be great.

Hopefully that helps you warm up your linkage skills:cheers:

Another EDIT: http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26162 That should give you an official idea, rather than my own personal guesses.

[hancock.tom]

Who am I kidding? everything on my list past #4 is wishful thinking.

I just had a fantasy where DOJ published Historical HERO, which included western, victorian, ancient, basically every time period, chapters on different geographical areas, like ancient japan, medieval europe, USA in nearly every period, special chapters on various wars, etc.

Its a fantasy because all of that in one book would make 5th revised look like a matchbook in size comparison. It would be like 4000 pages. It will probably get divided up into Western, Victorian, and the other eras will get short shrift.

[Steve Long]

The only genre book on the current schedule is Horror Hero. Undoubtedly we'll be considering plenty of possibilities for the 2007 schedule (and posting another mini-survey in January to see what seems to be of most interest as a possible GenCon major release), but for now there are no specific plans to give priority to any other genre beyond Horror. Regency Hero is in the works, but is not specifically scheduled yet (and isn't the sort of book we'd schedule as a GenCon release anyway, for mini-survey purposes).

[Steve Long]

A few other quick data points:

--Western will not be part of Victorian. The two subjects are each too large, and too distinct in terms of themes and play styles and such, to go together in a single book.

--We can't possibly combine multiple historical subjects in a single book, and aren't even going to try. ;)

--Regency Hero is a good bit more than just "Revolutionary Hero," so please let's be careful not to give any false impressions. ;)

--One factor to consider in guessing at what we might do next is the amount of research involved. Some genre and subgenre books (any historical subject, Danger International) need a lot of time devoted to research, which makes it harder to create them (esp. if we don't think sales are likely to be strong). Others (Cyber Hero, "Post-Apocalyptic Hero") require relatively little (it's more a matter of re-reading/re-watching existing literature/films), which makes them a little more likely... assuming we think they're worth doing at all.

--We have no particular plans for Detective Hero (whatever that is), books involving anthropomorphic animal characters, Steampunk Hero (steampunk is an aspect of VH, and will be treated in that book), a "crossovers" book, or Cartoon Hero (though that might get coverage in the "book of miscellaneous minor genres" we've mentioned before). But even so that leaves us lots of subjects to delve into. :hex:

[Edsel]

Here are the top six genre books I want to see. Why six? Because six come to mind.


Horror Hero (vampires, zombies, ghouls, lycanthropes, Cuthulhu-type stuff)

Cyberpunk Hero (Bladerunner, Ghost in the Shell, etc. I am not in the the Shadowrun theme of mixing cyber-science and magic though.)

Post Apocalyptic HERO (Morrow Project, Post-Deep Impact, etc.)

Western Hero (Histroical and Cinematic)

Victorian Hero (Not just the Civilized world, this was also the world of colonial imperialism. Boxer Rebellion, Morrow Insurection, Zulu War, etc.)

Swashbuckler Hero (Pirates, and Musketeers are both in this era.)

[Susano]

--We have no particular plans for Detective Hero (whatever that is), books involving anthropomorphic animal characters, Steampunk Hero (steampunk is an aspect of VH, and will be treated in that book), a "crossovers" book, or Cartoon Hero (though that might get coverage in the "book of miscellaneous minor genres" we've mentioned before). But even so that leaves us lots of subjects to delve into. :hex:

I don't want to speak for Steve, but Dark Champions and/or Pulp hero should cover most everything you need to run "Detective Hero."

Personally, I put Steampunk with Cyberpunk -- since the former strikes me as a sub-set of the latter (especially the technology overload aspect). Perhaps a mention in the CP book?

Cartoon Hero strikes me as a good Digital Hero article.

Personally, I'm hoping for a possible anime sourcebook (which, in truth would be a multi-genre sourcebook concentrating on anime/manga conventions and how to apply them in HERO).

[Sketchpad]

On my list I'd have to put:
1. Horror Hero - Been waiting a while to see this :)
2. Swashbuckling Hero - BIG pirate fan ;)
3. Western Hero - Been having a hankering to play this lately
4. Tie - Post-Apocalyptic Hero/Victorian Hero - Looking foward to both of these
5. Cyber Hero - Cause you can't have enough chromed characters ;)

An honerable mention should be put on Danger International, though more of a sub-genre book of DC, I'd really like to see this one done :)

[hancock.tom]

--We can't possibly combine multiple historical subjects in a single book, and aren't even going to try. ;)


But Steve, isn't there something deep inside you that wishes you lived in a world where you could print a 15,000 page book with enough historical information to make a history professor flinch?

Wait a minute, maybe thats a nightmare for you instead of a fantasy :D

ps I know this would never happen and I knew it when I posted above, I just think its a fun idea

[Steve Long]

Oh, believe me, I have no fear of big books. ;) It's just a question of economy and creativity -- not to mention hernias. It's easier on everyone concerned to create the books individually.

Though I do recall at one point discussing with Steve Peterson (IIRC) the idea of numbering HERO System books both individually and sequentially, like the volumes of many scientific journals. That way, for example, UMA (as the first book in the line after 5ER) would have page numbers reading 1/593, 2/594, and so on. I haven't counted, but CWW would probably be up in the 3,000s somewheres. That would be sorta like having one big book, and might make citing the rules online easier.

[boomer]

You can always just use the Core rules to make your own versions...... ;) It is fun reading Steve and Companies official versions though....

[Edsel]

Personally, I'm hoping for a possible anime sourcebook (which, in truth would be a multi-genre sourcebook concentrating on anime/manga conventions and how to apply them in HERO).
I'd love to see this as well. But since the popular logic seems to be that anime is just a method of story telling and not a genre I think that has hurt its chances of being published as an individual genre book.

I think that most people consider anime to BESMLB (Big Eyes, Small Mouth, Large Bust). :D

[Susano]

I'd love to see this as well. But since the popular logic seems to be that anime is just a method of story telling and not a genre I think that has hurt its chances of being published as an individual genre book.

I can always hope, right?

Actually, I have heard vague noises about such a product, but if/when it is green-lighted, it will be far down the list of books HERO wants to get out.


I think that most people consider anime to BESMLB (Big Eyes, Small Mouth, Large Bust). :D

Gainax doesn't help with that perception either.

[CourtFool]

The Ultimate Skill

[teh bunneh]

--We have no particular plans for Detective Hero (whatever that is), books involving anthropomorphic animal characters,

What? No Furry HERO? (16 pages of rules, 108 pages of how to LARP it...) ;)


Steampunk Hero (steampunk is an aspect of VH, and will be treated in that book)

Hartfelt Productions/The Kandris Seal setting should have something in that vein late 2006/early 2007 (plug plug). :D

[John Desmarais]

I'd love to see this as well. But since the popular logic seems to be that anime is just a method of story telling and not a genre...

Of course, almost the same could be said of Pulp as well (it's more of a meta-genre than an actual genre) - and look at the big fat Pulp tome we just got.

[Susano]

Of course, almost the same could be said of Pulp as well (it's more of a meta-genre than an actual genre) - and look at the big fat Pulp tome we just got.

Now you're getting my hopes up again.... :D