Lord Liaden
Mar 24th, '11, 07:02 PM
Steven S. Long (08:01.09 PM)
Good evening everyone!
Gordon Feiner (08:01.15 PM)
hey Steve.
Gordon Feiner (08:01.37 PM)
there's no holes in my math :)
Steven S. Long (08:01.59 PM)
Are too! One in every zero at the very least. ::buh-DUMP-bum!::
Dusterboy (08:01.59 PM)
Hi Steve!
Steven S. Long (08:02.22 PM)
Hope everyone's doing well tonight, and looking forward to the weekend. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:02.26 PM)
Thank you Steve... *arms throwing badger*
Archie (08:02.33 PM)
Good eve, Steve
Lord Liaden (08:02.53 PM)
Gordon -- never quibble with a lawyer. ;-) Oh, hi, Steve.
Steven S. Long (08:03.05 PM)
*activates Irresistible Drain Throwing Badger Field.*
Gordon Feiner (08:03.17 PM)
I quibble with Steve all the time - mostly, because he's wrong a lot.
:-p
Steven S. Long (08:03.22 PM)
Lies!
Archie (08:03.23 PM)
Your Legionaires are here, mi'lord.
Lord Liaden (08:03.45 PM)
As long as they didn't bring their Disease with 'em.
Steven S. Long (08:03.52 PM)
I am seldom wrong, the world just misinterprets me. :-)-
Lord Liaden (08:04.50 PM)
I weep for the world's loss. :-p
Steven S. Long (08:06.36 PM)
All right, I think we've waited for stragglers long enough -- time for announcements! :-)
Not too many this week; things are still pretty slow and work-oriented around here -- it being that time of year.
Indiana Joe (08:07.07 PM)
Hello
Steven S. Long (08:07.52 PM)
Darren had, I am briefly told, a great time at PAX East and GAMA Trade Show; since getting back he's been busy with a zillion piled-up e-mails and it-must-be-done-now tasks, so I haven't gotten any updates from him on CV3, HSEG, or HSG, but hopefully somewhere in that pile there's some news.
Hi, IJ
However, we did well enough at PAX East that I suspect it will become a regular stop on our annual convention trail, at least for a year or two to see if 2011 was a fluke or not.
I doubt I'll go up for it, but it's easy enough for Darren to reach.
Might even be worth considering PAX Prime, though that would entail higher expenses for us.
Second -- I am nearly done with CHAMPIONS UNIVERSE! I finished all the math today. Tomorrow I will do the final tweaking and polishing, and then it's off to Fred for layout... when he gets over his conventionitis.
It's ended up just as big as I expected, about 180,000 words (roughly the same word count as HSMA, though I can't say if it'll be roughly the same page length yet).
Shiva13 (08:10.35 PM)
hi Steve
Lord Liaden (08:10.38 PM)
Well, it's a big galaxy. ;-)
Steven S. Long (08:10.43 PM)
Just a few minutes before chat time I wrote up an expanded bit describing Valak the World-Ravager's 2000-2001 and 2006 rampages and battles with the Star*Guard.
Hi, Shiva.
Shiva13 (08:10.53 PM)
Champions Universe? Didn't you mean, Champions Beyond?
Steven S. Long (08:11.12 PM)
Yeah yeah yeah, CHAMPIONS BEYOND.
Indiana Joe (08:11.28 PM)
Yeah, that's what I thought I heard. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:11.30 PM)
didn't you cancel Beyond for CU2? I thought....
see... he's wrong a lot. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:11.42 PM)
Allowing a bit of time for some long-delayed administrative chores, I will start work next week on ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II (Electric Boogaloo). ;-)
Lord Liaden (08:11.44 PM)
Is this one of those times the world misinterpreted you, Steve? :-D
Steven S. Long (08:11.52 PM)
LL -- yes,.
Indiana Joe (08:11.55 PM)
*readys wish list*
Steven S. Long (08:12.07 PM)
So be on the lookout for a WDYWTS thread sometime in the next few days. ;-)
And after I finish APG2, it will of course be STAR HERO time. I spoke with Jim Cambias today and he's halfway done with his revisions to the "science stuff," with all new random planet (etc.) generation rules to comply with all the latest astronomical discoveries.
Lord Liaden (08:13.29 PM)
I wish you really could get away with calling it "Electric Boogaloo."
MSatran (08:13.58 PM)
Isn't that sort of like putting Valak the World Ravager in a leather catsuit and bling?
Dusterboy (08:13.59 PM)
Some people might buy it just because it was called that
Lord Liaden (08:14.08 PM)
It's great that you got Jim Cambias to participate in the newest SH.
Scott Bennie (08:14.12 PM)
Howdy!
Indiana Joe (08:14.13 PM)
At least half a dozen!
Steven S. Long (08:14.23 PM)
LL -- agreed! Trying to update all those rules myself wouldn't have been a fun chore.
Heya Scott!
Random CBY tidbit: Mechanon 3000 from GC remains our most expensive character ever published, I think. I'd hoped to beat him, but my Galactus homage came up a few hundred points short, alas.
Scott Bennie (08:15.31 PM)
He has room to grow.
Dusterboy (08:15.35 PM)
Awww. . . that's actually disappointing
Steven S. Long (08:15.51 PM)
Scott -- literally, given the nature of the villain in question. }:-)
Lord Liaden (08:16.00 PM)
Mech 3000 wouldn't allow it otherwise. Talk about a swelled head.
Gordon Feiner (08:16.28 PM)
you just know I'm putting APGIIEB into the Master Index.
Dusterboy (08:16.38 PM)
Mech 3000 is just a head, isn't he. Kind o like a space station deal
Steven S. Long (08:16.48 PM)
Under "Boogaloo, Electric," Gordon. :-)
Dusterboy -- yes. He's a moon-sized giant robot head.
Indiana Joe (08:17.56 PM)
Obligatory, "That's no moon..." comment.
Dusterboy (08:18.20 PM)
"It can't be artificial! It can't!"
Scott Bennie (08:19.57 PM)
That seems... familiar...
MSatran (08:20.33 PM)
I can't go there. I just can't. It's too easy. And this is a public forum.
Lord Liaden (08:22.39 PM)
Steve -- if it wouldn't be prying to ask, what's been behind the printer delay in turning out the backlog of HG books?
Steven S. Long (08:23.09 PM)
LL -- a whole perfect storm of nonsense that I'd just as soon not go into. We'll get 'em out soon as we can, we promise. ;-)
Shiva13 (08:23.39 PM)
I'm really looking forward to Champions Villains Volume 3. I have the first two.
Steven S. Long (08:24.18 PM)
Me too! :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:24.29 PM)
A Perfect Storm Of Nonsense.. I love that phrase. situation sucks, but wording is awesome
Lord Liaden (08:24.36 PM)
I have Vol. 3 in PDF, and I think it's my favorite of the trilogy. Great variety of villains over many power levels.
Robert Dwyer (08:24.39 PM)
Hmm..looks like full house..what did I miss while my PC decided to basically no cooperate
Indiana Joe (08:24.50 PM)
Sounds like much of my life these days, actually. :/
Dusterboy (08:25.07 PM)
This is certainly more people than I've ever seen on board
Steven S. Long (08:25.08 PM)
LL -- writing up solo villains is always more fun for me than writing up masters or teams. The variety in types and power levels and backgrounds makes it all more enjoyable somehow.
Robert -- just the usual announcements and what-all, nothing special. ;-)
Indiana Joe (08:25.29 PM)
More than in a while, certainly.
Lord Liaden (08:26.06 PM)
Mind you, I'm looking forward to working in Prof. Paradigm and his Pirates. The potential range of uses for that bunch is intriguing.
Shiva13 (08:26.14 PM)
I was surprised by quite a lot of the choices in Volume 2. Deathstroke being pared down to two members, for example. I never saw that coming.
Robert Dwyer (08:26.28 PM)
Yeah...the good professor is going to be in my game too
Steven S. Long (08:26.28 PM)
Professor Paradigm is definitely one of my favorites among the newcomers. ;-)
Shiva -- that's all several years old; it first appeared in STRONGHOLD. I figure it's good to have a team the GM can build up if he wants.
Robert Dwyer (08:27.03 PM)
well..Shiva..they had been paired down to just 2 in Stronghold..you can always give them new members..
yeah..what Steve said
Shiva13 (08:27.29 PM)
I miss a few of the old ones, honestly
Robert Dwyer (08:27.50 PM)
you can always rebuild them via 6th...
Steven S. Long (08:27.54 PM)
Background trivia -- the original inspiration for Professor Paradigm is a short story I read decades ago, "The New Reality" by Charles Harness. Check it out, dandy little concept. ;-)
Lord Liaden (08:28.24 PM)
Given the number of Stronghold escapees in Vol. 3, a new team could easily coalesce around Requiem and Frost.
Dusterboy (08:28.38 PM)
Professor Paradigm is such an awesome name
Steven S. Long (08:29.04 PM)
Agreed -- I had to pull the escape to explain CO, but it's got a lot of story potential for the RPG as well.
Robert Dwyer (08:29.05 PM)
Hell...I just had the whole prison destoyed by Sunburst in my current campaign...LOTS of potential recruits
Steven S. Long (08:29.10 PM)
Dusterboy -- I agree. :-D
Lord Liaden (08:29.19 PM)
Just try saying "Professor Paradigm and the Paradigm Pirates" out loud. Makes you smile. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:30.25 PM)
I don't recall whether I came up with "Professor Paradigm" or "Paradigm Pirates" first, but I love the name myself. ;-)
Shiva13 (08:30.28 PM)
Well I won't be seeing the contents of Volume 3 until the book land in my hands. Over all with the first two book, there really is a stark minority of things I would use.
Robert Dwyer (08:31.25 PM)
Gotta be something Shiva..unless you running a very odd game
Dusterboy (08:31.30 PM)
If you don't trip over your tongue. . . :)
Steven S. Long (08:31.45 PM)
I'm hoping CBY will be equally well-received; I put in a bunch of "teasers" and seeds for other villains, practically enough for a "Cosmic Enemies" supplement if sales warrant.
Robert Dwyer (08:33.01 PM)
Cosmic....Enemies?(Runs in terro at the very idea)
Shiva13 (08:33.07 PM)
Master Villains book. I honestly see too much front loaded baggage to use it. Each master villain comes with a lot of stuff. And I think because of it, it makes it really difficult for a GM to make those characters their own, without a lot of work.
Robert Dwyer (08:34.02 PM)
Really Shiva? I think it's a piece of cake...just alter the origins a little..
Steven S. Long (08:34.04 PM)
Robert -- well, there are already lots of villains in CBY itself, ranging from very minor guys to the second most expensive (and possibly the most powerful) villain we've ever published. Lots of baddies, esp. on the high end of the scale.
So don't venture out into space if you can't handle it!! :-)
Lord Liaden (08:34.39 PM)
Steve -- any "goodies" in the mix?
Gordon Feiner (08:34.40 PM)
I can hack it sarge
Dusterboy (08:34.51 PM)
"Cosmic Enemies" makes it sound like your going to be fighting Cthulhu and his crew. . . . I don't think there are enough CP in the universe for that
Steven S. Long (08:35.04 PM)
LL -- heroes, you mean? Well, there's a whole chapter on the Star*Guard, including a character sheet for Andre Almena.
Shiva13 (08:35.20 PM)
Villain Teams book. well a good 50% of it is all new material. Not to say that's a negative. But there are definitely things in it I wouldn't use, simply out of disinterest.
Steven S. Long (08:35.23 PM)
Dusterboy -- once we do CTHULHU HERO next year, you'll know *exactly* what it takes to fight Cthulhu. }:-)
Gordon Feiner (08:35.45 PM)
that's easy - you just need a boat. Squid Face is toast.
Robert Dwyer (08:35.47 PM)
Not sure I wanna know\
Steven S. Long (08:35.59 PM)
Shiva -- I'm sorry, but that's incorrect. There are two new teams from the MMO, the rest of it had all been published previously in 5E Champions supplements.
Lord Liaden (08:36.09 PM)
Steve -- sure, but also neutral entities who aren't necessarily opponents for the heroes. Plot devices, like the Galaxars.
Robert Dwyer (08:36.12 PM)
But morbid curiousity will make me look a nyways
Steven S. Long (08:36.37 PM)
LL -- oh sure. Three Galaxars get full character sheets, others are described. And then there's Xarriel, the Thanos/Darkseid manque. }:-)
Shiva13 (08:36.39 PM)
Steve: Which were the two new ones?
Steven S. Long (08:36.46 PM)
Shiva -- Red Winter and the Futurians.
Robert Dwyer (08:37.12 PM)
The galaxars seem a bit tougher than their inspoiration...they're closer in concepts to conceptual entitites like Marvel's Chaos and order
Lord Liaden (08:37.29 PM)
Steve -- any alien Empyreans?
Steven S. Long (08:37.38 PM)
Robert -- not sure about that, but it's not as if I'm copying. I don't care what the inspiration can do, I am trying to make it my own. :)
LL -- nope. There's a section on the Progenitors themselves though.
MSatran (08:38.18 PM)
Might want to be careful with the Futurians, Steve. There's an old comic book series by that name.
Robert Dwyer (08:38.23 PM)
A Thanos homage eh? hmm...
Shiva13 (08:38.23 PM)
Well Champions Beyond and Galactic Champions do interest me. Because I don't have any books that truly cover that piece of territory.
Lord Liaden (08:38.40 PM)
Steve -- do we at least find out what happened to the Ancient Empyreans?
Robert Dwyer (08:39.07 PM)
they're empyreans..they're probably still hanging out...playing chess or something
Steven S. Long (08:39.10 PM)
LL -- not tellin', you'll just have to buy the book. }:-)
Lord Liaden (08:39.28 PM)
Like there was any doubt I would. :-p
Robert Dwyer (08:39.36 PM)
yeah...cause clearly LL was "on the fence " about it lol
Dusterboy (08:39.44 PM)
Nahhh. . . Empyrean's think Go is for mental weaklings
Gordon Feiner (08:40.28 PM)
and of course, Index!
I should really do something about those...
Lord Liaden (08:40.43 PM)
One thing about the Futurians does distract me, though -- their optics. Not sure I'd want to trust guidance of the world to a better future, to guys calling themselves "The Fiend" and "Morticus."
Robert Dwyer (08:41.02 PM)
Not to sopund like a broken record..but Mythic Hero is still my most anticipated book
Steven S. Long (08:41.44 PM)
Robert -- mine too, in some ways. :)
Robert Dwyer (08:42.22 PM)
Not that I don't want the others..but definitely wanting to look at MH
Gordon Feiner (08:42.22 PM)
I love the infusion of life Cryptic has brought to the CU, I'm not particularly keen on their design sense.
Robert Dwyer (08:43.04 PM)
Well...luckily..in our own campaigns..we can change the numbers to whatever we want...so..not worried about it
names..whatever
Robert Dwyer (08:44.32 PM)
but yeah...guys who think of themselves as benevolent don't usually refer to themselves as " The Fiend"
Gordon Feiner (08:44.53 PM)
Well... I would. But... no wait, I'm not benevolent. nevermind
Robert Dwyer (08:44.53 PM)
Haven't seen them yet...but yeah...odd
Shiva13 (08:45.31 PM)
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the Grimoire and the Equipment Guide. Then I'll start tracking things down like Fantasy Hero.
Gordon Feiner (08:45.38 PM)
Steve, for APG2 are you taking brand new wholesale ideas and such? Or just suggestions on things people would like to see new rules for?
Steven S. Long (08:46.38 PM)
Gordon -- I'm not sure I understand your distinction between "new wholesale ideas" and "new rules."
Gordon Feiner (08:47.16 PM)
I mean just things like "I'd like to see new rules for X" or "Here's an idea I developed *idea dump* please use it!"
(I may also be too tired to explain what I'm thinking...)
Steven S. Long (08:48.18 PM)
Well, I'm not intending to take new material from anyone; I can handle things fine without any co-authors. But I'm always happy to hear ideas from fans. The WDYWTS threads are always helpful to some degree. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:48.39 PM)
OK.
Robert Dwyer (08:49.56 PM)
well..just the books on the backlog will set me back 100 bucks...so...will probably be okay waiting a bit for the others to arrive
Lord Liaden (08:50.03 PM)
One market that'll never run dry is HERO System options -- system gearheads are a major component of the fanbase. :-)
Shiva13 (08:51.04 PM)
And sometimes, quite often, those gearheads are the bane of a GM's existance.
Gordon Feiner (08:51.06 PM)
I want to use ALL the Options!
Steven S. Long (08:51.19 PM)
LL -- that's the hope, certainly. The trick is coming up with enough good, useful options 'n' stuff to fill a book. No point publishing stuff so obscure or pedantic that no one will use it.
Gordon Feiner (08:51.25 PM)
I think it'd be amusing to try and use multiple mutually exclusive concepts in a single campaign. see what happens
Dusterboy (08:51.27 PM)
Oh My Gosh! There's not time in the Universe for that!
Robert Dwyer (08:51.54 PM)
Funny thing is..my players are not gearheads at all..they leave the mechanics all to me..they just tell me what they wanna do..which works for me
as I'm the only player with good knowledge of the system mechanics
Lord Liaden (08:53.01 PM)
I wish I'd been in fewer rules debates where "obscure" and "pedantic" were the gist.
Gordon Feiner (08:53.22 PM)
I don't really get into rules debates anymore, they seem silly.
Indiana Joe (08:53.25 PM)
Of course, there are also gearheads like me who try to adapt stuff simply to see if they can. :-)
Robert Dwyer (08:53.54 PM)
Nor do I..I just do what makes the most sense genera;;y
Gordon Feiner (08:54.18 PM)
I just like bending the system in new and odd ways. Teseract Hero.
Steven S. Long (08:54.21 PM)
OK, folx, I think it's time for me to head on out the door and go get some sleep. :-) Be here next week for more Hero hijinks! :-)
Good evening everyone!
Gordon Feiner (08:01.15 PM)
hey Steve.
Gordon Feiner (08:01.37 PM)
there's no holes in my math :)
Steven S. Long (08:01.59 PM)
Are too! One in every zero at the very least. ::buh-DUMP-bum!::
Dusterboy (08:01.59 PM)
Hi Steve!
Steven S. Long (08:02.22 PM)
Hope everyone's doing well tonight, and looking forward to the weekend. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:02.26 PM)
Thank you Steve... *arms throwing badger*
Archie (08:02.33 PM)
Good eve, Steve
Lord Liaden (08:02.53 PM)
Gordon -- never quibble with a lawyer. ;-) Oh, hi, Steve.
Steven S. Long (08:03.05 PM)
*activates Irresistible Drain Throwing Badger Field.*
Gordon Feiner (08:03.17 PM)
I quibble with Steve all the time - mostly, because he's wrong a lot.
:-p
Steven S. Long (08:03.22 PM)
Lies!
Archie (08:03.23 PM)
Your Legionaires are here, mi'lord.
Lord Liaden (08:03.45 PM)
As long as they didn't bring their Disease with 'em.
Steven S. Long (08:03.52 PM)
I am seldom wrong, the world just misinterprets me. :-)-
Lord Liaden (08:04.50 PM)
I weep for the world's loss. :-p
Steven S. Long (08:06.36 PM)
All right, I think we've waited for stragglers long enough -- time for announcements! :-)
Not too many this week; things are still pretty slow and work-oriented around here -- it being that time of year.
Indiana Joe (08:07.07 PM)
Hello
Steven S. Long (08:07.52 PM)
Darren had, I am briefly told, a great time at PAX East and GAMA Trade Show; since getting back he's been busy with a zillion piled-up e-mails and it-must-be-done-now tasks, so I haven't gotten any updates from him on CV3, HSEG, or HSG, but hopefully somewhere in that pile there's some news.
Hi, IJ
However, we did well enough at PAX East that I suspect it will become a regular stop on our annual convention trail, at least for a year or two to see if 2011 was a fluke or not.
I doubt I'll go up for it, but it's easy enough for Darren to reach.
Might even be worth considering PAX Prime, though that would entail higher expenses for us.
Second -- I am nearly done with CHAMPIONS UNIVERSE! I finished all the math today. Tomorrow I will do the final tweaking and polishing, and then it's off to Fred for layout... when he gets over his conventionitis.
It's ended up just as big as I expected, about 180,000 words (roughly the same word count as HSMA, though I can't say if it'll be roughly the same page length yet).
Shiva13 (08:10.35 PM)
hi Steve
Lord Liaden (08:10.38 PM)
Well, it's a big galaxy. ;-)
Steven S. Long (08:10.43 PM)
Just a few minutes before chat time I wrote up an expanded bit describing Valak the World-Ravager's 2000-2001 and 2006 rampages and battles with the Star*Guard.
Hi, Shiva.
Shiva13 (08:10.53 PM)
Champions Universe? Didn't you mean, Champions Beyond?
Steven S. Long (08:11.12 PM)
Yeah yeah yeah, CHAMPIONS BEYOND.
Indiana Joe (08:11.28 PM)
Yeah, that's what I thought I heard. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:11.30 PM)
didn't you cancel Beyond for CU2? I thought....
see... he's wrong a lot. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:11.42 PM)
Allowing a bit of time for some long-delayed administrative chores, I will start work next week on ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II (Electric Boogaloo). ;-)
Lord Liaden (08:11.44 PM)
Is this one of those times the world misinterpreted you, Steve? :-D
Steven S. Long (08:11.52 PM)
LL -- yes,.
Indiana Joe (08:11.55 PM)
*readys wish list*
Steven S. Long (08:12.07 PM)
So be on the lookout for a WDYWTS thread sometime in the next few days. ;-)
And after I finish APG2, it will of course be STAR HERO time. I spoke with Jim Cambias today and he's halfway done with his revisions to the "science stuff," with all new random planet (etc.) generation rules to comply with all the latest astronomical discoveries.
Lord Liaden (08:13.29 PM)
I wish you really could get away with calling it "Electric Boogaloo."
MSatran (08:13.58 PM)
Isn't that sort of like putting Valak the World Ravager in a leather catsuit and bling?
Dusterboy (08:13.59 PM)
Some people might buy it just because it was called that
Lord Liaden (08:14.08 PM)
It's great that you got Jim Cambias to participate in the newest SH.
Scott Bennie (08:14.12 PM)
Howdy!
Indiana Joe (08:14.13 PM)
At least half a dozen!
Steven S. Long (08:14.23 PM)
LL -- agreed! Trying to update all those rules myself wouldn't have been a fun chore.
Heya Scott!
Random CBY tidbit: Mechanon 3000 from GC remains our most expensive character ever published, I think. I'd hoped to beat him, but my Galactus homage came up a few hundred points short, alas.
Scott Bennie (08:15.31 PM)
He has room to grow.
Dusterboy (08:15.35 PM)
Awww. . . that's actually disappointing
Steven S. Long (08:15.51 PM)
Scott -- literally, given the nature of the villain in question. }:-)
Lord Liaden (08:16.00 PM)
Mech 3000 wouldn't allow it otherwise. Talk about a swelled head.
Gordon Feiner (08:16.28 PM)
you just know I'm putting APGIIEB into the Master Index.
Dusterboy (08:16.38 PM)
Mech 3000 is just a head, isn't he. Kind o like a space station deal
Steven S. Long (08:16.48 PM)
Under "Boogaloo, Electric," Gordon. :-)
Dusterboy -- yes. He's a moon-sized giant robot head.
Indiana Joe (08:17.56 PM)
Obligatory, "That's no moon..." comment.
Dusterboy (08:18.20 PM)
"It can't be artificial! It can't!"
Scott Bennie (08:19.57 PM)
That seems... familiar...
MSatran (08:20.33 PM)
I can't go there. I just can't. It's too easy. And this is a public forum.
Lord Liaden (08:22.39 PM)
Steve -- if it wouldn't be prying to ask, what's been behind the printer delay in turning out the backlog of HG books?
Steven S. Long (08:23.09 PM)
LL -- a whole perfect storm of nonsense that I'd just as soon not go into. We'll get 'em out soon as we can, we promise. ;-)
Shiva13 (08:23.39 PM)
I'm really looking forward to Champions Villains Volume 3. I have the first two.
Steven S. Long (08:24.18 PM)
Me too! :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:24.29 PM)
A Perfect Storm Of Nonsense.. I love that phrase. situation sucks, but wording is awesome
Lord Liaden (08:24.36 PM)
I have Vol. 3 in PDF, and I think it's my favorite of the trilogy. Great variety of villains over many power levels.
Robert Dwyer (08:24.39 PM)
Hmm..looks like full house..what did I miss while my PC decided to basically no cooperate
Indiana Joe (08:24.50 PM)
Sounds like much of my life these days, actually. :/
Dusterboy (08:25.07 PM)
This is certainly more people than I've ever seen on board
Steven S. Long (08:25.08 PM)
LL -- writing up solo villains is always more fun for me than writing up masters or teams. The variety in types and power levels and backgrounds makes it all more enjoyable somehow.
Robert -- just the usual announcements and what-all, nothing special. ;-)
Indiana Joe (08:25.29 PM)
More than in a while, certainly.
Lord Liaden (08:26.06 PM)
Mind you, I'm looking forward to working in Prof. Paradigm and his Pirates. The potential range of uses for that bunch is intriguing.
Shiva13 (08:26.14 PM)
I was surprised by quite a lot of the choices in Volume 2. Deathstroke being pared down to two members, for example. I never saw that coming.
Robert Dwyer (08:26.28 PM)
Yeah...the good professor is going to be in my game too
Steven S. Long (08:26.28 PM)
Professor Paradigm is definitely one of my favorites among the newcomers. ;-)
Shiva -- that's all several years old; it first appeared in STRONGHOLD. I figure it's good to have a team the GM can build up if he wants.
Robert Dwyer (08:27.03 PM)
well..Shiva..they had been paired down to just 2 in Stronghold..you can always give them new members..
yeah..what Steve said
Shiva13 (08:27.29 PM)
I miss a few of the old ones, honestly
Robert Dwyer (08:27.50 PM)
you can always rebuild them via 6th...
Steven S. Long (08:27.54 PM)
Background trivia -- the original inspiration for Professor Paradigm is a short story I read decades ago, "The New Reality" by Charles Harness. Check it out, dandy little concept. ;-)
Lord Liaden (08:28.24 PM)
Given the number of Stronghold escapees in Vol. 3, a new team could easily coalesce around Requiem and Frost.
Dusterboy (08:28.38 PM)
Professor Paradigm is such an awesome name
Steven S. Long (08:29.04 PM)
Agreed -- I had to pull the escape to explain CO, but it's got a lot of story potential for the RPG as well.
Robert Dwyer (08:29.05 PM)
Hell...I just had the whole prison destoyed by Sunburst in my current campaign...LOTS of potential recruits
Steven S. Long (08:29.10 PM)
Dusterboy -- I agree. :-D
Lord Liaden (08:29.19 PM)
Just try saying "Professor Paradigm and the Paradigm Pirates" out loud. Makes you smile. :-)
Steven S. Long (08:30.25 PM)
I don't recall whether I came up with "Professor Paradigm" or "Paradigm Pirates" first, but I love the name myself. ;-)
Shiva13 (08:30.28 PM)
Well I won't be seeing the contents of Volume 3 until the book land in my hands. Over all with the first two book, there really is a stark minority of things I would use.
Robert Dwyer (08:31.25 PM)
Gotta be something Shiva..unless you running a very odd game
Dusterboy (08:31.30 PM)
If you don't trip over your tongue. . . :)
Steven S. Long (08:31.45 PM)
I'm hoping CBY will be equally well-received; I put in a bunch of "teasers" and seeds for other villains, practically enough for a "Cosmic Enemies" supplement if sales warrant.
Robert Dwyer (08:33.01 PM)
Cosmic....Enemies?(Runs in terro at the very idea)
Shiva13 (08:33.07 PM)
Master Villains book. I honestly see too much front loaded baggage to use it. Each master villain comes with a lot of stuff. And I think because of it, it makes it really difficult for a GM to make those characters their own, without a lot of work.
Robert Dwyer (08:34.02 PM)
Really Shiva? I think it's a piece of cake...just alter the origins a little..
Steven S. Long (08:34.04 PM)
Robert -- well, there are already lots of villains in CBY itself, ranging from very minor guys to the second most expensive (and possibly the most powerful) villain we've ever published. Lots of baddies, esp. on the high end of the scale.
So don't venture out into space if you can't handle it!! :-)
Lord Liaden (08:34.39 PM)
Steve -- any "goodies" in the mix?
Gordon Feiner (08:34.40 PM)
I can hack it sarge
Dusterboy (08:34.51 PM)
"Cosmic Enemies" makes it sound like your going to be fighting Cthulhu and his crew. . . . I don't think there are enough CP in the universe for that
Steven S. Long (08:35.04 PM)
LL -- heroes, you mean? Well, there's a whole chapter on the Star*Guard, including a character sheet for Andre Almena.
Shiva13 (08:35.20 PM)
Villain Teams book. well a good 50% of it is all new material. Not to say that's a negative. But there are definitely things in it I wouldn't use, simply out of disinterest.
Steven S. Long (08:35.23 PM)
Dusterboy -- once we do CTHULHU HERO next year, you'll know *exactly* what it takes to fight Cthulhu. }:-)
Gordon Feiner (08:35.45 PM)
that's easy - you just need a boat. Squid Face is toast.
Robert Dwyer (08:35.47 PM)
Not sure I wanna know\
Steven S. Long (08:35.59 PM)
Shiva -- I'm sorry, but that's incorrect. There are two new teams from the MMO, the rest of it had all been published previously in 5E Champions supplements.
Lord Liaden (08:36.09 PM)
Steve -- sure, but also neutral entities who aren't necessarily opponents for the heroes. Plot devices, like the Galaxars.
Robert Dwyer (08:36.12 PM)
But morbid curiousity will make me look a nyways
Steven S. Long (08:36.37 PM)
LL -- oh sure. Three Galaxars get full character sheets, others are described. And then there's Xarriel, the Thanos/Darkseid manque. }:-)
Shiva13 (08:36.39 PM)
Steve: Which were the two new ones?
Steven S. Long (08:36.46 PM)
Shiva -- Red Winter and the Futurians.
Robert Dwyer (08:37.12 PM)
The galaxars seem a bit tougher than their inspoiration...they're closer in concepts to conceptual entitites like Marvel's Chaos and order
Lord Liaden (08:37.29 PM)
Steve -- any alien Empyreans?
Steven S. Long (08:37.38 PM)
Robert -- not sure about that, but it's not as if I'm copying. I don't care what the inspiration can do, I am trying to make it my own. :)
LL -- nope. There's a section on the Progenitors themselves though.
MSatran (08:38.18 PM)
Might want to be careful with the Futurians, Steve. There's an old comic book series by that name.
Robert Dwyer (08:38.23 PM)
A Thanos homage eh? hmm...
Shiva13 (08:38.23 PM)
Well Champions Beyond and Galactic Champions do interest me. Because I don't have any books that truly cover that piece of territory.
Lord Liaden (08:38.40 PM)
Steve -- do we at least find out what happened to the Ancient Empyreans?
Robert Dwyer (08:39.07 PM)
they're empyreans..they're probably still hanging out...playing chess or something
Steven S. Long (08:39.10 PM)
LL -- not tellin', you'll just have to buy the book. }:-)
Lord Liaden (08:39.28 PM)
Like there was any doubt I would. :-p
Robert Dwyer (08:39.36 PM)
yeah...cause clearly LL was "on the fence " about it lol
Dusterboy (08:39.44 PM)
Nahhh. . . Empyrean's think Go is for mental weaklings
Gordon Feiner (08:40.28 PM)
and of course, Index!
I should really do something about those...
Lord Liaden (08:40.43 PM)
One thing about the Futurians does distract me, though -- their optics. Not sure I'd want to trust guidance of the world to a better future, to guys calling themselves "The Fiend" and "Morticus."
Robert Dwyer (08:41.02 PM)
Not to sopund like a broken record..but Mythic Hero is still my most anticipated book
Steven S. Long (08:41.44 PM)
Robert -- mine too, in some ways. :)
Robert Dwyer (08:42.22 PM)
Not that I don't want the others..but definitely wanting to look at MH
Gordon Feiner (08:42.22 PM)
I love the infusion of life Cryptic has brought to the CU, I'm not particularly keen on their design sense.
Robert Dwyer (08:43.04 PM)
Well...luckily..in our own campaigns..we can change the numbers to whatever we want...so..not worried about it
names..whatever
Robert Dwyer (08:44.32 PM)
but yeah...guys who think of themselves as benevolent don't usually refer to themselves as " The Fiend"
Gordon Feiner (08:44.53 PM)
Well... I would. But... no wait, I'm not benevolent. nevermind
Robert Dwyer (08:44.53 PM)
Haven't seen them yet...but yeah...odd
Shiva13 (08:45.31 PM)
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the Grimoire and the Equipment Guide. Then I'll start tracking things down like Fantasy Hero.
Gordon Feiner (08:45.38 PM)
Steve, for APG2 are you taking brand new wholesale ideas and such? Or just suggestions on things people would like to see new rules for?
Steven S. Long (08:46.38 PM)
Gordon -- I'm not sure I understand your distinction between "new wholesale ideas" and "new rules."
Gordon Feiner (08:47.16 PM)
I mean just things like "I'd like to see new rules for X" or "Here's an idea I developed *idea dump* please use it!"
(I may also be too tired to explain what I'm thinking...)
Steven S. Long (08:48.18 PM)
Well, I'm not intending to take new material from anyone; I can handle things fine without any co-authors. But I'm always happy to hear ideas from fans. The WDYWTS threads are always helpful to some degree. :-)
Gordon Feiner (08:48.39 PM)
OK.
Robert Dwyer (08:49.56 PM)
well..just the books on the backlog will set me back 100 bucks...so...will probably be okay waiting a bit for the others to arrive
Lord Liaden (08:50.03 PM)
One market that'll never run dry is HERO System options -- system gearheads are a major component of the fanbase. :-)
Shiva13 (08:51.04 PM)
And sometimes, quite often, those gearheads are the bane of a GM's existance.
Gordon Feiner (08:51.06 PM)
I want to use ALL the Options!
Steven S. Long (08:51.19 PM)
LL -- that's the hope, certainly. The trick is coming up with enough good, useful options 'n' stuff to fill a book. No point publishing stuff so obscure or pedantic that no one will use it.
Gordon Feiner (08:51.25 PM)
I think it'd be amusing to try and use multiple mutually exclusive concepts in a single campaign. see what happens
Dusterboy (08:51.27 PM)
Oh My Gosh! There's not time in the Universe for that!
Robert Dwyer (08:51.54 PM)
Funny thing is..my players are not gearheads at all..they leave the mechanics all to me..they just tell me what they wanna do..which works for me
as I'm the only player with good knowledge of the system mechanics
Lord Liaden (08:53.01 PM)
I wish I'd been in fewer rules debates where "obscure" and "pedantic" were the gist.
Gordon Feiner (08:53.22 PM)
I don't really get into rules debates anymore, they seem silly.
Indiana Joe (08:53.25 PM)
Of course, there are also gearheads like me who try to adapt stuff simply to see if they can. :-)
Robert Dwyer (08:53.54 PM)
Nor do I..I just do what makes the most sense genera;;y
Gordon Feiner (08:54.18 PM)
I just like bending the system in new and odd ways. Teseract Hero.
Steven S. Long (08:54.21 PM)
OK, folx, I think it's time for me to head on out the door and go get some sleep. :-) Be here next week for more Hero hijinks! :-)