Lord Liaden
Sep 29th, '11, 06:03 PM
Steven S. Long (07:58.06 PM)
Good evening Herophiles!
Fellhard (07:58.20 PM)
Evening Steven
Gregory (07:58.29 PM)
Hi Steve!
Steven S. Long (07:58.44 PM)
Hope everyone's doing well tonight.
Indiana Joe (07:59.13 PM)
Hey Steve. Doing passably well.
Lord Liaden (07:59.18 PM)
Hi, Steve.
Gregory (07:59.19 PM)
Sir, Yes Sir!
Lord Liaden (07:59.55 PM)
Sorry, Archie, didn't mean to ignore you. Just getting dinner before the Long One showed up.
Steven S. Long (08:00.14 PM)
As usual, we'll give it a few minutes for latecomers to arrive. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:00.47 PM)
Hi, Steve.
Fellhard (08:01.13 PM)
is your construction work done Steven? no headache tonight?
Steven S. Long (08:01.52 PM)
The main part is done. There's still some painting to do... and carpet to install... and drapes to hang... and furniture to put in. But no construction noises and no headache.
In fact, I've been busy burning DVDs to the media server that's a part of the electronics package. All day long as I work, DVDs are being backed up to the server. ;)
Fellhard (08:02.26 PM)
kewl breeze
Steven S. Long (08:02.34 PM)
Got 110 movies and 4 TV series on there so far. :)
Lord Liaden (08:02.34 PM)
I thought Osiris would have logged in by now.
Steven S. Long (08:02.52 PM)
Osiris has been waylaid by a nap.
Lord Liaden (08:03.07 PM)
You haven't uploaded your data to the Cloud yet, Steve? ;)
Steven S. Long (08:03.33 PM)
Good lord, no. I want control over my own stuff, thankyewveddymuch. I don't want to keep it in some daggone "cloud." ;)
Lord Liaden (08:04.03 PM)
Yeah, I find the whole concept a little creepy.
Steven S. Long (08:04.26 PM)
Besides which, this server will hold 1,600 DVDs. Even my collection can't fill it... yet. ;)
Indiana Joe (08:04.33 PM)
I don't understand it either... and I actually have a chromebook (a gift).
Steven S. Long (08:04.37 PM)
OK, looks like it's time for... announcements!!
First, we've received the printer bluelines for THE ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II! Bill is checkin' 'em over and tweaking things, but the book should soon be ready to roll off the presses, as I understandi t.
Second, I am continuing to work hard on THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS! Earlier today I finished Chapter Five (the Empire); tomorrow I begin Chapter Six (GMing, dimensional campaigning, etc.).
So, by no later than this time next week (I expect/hope), BotE should be done and done! Then it's on to MYTHIC HERO. :D
Gregory (08:06.36 PM)
Anything in the Empress book that you really think is awesome?
Lord Liaden (08:07.02 PM)
Too bad some of V'han's time-dilation abilities didn't rub off on you. They'd come in handy.
Steven S. Long (08:07.49 PM)
Gregory, I think in general it's all awesome of course. But I think the Random Dimension Generator in Ch. 6 will be particularly fun for a lot of gamers, and I also like the discussion of the Multiverse (Ch. 4, you've seen much of it before but there's plenty of new stuff too).
LL, ain't that the truth! :)
Narf the Mouse (08:08.18 PM)
Yeah, but then you'd try to take over the world and that's just cliche.
Steven S. Long (08:08.28 PM)
I also kinda like Crusaders of the Infinite Realities, a sort of rebel/Robin Hood group opposed to her. Couldn't spend much time on it but I like the concept. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:09.00 PM)
You could have an alternate (or is it?) version of her being a member.
Steven S. Long (08:09.29 PM)
No, there are no alternate Istvatha V'hans. She is multiversally unique -- possibly the only such non-cosmic being in existence.
Lord Liaden (08:09.44 PM)
I don't know how most people feel about them, but I've always enjoyed Hero's "random X generators."
Steven S. Long (08:10.00 PM)
Hey, everyone loves random stuff generators! :)
Narf the Mouse (08:10.17 PM)
A random stuff generator generator!
Torch Wolf (08:10.34 PM)
I was generated that way, generations ago
Gregory (08:10.36 PM)
I'd like to know how a PC can be unique in game terms?
Lord Liaden (08:10.41 PM)
The Crusaders sound like prime HPA material some day.
Narf the Mouse (08:10.53 PM)
@Greg: Distinctive Features. :D
Steven S. Long (08:10.56 PM)
LL, that could very well be, if people like the idea. They'd make a good HPA.
Gregory, not in the official CU. Right now V'han is the only one. If a GM wants to allow a PC to be another one, he'll have to figure out the implications for his own self. ;)
Gregory (08:12.14 PM)
Maybe a short discussion of this in TIME TRAVEL HERO?
Torch Wolf (08:12.16 PM)
Crusaders of Infinite Realities sounds like an excellent idea for a very long campaign. Nice setup for Time Travel Hero too. :)
What Greg said. :)
Steven S. Long (08:12.53 PM)
Torch, it could definitely make for a good campaign framework, or good allies for PC heroes. It could intersect with TTH, but that wasn't on my mind when I created 'em.
TTH not being a setting book, I'm not going to delve into any setting-specific stuff (or at least not in my current thinking).
Lord Liaden (08:13.45 PM)
Steve, what's the time frame for completion of Mythic Hero?
Steven S. Long (08:14.11 PM)
LL, iirc we set aside a full two months for me to write it. I'm going to need at least that much, what with the copious research involved.
But it will be a helluva fun job, I do predict. ;)
Gregory (08:14.49 PM)
What specific Mythos will be covered?
Steven S. Long (08:15.20 PM)
Gregory, that's a veerrryy long list. Rather than try to type it all out here from memory, let me suggest that you hold on about a week until I do a WDYWTS thread, where I'll list '
'em all with comments.
Gregory (08:15.42 PM)
Cool :thumbup:
Torch Wolf (08:15.42 PM)
That'll be a nice read
Steven S. Long (08:15.48 PM)
Suffice it to say, all the ones you'd expect, plus a lot more you don't, including some you may not even know about! :)
There are going to be some pantheons in this book that AFAIK have never before been covered for gaming.
Lord Liaden (08:16.18 PM)
I didn't expect a WDYWTS thread for MH. It sounded like you could barely fit in what you already decided on.
Steven S. Long (08:16.54 PM)
LL, I probably can't. :) But there's no reason not to let the fans know what I have in mind and let 'em make suggestions. Some of 'em may have a good idea, or know of a source that I don't have (yet).
Torch Wolf (08:18.06 PM)
I guess no other game book would have that amount of possible source material
Lord Liaden (08:18.37 PM)
Now you've got me wondering, Steve; what do you recall as your most fun writing project(s) since you took over HG?
Steven S. Long (08:18.45 PM)
Well, there definitely is a lot of source material, that's for sure. When I do the WDYWTS thread I should take a picture of my mythology library to show people what I'm using for research. :)
Gregory (08:19.18 PM)
Think of using MYTHIC HERO as reference for a term paper! heh!!
Steven S. Long (08:19.29 PM)
LL, hmmm, that's a *damn* good question. 5E and 6E were both of course great fun. FH (both version) also a helluva lot of fun due to my love of Fantasy. Likewise PULP HERO and PAH, given my love of those genres.
Archie (08:19.46 PM)
FYI Internet acting goofy, someone will need to post the session
Steven S. Long (08:19.47 PM)
Gregory, that'd be fine by me. Not sure what the prof might think. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:19.57 PM)
Gregory -- I wouldn't try that with any prof over forty. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:20.09 PM)
HUDSON CITY was also a major labor of love, as I'm sure anyone reading it could tell.
Likewise THE ULTIMATE SKILL, one of those books I wanted to do so much I wrote about half of it in my spare time a year or so in advance.
So in short, I have really enjoyed writing a lot of books. ;)
But I expect MH will be every bit as much fun as all of those.
Here's how I can tell when I really enjoy a book: I get so wrapped up in work I lose track of time. I'll look up and three or four hours have passed in a blur.
Torch Wolf (08:23.22 PM)
Happens to me when I read some of the Hero books. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:23.29 PM)
For that matter, I sometimes find myself getting up early to work on a book like that.
Lord Liaden (08:24.26 PM)
I've done that a few times with special writing projects. I just can't get my mind away from it.
Steven S. Long (08:24.33 PM)
Exactly!
Torch Wolf (08:25.12 PM)
It's the "Favorite Project Zone" EDM effect
Narf the Mouse (08:25.40 PM)
...Torch Wolf? Long time no see!
Lord Liaden (08:25.46 PM)
What's next down the pike after MH?
Steven S. Long (08:26.30 PM)
Hmmm, after MH, it's TIME TRAVEL HERO, if memory serves. And then I think either THE MARTIAL WORLD or HERO SYSTEM VEHICLES.
Gregory (08:27.09 PM)
Any special surprises for either of these books?
Lord Liaden (08:27.31 PM)
You might want to look up Cryptic before starting on MARTIAL WORLD. They seem to have added a few odd details.
Steven S. Long (08:27.57 PM)
Gregory, not that I know of right now. Ask me again after I start outlining 'em. ;)
Archie (08:28.04 PM)
Like what, LL?
Steven S. Long (08:28.08 PM)
LL, I always ping Cryptic with the outline for any CU book to get their input.
Lord Liaden (08:28.47 PM)
Archie -- some Red Banner operatives in MC, and "Shamballah vampires" in Vibora.
I got a kick out of the Red Banner sorceror leader, "Hi-Pan".
Narf the Mouse (08:30.41 PM)
@LL: What's the joke, for those who don't speak Chinese?
Steven S. Long (08:31.22 PM)
It's a riff on Big Trouble In Little China: Hi Pan instead of Lo Pan. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:31.25 PM)
Narf: the main villain from the film Big Trouble in Little China, Lo-pan
Torch Wolf (08:32.42 PM)
I actually once met a guy who used Deities & Demigods as a reference, years ago. I suspect Mythic Hero will exceed that, to enable new such opportunites. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:32.53 PM)
And Lo Pan itself is the term for a Chinese magic charm designed to ward off demons. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:32.59 PM)
Ah. That's one of the films on the long list of "Stuff to watch, when I have time/money/in a movie-watching mood."
Thanks. :)
Steven S. Long (08:33.46 PM)
TW, it definitely will. Among other things I'm devoting more page space to explaining the settings/cosmologies of each mythos, and to what each god is like. (Or at least that's my intent, borne out so far by the work I've already done. ;) )
Lord Liaden (08:33.57 PM)
Torch Wolf -- all such people should be thoroughly sprayed with Wikipedia-repellent.
Steve, do you think those settings would be useful as a guide to Champs players who wanted to adventure in the CU's Imaginal Realms?
Steven S. Long (08:36.54 PM)
The various mythos cosmologies? Absolutely! That's definitely one way to use 'em; I'll mention that in the book (and in BotE, if I remember to).
All right folx, I think I'm going to knock off a bit early tonight -- I's tired and needs my sleep!
See you next Thursday!
Good evening Herophiles!
Fellhard (07:58.20 PM)
Evening Steven
Gregory (07:58.29 PM)
Hi Steve!
Steven S. Long (07:58.44 PM)
Hope everyone's doing well tonight.
Indiana Joe (07:59.13 PM)
Hey Steve. Doing passably well.
Lord Liaden (07:59.18 PM)
Hi, Steve.
Gregory (07:59.19 PM)
Sir, Yes Sir!
Lord Liaden (07:59.55 PM)
Sorry, Archie, didn't mean to ignore you. Just getting dinner before the Long One showed up.
Steven S. Long (08:00.14 PM)
As usual, we'll give it a few minutes for latecomers to arrive. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:00.47 PM)
Hi, Steve.
Fellhard (08:01.13 PM)
is your construction work done Steven? no headache tonight?
Steven S. Long (08:01.52 PM)
The main part is done. There's still some painting to do... and carpet to install... and drapes to hang... and furniture to put in. But no construction noises and no headache.
In fact, I've been busy burning DVDs to the media server that's a part of the electronics package. All day long as I work, DVDs are being backed up to the server. ;)
Fellhard (08:02.26 PM)
kewl breeze
Steven S. Long (08:02.34 PM)
Got 110 movies and 4 TV series on there so far. :)
Lord Liaden (08:02.34 PM)
I thought Osiris would have logged in by now.
Steven S. Long (08:02.52 PM)
Osiris has been waylaid by a nap.
Lord Liaden (08:03.07 PM)
You haven't uploaded your data to the Cloud yet, Steve? ;)
Steven S. Long (08:03.33 PM)
Good lord, no. I want control over my own stuff, thankyewveddymuch. I don't want to keep it in some daggone "cloud." ;)
Lord Liaden (08:04.03 PM)
Yeah, I find the whole concept a little creepy.
Steven S. Long (08:04.26 PM)
Besides which, this server will hold 1,600 DVDs. Even my collection can't fill it... yet. ;)
Indiana Joe (08:04.33 PM)
I don't understand it either... and I actually have a chromebook (a gift).
Steven S. Long (08:04.37 PM)
OK, looks like it's time for... announcements!!
First, we've received the printer bluelines for THE ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE II! Bill is checkin' 'em over and tweaking things, but the book should soon be ready to roll off the presses, as I understandi t.
Second, I am continuing to work hard on THE BOOK OF THE EMPRESS! Earlier today I finished Chapter Five (the Empire); tomorrow I begin Chapter Six (GMing, dimensional campaigning, etc.).
So, by no later than this time next week (I expect/hope), BotE should be done and done! Then it's on to MYTHIC HERO. :D
Gregory (08:06.36 PM)
Anything in the Empress book that you really think is awesome?
Lord Liaden (08:07.02 PM)
Too bad some of V'han's time-dilation abilities didn't rub off on you. They'd come in handy.
Steven S. Long (08:07.49 PM)
Gregory, I think in general it's all awesome of course. But I think the Random Dimension Generator in Ch. 6 will be particularly fun for a lot of gamers, and I also like the discussion of the Multiverse (Ch. 4, you've seen much of it before but there's plenty of new stuff too).
LL, ain't that the truth! :)
Narf the Mouse (08:08.18 PM)
Yeah, but then you'd try to take over the world and that's just cliche.
Steven S. Long (08:08.28 PM)
I also kinda like Crusaders of the Infinite Realities, a sort of rebel/Robin Hood group opposed to her. Couldn't spend much time on it but I like the concept. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:09.00 PM)
You could have an alternate (or is it?) version of her being a member.
Steven S. Long (08:09.29 PM)
No, there are no alternate Istvatha V'hans. She is multiversally unique -- possibly the only such non-cosmic being in existence.
Lord Liaden (08:09.44 PM)
I don't know how most people feel about them, but I've always enjoyed Hero's "random X generators."
Steven S. Long (08:10.00 PM)
Hey, everyone loves random stuff generators! :)
Narf the Mouse (08:10.17 PM)
A random stuff generator generator!
Torch Wolf (08:10.34 PM)
I was generated that way, generations ago
Gregory (08:10.36 PM)
I'd like to know how a PC can be unique in game terms?
Lord Liaden (08:10.41 PM)
The Crusaders sound like prime HPA material some day.
Narf the Mouse (08:10.53 PM)
@Greg: Distinctive Features. :D
Steven S. Long (08:10.56 PM)
LL, that could very well be, if people like the idea. They'd make a good HPA.
Gregory, not in the official CU. Right now V'han is the only one. If a GM wants to allow a PC to be another one, he'll have to figure out the implications for his own self. ;)
Gregory (08:12.14 PM)
Maybe a short discussion of this in TIME TRAVEL HERO?
Torch Wolf (08:12.16 PM)
Crusaders of Infinite Realities sounds like an excellent idea for a very long campaign. Nice setup for Time Travel Hero too. :)
What Greg said. :)
Steven S. Long (08:12.53 PM)
Torch, it could definitely make for a good campaign framework, or good allies for PC heroes. It could intersect with TTH, but that wasn't on my mind when I created 'em.
TTH not being a setting book, I'm not going to delve into any setting-specific stuff (or at least not in my current thinking).
Lord Liaden (08:13.45 PM)
Steve, what's the time frame for completion of Mythic Hero?
Steven S. Long (08:14.11 PM)
LL, iirc we set aside a full two months for me to write it. I'm going to need at least that much, what with the copious research involved.
But it will be a helluva fun job, I do predict. ;)
Gregory (08:14.49 PM)
What specific Mythos will be covered?
Steven S. Long (08:15.20 PM)
Gregory, that's a veerrryy long list. Rather than try to type it all out here from memory, let me suggest that you hold on about a week until I do a WDYWTS thread, where I'll list '
'em all with comments.
Gregory (08:15.42 PM)
Cool :thumbup:
Torch Wolf (08:15.42 PM)
That'll be a nice read
Steven S. Long (08:15.48 PM)
Suffice it to say, all the ones you'd expect, plus a lot more you don't, including some you may not even know about! :)
There are going to be some pantheons in this book that AFAIK have never before been covered for gaming.
Lord Liaden (08:16.18 PM)
I didn't expect a WDYWTS thread for MH. It sounded like you could barely fit in what you already decided on.
Steven S. Long (08:16.54 PM)
LL, I probably can't. :) But there's no reason not to let the fans know what I have in mind and let 'em make suggestions. Some of 'em may have a good idea, or know of a source that I don't have (yet).
Torch Wolf (08:18.06 PM)
I guess no other game book would have that amount of possible source material
Lord Liaden (08:18.37 PM)
Now you've got me wondering, Steve; what do you recall as your most fun writing project(s) since you took over HG?
Steven S. Long (08:18.45 PM)
Well, there definitely is a lot of source material, that's for sure. When I do the WDYWTS thread I should take a picture of my mythology library to show people what I'm using for research. :)
Gregory (08:19.18 PM)
Think of using MYTHIC HERO as reference for a term paper! heh!!
Steven S. Long (08:19.29 PM)
LL, hmmm, that's a *damn* good question. 5E and 6E were both of course great fun. FH (both version) also a helluva lot of fun due to my love of Fantasy. Likewise PULP HERO and PAH, given my love of those genres.
Archie (08:19.46 PM)
FYI Internet acting goofy, someone will need to post the session
Steven S. Long (08:19.47 PM)
Gregory, that'd be fine by me. Not sure what the prof might think. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:19.57 PM)
Gregory -- I wouldn't try that with any prof over forty. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:20.09 PM)
HUDSON CITY was also a major labor of love, as I'm sure anyone reading it could tell.
Likewise THE ULTIMATE SKILL, one of those books I wanted to do so much I wrote about half of it in my spare time a year or so in advance.
So in short, I have really enjoyed writing a lot of books. ;)
But I expect MH will be every bit as much fun as all of those.
Here's how I can tell when I really enjoy a book: I get so wrapped up in work I lose track of time. I'll look up and three or four hours have passed in a blur.
Torch Wolf (08:23.22 PM)
Happens to me when I read some of the Hero books. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:23.29 PM)
For that matter, I sometimes find myself getting up early to work on a book like that.
Lord Liaden (08:24.26 PM)
I've done that a few times with special writing projects. I just can't get my mind away from it.
Steven S. Long (08:24.33 PM)
Exactly!
Torch Wolf (08:25.12 PM)
It's the "Favorite Project Zone" EDM effect
Narf the Mouse (08:25.40 PM)
...Torch Wolf? Long time no see!
Lord Liaden (08:25.46 PM)
What's next down the pike after MH?
Steven S. Long (08:26.30 PM)
Hmmm, after MH, it's TIME TRAVEL HERO, if memory serves. And then I think either THE MARTIAL WORLD or HERO SYSTEM VEHICLES.
Gregory (08:27.09 PM)
Any special surprises for either of these books?
Lord Liaden (08:27.31 PM)
You might want to look up Cryptic before starting on MARTIAL WORLD. They seem to have added a few odd details.
Steven S. Long (08:27.57 PM)
Gregory, not that I know of right now. Ask me again after I start outlining 'em. ;)
Archie (08:28.04 PM)
Like what, LL?
Steven S. Long (08:28.08 PM)
LL, I always ping Cryptic with the outline for any CU book to get their input.
Lord Liaden (08:28.47 PM)
Archie -- some Red Banner operatives in MC, and "Shamballah vampires" in Vibora.
I got a kick out of the Red Banner sorceror leader, "Hi-Pan".
Narf the Mouse (08:30.41 PM)
@LL: What's the joke, for those who don't speak Chinese?
Steven S. Long (08:31.22 PM)
It's a riff on Big Trouble In Little China: Hi Pan instead of Lo Pan. ;)
Lord Liaden (08:31.25 PM)
Narf: the main villain from the film Big Trouble in Little China, Lo-pan
Torch Wolf (08:32.42 PM)
I actually once met a guy who used Deities & Demigods as a reference, years ago. I suspect Mythic Hero will exceed that, to enable new such opportunites. ;)
Steven S. Long (08:32.53 PM)
And Lo Pan itself is the term for a Chinese magic charm designed to ward off demons. ;)
Narf the Mouse (08:32.59 PM)
Ah. That's one of the films on the long list of "Stuff to watch, when I have time/money/in a movie-watching mood."
Thanks. :)
Steven S. Long (08:33.46 PM)
TW, it definitely will. Among other things I'm devoting more page space to explaining the settings/cosmologies of each mythos, and to what each god is like. (Or at least that's my intent, borne out so far by the work I've already done. ;) )
Lord Liaden (08:33.57 PM)
Torch Wolf -- all such people should be thoroughly sprayed with Wikipedia-repellent.
Steve, do you think those settings would be useful as a guide to Champs players who wanted to adventure in the CU's Imaginal Realms?
Steven S. Long (08:36.54 PM)
The various mythos cosmologies? Absolutely! That's definitely one way to use 'em; I'll mention that in the book (and in BotE, if I remember to).
All right folx, I think I'm going to knock off a bit early tonight -- I's tired and needs my sleep!
See you next Thursday!