Shades of Black on paper?

**Lord Liaden** · Jan 27th, '04, 09:01 AM

This just occurred to me, and I hope you don't mind my asking: With the scaled-back plans for Star HERO supplements leaving some gaps in your publishing schedule, and you folks still deciding how to fill them, what are the chances that a hard-copy version of Shades of Black might be dropped into one of those gaps? It would be a shame to let this fine adventure languish unread by so many, and if the problem with sales really is due to the ebook format then printing it on paper may be more successful.

From what I've seen the design and editing phases of production for this book are virtually complete already. Unless I'm ignorant of an important stage in the production process there doesn't seem to be much left to invest in it beyond shipping it off to the printer.

FWIW I already have the .pdf, but I would definitely buy a professionally printed copy if it was available.

So, are you able to tell us whether this might happen?

**Monolith** · Jan 27th, '04, 09:13 AM

I know DOJ has stated they do not want to release shorter books, preferring 128 page minimums due to cost, but I would love to see SoB in print. It really is an excellent product; one that I think is being overlooked by many Hero players due to it being pdf. A couple of alternatives I could think of to bring this book to print would be:

A) Have Allen increase the module's size to 128 pages. By adding new material you will give incentive for people who have already purchased the pdf to purchase the printed book.

B) Make it a two-adventure module and have Allen complete the Engine Of Destruction idea that was originally mentioned before SoB was released. That would make the book around 180-190 pages.

I would love to see both of these ideas make it into print. Shades of Black is just too good to be unnoticed and EoD sounds like a really interesting idea.

**BobGreenwade** · Jan 27th, '04, 10:25 AM

Originally posted by Monolith
Make it a two-adventure module and have Allen complete the Engine Of Destruction idea that was originally mentioned before SoB was released. That would make the book around 180-190 pages.

I would love to see both of these ideas make it into print. Shades of Black is just too good to be unnoticed and EoD sounds like a really interesting idea.

I don't recall EoD. What details?

**keithcurtis** · Jan 27th, '04, 10:47 AM

Well, the maps used color and would need at least some re-working. I don't recall if there was any color spot art, but that's not as much of an issue. Also, the cover may not have been produced in a high-enough resolution for print. Also, DoJ would undoubtedly be flooded by people who bought the PDF asking for a discount on the paper product.
Of course, given the low number of people who bought it, that might not be so much of an issue.

I agree that it would be wonderful to see in print, though. It's a really solid adventure.

Keith "Allen Thomas Rocks" Curtis

**Monolith** · Jan 27th, '04, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by BobGreenwade
I don't recall EoD. What details?

Steve first mentioned EoD while we were doing the SoB playtests. Steve mentioned if SoB sold well that Allen might get the go-ahead to write EoD. This was before Allen became a DOJ employee.

I won't tell you what it is about because I don't want to ruin the suprise, assuming it ever does get written.

**Lord Liaden** · Jan 27th, '04, 11:39 AM

Originally posted by keithcurtis
Well, the maps used color and would need at least some re-working. I don't recall if there was any color spot art, but that's not as much of an issue. Also, the cover may not have been produced in a high-enough resolution for print. Also, DoJ would undoubtedly be flooded by people who bought the PDF asking for a discount on the paper product.
Of course, given the low number of people who bought it, that might not be so much of an issue.

I agree that it would be wonderful to see in print, though. It's a really solid adventure.

Keith "Allen Thomas Rocks" Curtis

D'oh! I forgot about the color maps.

I was thinking that this would be fairly easy to take from file to print, but of course you're right, the maps would doubtless require some technical modification to print in black-and-white, which I assume is still the HERO standard. And your other objections are probably valid as well.

Ah, well. Maybe it will appear as part of Champions Battlegrounds II, or another expanded volume as Monolith suggests. Although since I already have the .pdf it's no skin off my nose either way.

And yes, Allen Thomas does indeed Rock!

**Killer Shrike** · Jan 27th, '04, 01:01 PM

Dont be too quick to discount it. I think it would be a grand idea personally, and would buy a copy.

**allen** · Jan 27th, '04, 01:04 PM

thanks for the kind words everyone... glad you guys like SoB and hope you enjoy Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth too, coming soon to a store near you...

right now, i'm keeping my fingers crossed about getting the chance to write Engine Of Destruction.

**Killer Shrike** · Jan 27th, '04, 01:44 PM

"You keep writing them and we'll keep buying them (<font size=1>as long as they arent pdfs or Star HERO related apparantly

)</font>"

***Steve Long*** · Jan 27th, '04, 02:13 PM

We don't have any plans to release SOB in print format at this time. I won't say never, but at this point it's not something we're considering.

I'm sure we'll do EOD at some point, assuming scenarios continue to sell well enough to justify it. Not sure when that'll be, but we'll turn Allen loose on it eventually.

**Southern Cross** · Jan 27th, '04, 02:37 PM

Actually,if Shades of Black were a print product,I'd want to buy it.
Oh,and Steve,count me as another supporter of Shelley Mactyre's PRIMUS sourcebook being updated for 5th Edition and being produced as a standard sourcebook.

**BobGreenwade** · Jan 27th, '04, 04:43 PM

Originally posted by Southern Cross
Actually,if Shades of Black were a print product,I'd want to buy it.
Oh,and Steve,count me as another supporter of Shelley Mactyre's PRIMUS sourcebook being updated for 5th Edition and being produced as a standard sourcebook.

Ditto both of these.

In fact, I'm planning on buying SoB either way; when I buy it will depend somewhat on how quickly it comes out in print (if at all).

I'd also love to see a 5th Edition Super Agents, though I can understand why you at DOJ would be reluctant to add that to the schedule....

**Plucky** · Jan 27th, '04, 06:12 PM

Well, if you accumulate enough scenarios, wouldn't you do another Battleground-type thing?

Plucky

***Steve Long*** · Jan 28th, '04, 03:39 AM

We can't do a CB-type book with SOB or EOD; they're both too long. If you add a standard complement of art to SOB, it would be nearly as long as CB, for example, and it wouldn't be hard to round out the remaining pages with some additional information or the like.

**Lord Liaden** · Jan 28th, '04, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by Steve Long
We can't do a CB-type book with SOB or EOD; they're both too long. If you add a standard complement of art to SOB, it would be nearly as long as CB, for example, and it wouldn't be hard to round out the remaining pages with some additional information or the like.

So, it sounds as though Shades of Black could be made large enough to warrant printing without too much trouble. That's hopeful, at least.

If you wanted to fill up extra pages, Steve, I'd strongly suggest adding writeups for the characters who weren't statted out in the .pdf, which several people have complained of the lack of.