[Q&A] Angus Abranson (Chronicle City)

[19:02] <+AngusA> Hi, I'm Angus Abranson and founder of Chronicle City, a new games company I set up after leaving Cubicle 7 at the end of last year.
[19:02] <+AngusA> Previously I founded Cubicle 7 back in 2003 with Dave Allsop (SLA Industries creator and also an amazing artist - having worked on lots of Magic The Gathering, D&D, Paizo, etc products)
[19:04] <~Dan> (Oh, and please give us a "(done)" when you're ready to move on. :) )
[19:04] <+AngusA> and eventually took the company fulltime in 2009 alongside Dominic McDowall-Thomas, with the financial backing of Rebellion. We went fulltime primarily due to having acquired the RPG licenses for Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings.
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[19:04] <+AngusA> Prior to that I worked at Leisure Games, a big games store in London (England) either part-time or fulltime since the mid-80's.
[19:05] <+AngusA> I also worked on a number of British RPG magazines in various capacities including assistant editor. The likes of Valkyrie (which we launched at Gen Con back in 1994), Roleplayer Independent and RPI.
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[19:06] <+PantheonPrez> I crashed out suddenly - sorry!
[19:06] <~Dan> (No problem!)
[19:06] <+AngusA> My first games company was formed with some friends back in the early 90's which published a set of Cyberpunk Miniature Skirmish rules called ;Dark Winter'. The company was called Network X and even though we sold about 2000 copies at the time it was a very small and unknown game so I'd be surprised if anyone here had heard of it (let alone had a copy).
[19:07] <+AngusA> The fact we sold 2000 back then and it was an 'unheard of game' says something about how sales figures have changed over the last 20 years.
[19:07] <+AngusA> (done)
[19:07] <+Snake_Eyes> is Dark Winter still available?
[19:08] <+AngusA> No, Dark Winter went out of print probably around 1995.
[19:08] <+Snake_Eyes> do you release any of your out of date products as pdf?
[19:08] <+AngusA> I've maybe seen 6 or so second hand copies floating around in the last 15 years. Of which I brought two as the sole copy I had was falling apart.
[19:09] <~Dan> What was the reason for leaving Cubicle 7? (Sorry if that's common knowledge.)
[19:09] <+AngusA> If we had a catalog of out of print products then we'd certainly look at releasing them in PDF - if we had the files.
[19:09] <+AngusA> With SLA Industries we actually paid for high quality electronic scans of the books so we could convert them to PDF.
[19:10] <+AngusA> Many of the original files had vanished over time (SLA journeyed from Nightfall Games to Wizards of the Coast to Hogshead Publishing, back to Nightfall then to Cubicle 7 and now back to Nightfall again)
[19:11] <+AngusA> The original files for the early books went walkabout at somepoint on their journey whcih caused issues in reprinting the books or making them available as PDF.
[19:11] <+AngusA> I sent a set of my own copies to a company that pulled them apart, scanned them, and then rebound my copies and sent them back to me along with the digitised versions.
[19:11] <+Snake_Eyes> ah okay, okay, sounds like youve done a lot over the decade, was just thinking it is nice to read old rpgs, esp skirmish rules for minis
[19:12] <+AngusA> Those versions are avaialble as PDFs now through Nightfall Games.
[19:12] <+Snake_Eyes> oh thx
[19:12] <+AngusA> Hardly anyone worked with PDF files back in the 90's so many older games are not in compatible formats, which does cause issues.
[19:12] <~Dan> That's a shame.
[19:13] <+AngusA> When RPGNow/DriveThru took on older companies such as Fantasy Games Unlimited they had to scan the books to create the PDFs from them.
[19:14] <+AngusA> In regards to Dark Winter, it was something I quite fancied polishing up, expanding and re-releasing but Network X was run by four of us and we all lost touch with one another so it was impossible to move forward without 100% consent from all involved.
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[19:14] <~Dan> (Howdy, JP!)
[19:14] <+AngusA> Plus I know one of the guys didn;t want anything to do with games any more and wanted to let the game be part of the past.
[19:14] <+Snake_Eyes> ah i see how that could be a problem
[19:14] <+JP> (Heya!)
[19:15] <~Dan> (JP: Q&A with Angus Abranson!)
[19:15] <+AngusA> There are a number of good games which probably won;t see the light of day again due to multi-person ownership and all parties having to agree on licensing/re-issues.
[19:15] <+Snake_Eyes> AngusA, what were the first games you played? and what started you writing rp?
[19:16] <+AngusA> It's one of the problems when you have multiple authors and shared ownership.
[19:16] <~Dan> Yeah. That's the situation with Nexus: the Infinite City, which was (IIRC) the first game Robin D. Laws co-wrote.
[19:16] <~Dan> But Jose Garcia, the other author, apparently vanished.
[19:16] <+AngusA> The first game I played was AD&D back in 1984. I'd just moved to America and my cousins played.
[19:17] <+Snake_Eyes> ^but any mechanisms are not copywrite, only the setting, right?
[19:17] <+AngusA> On my first day in the States they took me out shooting, on the second day they introduced me to AD&D.
[19:18] <+AngusA> I'd previously played a lot of the Fighting Fantasy (Choose Your Own Adventure style) books so took to AD&D straight away and loved it.
[19:18] <+AngusA> -Mechanics aren't copywritable but the way you word them is covered. So you'd have to explain them using different language.
[19:19] <+AngusA> Very easily done. Settings are obviously an issue.
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[19:19] <+SnakeEyes> (sry interwebz)
[19:19] <~Dan> (Did you see my Cubicle7 question earlier, Angus?)
[19:19] <+AngusA> Just scrolled up and saw it, thanks.
[19:20] <+AngusA> We never actually gave any reasons for my leaving the company.
[19:21] <~Dan> If that's a touchy issue, I understand.
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[19:21] <+AngusA> I think there were a number of reasons surrounding it so you wouldn't be able to pin a single reason down.
[19:22] * ~Dan nods
[19:22] <+AngusA> Musical differences is an oft used explanation ;)
[19:22] <~Dan> No problem. :)
[19:22] <+AngusA> Dom and myself are still friends and still talk regularly. He's supposed to be coming over for a games night at some point as we still live pretty close to each other.
[19:23] <+AngusA> So it was all very amicable. I've also not got a bad word for the guys who run Rebellion who own Cubicle 7.
[19:23] <~Dan> I know it's got to be hard to get a game published and have it be a success. How hard has it been becoming a successful game publisher?
[19:23] <~Dan> Good to hear, re: amicable. :)
[19:24] <+AngusA> I don;t think there is a set formula for being a successful publisher. There's also a lot of wiggle room in regards to what a successful publisher is. It will mean different things to different people.
[19:24] <+Midwoka> (Angus left the company due to their new policy of "stealing puppies and turning them into cigarettes")
[19:25] <~Dan> How do you even get started?
[19:25] <~Dan> (Heehee. Hi, Middy. :) )
[19:25] <+AngusA> Not losing money would be a good definition for some, making money to others, getting your books in front of people and have them play it to others.
[19:26] <~Dan> The industry being what it is, I personally would consider "being able to make a living at it" a big success.
[19:26] <+AngusA> I was in a conversation earlier where 'having a dedicated fanbase' was used as a success story - even if the company was selling very few copies.
[19:26] * ~Dan nods
[19:26] <+AngusA> It certainly means different things to different people.
[19:26] <~Dan> Sure.
[19:26] <+AngusA> Being able to make a living in the RPG industry is hard, but not impossible.
[19:26] <+SnakeEyes> do you use kickstarter or similar?
[19:26] <~Dan> Would it be safe to say that you're "living the dream"? :)
[19:27] <+AngusA> I'm sure pretty much everyone who works in the industry does it for the love as opposed to the riches and fame that comes with it.
[19:27] <~Dan> Sure.
[19:27] <+AngusA> I'd be very surprised if RPG fulltimers couldn;t be making more money doing a different job, and also have a lot more free time to boot.
[19:27] * ~Dan nods
[19:28] <~Dan> Doing what you love and making a living at it is exactly what I meant by "living the dream". :)
[19:28] <+AngusA> But it's a fantastic industry with fantastic people. It's very creative, and I think that draws a lot of people to it.
[19:28] <+AngusA> The creativity is addictive. You want more.
[19:29] <+AngusA> Being able to be part of a process that creates games that people will enjoy, play and create memories and friendships out of is fantastic.
[19:29] <+AngusA> I've always enjoyed working in jobs that people will have fun out of at the end of the day.
[19:29] <+AngusA> I used to DJ and the buzz came from seeing people dancing and having fun.
[19:29] <+AngusA> There was nothing really like it.
[19:30] <~Dan> So here's where I reveal the depth of my ignorance: How do you interact with the authors in a business sense?
[19:30] <~Dan> What's a "day at the office" for you?
[19:30] <+AngusA> I ran Dragonmeet for 12 years (a London based convention we started in 1999 which I ran up to last year) and walking around the show seeing people enjoying themselves made the sleepless nights and stress worth it.
[19:31] <+AngusA> A typical day at the office starts with a full intray and usually ends with an even bigger one after 8-16 of trying to clear it :p
[19:31] <+AngusA> 8-16 hours
[19:32] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[19:32] <+AngusA> Seriously though, a lot of the day is spent on doing admin work and also communicating with authors, companies, customers and brainstorming ideas.
[19:33] <+AngusA> Most of my time at the moment has been talking to the various companies I already work with to prep their print files, etc, and sort out release schedules.
[19:33] <~Dan> Do authors come to you asking to be published? Do you go looking for talent? Some of both?
[19:33] <+AngusA> Also talking to prospective new clients, and also to a number of companies about licenses.
[19:33] <+AngusA> Kickstarter has also been a fairly big thread in my intray at present too.
[19:34] <+AngusA> It's a bit of both. I do get quite a few companies contacting me about publishing but if I also contact some authors/companies myself.
[19:35] <+AngusA> If I come across a game that I like the look of, or that intrigues me, then I will contact the company if I can't see that they are in retail or distributor channels to see if there is any interest.
[19:35] <+AngusA> I get a lot more people/companies contacting me about their games which is great as I obviously can't see everything.
[19:36] <+AngusA> I love discovering new games and concepts.
[19:42] <~Dan> That has to be gratifying. :)
[19:42] <+AngusA> It was one of the things I most loved about working in retail. Seeing the new ideas and settings every new releases day.
[19:42] <+Silverlion> Is there anything you particularly look for?
[19:43] <+AngusA> It is certainly very nice to be contacted about games, and I'm always open to talk about the games and try and help even if it's not something we'll end up publishing through Chronicle City.
[19:43] <+AngusA> Primarily, for a new RPG, it's the ideas and setting.
[19:43] <+AngusA> It's very important for the concept to grab me.
[19:43] <+SnakeEyes> what rpg / board games do you play at the office?
[19:44] <+AngusA> We do a lot more board and card gaming at present than RPGing.
[19:44] <+AngusA> Recently we've been playtesting a lot of board and card game designs.
[19:45] <+AngusA> But for the 'in publications' board/card games we're big fans of games such as Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Setters, Takenoko, and the Eurostyle of game.
[19:45] <+AngusA> I also really enjoy the more involved games such as Civilisation and Diplomacy - but rarely get to play them due to the length of time and amount of people you really need.
[19:46] <+Silverlion> Do you think the quality of componants in  Eurogames can be useful for RPG's? (I.e Like Warhammer 3E?)
[19:46] <~Dan> (brb)
[19:46] <+AngusA> RPG-wise the one I've been playing the most this year is probably Airship Pirates which we co-published when I was at Cubicle 7 with Cakebread & Walton and Abney Park.
[19:47] <+AngusA> I also still manage to play a bit of Traveller every now and again.
[19:47] <+AngusA> I also playtested the new Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition at a convention over the summer - and loved the changes they've made.
[19:48] <+AngusA> Call of Cthulhu is probably my #1 favourite RPG - which was really why I started the Cthulhu Britannica line at C7 and also used BRP for The Laundry.
[19:48] <+AngusA> re: quality of components.
[19:48] <+SnakeEyes> what is the best single piece of advice to give an aspiring writer of rpgs?
[19:48] <~Dan> (back)
[19:49] <+AngusA> The components of Eurostyle boardgames are very good, but I think you would start blurring the lines between having a RPG or a character driven board game if you brought in too many components.
[19:50] <+Silverlion> Interesitngly said.
[19:50] <+AngusA> I think there is a good call for a RPG-like board game to act a bit like a stepping stone into the actual RPG hobby. A bit like the old Heroquest game that Milton Bradley released in the early 90's.
[19:51] <+AngusA> I was always amazed that Hasbro/WotC didn't release a new edition of Heroquest using a stripped down d20 rules set during the initial boom.
[19:51] <+Silverlion> That or "Dungeon!"
[19:51] <+SnakeEyes> i think there are some dnd board games^
[19:52] <+Silverlion> Now, put out through a second company, which likely means less money.
[19:52] <+AngusA> The ease of publishing adventures and expansions for the game would have been great and it would also act as a big time saver for DMs if they hadn't been able to prepare anything or as a quick gap-filler between games.
[19:52] <+Silverlion> What are you working on now?
[19:53] <+AngusA> You could ease new players in, as they would be more familiar with the board game concept, have the characters go through the first 3 or 4 levels and then introduce an 'Advanced' version in a book form that would allow them to create there own characters, adventrues, etc without level limitations. They could even play without the board!
[19:53] <+AngusA> Dungeon is coming back out through WotC later this year.
[19:53] <+AngusA> It has a great price point too so I think it should do very well./
[19:54] <+AngusA> A lot of my time is spent on assisting the various companies I'm working with but I am managing a bit of my own writing and development work.
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[19:54] <~Dan> (Howdy, CC!)
[19:55] <+AngusA> I'm also talking to a few companies about possible 'licenses' which takes a fair amount of planning for the pitches, etc.
[19:57] <~Dan> This may be an odd question, but to what extent to you see games you publish as "one of yours"? Granted, you aren't the author, but you're helping them see the light of day. Do you feel like a "proud poppa"?
[19:57] <+AngusA> Homegrown Chronicle City titles - or atleast the ones I can talk about, although they are in various states of development/writing - include Project Victoria (a Victorian era superpowered game), Genesis Descent (a cyberpunk techno-thriller) and a Pathfinder project I'm very eager to see get off the ground as soon as possible ;p
[19:57] <+AngusA> I also started writing out some notes for a new game which would definitely fall into the 'indie' category.
[19:58] <+AngusA> But I've no idea if that will go anywhere as yet.
[19:58] <+AngusA> Games that I help develop or do concept work on I definitely have a close relationship to.
[19:59] <~Dan> Project Victoria? How much will that resemble Kerebus Club?
[20:00] <+AngusA> The games we publish on behalf of other companies I'm certainly proud of and am very pleased when they get recognition. I'm first and foremost a gamer and want to see people playing games and being intorduced to new games.
[20:00] <+AngusA> Being able to be part of that process is great, and I love helping other companies reach a wider audience.
[20:01] <+AngusA> The backgrounds are very different between Kerberos Club and Project Victoria.
[20:01] <+AngusA> Project Victoria was actually one of the first games I started working on when I set up Cubicle 7 back around 2003.
[20:01] <~Dan> Oh, you're the author?
[20:02] <+AngusA> At the time I was worried it was going to be close to Victoriana - which another company called Heresy Gaming was about to release.
[20:03] <+AngusA> Yes, I started designing and writing Project Victoria and recruited some friends at the time to help (including Andrew Peregrine who ended up as the line developer and principle writer of Victoriana 2nd Edition after I brought Heresy Gaming in 2005).
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[20:03] <+AngusA> As it turned out Victoriana was a very different concept to Project Victoria, but when I brought Heresy Gaming we put Project Victoria on the back burner.
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[20:05] <+AngusA> I briefly looked at it again when we went fulltime with Cubicle 7 but we had a lot of games on our books that we were developing by then (Doctor Who, The One Ring, Laundry, Starblazer Adventures, etc) plus of course already had one Victorian era game in Victoriana 2nd Edition and were also working with Arc Dream who were going to release Kerberos Club.
[20:05] <+AngusA> So it was shelved again, and I unearthed it and started to dust in down earlier this year to review it again.
[20:06] <+AngusA> (done)
[20:06] <~Dan> Does it have its own system?
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[20:07] <+AngusA> When we first started working on it we were playing around with either using a unique system or the old FASERIP system that TSR's Marvel RPG from the 1980's used.
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[20:08] <+Silverlion> You should have used that :D
[20:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, Gemini!)
[20:08] <+Silverlion> :D
[20:08] <+AngusA> I even spoke to WotC about licensing the system (I think I ended up actually talking to Jeff Grubb!)
[20:08] <+AngusA> but WotC weren't interested in licensing any other system than d20 at the time.
[20:09] <+Gemini> What system?
[20:09] <+AngusA> Then Phil Reed later retro cloned the system to the Four Color System.
[20:09] <+AngusA> The old TSR Marvel FASERIP
[20:09] <+Silverlion> MSH/Faserip.
[20:10] <+Gemini> Ahhh, I don't know anything about it lol
[20:10] <+AngusA> I'm still considering using the system, or a very close variant of it, for Project Victoria but no firm decisions have been made.
[20:11] <~Dan> How gritty/gung-ho is the setting?
[20:11] <+AngusA> Project Victoria might not even happen, lots of things on and it is a pet project (which I need to find more time to dedicate too!)
[20:11] <+Silverlion> Someday I'll get my Fantasy/D&D/Police Procuderal/Swat game using a version of it mate...
[20:12] <+AngusA> The setting is fairly gritty. It's certainly not 'costumed heroes in a Victorian setting'.
[20:12] <~Dan> How would you describe it?
[20:12] <+AngusA> In a society that is very precious about class and social standing just because you may happen to have a super power does not mean that you're welcome in polite society.
[20:16] <+AngusA> You'd have to had been born in the upper class to be so.
[20:16] <+Silverlion> Kerberos Club did that as well. Might be interesting to see a game that busts the classism, through the setting "variation?
[20:16] <+Silverlion> Anyway, whats the high point--short elevator pitch version of what it will be aimed to do?
[20:17] <+AngusA> For most who developed powers, who were not of noble birth, the choice would pretty much boil down to either entering the employ of a gentleman (and thus be part of his entourage - but don;t expect to be able to drink in the same lounge at the 'club').
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[20:18] <+AngusA> or go into the employ of the local underworld boss - which is more likely if you were born in the street as they're the ones who would protect you against the establishment/coppers/etc
[20:19] <~Dan> Is this a "single-source" supers setting, or an "anything goes" one?
[20:19] <+Gemini> Why don't the super-commoners band against the noble class?
[20:20] <~Dan> (Question pause while Angus catches up. :) )
[20:21] <+AngusA> There is a background story as to why superpowers only started appearing in the mid-19th century
[20:21] <+AngusA> which ties into the Great Exhibition and Prince Albert.
[20:22] <+AngusA> There was a definite plan on Project Victoria being the first of three settings.
[20:22] <+AngusA> Each moving the world forward a number of decades.
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[20:22] <+AngusA> Each revealing more of the origin story.
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[20:23] <~Dan> So a pulp/Golden Age setting at some point?
[20:23] <+Silverlion> Hrms.
[20:23] <+Silverlion> I think I shall be inspired.
[20:23] <~Dan> Welcome, Guest21462! You can set a nick with the /nick command.
[20:23] <+AngusA> In answer to Gemini's question - the same reason why commoners didn't rise up against the noble classes in real life.
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[20:24] <~Dan> Ah. Got me again, Snake. :)
[20:24] <+Snake_Eyes> (sry Dan, interwebz again! grr)
[20:24] <+Gemini> hmm. ok
[20:24] <+Silverlion> I see what your getting at Gemini.
[20:24] <+AngusA> There are supers (I had called them Prometheans in the original text) amongst the middle and upper classes too - and they also have others of lower classes in their employ.
[20:24] <+Silverlion> So what would the future of this world look like?
[20:24] <+AngusA> There are also a number in the military.
[20:25] <+AngusA> In some places there will be unrest, but generally that is put down quite quickly.
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[20:25] <~Dan> Are there any "weird" aspects to the setting beyond the supers?
[20:26] <+AngusA> Also most of the 'commoner' Prometheans will be in the employ (willingly or otherwise) or local crime lords whom have their own agendas - which aren't usually political nor ones they particular want to draw attention of the 'establishment' to.
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[20:28] <+AngusA> The Prometheans are largely a British phenomena - not exclusively, but largely, due to the background events surrounding The Great Exhibition of 1851.
[20:29] <+AngusA> This obviously over balanced things in the favour of The Empire.
[20:30] <~Dan> Well, to be more specific, is there anything supernatural/sci-fi about the setting other than superhumans? Is there a lost world with dinos or bug-eyed Martians or vampires?
[20:30] <+AngusA> But certain countries, Prussia in particular, countered this with a number of major developments in technology - most notably in their military aspects.
[20:30] <+Silverlion> So the rest of the world will have to play catch u[
[20:30] <+AngusA> Prussia has flying fortresses (air battleships)
[20:30] <+AngusA> amongst other things.
[20:31] <+AngusA> NO vampires, or martians.
[20:31] <~Dan> But steampunk tech, it seems?
[20:31] <+AngusA> Who knows what resides in the heart of Africa or at the Northern/Southern poles.
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[20:32] <+AngusA> A lot of the world is still waiting to be explored in the 1870's which is where the game is largely set (Second generation Prometheans for the main)
[20:33] <+AngusA> There was certainly an element of 'steampunk' in some aspects of the game, although not as blatant as in many others. It was more industrial tech or super-science.
[20:34] <+AngusA> (done)
[20:34] <~Dan> What were the other games you mentioned of yours?
[20:35] <+AngusA> Genesis Descent, which was another title that was in development whilst I was at Cubicle 7 but suffered delays because of everything else that was happening there.
[20:36] <~Dan> What's it about?
[20:36] <+AngusA> It moved with me when I left and I've done a bit more work on it this year and am rebuilding the structures so I can pass it along to a team to help flesh it out and write it all up properly.
[20:37] <+AngusA> It's a dark future techno-thriller cyberpunk campaign.
[20:38] <+AngusA> Life on Earth in 2054 is tough for many. Climate change and natural disasters have not only torn many from their usual way of life, but have also prompted conflict over scarce resources such as water in some areas. Meanwhile, technology brings more and more comfort to the privileged. Political and civil unrest, as well as outright war in some areas, has seen
[20:38] <+AngusA> the geo-political landscape change. The empires of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are falling as new countries take advantage of the upheaval to assert their dominance. Amongst this turmoil, corporations have seized the initiative. In many areas, where governments don’t have the resources or stability to protect, treat or feed their citizens,
[20:39] <+AngusA> corporations are the sole providers of law and infrastructure. America may have been the first country to send a man to the Moon, but it was a corporation that sent the first man to Mars.
[20:39] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)
[20:39] <+AngusA> Genesis Descent has three levels of play: Street, Company and Agent. Allowing players and Gamemasters to tailor the type of campaign they wish to play. From the ghettos and organized crime of shattered Los Angeles or London, through the halls of corporate-controlled states and their near orbit control centres, to UNIS Agents working tirelessly to assist
[20:39] <+AngusA> governments and keep corporate power in check.  Genesis Descent is a dark, stark techno-thriller near-future setting where the world is falling apart as mankind reaches out to claim the stars…
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[20:42] <+AngusA> I wanted to create a dark futuristic setting that could possibly come true, with a few liberties taken for artistic effect.
[20:43] <~Dan> (back)
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[20:44] <~Dan> No "weird" aspects to that one, I take it? Straight cyberpunk?
[20:44] <+AngusA> Looking at current science trends, etc. It's actually pretty hard as science and technology is moving so quickly these days that the world of 2054 will be a very different place to the one we live in now - even though much of the landscape will be the same.
[20:44] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, TR!)
[20:45] <+AngusA> If you look round today we still have buildings from 50 years ago, we still have cars that would be easily identified by a 1960's citizen, but it's technology that has stormed ahead.
[20:45] <+AngusA> We've gone from computers being the size of rooms when I was a kid to iPads.
[20:46] <+AngusA> The last fifty years has changed so much of the world in so many ways.
[20:46] <~Dan> Absolutely.
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[20:46] <+AngusA> It's a balancing act of bringing those changes in to a game that is still familiar for todays players but also completely alien in other aspects.
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[20:47] <+AngusA> The thing is, with some of the scientific advances that could actually happen, we wouldn't actually believe them if we put them in a 'realistic' futuristic game.
[20:47] <+ReaperWolf> Hey all just jumped in to see how this thing works.
[20:47] <+AngusA> So we have to tailor the setting to fall in line a little to what 2012 man would still find believable without the game seeming too futuristic or silly.
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[20:48] <+AngusA> (done)
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[20:48] <~Dan> Welcome, ReaperWolf! Just doing a Q&A with Angus Abranson. #rpnet 2 is open for general chat. :)
[20:48] <~Dan> That's very true, Angus. I've often thought that the more "realistic" sci-fi movies like Aliens were actually way too conservative in their tech innovations.
[20:48] <~Dan> (#rpgnet2, rather, ReaperWolf)
[20:48] <+AngusA> I've been a subscriber to New Scientist magazine for over ten years now and love it as a resource for setting and fiction ideas.
[20:49] <+AngusA> A lot of the things that are in development, or being experimented with, would easily be thought of as fiction if you read them in a novel.
[20:49] <+AngusA> It's a fantastic source of ideas.
[20:49] <~Dan> Let's see... In the time we have left, is there anything else you'd like to cover, Angus? Anything we haven't brought up?
[20:49] <+AngusA> I probably don't understand a tenth of it, but it gets the gears in my brain churning and throwing up interesting ideas :p
[20:49] <~Dan> Heh. :)
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[20:50] <+AngusA> I'm happy. I was here to chat about whatever you guys fancied :)
[20:50] <+AngusA> Do you, or anyone else, have any quesions about anything?
[20:50] <+Snake_Eyes> what is your favorite dungeons and dragons module AngusA?
[20:50] <+AngusA> hmm.... that's tricky as I really liked a lot of the old classic ones.
[20:50] <+AngusA> Temple of Elemental Evil, the Giants and Slavelords series, etc.
[20:50] <+Snake_Eyes> :) groovy
[20:50] <+AngusA> I have actually played the original Ravenloft (I6?) a number of times - and in different systems/settings too.
[20:50] <+ReaperWolf> Maybe this was already covered but I joined late but what put DungeonSlayers on your radar?
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[20:51] <+AngusA> We even played Ravenloft using a super team and FASERIP - and were still defeated!
[20:51] <+Silverlion> I have played and run Ravenloft a dozen times.
[20:51] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[20:51] <+Snake_Eyes> i6 is ravenloft i10 is gryphon hill, correct
[20:51] <+Silverlion> I believe so.
[20:52] <+AngusA> I came across Dungeonslayers in 2010 I think when Uhrwerk Verlag published the German edition. I regularly attend Spiel in Essen, Germany, every year (Spiel is a massive games show which attracts @ 150,000 people!)
[20:52] <+AngusA> I knew Patric (the owner of Uhrwerk) and he gave me a copy of the game to have a look at.
[20:53] <+AngusA> Originally it was going to be translated and published by another company but when I started Chronicle City Patric asked if I wanted to do it, which I did :)
[20:54] <+AngusA> The PDF is completely free to download ((Link: http://www.dungeonslayers.com/?page_id=228)http://www.dungeonslayers.com/?page_id=228) to everyone and has gone down very well
[20:54] <+Snake_Eyes> ty for the link
[20:54] <+AngusA> Having the PDF available for free didn;t hurt the German sales, ehich have been very good, and I'm interested to see how the printed edition sells in English.
[20:55] <~Dan> I took a look at it, but something bugged me about the system... I think it was weapons adding to the attack roll, maybe?
[20:55] <+AngusA> Certainly having the core rules for both Eclipse Phase and Pathfinder available free online didn't harm either of those books, so fingers crossed.
[20:56] <~Dan> Huh. I didn't realize Pathfinder was free online.
[20:56] <+Snoof> The SRD is, I believe.
[20:57] <+AngusA> The German team are working on a post-apocalyptic version called Gammaslayers, but I don;t expect to see that (even in German) for a year or so.
[20:57] <+ReaperWolf> And if rumors are true StarSlayers sci fi too.
[20:57] <+AngusA> They do have a Gammaslayer Facebook page (all in German) : (Link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gammaslayers/228542307213487)http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gammaslayers/228542307213487
[20:57] <~Dan> Angus, you're free to hang out as long as you like, but before it gets any later, I'd just like to thank you for stopping by (and staying up so late!) to talk to us!
[20:58] <+AngusA> Thanks for having me.
[20:58] <~Dan> I'll get the log posted to my blog shortly and will send you a link when it's up.
[20:58] <+AngusA> If anyone wants to stay in touch Chronicle City is on Facebook at (Link: http://www.facebook.com/chroniclecity)http://www.facebook.com/chroniclecity