Thursday, January 10, 2013

[Q&A] Carsten Damm (Equinox)

Jan 10 12:58:07 <Dammi> Hi everyone! I'm Carsten Damm, one of the two founders of Vagrant Workshop/Pro-Indie. I've been Line Developer for Earthdawn Classic and Earthdawn Third Edition for a couple of years, and had my fingers in various other games (Fading Suns 3e among them).
Jan 10 12:58:17 <Dammi> At Vagrant Workshop and Pro-Indie, we're publishing smaller roleplaying games, supplements and settings. Our team is a group of independent game designers and artists, and our intention is to only publish books we love and believe in. The company based out of germany, but our team is international.
Jan 10 12:58:30 <Dammi> The main topic for today is our latest (beta) release, the Equinox Setting Guide. Some of my co-authors are also here and will likely chime in! Feel free to ask anything!<done>
Jan 10 12:58:35 <vytzka> welcome to #rpgnet, Dammi
Jan 10 12:58:42 <vytzka> I see you know the drill
Jan 10 12:58:49 <Dammi> ;-)
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Jan 10 12:58:58 <vytzka> Dan is not around somewhere so I will be the MC for now
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Jan 10 12:59:09 <Dammi> ah, thanks!
Jan 10 12:59:15 <vytzka> everyone, please continue your unrelated chatter in #rpgnet2
Jan 10 12:59:21 <vytzka> and let's get this started
Jan 10 12:59:29 <Dammi> hell yes!
Jan 10 12:59:50 <vytzka> so, Equinox
Jan 10 12:59:54 <vytzka> what's its deal
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Jan 10 13:00:32 <vytzka> could you sum it up in a few sentences for people who have never heard of it?
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Jan 10 13:02:02 <Dammi> sure thing. In a nutshell, Equinox is what I would call a "far future fantasy" setting. A mixture of space opera and fireball-slinging western magic.
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Jan 10 13:02:35 <Dammi> <done> (I guess?)
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Jan 10 13:03:06 <vytzka> so there are spaceships and stuff?
Jan 10 13:03:22 <kyin> hi !
Jan 10 13:03:27 <vytzka> hello kyin
Jan 10 13:03:30 <vytzka> welcome to the Q&A
Jan 10 13:03:34 <Dammi> Hi kyin!
Jan 10 13:03:53 <Yalborap> So, where would a fellow go if he wanted to give you all his money for something that awesome?
Jan 10 13:04:18 <Dammi> Yes, Mankind lives mostly in space, after a Great War has destroyed their homeworld and ravaged pretty much all of their colony planets.
Jan 10 13:06:15 <Dammi> The Equinox Setting Guide is currently available in a beta version from DrivethruRPG. You get the text as PDF, and in various formats for e-readers.
Jan 10 13:06:26 <Dammi> Is is okay to post links here?
Jan 10 13:06:29 <vytzka> yeah
Jan 10 13:06:31 <vytzka> help yourself
Jan 10 13:06:34 <vytzka> just keep them SFW
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Jan 10 13:07:06 <kyin> so I've got a question about dragons : where are they ??
Jan 10 13:07:13 <Dammi> Here's the product page, which gives you some more info, both on the book ans well as on the beta status: http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=46
Jan 10 13:08:29 <Dammi> Kyin: hidden. *smile* We haven't mentioned them in the core setting (which describes the Sol System and the Earth Belt), but that doesn't mean dragons don't exist.
Jan 10 13:08:53 <kyin> aha ! love this !!
Jan 10 13:09:07 <vytzka> so, this is a background-only book
Jan 10 13:09:22 <vytzka> do you plan to make some rules to go with it later, or do you have a preferred system you use with it
Jan 10 13:09:25 <Dammi> You can assume that they have taken huge losses when the demons invaded Earth and its colonies.
Jan 10 13:09:34 <vytzka> oh sorry you're not done yet *^_^*
Jan 10 13:09:37 <kyin> for now... and next, the match dice !!
Jan 10 13:10:15 <Dammi> <done> on the dragons. Rules answer coming up next.
Jan 10 13:10:29 <Dammi> We're currently working on a Savage Worlds ruleset and a FATE ruleset. The latter will be based on Fate Core. Our intention is to make the rules freely available to the public. The point here is that these are "just" rules, and everyone likes his own flavor of those. Making these available is kind of an acceptance test to see what people are more interested i
Jan 10 13:10:47 <Dammi> n, but we're also hoping to build a community.
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Jan 10 13:11:32 <vytzka> (hello egyptian, tnli, welcome to the Q&A)
Jan 10 13:12:01 <Dammi> Another rulesystem we are developing is our own Match System (find some info about it here: http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=17). However, development on that one is currently on the backburner for various reasons.
Jan 10 13:12:17 <Dammi> We'll pick that one up again later this year. >done>
Jan 10 13:12:24 <Murazor> hot damn; Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is awesome
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Jan 10 13:13:58 <vytzka> so, this is a fantasy in the future setting
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Jan 10 13:14:11 <vytzka> how much has it been influenced by your experience with and work on Earthdawn?
Jan 10 13:14:26 <Murazor> Has the Q&A started?
Jan 10 13:14:29 <vytzka> yes
Jan 10 13:14:49 <Murazor> sorry for the interruption
Jan 10 13:14:53 <kyin> you cannot say that "its just rules". the step system is not just another system, and Equinox need mechanics that fit the setting
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Jan 10 13:15:35 <vytzka> kyin, are you also one of the developers?
Jan 10 13:15:49 <kyin> no no
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Jan 10 13:16:17 * Moxiane has changed the topic to: #rpgnet Welcome, Carsten Damm! (Equinox) Q&A currently running || Q&A schedule: https://​tinyurl.com/​cvr8p9y || Q&A logs: http://gmshoe.blogspot.com/
Jan 10 13:16:22 <kyin> an earthdawn fan, and now an Equinox fan ^^
Jan 10 13:16:48 <vytzka> (hello TQuid, Gemini, welcome to the Q&A)
Jan 10 13:16:58 <TQuid> Hiya
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Jan 10 13:17:47 <Dammi> I'm not sure how to answer that. Earthdawn has been a love of mine for over a decade, long before I actually became Line Developer for it. There are many influences of course, but I would say that Equinox really stands on its own--which was always the intention.
Jan 10 13:18:24 <kyin> I tried to build some mechanics with a "generic", but it's tasteless
Jan 10 13:19:11 <Dammi> Both settings have very different goals and offer very different experiences. <done>
Jan 10 13:19:39 <kyin> maybe it's my experience with ED...
Jan 10 13:19:58 <Dammi> I suppose it is, kyin.
Jan 10 13:20:06 <Dammi> :-)
Jan 10 13:20:18 <simulacrum> dammi, what would be your favorite race in equinox and what makes them interesting to you
Jan 10 13:21:18 <Dammi> That's a tough one. Hang on.
Jan 10 13:22:17 <kyin> just a word about the race... illustrations will be just fine..
Jan 10 13:23:12 <Dammi> When designing the races, I wanted all of them to have an awesome feature or two. While there are stereotypes, I have avoided to use the common fantasy tropes and attempted to find something that makes the differ.
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Jan 10 13:24:10 <Dammi> Its hart for me to chose a favorite because they all represent something I like to have in a species.
Jan 10 13:24:28 <Dan> That you, Carsten?
Jan 10 13:24:39 <Dammi> If I have to chose, I would probably say: humans themselves. ;-) <done>
Jan 10 13:24:50 <Dammi> Hi Dan! Yes.
Jan 10 13:25:20 <Dammi> Is the Chat history visible to all who joined after the discussion started or should I repost my introduction?
Jan 10 13:25:32 <vytzka> Dammi, probably the latter
Jan 10 13:26:02 <Dammi> alright, restarting with introducing myself!
Jan 10 13:26:08 <Dammi> Hi everyone! I'm Carsten Damm, one of the two founders of Vagrant Workshop/Pro-Indie. I've been Line Developer for Earthdawn Classic and Earthdawn Third Edition for a couple of years, and had my fingers in various other games (Fading Suns 3e among them).
Jan 10 13:26:14 <Dammi> At Vagrant Workshop and Pro-Indie, we're publishing smaller roleplaying games, supplements and settings. Our team is a group of independent game designers and artists, and our intention is to only publish books we love and believe in. The company based out of germany, but our team is international.
Jan 10 13:26:21 <Dammi> The main topic for today is our latest (beta) release, the Equinox Setting Guide. Some of my co-authors are also here and will likely chime in! Feel free to ask anything!
Jan 10 13:26:24 <Dammi> <done>
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Jan 10 13:27:41 <Dan> (Just a sec. I'm going to log out and log back in via a program that logs the chat.)
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Jan 10 13:28:13 <kyin> have you planned a line of development (I mean, a planning for the issues)
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Jan 10 13:28:45 <Dan1> (Now I'm going to copy and paste that intro into the other window so I'll have it logged.)
Jan 10 13:28:55 <Dan> Dammi Hi everyone! I'm Carsten Damm, one of the two founders of Vagrant Workshop/Pro-Indie. I've been Line Developer for Earthdawn Classic and Earthdawn Third Edition for a couple of years, and had my fingers in various other games (Fading Suns 3e among them).
Jan 10 13:29:04 <Dan> Dammi At Vagrant Workshop and Pro-Indie, we're publishing smaller roleplaying games, supplements and settings. Our team is a group of independent game designers and artists, and our intention is to only publish books we love and believe in. The company based out of germany, but our team is international.
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Jan 10 13:29:13 <Dan> Dammi The main topic for today is our latest (beta) release, the Equinox Setting Guide. Some of my co-authors are also here and will likely chime in! Feel free to ask anything!
Jan 10 13:29:31 <Dan> (Okay, done, sorry!)
Jan 10 13:29:32 <Dammi> Thanks, Dan!
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Jan 10 13:29:52 <Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Grinder!)
Jan 10 13:30:07 <Dan> Okay, so! If you haven't already discussed this, what can you tell us about Equinox in general?
Jan 10 13:30:36 <Dammi> In a nutshell, Equinox is what I would call a "far future fantasy" setting. A mixture of space opera and fireball-slinging western magic.
Jan 10 13:30:53 <Dammi> Mankind lives mostly in space, after a Great War has destroyed their homeworld and ravaged pretty much all of their colony planets.
Jan 10 13:31:10 <Dammi> The Equinox Setting Guide is currently available in a beta version from DrivethruRPG. You get the text as PDF, and in various formats for e-readers.
Jan 10 13:31:24 <Dammi> Here's the product page, which gives you some more info, both on the book ans well as on the beta status: http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=46
Jan 10 13:32:21 <Dammi> <done> (for a very quick summary, please ask further questions for details!)
Jan 10 13:32:42 <Dan> (I'll pause a moment in case anyone else has any questions before continuing.)
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Jan 10 13:33:16 <Dammi> I think I missed one from Kyin before we restarted
Jan 10 13:33:17 <simulacrum> dammi, how does the game compare to rpgs like rogue trader, for example
Jan 10 13:33:33 <simulacrum> do the players have a spaceship or is the game play different
Jan 10 13:33:37 <Dan> I guess one thing that most people will wonder is what, if any, relationship Equinox will have to Earthdawn and Shadowrun.
Jan 10 13:33:45 <Dan> (And question pause there, please.)
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Jan 10 13:34:27 <Dammi> I haven't got much insight into the Rogue Trader game (I do have a copy in my collection, but that's it), but I do know the base concept and the Warhammer 40k Universe.
Jan 10 13:35:18 <Dammi> Equinox is much smaller in scope, and not as focused on war and fighting as the WH40k stuff.
Jan 10 13:36:15 <Dammi> Scope-wise, the main setting is the Sol System. A handful of colony systems is also described, but not in the same level of detail (we consider those sourcebook material).
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Jan 10 13:36:29 <kyin> and more "fun" (less grim daaark ;) )
Jan 10 13:37:23 <Dammi> I probably wouldn't say "fun", that seems to comical for me. The setting is gritty, but probably more suitable for drama.
Jan 10 13:38:24 <Dammi> The main characters are outcasts, people who are both trying to survive outside a galactic community and trying to find ways to fight that system.
Jan 10 13:38:54 <Dammi> Rebellion is a core theme of the setting.
Jan 10 13:38:57 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 13:39:05 <simulacrum> thank you
Jan 10 13:39:19 <Dammi> Dans question next, a moment please
Jan 10 13:40:01 <Dan> (Oh, and unless you just want to, you don't really need to give us a "(done)" until you're caught up with all outstanding questions. That just means that you're ready for more. :) )
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Jan 10 13:40:43 <Dan> (wb, Grinder!)
Jan 10 13:40:46 <Dammi> Ok. I think it's a good way to do exactly that.
Jan 10 13:41:16 <Dammi> As a setting, Equinox stands on its own. We originally had the intention to develop it as a sequel to Earthdawn and Shadowrun back when we were working under the RedBrick banner.
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Jan 10 13:43:13 <Dammi> If you know ED and SR, you know that both settings also stand on their own but share subtle links, allowing the reader to make connections if he wants to. It is a similar deal with Equinox, although we have toned down the most obvious links after we parted with redBrick and it became clear we would have no chance to get a license from FASA.
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Jan 10 13:44:16 <Dammi> Luckily enough, the setting has been developed with a lot more influences than those games.
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Jan 10 13:45:38 <Dammi> We cannot deny the development history of the game, but we are certain we aren't violating any IPs.
Jan 10 13:46:20 <Dammi> You can do a lot of stuff with the setting, which we think is a strong feature.<done>
Jan 10 13:46:39 <Dan> What is the tech level of the setting?
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Jan 10 13:48:42 <Dammi> Good question. Theoretically, there is no limit as to what you can do. Tech and magic (called Mystic Energy in the setting) have fused into Nethertech, allowing you to create extremely intelligent and unusual devices and weapons.
Jan 10 13:48:56 <Dan> (Welcome, Guest19! You can set your nick with the /nick command, if you like.)
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Jan 10 13:49:07 <Ithaeur> Good evening, people.
Jan 10 13:49:19 <Dan> (Howdy, Ith! Equinox Q&A in progress. :) )
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Jan 10 13:50:06 <Dan> So is there FTL travel?
Jan 10 13:50:30 <Dammi> However, given the core setting being focused on outcasts, the overall tech level is lower for those people--they scrape by outside galactic society.
Jan 10 13:50:59 <Dammi> FTL travel has become irrelevant in the setting.
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Jan 10 13:51:17 <Dan> (Welcome, Guest34!)
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Jan 10 13:52:41 <Dammi> The method to pass from one world to another is done via astral space. Some (not all) planets have astral space, and entering it allows you (or your hybrid ship) to open portals to other worlds also having access to astral space.
Jan 10 13:53:22 <Dan> (Whoops... I'm about to get called away again by work. vy, can you take back the helm?)
Jan 10 13:53:26 <Dammi> There are a few limits and dangers to that, but in general it takes away the need for a pure technological solution for FTL travel.
Jan 10 13:53:37 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 13:54:01 <Dan> What races are available to PCs, and on a possibly related note, are there aliens?
Jan 10 13:54:44 <Dammi> Technically, there are no "real" aliens in Equinox.
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Jan 10 13:56:13 <Dan> (wb, Lassekk, kyin!)
Jan 10 13:56:13 <kyin> back
Jan 10 13:56:23 <Lassekk> tyty
Jan 10 13:56:30 <Dammi> What you get are subspecies--all based off humans but emphasizing a few aspects. The subspecies are a fraction of a planet's population, and differ from planet to planet. Their outlook and features are basically an expression of the local mystic field.
Jan 10 13:57:04 <Dan> (Hmm... Anyone awake in here want to take over for me momentarily?)
Jan 10 13:58:15 <Dammi> We have a number of subspecies described in the Setting Guide, not sure if you want me to list them all with a short description?
Jan 10 13:58:32 <Dan> (Worse case, Carsten, you can hang around and continue to answer questions, and if things are too slow, I'll get you re-scheduled. Sorry about the minor chaos.)
Jan 10 13:58:48 <Dammi> No problem, Dan.
Jan 10 13:58:49 <Dan> That might be cool, Carsten.
Jan 10 13:59:21 <Guest34> Are all Vagrants mystics?
Jan 10 13:59:41 <Dammi> No, not all of them are.
Jan 10 14:00:13 <Dan> (You can set your name with the "/nick" command, Guest34. :) )
Jan 10 14:00:25 <Dammi> However, being a mystic is the prime reason for being cast out of the Consortium, which is why you find more mystics in Sol than elsewhere.
Jan 10 14:01:39 <Dammi> ...which is one of the reasons the main setting focuses on Sol--because player character in the RPG are supposed to be mystics and are supposed to deal with magic (and changing magic levels)!
Jan 10 14:01:55 <Dammi> <done>
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Jan 10 14:02:15 <Dan> (There you go. :) )
Jan 10 14:02:48 <Dan> Did you want to give some examples of the metahuman races, Carsten?
Jan 10 14:03:12 <simulacrum> yes please
Jan 10 14:03:18 <Dammi> Yes, I am looking at the Setting Guide right now to make a few picks.
Jan 10 14:03:26 <Dammi> hang on a minute!
Jan 10 14:03:28 <Dan> Oh, sorry -- didn't mean to rush you. :)
Jan 10 14:03:32 <Dammi> np
Jan 10 14:03:34 <JoeyJoe> What are sone of the cool powers mystics can have?
Jan 10 14:03:53 <JoeyJoe> Ups, sorry. :)
Jan 10 14:04:38 <Dammi> We actually have two excerpts from the book on subspecies on our website.
Jan 10 14:04:40 <Dammi> http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=27
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Jan 10 14:06:06 <Dammi> The problem I have here is that I don't actually have single-sentence description of them at hand. When designing the races, I wanted all of them to have an awesome feature or two. And while there are some stereotypes, I have avoided to use the common fantasy tropes and attempted to find something that makes the differ.
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Jan 10 14:07:18 <DrRaven> <waves> Greetings
Jan 10 14:07:21 <Dammi> I think that looking at these excerpts will show that these take a bit more effort to describe. I can't say "there's elves, dwarfs and orcs", which is (I think) good.
Jan 10 14:07:42 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 14:08:00 <Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, DrRaven!)
Jan 10 14:08:17 <Dammi> If I am not mistaken DrRaven is Jason Wallace, one of my co-authors.
Jan 10 14:08:23 <Dan> What's the state of the art of personal weaponry, ranged and melee?
Jan 10 14:08:30 <DrRaven> correct, sir! <salutes>
Jan 10 14:08:34 <Dan> Oh? Excellent. :)
Jan 10 14:09:38 <JoeyJoe> :like:
Jan 10 14:11:14 <Dammi> As with the technology question, there is no real limit. There are the basic types of weapons you can expect from a scifi setting (energy weapons like blasters, and other high tech bullet-sprayers^^), but the catch is that you can combine these with magical effects.
Jan 10 14:12:00 <Dammi> for example, riftbombs, that work like grenades, but open a temporary rift to another dimension.
Jan 10 14:12:27 <Dammi> portal guns (from the video game) are possible.
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Jan 10 14:12:58 <Dammi> rifles turning the target  into stone, or tether them to their shadows would work.
Jan 10 14:13:10 <Dan> Huh. Cool.
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Jan 10 14:13:30 <JoeyJoe> Light sabers?
Jan 10 14:13:37 <Dammi> there are a bunch of examples for these in the setting guide, but there is really no limit as to what you can do.
Jan 10 14:14:01 <DrRaven> My favorite on the melee end are netherblades which are handles that project mystical energy into fantastic shapes, like an axe or mace or you know just a boring sword ;)
Jan 10 14:14:29 <Dan> A comical giant mallet? :)
Jan 10 14:14:46 <Dammi> Lightsabers? Of course! ;-) We call them netherblades, and they can take all shapes and sizes.
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Jan 10 14:15:25 <JoeyJoe> Very cool!
Jan 10 14:15:41 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 14:15:44 <DrRaven> it won't so comical when it hit you ;), and I'd imagine more a wicked looking hammer smoking with astral energy, but yes
Jan 10 14:15:51 <Dan> What sorts of nonhuman creatures exist in the setting? I understand that there are no intelligent aliens, but is there any ET life at all?
Jan 10 14:16:42 <DrRaven> 6
Jan 10 14:16:42 <DrRaven> 3
Jan 10 14:16:50 <kyin> devils with planets size :D ??
Jan 10 14:17:10 <Dammi> Good one. There are all kinds of creatures, moth mundane and mystical (some of these would technically be alien to Earth). There are also spirits, and --ultimately-- being from astral space: demons and their spawn.
Jan 10 14:18:25 <Dammi> Oh, and in regards to subspecies, there is also a demonically altered one: the Shanrazi.
Jan 10 14:18:46 <JoeyJoe> Demons like the Horrors of ED? Do they exist in space too?
Jan 10 14:18:57 <Dammi> Used by the demons as a slave race to conquer the pysical realm. Now, afetr the Great Netherwar, the Shanrazi are just as homeless.
Jan 10 14:19:20 <Dan> So the Equinox universe is full of life, but all intelligent life is either human, human-related, or demonic/spiritual?
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Jan 10 14:20:13 <Dammi> Yes, these would be comparable. They can exist in space thanks to technological advancement: mystic field generators basically work like batteries allowing you to take a mystic fiel with you.
Jan 10 14:21:21 <Dammi> @Dan: yes, in regards to the known setting (which consists of Sol and some of the former colonies that survived the onslaught). There probably are real aliens, but they havenT' appeared yet.
Jan 10 14:21:45 <Dan> (Looks like I need to run pretty quick. Please continue as long as you like, and we can always schedule more time at a later date if needed.)
Jan 10 14:21:58 <Dammi> no problem!
Jan 10 14:22:02 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 14:22:15 <DrRaven> The Earth Belt might not be the only nexus world for example ;)
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Jan 10 14:23:09 <JoeyJoe> A Demon needs to stay close to a mana battery when in space?
Jan 10 14:23:56 <Dammi> Yes, indeed. That is a weakness, and what the Shanrazi race was created for.
Jan 10 14:24:03 <DrRaven> It would need to stay in a mystic field generated by a mystic field generator just like any astral being yes
Jan 10 14:24:49 <Dammi> They lure on the planets the conquered for the most part, although the setting assumes they also hide elsewhere, steering and ruling the Consortium from behind the curtains.
Jan 10 14:25:15 <Dammi> <done>
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Jan 10 14:27:50 <Dammi> Feel free to ask for more detail, I just interrupt after a few sentences to make sure I'm not rambling.^^
Jan 10 14:29:26 <kyin> and what about the future (sourcebook in mind ??)
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Jan 10 14:31:43 <Dammi> We have a few plans for sourcebooks, but the current development focus for us right now are rules. We have started development on an adventure book, however, which intends to give you all kinds of ideas on what stories you can run in the EX universe (as well as much inspiration for your own)
Jan 10 14:33:03 <Dammi> Us being a very small company, we simply cannot plan too far into the future without getting unrealistic.
Jan 10 14:33:57 <Dammi> There is a lot of ground we could cover in terms of running a full line of books, which we will do if the setting and game is accepted and builds a fansbase.
Jan 10 14:34:06 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 14:34:28 <DrRaven> Although we do dream and brainstorm big, so there are a lot of ideas about Equinox and various directions to expand the universe in
Jan 10 14:34:48 <DrRaven> it's just too early to commit to them yet as Dammi said
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Jan 10 14:37:02 <DrRaven> well, I unfortunately didn't have too much time today, and wish you all fairwell. Good luck Dammi!
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Jan 10 14:37:34 <Dammi> I think I missed a question about what powers a mystic is expected to wield.
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Jan 10 14:37:52 <Anaxim> 'lo
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Jan 10 14:39:26 <Dammi> The Setting Guide gives no hints about that, because the intention is you adapting your favorite rules system. The magic type is generally supposed to be of the "western fantasy" variety, so anything related to it would work.
Jan 10 14:39:34 <kyin> Dammi, yes you missed
Jan 10 14:40:23 <Anaxim> FATE Core?
Jan 10 14:40:28 <Dammi> You could theoretically use D&D or any other fantasy ruleset if you catered for some of the setting specifics.
Jan 10 14:40:43 <Dammi> if you want it quick and dirty.
Jan 10 14:40:58 <Dammi> Anaxim--yes, we are working on a Fate Core adaption.
Jan 10 14:41:31 <Dammi> (and also on a Savage Worlds adaption)
Jan 10 14:41:47 <Anaxim> Heh
Jan 10 14:41:56 <Dammi> Our intention is to make the rules freely available to the public. The point here is that these are "just" rules, and everyone likes his own flavor of those. Making these available is kind of an acceptance test to see what people are more interested in, but we're also hoping to build a community.
Jan 10 14:42:01 <kyin> which system did you try for the playtests ?
Jan 10 14:42:32 <Anaxim> Oh? Rules?
Jan 10 14:42:33 <Anaxim> Where?
Jan 10 14:42:38 * Anaxim likes reading rules
Jan 10 14:42:46 <Dammi> We ran an initial playtest way back when in 2008/2009 using Earthdawn's Step System.
Jan 10 14:43:57 <Dammi> Back in the day we decided, however, that it wasn't quite what we wanted. Some of the streamlining we did at the time went into Earthdawn's Third Edition, by the way.
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Jan 10 14:46:07 <Dammi> When the rules become available, everyone will be able to test and feedback them. A point of public availability is to allow people to tinker and adapt what fits their playstyle best. Hence the decision to adapt different rulesets covering different playstyles.
Jan 10 14:46:38 <Dammi> @Anaxim: not yet. but they will appear on  www.vagrantworkshop.com!
Jan 10 14:46:57 <Dammi> <done>
Jan 10 14:47:06 <Anaxim> Why does this website seem so familiar?
Jan 10 14:47:50 <Dammi> ...in terms of...?
Jan 10 14:48:03 <Anaxim> I'm sure I've been to this precise website... sometime.
Jan 10 14:48:21 <Anaxim> No idea when or why
Jan 10 14:48:32 <Dammi> heh. Well, we've been around under this banner for about a year now.
Jan 10 14:48:36 <Kaiu_Keiichi> hey yall
Jan 10 14:50:55 <Dammi> I'd formally close the Q&A for now because of the moderator's absence. Unless you have more questions right away, that is!
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Jan 10 14:52:21 <Dammi> You can always ask us in our site forums (http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=7), via eMail (info@pro-indie.com), or possibly in a continuation of this Q&A if Dan schedules another one.
Jan 10 14:52:39 <Dammi> Thanks to everyone who took the time to be here!
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Jan 10 14:53:13 <kyin> I just want to say good luck, and that EX will be an extraordinary RPG !
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Jan 10 14:53:44 <Dammi> If you haven'T already, visit the product webpage (http://www.vagrantworkshop.com/index.php?categoryid=12) and download the free preview!
Jan 10 14:53:56 <Dammi> You're welcome, kyin!
Jan 10 14:54:28 <kyin> and now, I get back to work :(
Jan 10 14:54:50 <kyin> good night (or day)
Jan 10 14:55:05 <Dammi> Goodbye! I'm off to sleep (being based out of germany)
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