All posts by Ed Jowett

Spread the Word – The Oracle

Are you ready to have an adventure of mythic proportions, vanquish demonic beasts with a one eyed stare down and capture the heart of a little town called Yarnolth?

The Lyres Kickstarter is out and funded! Now, it’s onward to those Stretch Goals. Don’t wait another minute, this is officially your chance to get in on all the fun. We’ve tested it and perfected it and we think you’re going to love this game of creative storytelling. Everyone who’s played it has been a huge fan and we can’t wait for more people to be a part of the experience.

So, other than a chance to get your very own copy, support an independent game design company, and be a part of making this dream come true… why should you back this game? For the rewards of course!

We have a variety of rewards to make choosing your pledge more fun. You can select from digital and physical copies of the rule book, a comic detailing the adventures of a famous group of Lyres, pre-made sessions, a hardcover copy of the rulebook, and combinations of all the above. You could even choose to have a session run by our very own Game Master and the creator of Lyres; Ed Jowett.

We’ve also got some Stretch goals we know you’re going to love. If we reach our goals then Travis Hill, the author of the Ability series of books, has agreed to join our writing team for a special story. Also, Dramascape will create a map of Yarnolth that will be delivered digitally with every rule book. This map will be in a style you’d expect a Lyre to carry, with plenty of helpful notes about where to be and where not to! These are both fabulous additions to the game and I’m excited to see how far we can get. There are so many reasons to support Lyres, I don’t have space for them all!!

So what are you waiting for? Grab your flagon of ale, gather your best mates and think up your most outlandish plan to save the Magistrates daughter from that collapsed gold mine.

Secure your place in history with Era: Lyres!

– A

Handing Out The Booty! – The Oracle

Get up and get ready to play Order of the Link! Have you checked your email? Digital copies of the rulebook will soon be sent out to all you fabulous backers who deserve one. When you get them, take some time to read the book, go over the rules and start planning your adventures today. While you’re at it, tell us what you think. We’d love to get your feedback!

For those of you waiting for the print copies, we’ve got a printed proof being sent over to Ed as I write this. He’s going to work his magic and make sure that everything looks perfect before mailing out copies. It’s been a fabulous journey working on this project with the game’s creator and we’re thrilled to have reached this point. We’ll keep you informed with updates on Kickstarter as well as this site through the whole process of delivering rewards. Thanks for making this game such a great success. You really helped make a lifelong dream come true!

Just a quick update on Marked for Death today. We’re expecting to roll out a Kickstarter for this game in June. It’s going to be your first chance to get your hands on this game so set a reminder on your calendar! Fans of the FATE system…this one’s for you. Be ready!

You may be asking yourself, “Oracle, I love everything I’ve seen about Marked for Death but I’m just not sure it’s going to be tough enough for my players…I mean, let’s be honest we’ve got an amazing team! Is this game going to be challenging?”

I can answer your question with a dramatically enthusiastic “Yes!” Yes it will be challenging and I’ll tell you why. Ed recently ran a gaming session with Marked for Death and… everyone… died. You heard me, everyone! I’m not saying they didn’t have fun. It was a great time had by all but this just goes to show how dangerous a game this can be. You’ll have to bring your best skills if you want to survive!

That’s about it for this week. All I can tell you about Frontier and Defend the Planet is that they’re “In the pipe, five by five.”

Until next week!

– A

Plan Achieved – The Oracle

Our comic, Counting Down From One, has reached its Kickstarter goal! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who spread the word and donated. This Consortium based comic is now fully supported but don’t worry you still have two weeks left to get in on all the fun rewards. We’ve got the whole 21 page story, sketches drawn by our artist, personalized stories created by our author, bundles that include the Consortium rulebook and much more!  As a reward for all your hard work I’ve got a color page from Part Two of the comic that I can show you. I’ve got my own ideas about what’s going to happen next in the story but I’m not telling!

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I’m going to take a minute now to let the folks waiting for the Full Rulebook know that we’re about 1/3 of the way through our new layout design and it’s looking truly amazing. This is our first game and we don’t want to give you something that looks half done. When it’s all completed we want this to be a book you can proudly show off to friends and family! Thank you for bearing with us through some of the stickier moments. We’re on the downhill side now and things are going well. Here’s an image of our finished layout. I think you’ll agree that it’s going to look fabulous!

Rulebook

I just have one last question for you today. Have you made plans yet to attend the MCM Comicon event in London May 22-24th? Along with visiting folks who worked in the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Doctor Who, you should stop in and play a game with us! We’ll be bringing all our favorite games, the Last Stand of Stiletto Unit session and Ed has even developed a brand new Consortium session. We can’t wait to get people playing!

See you next week!

– A

I’m late!

My post today is late for the first time ever (well, as far as I can remember)!

Why?

Era: Lyres Kickstarter. I’m currently working on spreading the word as far and wide as possible.

Because it isn’t every day you come up with something that people haven’t seen before!

Help us spread the word, you can make a difference just by sharing on Facebook or Twitter, or by telling your friends!

– Ed

A Day For New Things! – The Oracle

I’ve got good news on all fronts for you today. After only a slight delay, that troublesome courier dwarf was eventually found – and identified as Ronnie Bowfingers, a well-known member of the Lyres movement. I am happy to announce that Era: Lyres has made it to Kickstarter!!

The game that lets players create the action is ready and waiting for you. The last time I checked we were already closing in on half-way to funded so you’d best hustle if you want to catch any of those Early Bird rewards. I know you’re really going to enjoy what we’ve put together for you.

The reward tiers are filled with things like Digital, Physical and Hardcover copies of the rulebook as well as special sessions and a comic. Also, if you’re a fan of the author Travis Hill, then you’ll be excited to hear that he’s agreed to join our story writing team as one of our Stretch goals.

This game isn’t going to be something you set on the table and simply look at the pretty pictures. It’s going to turn your regular gaming sessions into something entirely new!

I have one more piece of Kickstarter news today. Counting Down From One is now fully funded! Thank you to everyone who supported this great indie comic from the Era: The Consortium universe. With your help this project is sure to be completed. For anyone who hasn’t taken a look at it yet, there’s still plenty of time to jump in and get a copy of this story and the rest of the series. The rewards are great and include copies of the entire 21 page comic as well as the first session of the Time Travel Campaign, Era: The Consortium rulebook and even a chance to get a custom sketch made by the artist. Perhaps a stunning sketch of yourself to hang over the fireplace?

Before I leave today I’ll send you off with one last nugget of good news. I was just told that we are in the process of signing with another game creator! “Collisions” is a near future game that will be using our own Era D10 rules set. Helping people create the games they’ve been dreaming of is really the lifeblood of what we do here and I’m thrilled to see more new titles coming your way!

See you next time!

– A

Era: Lyres Kicksarter is Up!

Hi everyone!

Now’s your chance to get involved with Era: Lyres – we already have several backers on our Kickstarter. Get in quick to grab Early Bird rewards!

If you’re still not sure, listen to the Dice and Stuff podcast – it has a great cross-section of the game. I, personally, can’t wait to hear more, they are definitely having fun and it’s awesome to hear!

I hope to see you all over at the Kickstarter, and thanks in advance for supporting us.

– Ed

Dice and Stuff Special Episode!

Hi everyone!

This week, Dice and Stuff have done a quick preview of Era: Lyres, our next Tabletop RPG.

Their adventure begins here!

This game is different to anything else we’ve played or produced, so check it out. I think you’ll like it.

If you really like it, keep an eye out – there will be more episodes and the Kickstarter will begin in around 3 weeks!

They’ll be back next week with Era: The Consortium, I’m sure!

– Ed

Never Trust a Lyre… – The Oracle

We sent our Kickstarter information to Yarnolth Keep via a courier agency – I was too busy to run it there myself! The lady in the tavern promised us top-notch service and we believed her.

However, both our Lyres Kickstarter and the courier seem to have gone missing!

The courier was last seen heading towards the Lucky Lady. He’s a stout Dwarf well-known in Yarnolth and was wearing a horned helmet when last seen.

If found, please send him back to “Knight-Commander Ed Jowett”, who’s hanging out at the Guard Post, taking a missing person report.

merchant-low-res

Thanks!

A note from Ed –
Apologies, all you Lyres fans! I am really sad to have to tell you that we have had to delay the start of our Era: Lyres Kickstarter campaign. We will be back on track as soon as possible – this game will be available soon.

– A

Through the Roof! – The Oracle

Order of the Link just wrapped up their Kickstarter with an amazing tally of THREE stretch goals achieved, a whopping 736% funded and scoring a Staff Pick Acknowledgement! There’s hitting it out of the park and then there’s what Order of the Link just did.

All this success is thanks to the support of great gaming fans like you all. Without your efforts this game and the many others we work together on would never get a chance to be played and enjoyed by its fans. Give yourselves a hand people, well done! For everyone who donated, supported, passed along the news and talked about us… Thank you. Your rewards will be worked on and sent out as soon as possible.

I’d like to end today with two pieces of art. The first is a draft of the cover image for Marked for Death. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again…If you’re going to be an assassin, be one that can throw a fireball! The second image is a scene from the Frontier universe. From the looks of things I’d say there’s going to be plenty of action! The more I see of it the more I like this game.

Marked For Death Cover Draft Low-Res

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Until next week!

– A

Milestone Episode and Kickstarter Update – The Oracle

Have you been following along with Claymore unit and all their mad crazy adventures? If so, then you already know that Adam and the crew at Dice & Stuff have reached their milestone 25th episode! It’s been a fabulous series and we’re thrilled to hear each release. For this latest episode we get to see how the team plans to interrogate their captive and I’ll let you know something…they’re plenty excited. Now that we’ve got an entire days worth of listening I suggest you set yourself up a Do Not Disturb notice and catch up on the whole series. As our marketing guru says, “Marathons are not just for Netflix!”

I have a few points of Consortium news today and the first is a quick update on our comic Kickstarter. Counting Down From One is over 85% funded! Thank you to everyone who already supported us, we couldn’t keep putting out great games and content if it weren’t for you guys. This is a great story with plenty of room for expansion and we can’t wait to get parts two and three finished. Stop by, take a look and spread the news. For the same price as a boxed lunch you can get a first run copy of this indie comic along with the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with supporting a great project.

While I’m talking about warm fuzzies, I also want to mention that we’re developing something that’s sure to get you excited for our MCM Comicon event in May. Ed and his development team are creating a brand new playable session! We’ll be bringing it along with the Last Stand of Stiletto Unit for anyone who wants to sit down and play a game with us. I wish I could tell you more but the details are still a mystery. Closer to the event I may be able to give out some hints so keep your eyes open.

My last news for today is that the final layout for the Full Consortium rulebook is being applied to all pages. Ed is pouring through them to make sure that they are each an individual work of art. I don’t have a date yet when this will be available but we don’t want to let this go until it’s absolutely perfect!

Enjoy your Saturday, get out there and get rolling!

– A

Still busy, always busy!

Hi everyone!

Well, we’re very busy, as usual…

Era: Lyres is about to become available – I am actually just putting the finishing touches to the Kickstarter video.

I’m working hard on the Order of the Link Kickstarter aftermath – we’ve already estimated the costs of sending all the rewards out and are beginning to get the digital versions ready for printing!

I’m working to complete Marked For Death and Frontier before too long – both fantastic games and I want to get them out to you guys as soon as possible!

And, of course, I am working to verify the Era: The Consortium layout as it is handed to me, piece by piece.

I’m beginning to think I work too hard, but you guys are worth it!

– Ed

Look at what we can do together! – The Oracle

Every day here at Shades of Vengeance we’re working on two, three and sometimes four different games at a time. Unless you’re Ed, and then it’s something like eight or twelve. We can sometimes get so caught up in all these wonderful games that we forget to slow down and take the time to appreciate what we’ve done. Well, here’s that moment.

We’ve just finished our Order of the Link Kickstarter in spectacular fashion, earning a coveted Staff Pick acknowledgment as well as achieving THREE stretch goals! Congratulations to everyone who supported us and to the team who made this dream a reality. If you’d like to see your game up in lights please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and see how we can help you find the same success.

To get this kind of success takes time and game developing is a challenging but rewarding field. Our newest team member is busy learning the ropes. Freddie will be researching and getting some basic education before tackling his first big job which will be our next Era game. Let’s wish him some good luck in his position and here’s hoping we have many more successful games!

Until next time!

– A

Are you ready? – The Oracle

Are you ready to play a game that will let you do almost anything, that keeps you on your toes and encourages hilarious problem solving? You won’t have to wait much longer! Things are pulling together for the Lyres Kickstarter which should be released within the next week or so. There’s been such great response from everyone who has already played this game and I absolutely can’t wait to see what you think of it.

I have one other exciting announcement for you this week. I was told recently that Dramascape will be creating a map for Lyres! This company creates amazing maps and they’re going to work up something really fun for us. What would a Lyres adventure be without a well marked map of all the best pubs, where to find the prettiest barmaids, and how best to avoid hungry guard dogs?  I’ll let you know all the details once I get more.

Until then, keep on rolling!

– A

Order of the Link: Only Hours Left! – The Oracle

By now you’re probably aware that we here at Shades of Vengeance are all about games; from game design, complex backstory, thoughtful art and engaging comics, to supporting the individual creative visions of developers. We strive to establish a relationship with each creator and build the world that they’ve envisioned.

So far we’ve helped to engineer futuristic worlds of adventure, deep space explorations, multi-genre spanning epics and so much more. Every game we’ve produced has been loved by fans and followed with excitement. Order of The Link is no exception!

In just a few short days fans have mustered together and pushed this game into its second Kickstarter goal and within sight of the third one. Congratulations!! Now everyone will benefit from having 20 pre-made characters and perhaps even more! I think it’s safe to say that with only 6 hours left before the finale this event is already a big success. If you still haven’t jumped in to get an early copy of this game you’d best do it now because your time is running short!

That’s about it for this weeks news. Ed is in the midst of writing the definitive history of Defend The Planet with the game’s creator. I’m hoping to pull some revealing game details out of him for next week.

Don’t forget to check our newest webpage, Frontier has its very own space and some fabulous pieces of art on the front page.

That’s it for now, until next week!

– A

Counting Down From One: The Rest of the Story – The Oracle

By now most of you have already read Counting Down From One – Part One. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on the beginning of a very influential story. Never fear; if you didn’t get in on this there is a special reward tier that includes everything on our Counting Down From One Kickstarter. This comic follows a team of time travellers who are sent back to assassinate a founding member of the Consortium. However, it seems as though someone already knows they’re coming. In the full length comic this Kickstarter would produce, we get a chance to tell the complete story of Brynne and her team.

The Kickstarter has only just begun and we’re moving towards getting the whole 21 page mission funded. The script is already written and we are having the pages sketched now! If you loved Part One definitely hop over and take a look at the rest of the series.

Comics are something we’re really proud of and we hope that you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy creating them! To check out a completed comics project head over to our store where you can get the Last Stand of Stiletto Unit. Let us know what you think in the comments!

 

It’s time to review our Era: The Consortium Kickstarter rewards. The tally is in and everything’s looking pretty good. So, what have we done so far?

Digital copy of Last Stand of Stiletto Unit – Sent!

Digital Primer – Sent!

Physical Primer – Mailed!

Time Travel Campaign Sessions – Complete!

Counting Down from One Part One – Sent!

We’ve got two more rewards to deliver and they’re just in the process of finishing development. Ed has been given a few options from the new layout artist of the full rulebook and is picking the best of the bunch to develop. The character creation app is also being worked on. I’m hoping that I can announce the finish of these sometime soon. We really can’t wait to get everything out to all those great Kickstarter backers!

The last thing I’ve got hidden away in my secret bag of mysteries and rumors is something really exciting. I don’t know much right now but word around the table has it that Dramascape might be creating a map based on the Last Stand of Stiletto Unit scenario. These folks create grid style generic maps as well as ones for specific games; like Savage Worlds. I’m crossing my fingers this happens and as soon as I know more I’ll throw it at you.

Until then…keeping rolling!

– A

Kickstarters everywhere!

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a week! Order of the Link’s Kickstarter has been made a Staff Pick out of the blue… and has hit its second Stretch Goal, at $2500. Still 53 hours to go if you haven’t backed it yet!

Our “comic division” has got Counting Down From One active on Kickstarter now, your chance to get parts 2 and 3 or the comic – and 1 if you missed the Consortium Kickstarter – and find out what happens to Brynne Abramo and her team when they try to assassinate Benjamin Hayden!

I’m working on the Era: Lyres Kickstarter, which you can expect to begin before long now, along with a Dice and Stuff Podcast of them playing it! This game is awesome fun, and the Beta testers are all loving it too! Here’s a little of their feedback:

“I like the rule set, I find that the skill and attribute system is fantastic for this scenario!”
“The idea of this game is phenomenal.”
“Pretending to go on adventures; more fun, less work, just as stressful! Lyres is the first game I’ve ever played of its kind, and provided a whole new take on ‘roleplaying’!”

So check it out when we link it here!

All in all, I’m really proud to see so many of our products, as well as those we have helped people with, becoming available to you guys; first via Kickstarter and we’re in talks with several retail locations as well! It really is my dream come true.

Beyond that, loads of work is going on – my “week off” this week has been more of a “week on”… I’d better get back to it!

Ed

A Fresh Face and Kickstarter Updates! – The Oracle

I’m going to jump into things today with a little ode to the Kickstarter in my top 5 reasons why it’s just plain fabulous.

Number Five– You don’t have to be a celebrity, famously wealthy or an expert in any field. All you need is a good idea.

Number Four– It allows new thoughts and inventions to spread like an unchecked grease fire… in a good way.

Number Three– A successfully funded Kickstarter is a way more interesting first date conversation starter than, say, a list of your favorite French cheeses.

Number Two– The rewards! Don’t even get me started. If Nikola Tesla had a Kickstarter campaign what do you think he would have given out? If you said ‘laser gun’ I totally agree with you.

Number One– Kickstarter is a place where dreamers can go to support each other, to achieve what they thought impossible and share with the world all their wonderful creations.

 

 

And now, without further ado…on to this week’s updates!

We’ve just been given the title of KICKSTARTER STAFF PICK!! I’m thrilled the staff chose Order of the Link, this is a great acknowledgement of all the hard work that went into this game! Now we’ll reach even more people who are going to want to play this game.

It’s such a great feeling to see a game come full circle from the creators who start with the ideas and are bursting with creativity to all the long hours that go into making that dream come alive. Once we send out the final product and it arrives in your hands the game will have gone through so many changes, upgrades and additions to become a smooth running experience. It’s truly remarkable to get to this point.

We’re coming around the corner on our last few days with Order of the Link’s campaign. So, pass this along to friends, co-workers, relatives and sympathetic strangers. We’ve already achieved one Stretch Goal and it’s still possible for us to make that second one. We’re inching closer!

In other Kickstarter news I’m happy to announce that our comic, Counting Down From One – Part One, has just been given its very own Kickstarter. Last week I mentioned how much the team enjoyed creating the comic and it’s because of this (and the fact that we love sharing comics) that we developed a second and third comic to finish off our story!

If you missed out on a chance to grab Part One during our Era: The Consortium Kickstarter, don’t worry, the reward tiers have options for those with and without Part One. Follow along as a group of time travelers are sent into the past to assassinate one of the founding members of the Consortium. Do you think they’ll succeed?

Pass along the Kickstarter and let everyone know that we’re ready to get working on Part Two and Part Three of the comic. The story has already been written, we just need to get it finished off with some great art. If you’d like a chance at changing history yourself, take a look at our time traveler campaigns on Patreon and in our store.

I’ve got two more quick things before I leave you today. First, we’re in talks with several comic and game shops both in the US and the UK to begin carrying Shades of Vengeance games! I don’t have specifics yet but keep your eyes peeled and you may just see us show up at a store near you.

Last but not least, I was just informed that we have filled our Game Developer position! Congratulations and welcome aboard. Though he’s only recently started with us we can tell that he’s filled with pluck, ambition and enthusiasm which we can not wait to start utilizing!

That’s it for now, until next time!

– A

Kickstarter Coming Soon – The Oracle

It’s official, you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on a copy of our newest game; Era: Lyres. Our Kickstarter is scheduled to begin on March 23rd. Mark the date on your calendar and start deciding which of your friends is the best Lyre!

If you caught my Saturday post for Era: The Consortium and its comic, Counting Down From One, then you’ll know how I feel about playing a game in a world that you get to help create. It’s one of the best things about role playing games! There’s nothing better than a comic about a game to give you a sense of the world and the emotions of characters who live in it. They’re a starting place for all that imagination and I’m thrilled to tell you that Ed’s decided to create one for Lyres.

The story will feature three particularly well known Lyres and is going to be a tale of how they met and their first adventure together. I’ve read a few pages of the draft and so far these guys are a hilarious match up who take turns making me laugh and cheer. This will be offered as a Kickstarter reward either alone or bundled with the rulebook. I’m really looking forward to this one!

See you next week!

– A

Last Week of Kickstarter and Frontier Artwork – The Oracle

We’re almost a week out from our Order of the Link Kickstarter finish and we couldn’t be more pleased with the turn out. It really has been great to see this game, with over 30 years of work and ideas, getting the attention it deserves. If you haven’t checked it out yet, set aside some time to do that today – we’re not far from the next Stretch Goal!

Sunday is a great time to kick back, laze around in your comfy clothes and check out what’s new. In addition to perusing the Kickstarter, you can also listen the results of our latest interview with RPGGamerDad. We sent him a copy of Amazing Space Adventures and he was really excited about it. Due to sound quality issues you won’t hear Ed talking but GamerDad goes over what was said and you can catch it on his March 2nd podcast.

In Game Development News I want to let you know that Marked For Death will be gearing up for a Kickstarter that will debut in just a few short months. You’ve heard some of the details, seen some of the art and soon you’ll have a chance to get this game in your hands! Everything about it is looking good and coming along just as planned. If you like FATE games but are looking for a bit more of a challenge with that system you should definitely check this one out.

We also have “Defend the Planet” just starting down its path of creation and so far we’re really impressed with it. It’s going to be a fantastic game and everything looks very encouraging. Right now Ed is working with the creator to write the game’s story. I’m imagining epic hovertank battles with bioroid commanders fighting side by side. What d’ya think Ed, am I close?

I have one more things for you to check out today while you’re brewing that second pot of coffee. Ed is working with the creator of Frontier to decide what he would like to say on the website but until that gets finished we have our first piece of Frontier artwork to help you get in the spirit of the game. Enjoy!

Frontier-female-pilot-websafe

Until next time!

– A

Counting Down From One – Part 2

Hi everyone!

Firstly, I want to say thank you for all the positive feedback we’ve had about Counting Down From One Part One in just a few short days – you guys have really enjoyed it! I’ve had a huge number of positive comments and an equally large number of people asking when they can get the next issue.

Because of your feedback, we’ve decided to give everyone the chance to get hold of this comic a lot earlier than we had intended.

After a few days’ hard work, we’ve just started another Kickstarter for just the comic. If you want to know what happens next to Brynne, Nurten, Arthur and the others, then hop on over – we’re 35 short days away from showing you!

Thanks once again for all your support – we couldn’t have got this far without you, and what you guys have said to us has made us realise how much you want to see the next installment!

– Ed

No More Waiting! – The Oracle

One of the things that I personally adore about RPGs is the ability to create a world from scratch. You get some lines of story, a jumping off point and then it’s all up to you as the player to fill in the gaps and make that world real. All the backstory that we put together as developers, writers and artists are little pieces to help that along. I’m happy to announce that one of those tools is officially ready to be released.

Counting Down From One – Part One, our second Consortium comic, is finished! It’s pressed, polished and looks fabulous. We can’t wait for you to see it. Ed sent the digital copies out on Thursday so I want every backer who should be getting a copy to make sure that you’ve got yours. Check it out and let us know what you think.

If you’ve already enjoyed reading it you’ll notice that the story has been left with some room for more. There was so much that we wanted to do here that we couldn’t fit it in just one episode. So that’s why we’ve decided to create not just a Part Two but also a Part Three of the comic! We know you’re going to fall in love with this story just like we did. I can guarantee there will be more action, more intrigue and more of everything you’ve come to love about the Consortium.

Before I leave today I want to let you know that we’re tangling with a few final layout issues for the Rulebook and the first round of edits to fix the bugs in the program have been sent in. I’m gonna cut this short because I know you all want to head out and read that comic. So get to it!

Happy Reading!

– A

Counting Down From One

Hi everyone!

So… busy week, but I’m glad for it – it means we’re doing stuff!

Counting Down From One – Part One has been distributed to Kickstarter backers, which is awesome, the first part of our full-length comic available to everyone… We’re planning to begin a Kickstarter for Parts 2 and 3 – because our dream is for a full-length comic, we’re going to offer all 21 pages. If you’re a Era: The Consortium backer, though, don’t worry, we’ll give you the full version for a reduced price – we’ve added a tier that offers Parts 2 and 3!

Era: Lyres has been taking up a lot of my time as well lately, with playtesting and proofreading. You can expect the Kickstarter to become available in the next couple of weeks, your chance to join the Lyres!

I shouldn’t say too much more, I’m spoilering Amy’s announcements! Have a great weekend and to everyone, new or with us from the start, thanks for your support. We couldn’t be here without you.

– Ed

More Chances to Come Play with Us! – The Oracle

One of our favourite things about this whole game designing business is getting a chance to sit down and run a game with folks who love to play. It warms our toes and makes all those long cold hours sitting in front of the computer worth it. Let’s be honest, there’s a reason why we all love to get around a table together. There’s a kind of magic that happens when people play an RPG that you just don’t get anywhere else.

That’s why we’re going to try like mad to attend as many conventions as possible this year. We want to see each and every one of you, play our games with more people than we can handle and bring this experience to loads of new players! At the end of the day, once all the words have been printed in the rulebook and the last piece of art is laid out, it’s the players who really make these games come to life. I don’t want to get too mushy, because Valentine’s Day is over, but seriously we want to see each and every one of you!

Our convention calendar this year will be starting out on May 22-24th with the MCM Comicon event in London. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to purchase tickets and find someone to water your garden. We’ve also been invited to Dragondaze in Wales and we’re seriously looking into attending. There are several other conventions around the UK that we’ve got our eyes on as well and I’ll get you details just as fast as I can catch them. You can keep up with where we’re going by following along in our news posts. Who knows, we just might show up at a town near you!

Aside from booking events, we’re busy morning, noon and night developing more games. Because of this new game influx we sent out a cry for help a few weeks ago and we’re thrilled with all the responses to the Game Developer position. Thank you for your interest! We’re looking through applications now but we’d love to see more.

Our Game Developers are the people who really bring dreams to life. They are the confidence boosters that a game creator needs in order to go from dreaming of an idea to getting it published and in the hands of eager players. You would get to use all your creativity, help someone achieve their dream and at the end of the project get full credit for the work that you do. Sound like fun? To be a part of our creative family please get in touch and feel free to spread the word about this great opportunity!

See you next week!

– A

Dice and Stuff Episode 23 – Scimitar Unit

Hi everyone!

Dice and stuff have released their next episode, and it’s definitely worth a listen.

In it, they introduce Scimitar Unit properly, including their resident… hair stylist? No, seriously. I’m not even kidding.

Scimitar Unit are great, and have a slightly… different… approach to Claymore, as you’ll find out.

Check out Dice and Stuff Episode 23 here!

Enjoy! I did.

– Ed

Onto the Layout Stage – The Oracle

Now that the art is finished and the stories are polished there’s only one thing left to do; layout design. Right now, Lyres is in the hands of our layout artist, Keith, getting some final tweaks. If everything goes as planned, I hope to get an example of a finished page for you to see very soon.

While you wait, head over to the stories available on the site and get familiar with the world of Yarnolth. Visit the Cozy Creature Inn and watch Geoff try to convince a bar full of colourful locals they’ve just been spared a gruesome death. Or, follow along at the Duke’s court as Randil and Adam do their best to maintain a professional atmosphere in their impressively rehearsed tale of the Cyclops King.

What will your story be?

– A

New Game Details – The Oracle

You might have heard that Shades of Vengeance has signed a contract with another game designer. I know that sounds crazy because we already have a million things happening right now but that’s just the way we like it.

“Defend the Planet!” as it’s being affectionately called, is a science fiction game with fun features. Along with most of the standard appliances of the sci-fi genre this game will also include hovertanks, bioroids and build on the FATE Core with some new ideas for vehicle combat mechanics. We’re just at the first stages with this one so I don’t know more than that right now but stay tuned.

I want to take a minute and give out a big thank you to all our Order of the Link Kickstarter backers. With your help this game has reached its first Stretch Goal; “More Magical”. Now everyone gets the benefit of having more spells in each school! Well done, you should give yourselves a big pat on the back or have your neighbor come over and do it for you.

If you don’t know much about Order of the Link, or even if you do but you’d like to know more, I suggest you catch John Serembe in his recently featured interviews. You can hear him on the Dice and Stuff podcast, Behind the Dice, and read a thorough Q & A on the gaming review site GMShoe. There is so much information out there it’ll keep you busy for hours.

The very last thing I want to do today is send you home with a bit of art news. We’re hoping to get some initial images finished soon for your first look at Frontier which will give you a better idea of what this expansive game is all about. In the meantime, I do have a new piece of Marked for Death art that you can enjoy:

picture 4-websafe

Ed has personally given this game a playtest with the game’s creator and will run a session with him before too long. Once he gives me feedback on how that goes I’ll pass it along to you.

If you like what we’re doing here and want to help design all these games you’re reading about then consider joining us; we’re currently looking for a Game Developer. Contact us through our site or email Ed directly – ed.jowett@era-games.com

Until next time!

– A