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Wednesday, June 01, 2011

A SHORT PAUSE TO BRIEFLY REFLECT

STEVE COLE REFLECTS:

In three weeks, Steven Petrick and I be setting up the booth at Origins after having lunch with Jean. The months before Origins are always busy, and every week is twice as busy as the last one. This year, we had a very aggressive schedule, some of which didn't happen (and most of that was our fault). Despite the delay of four products (February's C3A came out in May, March's Federation Admiral is now scheduled for September, April's Star Fleet Marines is now set for August, June's Borak will be done when the designer isn't busy driving a destroyer around the ocean), we were determined to keep the other products on schedule.
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Five weeks to Origins, C3A and GURPS Federation had both been shipped out, and I looked at the situation with the staff and came up with a plan. Exactly halfway through that plan, it looks like it's going to work.
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First, we planned to finish Captain's Log #43. That is the traditional two-week "goal line charge" which we knew would be disrupted by the other products and other situations. This dragged a few days beyond the point we aimed for, but it's done except for the final proofreading reports and will ship to wholesalers on 13 June and to mail orders on 22 June.
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Starmada: Distant Armada is under control. Daniel Kast (known around here as the "only reliable game designer we know" and that encompasses both Steves) sent in the rules a few minutes ago, and it will take a day or so for the layout (depending on how many interruptions I have). At that point, we'll know how many pages are empty and send him a list of additional ships to pick from (probably LDR versions of Lyran ships). Doing them will take him two or three days. I think this whole project will be done within a week and allow the production people to print up a few books for Origins. (While we are gone, Leanna and Mike will print up the main print run for release after we get back.)
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F&E ISC War: This should not be a major issue. The counters and SIT are done, and all I have to do is take the files the staff has done, format them, read them over (not that I haven't read them several times over the last five years) and send them to Jean (who is threatening to resign rather than read documents written by the F&E staff). I cannot see any reason why we won't have this for Origins, but then, natural disasters and human accidents have delayed two or three products in the 35 years I have been in this business.
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Starship Aldo: This sixteen-page RPG adventure was finished a month ago, but cannot be released until Origins. We will have them on sale there.
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CAPTAIN'S LOG #17: Leanna recently recovered the original files for the only issue which is not in print, and said she would have copies for us to sell at Origins. She's now done, after Joel did the last bits of art.
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Federation Commander Transports Attacked: This was considered "the one that might get away" and now (with other things looking under control) it is being talked about as "the one with a 50% chance of making it to Origins." All we lack is the staff review of the Ship Cards (which they can easily do as they are no longer busy with Captain's Log #43), the Jean review (just not sure if she can manage that given the need for her to review ISC War), and the scenarios (which I moan about a lot, but which will take one whole day for me to do).
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So, to review, the "mighty ten" products for the first six months of this year include three that are done (C3A, GURPS FEDS, Starship Aldo), two that are as good as done (Captain's Log #43, Starmada Distant Armada), three that were delayed (Federation Admiral, Star Fleet Marines, Borak), one that lacks work but will be done by sheer force of will (ISC War), and one (Transports Attacked) that will get done (just maybe not for Origins). That, in addition to six copies of Communique and Hailing Frequencies, the first iPhone application, and updating most of Federation Commander to Revision Six.