Rifts Books in development

[Dunia]

Is there a chance to know from KS/PB/Freelancers on who the authors are to the various books

[Shark_Force]

Is there a chance to know from KS/PB/Freelancers on who the authors are to the various books

a lot of them we know simply because they post on these boards. for example, we know that galactus kid (brandon aten i believe irl? could be wrong) is the author for sovietski. iirc, carl gleba has also mentioned one or more projects he's working on or will be working on or has been working on and has since handed in and is waiting to get through the pipeline.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

Is there a chance to know from KS/PB/Freelancers on who the authors are to the various books

a lot of them we know simply because they post on these boards. for example, we know that galactus kid (brandon aten i believe irl? could be wrong) is the author for sovietski. iirc, carl gleba has also mentioned one or more projects he's working on or will be working on or has been working on and has since handed in and is waiting to get through the pipeline.

russian glittlerboys,

[Jason Richards]

Wow both you and Shinitenshi accused for something I did not do....than did the thing you accused me of yourselves.

I used word like 'probably' and 'most'....this in no ways means since in my games Lazlo is important that it is for everyone. But both of your statements seem to say since we ignore it it is not important.

And also if they ever do produce a Lazlo book than all those GMs out there afraid to use it because it will be contradicted later will actualy start useing it.

Also I doubt any group goes to antiartica...yet we get that book.

Either come out with the damn Lazlo book or never ever do so and say so. I am fine with leaving it up to the GMs out there to come up with their own stuff...but I think Lazlo will be one of their best sellers. As moree groups preobably would get used out of it...than say book 3 of China or Antiarctica. In this economy I don't get how you can ignore such a money maker like that.

It is not about quality or 'interesting ideas' it is about what your consumers need. And sorry to say Rifts need Lazlo done up in a big way. We got the CS detailed highly enough...lets see the other side done up.

Calm down, man, nobody's looking for a fight. I just mused upon the fact that I've never felt the need for such information in my games. I certainly didn't accuse you of anything. This is just a guess, but I'd wager that most people want books that are quality and interesting, regardless of what they're about.

Clearly Lazlo and other such books are important, but this really isn't something worth getting in a twist over.

[Dunia]

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy
Rifts® Northern Gun
Rifts® Sovietski
Rifts® Titan Industries
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

I have read what you all have said on this thread and I have read my own post over and over again, and came to the conclusion that the reason why most people are so agitated by certain titles is the fact that they now next to nothing about them, and when we get info from KS/PB its usually the following:

Kevin Siembieda is completely rewriting, reorganizing, and expanding one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. Updated to 109 P.A., there is so much new material and even original material has been rewritten, that it is practically a brand new book. Yet it also preserves most of the original characters, concepts and information. The new material is built upon the original text, only it has been rewritten, clarified and expanded almost completely and in a much more dramatic fashion than Kevin’s work in Rifts® Sourcebook One a few years ago. Best of all, it will be quickly followed by the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™.

•The Vampire Hunter O.C.C., all new.
•Vampires: Their strengths, weaknesses and powers.
•Vampire strategies and plans for conquest.
•Vampire minions and protectors.
•The Hero Vampire and Deluded Vampire O.C.C.s.
•The Vampire Kingdoms expanded.
•Techno-Wizard vampire slaying weapons and devices, new and old.
•Travel through the Vampire Kingdoms and surrounding areas.
•Desert survival rules and guidelines.
•The observations of Doc Reid.
•The presence of Archie Three.
•Camazotz, Lord of Bats and Darkness – his plans for conquest of the Vampire Kingdoms and humanity.
•Ciudad Juarez mapped and described. A typical village and other places also described.
•The Yucatan Peninsula, and adventure ideas galore.
•Were-Jaguars and other Were-Beasts of the Yucatan.
•Updated and revised to 109 P.A., plus Archie Three and more.
•Cover by E.M. Gist.
•New artwork by Mike Wilson, Kent Burles, Mike Mumah and Nick Bradshaw, plus the best of Kevin Long and Tim Truman from the original book.
•Written by Kevin Siembieda.
•192 to 224 pages – Cat. No. 802-E.

It does infact say very little, about the book, and it is just a copy/paste from the backside of the book, which is another reason why I do not buy RIFTS books, with the prices that the books cost, I do not wish to be disappointed and think that I have wasted $25+. In order for me to be intrigued enough to buy the book, I would like to read a review of said book,something that intrigues me to wantto buy it, as it is now. with some new vampire hunter OOC, NEMA stuff and so on, it is nothing i cant imagine myself from having read the first version of this world book. I mean, apart from the few OOCs what differs this book from Vampire Sourcebook?

This is not a rant, just an explanation why I seem so anti-PB/KS as i might do. And I guess that is also why people rant about certain books, I mean, I can come up with hundreds of cool thoughts for what might be in Rifts: Antartica but i do not want to buy it until i find people who can actually tell me if it is worth the $25 that it costs. Its not that I do not have the money, but I rather spend it on other things than buy a book that I will necver use.

I do hope alot on these books, but after reading a few of those that PB actually published, I feel wary with PB. I would like to buy all books for the NA setting in Rifts and maybe SA 1 & 2, but some of the books published have been so bad that when I borrowed them from the library/friends I was so happy that it was not me that had wasted the money.Then agan, some books like Shemarrian Nation, i loved so much that I can read and re-read it alot and it is because of that book that I actually do play RIFTS still.

[Sureshot]

As far as Im concerned until Lazlo, Chi-town and northern Gun are produced I will continue to say that North America still needs to be developed more. Dont get me wrong its not like NA has not seen support it can use more. Im sorry beyond a small handful of people most in my experiecne use NA as a starting point. Its easier to reference, imagine and find information for. And Markof when we mention being unhappy about books and proirity I can tell you its not becuase we assume the buys will be released in a certain order. We are unhappy about books that no one has really asked for and imo not needed being released before books that are needed and should have seen the light of day. While I respect the facts that bnothers are mor than happy with the latest release schedule have the same respect to accpet that some like moyself are unhappy with the books on the release schedule.

[The Galactus Kid]

russian glittlerboys,

HA. No.

atlantis 1 book

There are 2 books on Atlantis. Also, many areas on the list are being expanded.

In order for me to be intrigued enough to buy the book, I would like to read a review of said book,something that intrigues me to wantto buy it, as it is now. with some new vampire hunter OOC, NEMA stuff and so on, it is nothing i cant imagine myself from having read the first version of this world book...I mean, I can come up with hundreds of cool thoughts for what might be in Rifts: Antartica but i do not want to buy it until i find people who can actually tell me if it is worth the $25 that it costs. Its not that I do not have the money, but I rather spend it on other things than buy a book that I will necver use.

I don't blame you. In this day and age with many things competeing for peoples expendable income, it is difficult for anyone to just go out and buy whatever they want, whenever they want. I want to make sure something is good before I buy it too. Its one of the things that guides how I write. I want to make sure that the information in books is something that I as a player and a GM would want to see. Of course, I'm not going to please everyone all the time, but I just wanted to let you know that I agree with you about being cautious with what you spend your money on.

[Dunia]

In order for me to be intrigued enough to buy the book, I would like to read a review of said book,something that intrigues me to want to buy it, as it is now. with some new vampire hunter OOC, NEMA stuff and so on, it is nothing i cant imagine myself from having read the first version of this world book...I mean, I can come up with hundreds of cool thoughts for what might be in Rifts: Antartica but i do not want to buy it until i find people who can actually tell me if it is worth the $25 that it costs. Its not that I do not have the money, but I rather spend it on other things than buy a book that I will necver use.

I don't blame you. In this day and age with many things competeing for peoples expendable income, it is difficult for anyone to just go out and buy whatever they want, whenever they want. I want to make sure something is good before I buy it too. Its one of the things that guides how I write. I want to make sure that the information in books is something that I as a player and a GM would want to see. Of course, I'm not going to please everyone all the time, but I just wanted to let you know that I agree with you about being cautious with what you spend your money on.

What I mean, I would love that instead of just posting the stuff I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I would be happy if it could be expanded more than just a bunch of one-liners. It does not intrigue me the least to buy a book, when all I get on the info here/back page of books is a bunch of one-liners. I will quote from a book to the old Traveller - the New Era RPG, this is a good idea on what I mean with review of the books:

Path of Tears

Where were all the others? All the people who'd taught me, watched over me, helped me live this long? Some were still alive, still whole, but not enough of them. Not Nearly enough. On over a dozen worlds I'd left behind friends and pieces of friends until it was my turn to stand up and give the toast, because there wasn't anybody else here who'd lasted this long. ''If you live long enough'' I remebered someone saying ''you lose everything'' I raised the chipped white Navy coffee mug. ''To Absent friends''

In what once a neglected backwater of the Thirtd Imperium, a dozen small words have banded together to make a new beginning. With a motley collection of patched up antique starships and a handful of marines and commandos they have set out to reconquer an empire and rebuild interstellar civilization. Their struggle will pit them repeatedly against seemingly hopeöess odds, nd every step forward along the road to their final goal will be purchased with their blood. For the men and women of the Reformation Coalition, the road ahead to a new and better future is a Path of Tears.

Path of Tears: The Star Viking Sourcebook, establishes the standard for campaign backgrounds in Traveller: The New Era. Space may be indefinatly large, containing a billion of habitable worlds, but each of those worlds are unique and home to innumberable potential adventures. Space is not interesting becuase it contains thousands of cookie-cutter planets; space is fascinating because it contains thousands of multifacetted worlds. Because of this philosophy, Path of Tears and following New Era Campaign support material will provide an effectivly inexhaustible adventure resource.

Here is a sample of the books features:
The Reformation Coalition (RC) (The Star Vikings): A History of the RC from the Colapse of the Empire to the present, its organization, government, combat forces, customs, and internal problems. Essays on the personalities and attitudes of the major member worlds adds to the players abilities to visualize and roleplay their characters, as well as helping the GM to run Coalition NPCs. The Schalli, an intelligent aquatic race from the worlds of Schall and Aubaine, are introduced , along with the information to run them as NPCs or Player Characters. Coalition types of Operations, tactical doctrine, and organization and strength of military forces are all covered.
The AO (Area of Operations): Six subsectors from Diaspora and Old Expanses sectors of the Last IMperium are mapped and player briefings for more than hundreds of missions on 19 key worlds from the wilds along the borders of the Coalition are provided (along with planetary surface maps and stellar system lineup to all the 19 planets)
Referee information: A special section of the books(with pages coded in red borders) is dedicated to the referee. Aditional advice and direction running Star Viking adventures and campaigns is provided along with additional charts and tables for detailing the Wilds: rules for determining surviving pouplations after the death of the Imperium as well as data on the leaders, armies and additional information which the players can uncover like secret societies, secret technologies, captured Coalition personell, underground movements, threats and options and advice to create more adventures yourself within this setting.

Path of Tears: The Star Viking Sourcebook is a detailed, comprahensive and intruiging exploration of how much diversity and adventure possibilities there can be in a small group of planetary systems. It brings the Reformation Coalition alive and will permanently raise your Traveller campaign to new heights of excitement.

Number of pages: 160 (not mantioned on the books, just added here for a reference for you to see how many pages this book had
And it had one large picture on the back as well, as well as a fancy graphics/outlook

Now this is a backside of a book that is intriguing, without giving away too much that is in the book.

PB comes nowhere close to make me interested in buying their books with what they write about their books:

Rifts Sourcebook One, Revised and Expanded

Two pictures of books (World Book 30 & Chaos Earth RPG main book)
Also from PB: Rifts World Book 30: D-Bees of North America
35 new D-Bees (aliens from another dimension)
60 D-bee favourites
All New Artwork
192 pages by KS and others

Rifts Chaos earth RPG
Experience teh great Cataclysm
help Humanity struggle to survive in madness
NEMA heroes - 11 classes
NEMA weapons, power armor, robots & equipment
A complete role-playing game
Adventure ideas and more
160 pages by KS

Rifts Hell is Comming
Hades & Dyvall mapped and described
Minions from two hells, new monsters, key places
Wierd weapons and dreams of conquest
Rifts Dimension books 10 & 11 are where it begin
The first two books in teh Minion War
192 pages each, written by CG

Comming for Rifts
Dimension Book 10: Hades
Dimension Book 11: Dyvall
Dimensional Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak
Rifts: Triax 2
Rifts: Lone Star Comic % Sourcebook
Rifts Deep South: Delta Blues
Rifts Vodoo
Chaos Earth Sourcebooks and much more.

This takes up more than 60% of the backside of the book!!
Then on the last 17% of the backpage comes the following info about what really is in this book:

Rifts sourcebook one: Revised and Expanded
One of the best selling Rifts supplements of all time is back! Updated and expanded
Robot creation rules and robot player characters
20 robots from Northern Gun, Triax and Titan Robotics
Power Armor, vehicles, weapons, miscellaneous equipment and more
Archie-Three, the ultimate inhuman villain, his henchmen and robots
The mysterious republicans, humanity's salvation or destruction
The secret History of the Republicans Archie and North America
Notable Monsters, updates on their doings and adventure ideas
A complete adventure that introdoces Archie Three and ideas for more
160 pages writtten by KS

Endless possiblities limited only by imagination

I hope you see my point, if my frends had not bought me RS1 R&E, I would never bother, and the same I feel with all other books from PB. They do not intrigue me when I see them on the shelf at the game store. There are so many other RPGs that intrugues me more with what is written about the´m on their backpages.

To me it feels that KS do not bother about getting new people to play Rifts etc, he just writes books to those who have played for 10+ years and know what all stuff is.

So if you want me to buy books, then intrigue me, make me feel ''Oh, this sounds like a book I want, this is exciting''

[Dunia]

I mean you do not have to have taken any course at College/University to understand that the way to use less than 20% of the back cover of a book to explain whats in it, is a lousy way to make people interested enough to care to buy your product instead of another company's.
This might also be a potential reason why there are dwindling sales.

In the competition against other RPG companies and especially considering todays dwindling market in this business, the game companies must make their product sell, not just by writing good books, but also by making them seem interesting enough to buy. That might eb the reason that no game store, but one, in Sweden actually think about selling PB products that is not old & used and sold for less than $5-10 in the boxes usually marked ''scrap RPGs & outgoing books" and one of those books are usually given away free if you buy for more than $50. As the company do not bother with them.
A friend that has a game store said that he do not even buy old & used PB books as they will not sell at all, not even at our 4 main gaming conventions in sweden. There are so many other games that sells better and he do not want to clutter his shelves with (qouting him) ''junk that will not be economically viable to take in, even as used games.''

NO insult meant to you galactus Kid or any writer, including KS. I only explain what I think.

[The Beast]

In order for me to be intrigued enough to buy the book, I would like to read a review of said book,something that intrigues me to want to buy it, as it is now. with some new vampire hunter OOC, NEMA stuff and so on, it is nothing i cant imagine myself from having read the first version of this world book...I mean, I can come up with hundreds of cool thoughts for what might be in Rifts: Antartica but i do not want to buy it until i find people who can actually tell me if it is worth the $25 that it costs. Its not that I do not have the money, but I rather spend it on other things than buy a book that I will necver use.

I don't blame you. In this day and age with many things competeing for peoples expendable income, it is difficult for anyone to just go out and buy whatever they want, whenever they want. I want to make sure something is good before I buy it too. Its one of the things that guides how I write. I want to make sure that the information in books is something that I as a player and a GM would want to see. Of course, I'm not going to please everyone all the time, but I just wanted to let you know that I agree with you about being cautious with what you spend your money on.

What I mean, I would love that instead of just posting the stuff I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I would be happy if it could be expanded more than just a bunch of one-liners. It does not intrigue me the least to buy a book, when all I get on the info here/back page of books is a bunch of one-liners. I will quote from a book to the old Traveller - the New Era RPG, this is a good idea on what I mean with review of the books:

Path of Tears

Where were all the others? All the people who'd taught me, watched over me, helped me live this long? Some were still alive, still whole, but not enough of them. Not Nearly enough. On over a dozen worlds I'd left behind friends and pieces of friends until it was my turn to stand up and give the toast, because there wasn't anybody else here who'd lasted this long. ''If you live long enough'' I remebered someone saying ''you lose everything'' I raised the chipped white Navy coffee mug. ''To Absent friends''

In what once a neglected backwater of the Thirtd Imperium, a dozen small words have banded together to make a new beginning. With a motley collection of patched up antique starships and a handful of marines and commandos they have set out to reconquer an empire and rebuild interstellar civilization. Their struggle will pit them repeatedly against seemingly hopeöess odds, nd every step forward along the road to their final goal will be purchased with their blood. For the men and women of the Reformation Coalition, the road ahead to a new and better future is a Path of Tears.

Path of Tears: The Star Viking Sourcebook, establishes the standard for campaign backgrounds in Traveller: The New Era. Space may be indefinatly large, containing a billion of habitable worlds, but each of those worlds are unique and home to innumberable potential adventures. Space is not interesting becuase it contains thousands of cookie-cutter planets; space is fascinating because it contains thousands of multifacetted worlds. Because of this philosophy, Path of Tears and following New Era Campaign support material will provide an effectivly inexhaustible adventure resource.

Here is a sample of the books features:
The Reformation Coalition (RC) (The Star Vikings): A History of the RC from the Colapse of the Empire to the present, its organization, government, combat forces, customs, and internal problems. Essays on the personalities and attitudes of the major member worlds adds to the players abilities to visualize and roleplay their characters, as well as helping the GM to run Coalition NPCs. The Schalli, an intelligent aquatic race from the worlds of Schall and Aubaine, are introduced , along with the information to run them as NPCs or Player Characters. Coalition types of Operations, tactical doctrine, and organization and strength of military forces are all covered.
The AO (Area of Operations): Six subsectors from Diaspora and Old Expanses sectors of the Last IMperium are mapped and player briefings for more than hundreds of missions on 19 key worlds from the wilds along the borders of the Coalition are provided (along with planetary surface maps and stellar system lineup to all the 19 planets)
Referee information: A special section of the books(with pages coded in red borders) is dedicated to the referee. Aditional advice and direction running Star Viking adventures and campaigns is provided along with additional charts and tables for detailing the Wilds: rules for determining surviving pouplations after the death of the Imperium as well as data on the leaders, armies and additional information which the players can uncover like secret societies, secret technologies, captured Coalition personell, underground movements, threats and options and advice to create more adventures yourself within this setting.

Path of Tears: The Star Viking Sourcebook is a detailed, comprahensive and intruiging exploration of how much diversity and adventure possibilities there can be in a small group of planetary systems. It brings the Reformation Coalition alive and will permanently raise your Traveller campaign to new heights of excitement.

Number of pages: 160 (not mantioned on the books, just added here for a reference for you to see how many pages this book had
And it had one large picture on the back as well, as well as a fancy graphics/outlook

Now this is a backside of a book that is intriguing, without giving away too much that is in the book.

PB comes nowhere close to make me interested in buying their books with what they write about their books:

Rifts Sourcebook One, Revised and Expanded

Two pictures of books (World Book 30 & Chaos Earth RPG main book)
Also from PB: Rifts World Book 30: D-Bees of North America
35 new D-Bees (aliens from another dimension)
60 D-bee favourites
All New Artwork
192 pages by KS and others

Rifts Chaos earth RPG
Experience teh great Cataclysm
help Humanity struggle to survive in madness
NEMA heroes - 11 classes
NEMA weapons, power armor, robots & equipment
A complete role-playing game
Adventure ideas and more
160 pages by KS

Rifts Hell is Comming
Hades & Dyvall mapped and described
Minions from two hells, new monsters, key places
Wierd weapons and dreams of conquest
Rifts Dimension books 10 & 11 are where it begin
The first two books in teh Minion War
192 pages each, written by CG

Comming for Rifts
Dimension Book 10: Hades
Dimension Book 11: Dyvall
Dimensional Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak
Rifts: Triax 2
Rifts: Lone Star Comic % Sourcebook
Rifts Deep South: Delta Blues
Rifts Vodoo
Chaos Earth Sourcebooks and much more.

This takes up more than 60% of the backside of the book!!
Then on the last 17% of the backpage comes the following info about what really is in this book:

Rifts sourcebook one: Revised and Expanded
One of the best selling Rifts supplements of all time is back! Updated and expanded
Robot creation rules and robot player characters
20 robots from Northern Gun, Triax and Titan Robotics
Power Armor, vehicles, weapons, miscellaneous equipment and more
Archie-Three, the ultimate inhuman villain, his henchmen and robots
The mysterious republicans, humanity's salvation or destruction
The secret History of the Republicans Archie and North America
Notable Monsters, updates on their doings and adventure ideas
A complete adventure that introdoces Archie Three and ideas for more
160 pages writtten by KS

Endless possiblities limited only by imagination

I hope you see my point, if my frends had not bought me RS1 R&E, I would never bother, and the same I feel with all other books from PB. They do not intrigue me when I see them on the shelf at the game store. There are so many other RPGs that intrugues me more with what is written about the´m on their backpages.

To me it feels that KS do not bother about getting new people to play Rifts etc, he just writes books to those who have played for 10+ years and know what all stuff is.

So if you want me to buy books, then intrigue me, make me feel ''Oh, this sounds like a book I want, this is exciting''

This should come with a giant IN MY OPINION stamp. I feel the exact opposite. On the back of a book I want bullet points as to what I will find in it. I don't want something that I'm going to have to take to a couch and read the back for 45 minutes. I love all the palladium books I own (which is all of them) sans the nightbane stuff. I am very happy with all the products I purchased from Palladium because it's the system I like with the setting I like written in a style I like. That's not to say people do like it as much as me or anything.

You're entire post basically states this is what I want as a gamer and I don't care what other people want. Which isn't how these things work. Since I like everything Palladium creates does that mean my opinion matters more than yours. So you aren't buying these books but I am so.

Also the way you want things isn't want Palladium is about. You basically want it to turn into something it is not. A for example would be stating you want World of Warcraft to play more like Halo or Dragon Age Origins. Which they don't if you want a game like Dragon Age over Wow, Play Dragon Age, don't complain to blizzard that you want WoW to be Dragon Age because it isn't.

Now I will concede this is the same game since I picked up my first book in the 1990's but I still like it. Is change a good thing? Sure it can be, or we can get D&D 4.0 which is as intrueging as smelly gym shoe's. And I don't understand if you dislike everything so much why play it? There is a reason I don't play D&D I don't like the sytem, but I'm not going to jump on the D&D forums and tell them to be more like Palladum because well thats why we have Palladium.

Sorry for my rant, I'll turn my rant button off now.

I prefer the bullets as well. What I don't enjoy seeing are ads for other books. Leave those on the inside.

[The Beast]

THE PURPLE HURT MY EYES!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[Dunia]

This should come with a giant IN MY OPINION stamp. I feel the exact opposite. On the back of a book I want bullet points as to what I will find in it. I don't want something that I'm going to have to take to a couch and read the back for 45 minutes. I love all the palladium books I own (which is all of them) sans the nightbane stuff. I am very happy with all the products I purchased from Palladium because it's the system I like with the setting I like written in a style I like. That's not to say people do like it as much as me or anything.

You're entire post basically states this is what I want as a gamer and I don't care what other people want. Which isn't how these things work. Since I like everything Palladium creates does that mean my opinion matters more than yours. So you aren't buying these books but I am so.

Also the way you want things isn't want Palladium is about. You basically want it to turn into something it is not. A for example would be stating you want World of Warcraft to play more like Halo or Dragon Age Origins. Which they don't if you want a game like Dragon Age over Wow, Play Dragon Age, don't complain to blizzard that you want WoW to be Dragon Age because it isn't.

Now I will concede this is the same game since I picked up my first book in the 1990's but I still like it. Is change a good thing? Sure it can be, or we can get D&D 4.0 which is as intrueging as smelly gym shoe's. And I don't understand if you dislike everything so much why play it? There is a reason I don't play D&D I don't like the sytem, but I'm not going to jump on the D&D forums and tell them to be more like Palladum because well thats why we have Palladium.

Sorry for my rant, I'll turn my rant button off now.

Read my signature and you will be happy

[johnkretzer]

Wow both you and Shinitenshi accused for something I did not do....than did the thing you accused me of yourselves.

I used word like 'probably' and 'most'....this in no ways means since in my games Lazlo is important that it is for everyone. But both of your statements seem to say since we ignore it it is not important.

And also if they ever do produce a Lazlo book than all those GMs out there afraid to use it because it will be contradicted later will actualy start useing it.

Also I doubt any group goes to antiartica...yet we get that book.

Either come out with the damn Lazlo book or never ever do so and say so. I am fine with leaving it up to the GMs out there to come up with their own stuff...but I think Lazlo will be one of their best sellers. As moree groups preobably would get used out of it...than say book 3 of China or Antiarctica. In this economy I don't get how you can ignore such a money maker like that.

It is not about quality or 'interesting ideas' it is about what your consumers need. And sorry to say Rifts need Lazlo done up in a big way. We got the CS detailed highly enough...lets see the other side done up.

Calm down, man, nobody's looking for a fight. I just mused upon the fact that I've never felt the need for such information in my games. I certainly didn't accuse you of anything. This is just a guess, but I'd wager that most people want books that are quality and interesting, regardless of what they're about.

Clearly Lazlo and other such books are important, but this really isn't something worth getting in a twist over.

Get in a twist? Calm down? Ah so since I disagree with you that a Lazlo book is probably more important than anything on their schedule I am getting all emotional and upset?

Actualy I thought your and the others guys post was pretty funny. Not really getting upset at all.

The fact is that Palladium needs to put out a Lazlo book. Why are they wasting their time on Rifts:Antartica is really beyond me. I mean sure the Emperor Penguin R.C.C. might be awesome...but do we as players and GMs need it?

I like Palladium...I defend whenever it comes under attack on other RPG message boards all the time...the fact that Rifts: Lazlo has been announced about 15 years ago I think...and we have not seen it is not a very good bussiness model by any stretch of the imagination. Makes it kinda hard to defend.

I will probably buy everybook on the release schedule...Even Antiartica, because I am a little curious about what they will do there....but I am getting kinda of tired of waiting for a book that should have been out atleast a decade ago.

[Balabanto]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something.

There seems to be a disconnect between what the designers think the world needs, and what the players think the world needs. If so, maybe what people need to do is make a chart. My chart kinda looks like this.

Their release schedule-Ok, calling it a release schedule is a mistake.

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy
Rifts® Northern Gun
Rifts® Sovietski
Rifts® Titan Industries
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Now let's look at the books fans keep asking for they feel should be on the list

1) England Rebooted: People, especially English People, HATE the English sourcebook and wish it would either be completely revised or re-done. Make no mistake, this book needs to happen. This book was severely out of touch to begin with, and potentially offensive.

Thoughts as a designer: This is nearly impossible to do without years of work for very little gain. I wouldn't undertake this project, and I know there aren't a whole lot of people who would willingly do so.

2) Lazlo: The Crown Jewel and bright hope of North America. Sorry, Coalition fanboys, but that's the truth of the matter.

Thoughts as a designer: This is actually kind of shameful that this book hasn't come out by now. You take two gargantuan 11x17 pieces of graph paper, make a giant map, key the locations, have a section on influential personalities and politics, and break it down by neighborhoods. These books are neither tough to design or tough to come out with. They just take time. A lot of time. Speaking as a guy who writes 150-180 page Champions adventures, that are loaded down with five to seven maps per encounter, etc, making one of these things takes six months to a year. No one can do this as a full time job. Lazlo is a group project, and that's probably why it hasn't been done.

3) Norway, Sweden and Finland: Does anyone besides me realize that there is another Splugorth on Rifts Earth and that he lives up there? Not one person on the boards has ever mentioned this NPC. This is a colossal mess waiting to happen. No one wants to touch it.

Thoughts as a designer: This book takes up less space than Lazlo, ironically. I'm not just saying this because Dunia is on the warpath. I'm saying it because there's a giant hole there and it would be nice if one of the freelancers would pick up the ball. My advice to Dunia would be to write the darned thing and submit it to Kevin, because Dunia knows more about this area than the rest of us.

4) California: In this, I am in total support of the fan base. I know a lot of people in the midwest dislike California and everything about it, but pretending that California, Oregon, and Washington State never really existed? Seriously? There is so much cool stuff that could be done with this area and none of it is being done. This is actually a mistake.

Thoughts as a designer: As written.

5) Africa 2: There isn't really much of a need for this sourcebook from Palladium's perspective, but I believe that there really is. However, the reasons why Africa 2, or a significantly revised and expanded Africa needs to be done are a little more serious than the others. 1) This sourcebook is really racist. It is. There's no two ways around it and it's highly offensive. 2) There are now tons of character sheets in the book that serve no purpose whatsoever, as the timeline has advanced beyond the events listed in the book.

Thoughts as a designer: If I had free time and wasn't freelancing for Blackwyrm, I would be all over this project. A hidden city of gorillas and ape people, a techno-wizard enclave, the biggest pirate city the world has ever seen...Oh. And Rhinoceros people. Lots and lots of Rhinoceros people. If I ever become a famous writer and don't have to sell clothing for 60 hours a week anymore, I could devote an hour a day to this.

6) The Middle East: PLEASE, break the prohibition. No one is going to come to the midwest and blow up Palladium Books. Really. That would be the last target on my list if I were a terrorist, and quite frankly, I don't think these people play Rifts anyway.

Thoughts as a Designer: This could be one of the biggest successes Palladium ever produced if they mixed the Arabian Nights and the Magic and the technological stuff in the right way. Alien intelligences in the desert, of uncertain origin, New Jerusalem, the biggest archaeological institute the world has ever seen, all these things could be serious FUN. That's right. FUN.

7) India: Is this even in the pipeline? I heard some rumors, but I guess, as usual, they were false.

Thoughts as a Designer: The City of the Nagas, weird temples, a god every ten miles and a race of Elephant Headed people? This is money in the bank, guys. Really. It is.

Federation of Magic 2: I heard rumors that this sourcebook existed. If you live in the magic Zone and you're a hero, you want to blow the City of Brass up. If you're a member of the Coalition, you want to blow the City of Brass up. So, where is this thing?

Thoughts as a Designer: This is money in the bank, too. People love new magicians, new spells, and new gear. My thought is that this sourcebook doesn't even need to be good to make money, but as a designer, you shouldn't think like that.

[Nether]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

[Balabanto]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

Try saying that again with the sourcebook in print. Number of campaigns focussed in the North prior to Waterdeep's original release. Very few. Number of campaigns focussed in the North after Waterdeep's original release. 48 percent.

PS. My players main group of characters are based about a mile outside of New Lazlo. They go to Lazlo when they need something important.

[The Galactus Kid]

NOTE: If you are going to be at GenCon, please feel free to stop by the Palladium booth to discuss this. I'm sure that Kevin and the other creators there (myself included) would be more than willing to discuss this and may other topics.

[Sureshot]

Not sure if that would help really. Every single person could say to publish a Lazlo book yet Rifts Cooking D-Bees into Soylent Green will come out first because a freelancer submitted a manuscript for it. Yes I know I being pessimistic yet for me anyway PB has given me good reason to be when it comes to the release schedule.

[The Galactus Kid]

Not sure if that would help really. Every single person could say to publish a Lazlo book yet Rifts Cooking D-Bees into Soylent Green will come out first because a freelancer submitted a manuscript for it. Yes I know I being pessimistic yet for me anyway PB has given me good reason to be when it comes to the release schedule.

I'm not sure if that is really the case, but you admitedly stated your pessimism. I'm sure that it has been mentioned before, and I'll say it again here. We're aware of the need for Lazlo and others. Carmen Bellaire is working on the Lazlo book already. Other things are already in house, so until that book is done, it can't be put into production. It IS however being worked on from what I understand.

[The Galactus Kid]

NOTE: If you are going to be at GenCon, please feel free to stop by the Palladium booth to discuss this. I'm sure that Kevin and the other creators there (myself included) would be more than willing to discuss this and may other topics.

Does that mean you'll spill all your secrets about Japan 2 to me Hope we can make it, would love to talk to you about what you're working on.

Yes.

[The Beast]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

Try saying that again with the sourcebook in print. Number of campaigns focussed in the North prior to Waterdeep's original release. Very few. Number of campaigns focussed in the North after Waterdeep's original release. 48 percent.

PS. My players main group of characters are based about a mile outside of New Lazlo. They go to Lazlo when they need something important.

My thoughts exactly.

[Balabanto]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

Try saying that again with the sourcebook in print. Number of campaigns focussed in the North prior to Waterdeep's original release. Very few. Number of campaigns focussed in the North after Waterdeep's original release. 48 percent.

PS. My players main group of characters are based about a mile outside of New Lazlo. They go to Lazlo when they need something important.

My thoughts exactly.

You miss the point. My players crave more detail the larger the place is. New Lazlo has a decent amount of information and at least one module with named NPCs who they can interact with. Lazlo has Bupkis, so they don't roleplay as much there.

Furthermore, several years ago, Rifts made the choice between Merctown and Lazlo. That one actually shocked me. Whatever business decision made that happen confused the living daylights out of me. As a game designer, there was no need for both Merctown and Kingsdale within 200 miles of each other. Each pretty much serves the same purpose, though you can make an entire campaign out of transporting goods between the two cities as long as you don't have any characters with instant teleportation.

The key to the future of Palladium is the Rifts line. Rifts books sell four to five times as many copies as everything else in their repertoire. Quite frankly, with the exception of one Robotech sourcebook a year, they should make Rifts the standard and have conversions for everything else.

As far as a business model is concerned at this point, I would set a target date of 2018 for a release of revised and edited rules, and begin building my conversion guides now so people don't lose their games, since all the fluff will be the same.

But I'll be honest. I don't play the other games in the Palladium Line at all. I play Hero System when I play superhero games because that's what it does best. I play Pathfinder when I play Fantasy because that's what it does best. Did I buy the Minion War heroes unlimited sourcebook for it's fourteen level villain base map? Sure did. But only Rifts is Rifts and unique as it is. And that's why I play it. It has a high "coolness factor."

[Sureshot]

I'm not sure if that is really the case, but you admitedly stated your pessimism. I'm sure that it has been mentioned before, and I'll say it again here. We're aware of the need for Lazlo and others. Carmen Bellaire is working on the Lazlo book already. Other things are already in house, so until that book is done, it can't be put into production. It IS however being worked on from what I understand.

I rather be honest and post my true feelings than lie about how I feel. I may not be the most popular poster on the boards for doing this yet it's how I am. I know Lazlo is being worked on yet until I see it at my FLGS or in my hands it's yet another book that has been worked on over the years that more often than not does not will not be printed. To repeat the same requests over and over agains without any guarantee on the part of the company is imo a waste of time. PB knows we want the Lazlo book. Make it happen. Not know if other projects are being developed yet imo no reason not for a Lazlo book to come out next year. Lastest 2013.

One thing I wish that would stop (not directed towards GK) is the whole "this fans on site is not representative of the PB fanbase. BS. If anything we are probably the largest concentration of PB fans gathered in one area. This is PB primary site. How can anyone say that. The fans here while not a majority are a considerable amoiunt of the fanbase. If I go to the Hero Games website I consider the majority of the fanbase. Same with the D&D website. Funny how we are the majority when the majority agrees with on a topic and nothing but a handful of fans when we disagree. Seriously some of the fans and the company need to stop that. Frankly it comes across as silly and so far this is the only rpg company and fanbase to do so. Time to get with the times and accept that your fans are more and more online. Not saying to ignore the fans at cons or who send letters. Don't pretend like we don't exist. Or when we do it''s because you need something from us.

[cl7277]

In what book is this Splugorth talked about in?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something.

There seems to be a disconnect between what the designers think the world needs, and what the players think the world needs. If so, maybe what people need to do is make a chart. My chart kinda looks like this.

Their release schedule-Ok, calling it a release schedule is a mistake.

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy
Rifts® Northern Gun
Rifts® Sovietski
Rifts® Titan Industries
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Now let's look at the books fans keep asking for they feel should be on the list

1) England Rebooted: People, especially English People, HATE the English sourcebook and wish it would either be completely revised or re-done. Make no mistake, this book needs to happen. This book was severely out of touch to begin with, and potentially offensive.

Thoughts as a designer: This is nearly impossible to do without years of work for very little gain. I wouldn't undertake this project, and I know there aren't a whole lot of people who would willingly do so.

2) Lazlo: The Crown Jewel and bright hope of North America. Sorry, Coalition fanboys, but that's the truth of the matter.

Thoughts as a designer: This is actually kind of shameful that this book hasn't come out by now. You take two gargantuan 11x17 pieces of graph paper, make a giant map, key the locations, have a section on influential personalities and politics, and break it down by neighborhoods. These books are neither tough to design or tough to come out with. They just take time. A lot of time. Speaking as a guy who writes 150-180 page Champions adventures, that are loaded down with five to seven maps per encounter, etc, making one of these things takes six months to a year. No one can do this as a full time job. Lazlo is a group project, and that's probably why it hasn't been done.

3) Norway, Sweden and Finland: Does anyone besides me realize that there is another Splugorth on Rifts Earth and that he lives up there? Not one person on the boards has ever mentioned this NPC. This is a colossal mess waiting to happen. No one wants to touch it.

Thoughts as a designer: This book takes up less space than Lazlo, ironically. I'm not just saying this because Dunia is on the warpath. I'm saying it because there's a giant hole there and it would be nice if one of the freelancers would pick up the ball. My advice to Dunia would be to write the darned thing and submit it to Kevin, because Dunia knows more about this area than the rest of us.

4) California: In this, I am in total support of the fan base. I know a lot of people in the midwest dislike California and everything about it, but pretending that California, Oregon, and Washington State never really existed? Seriously? There is so much cool stuff that could be done with this area and none of it is being done. This is actually a mistake.

Thoughts as a designer: As written.

5) Africa 2: There isn't really much of a need for this sourcebook from Palladium's perspective, but I believe that there really is. However, the reasons why Africa 2, or a significantly revised and expanded Africa needs to be done are a little more serious than the others. 1) This sourcebook is really racist. It is. There's no two ways around it and it's highly offensive. 2) There are now tons of character sheets in the book that serve no purpose whatsoever, as the timeline has advanced beyond the events listed in the book.

Thoughts as a designer: If I had free time and wasn't freelancing for Blackwyrm, I would be all over this project. A hidden city of gorillas and ape people, a techno-wizard enclave, the biggest pirate city the world has ever seen...Oh. And Rhinoceros people. Lots and lots of Rhinoceros people. If I ever become a famous writer and don't have to sell clothing for 60 hours a week anymore, I could devote an hour a day to this.

6) The Middle East: PLEASE, break the prohibition. No one is going to come to the midwest and blow up Palladium Books. Really. That would be the last target on my list if I were a terrorist, and quite frankly, I don't think these people play Rifts anyway.

Thoughts as a Designer: This could be one of the biggest successes Palladium ever produced if they mixed the Arabian Nights and the Magic and the technological stuff in the right way. Alien intelligences in the desert, of uncertain origin, New Jerusalem, the biggest archaeological institute the world has ever seen, all these things could be serious FUN. That's right. FUN.

7) India: Is this even in the pipeline? I heard some rumors, but I guess, as usual, they were false.

Thoughts as a Designer: The City of the Nagas, weird temples, a god every ten miles and a race of Elephant Headed people? This is money in the bank, guys. Really. It is.

Federation of Magic 2: I heard rumors that this sourcebook existed. If you live in the magic Zone and you're a hero, you want to blow the City of Brass up. If you're a member of the Coalition, you want to blow the City of Brass up. So, where is this thing?

Thoughts as a Designer: This is money in the bank, too. People love new magicians, new spells, and new gear. My thought is that this sourcebook doesn't even need to be good to make money, but as a designer, you shouldn't think like that.

[Bood Samel]

Africa in real life is pretty insane in many parts, I'd love to see cross dressing liberian cannibal child soldiers run through the rifts filter. Well thats pretty insane aleady that Liberia has cross dressing cannibal children with AKs, really just add MDC and its a fit. Make it a little more Africa Addio and less national geographic- AIDS, conflict diamonds, war lords, mass genocide, etc..

Yoruba and its Voodou off shoots as far as I know has never really had a well done use in gaming. I think its generally outside of the known cultural context and comfort zone of most gaming predominately white post J/C gaming writers- "What do you mean that nice old Mexican lady up the street was killing chickens and smearing the blood over a statue of one of the saints?" Voodou would be a dominate practice in rifts and it needs to be addressed I think. Where there is a Hispanic population Santeria is practiced and well before 2098 Hispanics will be the dominate ethnic group of NA. Hence why Yoruba and its off shoots (Voodou, Santeria, etc.) would be a major factor in rifts. Also Voodou is nor only magico-religious, but also peoples culture. Also its inherent syncretistic aspects would aborb and adapt D-Bee beliefs to make it near unstoppable in the context of rifts.

[Balabanto]

In what book is this Splugorth talked about in?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something.

There seems to be a disconnect between what the designers think the world needs, and what the players think the world needs. If so, maybe what people need to do is make a chart. My chart kinda looks like this.

Their release schedule-Ok, calling it a release schedule is a mistake.

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy
Rifts® Northern Gun
Rifts® Sovietski
Rifts® Titan Industries
Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Now let's look at the books fans keep asking for they feel should be on the list

1) England Rebooted: People, especially English People, HATE the English sourcebook and wish it would either be completely revised or re-done. Make no mistake, this book needs to happen. This book was severely out of touch to begin with, and potentially offensive.

Thoughts as a designer: This is nearly impossible to do without years of work for very little gain. I wouldn't undertake this project, and I know there aren't a whole lot of people who would willingly do so.

2) Lazlo: The Crown Jewel and bright hope of North America. Sorry, Coalition fanboys, but that's the truth of the matter.

Thoughts as a designer: This is actually kind of shameful that this book hasn't come out by now. You take two gargantuan 11x17 pieces of graph paper, make a giant map, key the locations, have a section on influential personalities and politics, and break it down by neighborhoods. These books are neither tough to design or tough to come out with. They just take time. A lot of time. Speaking as a guy who writes 150-180 page Champions adventures, that are loaded down with five to seven maps per encounter, etc, making one of these things takes six months to a year. No one can do this as a full time job. Lazlo is a group project, and that's probably why it hasn't been done.

3) Norway, Sweden and Finland: Does anyone besides me realize that there is another Splugorth on Rifts Earth and that he lives up there? Not one person on the boards has ever mentioned this NPC. This is a colossal mess waiting to happen. No one wants to touch it.

Thoughts as a designer: This book takes up less space than Lazlo, ironically. I'm not just saying this because Dunia is on the warpath. I'm saying it because there's a giant hole there and it would be nice if one of the freelancers would pick up the ball. My advice to Dunia would be to write the darned thing and submit it to Kevin, because Dunia knows more about this area than the rest of us.

4) California: In this, I am in total support of the fan base. I know a lot of people in the midwest dislike California and everything about it, but pretending that California, Oregon, and Washington State never really existed? Seriously? There is so much cool stuff that could be done with this area and none of it is being done. This is actually a mistake.

Thoughts as a designer: As written.

5) Africa 2: There isn't really much of a need for this sourcebook from Palladium's perspective, but I believe that there really is. However, the reasons why Africa 2, or a significantly revised and expanded Africa needs to be done are a little more serious than the others. 1) This sourcebook is really racist. It is. There's no two ways around it and it's highly offensive. 2) There are now tons of character sheets in the book that serve no purpose whatsoever, as the timeline has advanced beyond the events listed in the book.

Thoughts as a designer: If I had free time and wasn't freelancing for Blackwyrm, I would be all over this project. A hidden city of gorillas and ape people, a techno-wizard enclave, the biggest pirate city the world has ever seen...Oh. And Rhinoceros people. Lots and lots of Rhinoceros people. If I ever become a famous writer and don't have to sell clothing for 60 hours a week anymore, I could devote an hour a day to this.

6) The Middle East: PLEASE, break the prohibition. No one is going to come to the midwest and blow up Palladium Books. Really. That would be the last target on my list if I were a terrorist, and quite frankly, I don't think these people play Rifts anyway.

Thoughts as a Designer: This could be one of the biggest successes Palladium ever produced if they mixed the Arabian Nights and the Magic and the technological stuff in the right way. Alien intelligences in the desert, of uncertain origin, New Jerusalem, the biggest archaeological institute the world has ever seen, all these things could be serious FUN. That's right. FUN.

7) India: Is this even in the pipeline? I heard some rumors, but I guess, as usual, they were false.

Thoughts as a Designer: The City of the Nagas, weird temples, a god every ten miles and a race of Elephant Headed people? This is money in the bank, guys. Really. It is.

Federation of Magic 2: I heard rumors that this sourcebook existed. If you live in the magic Zone and you're a hero, you want to blow the City of Brass up. If you're a member of the Coalition, you want to blow the City of Brass up. So, where is this thing?

Thoughts as a Designer: This is money in the bank, too. People love new magicians, new spells, and new gear. My thought is that this sourcebook doesn't even need to be good to make money, but as a designer, you shouldn't think like that.

His name is Wothan the Slayer. I believe it's in Pantheons of the Megaverse.

[Nether]

One thing I wish that would stop (not directed towards GK) is the whole "this fans on site is not representative of the PB fanbase. BS. If anything we are probably the largest concentration of PB fans gathered in one area. This is PB primary site. How can anyone say that. The fans here while not a majority are a considerable amoiunt of the fanbase. If I go to the Hero Games website I consider the majority of the fanbase. Same with the D&D website. Funny how we are the majority when the majority agrees with on a topic and nothing but a handful of fans when we disagree. Seriously some of the fans and the company need to stop that. Frankly it comes across as silly and so far this is the only rpg company and fanbase to do so. Time to get with the times and accept that your fans are more and more online. Not saying to ignore the fans at cons or who send letters. Don't pretend like we don't exist. Or when we do it''s because you need something from us.

I completely disagree with you. You are the minority of the fans and you need to accept that. There is only a small group of regular posters here, then the less frequent ones are not that many more. If PB was only selling it's books to the list of people on this site then they wouldn't be making enough to function.

World of Warcraft is a good example, it had something like 11-12 million subs and yet the total number of posters on the website were a small fraction of that number. This is how all gaming sites go, because it is the more vocal or passionate that post on the sites to talk about the game. This goes for all mmo and gaming sites. Most consumers never comment or say anything about product x that they bought even though they love it.

[Nether]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

Try saying that again with the sourcebook in print. Number of campaigns focussed in the North prior to Waterdeep's original release. Very few. Number of campaigns focussed in the North after Waterdeep's original release. 48 percent.

PS. My players main group of characters are based about a mile outside of New Lazlo. They go to Lazlo when they need something important.

My thoughts exactly.

Waterdeep is considered a far cooler city to it's enviroment that Lazlo ever was. Also for us adventuring in the north was pretty common compared to other places as the Drizzt series really touched upon it and you had the Zentarim ext. Then Waterdeep comes out and we have a big city that is interesting to go to, but yet our adv were mostly never focused there anyway.

Merctown over Lazlo again just shows me where the popularity is at. Mercenary books have been popular, and given a choice of Merctown or Lazlo which are simular, i am going with Merctown every time.

The information on the Lazlo concept just isn't inspiring or cool, and i would rather them put the time to come up with a much cooler city open to all than Lazlo. Actually before they did the CS invasion of Tolkeen, i have always thought of it as such and would have much preferred to use it as such.

[The Beast]

Waterdeep is considered a far cooler city to it's enviroment that Lazlo ever was.

Exactly how much information about Waterdeep was available before the book for it was released?

[Nether]

Waterdeep is considered a far cooler city to it's enviroment that Lazlo ever was.

Exactly how much information about Waterdeep was available before the book for it was released?

There was decent info on it even before the source material came out for rp, as there is plenty of novels that went thru it or took place in it. The rp materiel as well was not needed to make those stories happen either, and because of those stories and tidbids of info here and there, the city was popular hence why it got created in source material for the game.

What do we know about Lazlo? Well for what i have head about it, it sounds boring and nothing exciting. So why does Lazlo need a source book when no one knows anything about it? It doesn't. If the authors have a great idea then it can be applied to creating any city they want. Hence Dweomer, Brass, Tolkeen before it went poof. Merctown has been created and it is essentially what Lazlo would have been, so why do we need a clone of merc town?

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Lazlo wouldn't be a copy of MercTown. It's a center of learning, not a mercenary boomtown.

~ Josh

[Sureshot]

I completely disagree with you. You are the minority of the fans and you need to accept that. There is only a small group of regular posters here, then the less frequent ones are not that many more. If PB was only selling it's books to the list of people on this site then they wouldn't be making enough to function.

World of Warcraft is a good example, it had something like 11-12 million subs and yet the total number of posters on the website were a small fraction of that number. This is how all gaming sites go, because it is the more vocal or passionate that post on the sites to talk about the game. This goes for all mmo and gaming sites. Most consumers never comment or say anything about product x that they bought even though they love it.

i guess we can agree to disagree. If I want to ask a question about the PB rules or have a problem with them I come here. Not rpg.net or any other rpg site. As I said were not a majority were also not a minority. So while PB does not have to tkae every suggestion that I or others make neither imo should they be ignored. In the end we vote with our wallets and the less they offer what we ask for the les money they make. And from the murmurs it shows imo.

[Balabanto]

Lazlo is a waste of time, that is why it hasn't come out yet, and why it has been on the board for many years. I don't know anyone who plays there, uses it as a homebase type city, or really anyone that has a interest in it. I play and know many from gaming shops and i have never heard them talk about it. Listening and chatting with gamers of Rifts, i have yet to hear a single mention for Lazlo as something they would like to see for a book when there is far more interesting places and stuff out there. This is mine and many other gamers opinion and i could care less about this book.

Also the people that post on this site are only a small portion of the people that buy and play Rifts, and i would imagine that the voice here should be taken with that in mind compared to sales numbers of books.

KS said Japan has been the best selling by far Rifts book ever, which to me just shows that North America doesn't need more landscape books put out, and that world books are obviously more important to the masses than NA books are.

Sure i would absolutely love to see a Fed of Magic 2, would be top list for me but i think there is alot more they can put out for the other continents and nations out there first before Lazlo, NG ext ext come out.

Balabanto made alot of great points i would agree with as well.

Try saying that again with the sourcebook in print. Number of campaigns focussed in the North prior to Waterdeep's original release. Very few. Number of campaigns focussed in the North after Waterdeep's original release. 48 percent.

PS. My players main group of characters are based about a mile outside of New Lazlo. They go to Lazlo when they need something important.

My thoughts exactly.

You miss the point. My players crave more detail the larger the place is. New Lazlo has a decent amount of information and at least one module with named NPCs who they can interact with. Lazlo has Bupkis, so they don't roleplay as much there.

Furthermore, several years ago, Rifts made the choice between Merctown and Lazlo. That one actually shocked me. Whatever business decision made that happen confused the living daylights out of me. As a game designer, there was no need for both Merctown and Kingsdale within 200 miles of each other. Each pretty much serves the same purpose, though you can make an entire campaign out of transporting goods between the two cities as long as you don't have any characters with instant teleportation.

The key to the future of Palladium is the Rifts line. Rifts books sell four to five times as many copies as everything else in their repertoire. Quite frankly, with the exception of one Robotech sourcebook a year, they should make Rifts the standard and have conversions for everything else.

As far as a business model is concerned at this point, I would set a target date of 2018 for a release of revised and edited rules, and begin building my conversion guides now so people don't lose their games, since all the fluff will be the same.

But I'll be honest. I don't play the other games in the Palladium Line at all. I play Hero System when I play superhero games because that's what it does best. I play Pathfinder when I play Fantasy because that's what it does best. Did I buy the Minion War heroes unlimited sourcebook for it's fourteen level villain base map? Sure did. But only Rifts is Rifts and unique as it is. And that's why I play it. It has a high "coolness factor."

Merctown is one of the most used books in our house in our campaigns, and one of my favorites.

I rest my case. Any book with a detailed city and set of locations sells like hotcakes.

[Looonatic]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

[Balabanto]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

There's nothing aloof or isolated about a city with powerful magicians, pandimensional access, a liberal immigration policy, and Optimus Prime's belief that Freedom is the Right of All Sentient Beings. This is why adventurers settle there, and that's why if the Coalition attacks Lazlo, they will lose. Because Adventurers are the most dangerous force in any game universe. That's why people PLAY these games.

[Killer Cyborg]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

To me, Merctown just seems like a contrived plot device, like city version of the local tavern that has convenient postings on a bulletin board, looking for local adventurers.

[Looonatic]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

To me, Merctown just seems like a contrived plot device, like city version of the local tavern that has convenient postings on a bulletin board, looking for local adventurers.

Yeah! Isn't it awesome?

[Killer Cyborg]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

To me, Merctown just seems like a contrived plot device, like city version of the local tavern that has convenient postings on a bulletin board, looking for local adventurers.

Yeah! Isn't it awesome?

lol

Well, I never said I hate it or anything.

[Saitou Hajime]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

To me, Merctown just seems like a contrived plot device, like city version of the local tavern that has convenient postings on a bulletin board, looking for local adventurers.

there are ton of plot devises and like in the book as well, villains, plots to get caught up in, adversaries and allies. It not just somewhere to pick up supplies and get the next adventure.

[dragonfett]

And Lazlo can be just as interesting. Just because most people from Lazlo are good doesn't mean that all of them are, especially after they start getting a strong influx of Tolkeen Refugees.

[Nether]

So can you all list all the sources you know of for Lazlo, so as to look it over?

Though i can also say i really don't care for the name Lazlo either.

@Amy Steel Heart, that would be a damn cool concept, but then they should just change it's name to something early American colonial sounding.

[Saitou Hajime]

A City based Sourcebook should model itself off Merctown, that is how to do it.

[Nether]

So can you all list all the sources you know of for Lazlo, so as to look it over?

Though i can also say i really don't care for the name Lazlo either.

@Amy Steel Heart, that would be a damn cool concept, but then they should just change it's name to something early American colonial sounding.

Canada

Hahahaha, that is perfect. We wouldn't want to confuse the frogs, so lets call it Canadace

[DBX]

copy/paste from latest weekly update (blurb highlighted by me)

NEWS! Matthew Clements is Palladium’s new staff writer. Matthew has been working behind the scenes at Palladium for something like the last 8 months. He’s the gent who has written Rifts® Antarctica™, he has contributed to Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, has done some editing assistance, and is the driving force behind the Rifts® Black Market™ and Northern Gun™ books, among other projects. We think he’s going to be a huge asset in writing quality sourcebooks and helping us release a new sourcebook (or two) every month starting now. Welcome to Palladium, Matthew.

[Dunia]

A City based Sourcebook should model itself off Merctown, that is how to do it.

Though I would not object to better maps, I really dislike the maps in Vampire Kingdoms, Chi Town burb books.
If we have a book dedicated to a city, could we please have some heart and soul into the maps as well. and not just a bunch of black retangles in a white paper.

I would buy any book with better maps, IF it containd good maps, even if said book was a bit more expensive.

[Sureshot]

A City based Sourcebook should model itself off Merctown, that is how to do it.

agreed

Seconded.

[Shark_Force]

copy/paste from latest weekly update (blurb highlighted by me)

NEWS! Matthew Clements is Palladium’s new staff writer. Matthew has been working behind the scenes at Palladium for something like the last 8 months. He’s the gent who has written Rifts® Antarctica™, he has contributed to Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, has done some editing assistance, and is the driving force behind the Rifts® Black Market™ and Northern Gun™ books, among other projects. We think he’s going to be a huge asset in writing quality sourcebooks and helping us release a new sourcebook (or two) every month starting now. Welcome to Palladium, Matthew.

well, it's about time kevin hired someone so that he's not the only person at one point in the process. hopefully kevin actually lets the new guy do the job he's getting paid for (including taking care of some of the editing etc), then we might actually see some of the submitted work from the freelancers actually get to us.

i still find it odd that kevin doesn't just do what i understand to be standard for most companies, which is to send the manuscript back to the freelancers with the changes you'd like made/stuff you'd like redone, but hopefully at least this will help if there are 2 people the book can go through in order to reach the market.

[Nether]

Merctown does indeed rock. The best part of Merctown is that it's in the heart of the continent. Lazlo strikes me as a bit aloof and isolated(which is probably why the Coalition hasn't invaded yet).

There's nothing aloof or isolated about a city with powerful magicians, pandimensional access, a liberal immigration policy, and Optimus Prime's belief that Freedom is the Right of All Sentient Beings. This is why adventurers settle there, and that's why if the Coalition attacks Lazlo, they will lose. Because Adventurers are the most dangerous force in any game universe. That's why people PLAY these games.

lolz, uhm no. If the CS invaded Lazlo it would have the same ending result as Tolkeen. Im sure there were plenty of adv groups that called it home as well. Besides, in canon player groups based there didnt prevent tolk from falling.

In the end we are talking a nation vs a city.

[Todd Yoho]

copy/paste from latest weekly update (blurb highlighted by me)

NEWS! Matthew Clements is Palladium’s new staff writer. Matthew has been working behind the scenes at Palladium for something like the last 8 months. He’s the gent who has written Rifts® Antarctica™, he has contributed to Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, has done some editing assistance, and is the driving force behind the Rifts® Black Market™ and Northern Gun™ books, among other projects. We think he’s going to be a huge asset in writing quality sourcebooks and helping us release a new sourcebook (or two) every month starting now. Welcome to Palladium, Matthew.

Two words: Jason. Marker.

[Balabanto]

A City based Sourcebook should model itself off Merctown, that is how to do it.

Though I would not object to better maps, I really dislike the maps in Vampire Kingdoms, Chi Town burb books.
If we have a book dedicated to a city, could we please have some heart and soul into the maps as well. and not just a bunch of black retangles in a white paper.

I would buy any book with better maps, IF it containd good maps, even if said book was a bit more expensive.

Seconded. Quality maps sell sourcebooks.