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Dispatches:
News from Atlas Games
Cthulhu 500 revving its tentacles...
We've gotten updated shipping information from our printer for
Cthulhu 500, the Lovecraftian racing game. We were working hard to make sure the game would be out in time for Gen Con in Indianapolis, but the great news is that we're ahead of schedule! The game is in the final stages of production and should be leaving the plant, en route to our warehouse, by the end of this week. Thus we plan to ship next week, which should provide ample time in transit for the game to get into stores by the same time we put it on sale in Indy. So even if you won't be able to make it to Gen Con this year, there's no need to delay your gratification...the game should be in your friendly neighborhood game store at the same time!
Behold the Gloom!
I am really excited to share an image from Gloom, our upcoming game by Keith Baker that's due for release in October. One of Gloom's major innovations is that it's printed on transparent plastic stock, and this is integrated into the game play. There are various fields where cards may provide modifiers, and transparency and overprinting allows modifiers from lower cards to be either visible (and thus still having effect) or covered (and thus superseded by the newer card on top).
Our art director, Scott Reeves, made a mock-up of how some of the cards will look, to show off the transparency. He made this image for the back of the tuckbox, but it's does such a great job of showing what the game will look like in hand that I wanted to share it with folks.
Another thing we're doing in the packaging is a cut-out on the front, so that one of the decks of cards will show through, allowing browsers in the store to see the actual transparent cardstock.
Betting on Cthulhu500's Success
Check out Game Trade Magazine's newest issue (July 2004) for a 3-page spread on Cthulhu500! Included on pages 14 - 16 are two new vehicle card sets for the game, and optional rules for wagering on your race. Cthulhu500 also made it as one of GTM's "Spotlight" products on page 19!
Post Playtest Revisions (Again)
The final revisions on
Ars Magica Fifth Edition are about to start, and I've been looking through the reports that have come in so far. Again, a useful set of reports, and probably not as bad as previous rounds to work with, as this round focused on presentational issues. I was planning to start revisions today, but I've had to send an email round to remind some of our excellent playtesters that their reports were due two days ago... You know who you are.
I've already found one comment I like: "Whoever wrote the Combat Botches paragraph should have a statue raised in his honor." In the interests of providing a minimum of context, and giving people a first glimpse at bits of
ArM5, here is that paragraph in full:
A botch on a combat roll reduces the total to zero, just as for any other botch. If a character botches his Defense roll, he is almost certain to be killed if his opponent is armed and at all skilled. This is what should be expected; if you make a serious error while someone competent is trying to kill you, you will die. This makes Ars Magica combat potentially extremely deadly, so characters should think very carefully before wading into it.
What? You wanted more hints than that? Be a little patient; more hints are coming.
A Late Addition
We have a late addition to the production schedule:
Beer Money greeting cards! We're going to try to have a small quantity on sale at
Gen Con next month. I plan to ship to distributors in early September (we will have to collate and assemble the final product, which will take time after the convention chaos is past.) We expect that these will be very popular at conventions and in stores with eclectic product mixes (like bumper stickers, t-shirts, buttons, etc.), and should be popular among fans of
Lunch Money and
Beer Money...and those who just have an offbeat sense of humor.
Unwell Wishes™
Beer Money™ Greeting Cards
There should be greeting cards for every occasion -- and Unwell Wishes are here to fill in the gaps. In the past, you might have had trouble finding a card with the right tone for a recriminatory breakup, or for notifying an ungrateful child that you've written them out of your will. Now you have appealing stationery options for these and countless others of life's memorable milestones.
In one clear plastic box you get eight greeting cards and envelopes to match. The inside of each card is blank, for your personal message, while the outside sports one of the image/text pairs from the hit card game
Beer Money.
- Coldcock: "'Deserve' has nothing to do with it."
- Freedom: "I just need some time. And space. And everything you own."
- Grab: "I know where you live. I saw what you did."
- Horror of Horrors: "You're so STUPID. No wonder mother hated you most."
- Kick(2): "It's not me. It's You."
- Kick(4): "Worship me. Lick my boots. Bring me CAKE."
- Little Helper: "Roses are BLACK, Violets are BLUE, The sugar is GONE, Now so are YOU."
- Self Help: "Pain creates suffering. Suffering creates desire. Desire is the key that opens any door."
Based on the Beer Money card game by Charlie Wiedman, with photography by Andrew Yates
Stock No. AG2902, ISBN 1-58978-069-8, UPC 7-00040-02902-2, MSRP $9.99 for a pack of 8 cards and envelopes
Quick Updates
Just a few quick updates to the site this week. If you've been curious about
Cthulhu 500 (or if you saw the article in Game Trade), you may want to follow that link to the
Cthulhu 500 page for the free Wager Tokens PDF and the game's vital statistics.
I'm also happy to let you peek at the cover of a game I'm, personally, looking forward to a great deal:
Gloom. Click on to see how a somber, Gorey-esque demise and a clear plastic playing card make for a delightful family(-killing) game.
Big Honkin' Truck
With the Big Honkin' Truck you can be sure of one thing: If you're in an accident, no one will survive. The peace of mind you demand and the sheer ridiculous size you deserve. Made in the USA.
Cthulhu 500 debuts this August.
Another Playtest Begins
I've just (about ten minutes ago) sent another
Ars Magica Fifth Edition book into playtest. I can't tell you what it is yet, but it's a book that people have asked for several times on the mailing list and internet fora.
That makes two
ArM5 supplements at the playtesting stage or beyond. Just in case you were worried about future support for the line.
Hermes Portal New Issue
If you are a fan Ars Magica, you should know about Hermes Portal (http://www.hermesportal.fr.st/), a PDF fanzine put together by Eric Kouris. The 12th issue was released about a week ago. In each issue you can find an array of interesting articles -- some of it the kind of material you can use in just about any game (new spells, for example); some of it is more provocative breaks with the traditions of the game (which may or may not be your cup of tea, but may make you think about things in your saga). You'll recognize a lot of the authors as regulars in the Ars Magica fan community, and many of them as writers of Ars Magica books. Check it out!
Special Ops Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary!
Atlas Games is pleased to announce that Kevin Powe of Brisbane, Australia is the winner of this quarter's Special Ops prize drawing. Kevin will get to choose a prize from among the rare and and one-of-a-kind Atlas Games items reserved for the Special Ops drawing.
Special Ops is Atlas Games' corps of loyal fans who organize and run demos and tournaments at retail stores and conventions across the country and around the world. At the end of each quarter, Special Ops demo team members who have run a game in the last three months are entered into a prize drawing for special Atlas items. The next drawing will be September 30th, and will feature a choice of prizes such as press sheets and original art from our popular Ars Magica, Feng Shui, Penumbra D20, Over the Edge, and Unknown Armies RPGs, and from card game favorites like Dungeoneer, Lunch Money, and Once Upon a Time.
This month, Atlas Games celebrates its Special Ops demo team's 1-year anniversary since its re-activation in 2003. Special Ops has drawn members from across the United States and around the world, to share their love of games.
To join Atlas Games' Special Ops demo team, just fill out and send in the application form at www.atlas-games.com/specialops .
To request a demo at your convention or retail store, send in the demo request form located at www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/SOdemorequestform.rtf .
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