Wowio.com, the United States’ world’s foremost source for free, downloadable books is now available to all persons globally, who can provide a credit card number. Artesia series 1-3 remain available and popular as daily download choices. Those who haven’t downloaded Artesia should do so, and make sure to thank the sponsors. Each download puts money into the pockets of both wowio.com and ASP.
Archaia Studios Press responded to a thread about discussing what forum regulars were looking for from the company in terms of future releases. Thor Olavsrud, Games Editor for ASP wrote:
Hey everyone!
I can’t discuss exactly what we have in the works, but I can tell you this:
* We’ve got a number of game scenarios in the works at various stages.
* We are actively commissioning more scenarios.
* We are not currently working on any source books. That’s not to say there won’t be any in the future. I would very much like to see source books written.
So what does this seem to mean for the franchise in the near term?
The work entitled “Universities of the Middle Kingdoms” (UOTMK) by A. Dave Lewis may (or may not) be in active production. Mr. Lewis posted an impromptu rough draft of a map on April 8th in the ASP forums, fueling speculation that the project was alive and moving forward. No direct, specific news has emerged since, but Mr. Olavsrud’s statement would seem to imply that UOTMK will be scenario-length, rather than sourcebook-length. (It should be noted that Mr. Olavsrud’s comments on length may be more appropriately compared to Burning Wheel scenarios, which are much longer and complex than typical d20 linear-adventure scenarios. Mr. Olavsrud is a regular editor to the Burning Wheel system).
Cults of the Known World, The Middle Kingdoms Sourcebook, De Re Militaria, and The Book of Secrets are not going to be making any published appearances in the short term, or at least in the form that most forum posters have postulated.
Mr. Olavsrud continued:
I should make it clear that I don’t just see scenarios as one-shot stories that you play and they’re done. Each one should provide setting information, NPCs and even cult write-ups that you should be able to use again and again.
In any case, I’m keeping my eye on this thread. When we are ready to start working on source books, I’ll keep it in mind. So keep the ideas coming.
Interested in discussing this topic? Feel free to visit Archaia’s forums, or start a discussion about the future of Artesia and Artesia: Adventures in the Known World right here at Mayhem’s very own discussion place. It’s quick, easy, and non-invasive.
For those that dabble with this particular vice, Archaia Studios Press has gone mainstream with a foray into MySpace.
On the “official” Archaia Studios Press forums, an Artesia comics thread about the contents of Besieged #3 had lay dormant for a long while, but has recently sprung back to life with a slew of new theories about what may happen in and around Abenton while Artesia is incapacitated.
Spring, forum administrator and regular poster, has promised a “prize”, in the form of a custom forum title, for the individual who has the most accurate prediction(s) about what happens next in the third issue.
Got Prediction? Come give them, and win!
Artesia comics are now available for free download at Wowio.com.
Note: while the comics are free to read, one must have a valid credit card subject to being entered into their system in order to get access to the books. There are no charges involved in the actual reading and downloading. Also, there is a cap of five (5) downloads per 24-hour period. Therefore, astute math-oriented readers will not that one cannot download the entire first through third cycles of the Book of Dooms in one sitting. Artesia Annual 1-3 are not available, nor is Artesia: Besieged 1 or 2. But come on, this rocks.
I wonder why ASP hasn’t mentioned this?
New York Comic Convention, (frequently referred to as NY-Comicon or NYCC) is the perennially-massive gathering of comic fans, authors, artists, publishers, distributors, etc. in New York City. The event is happening April 18th through April 20th, 2008. Why is this information being posted here? Mark Smylie, creator of the Artesia series and Artesia: Adventures in the Known World Roleplaying Game will be in attendance, promoting both his company (ASP) and his comic book (Artesia: Besieged). If you live anywhere north of Georgia on the Eastern seaboard, now is your chance to meet the man behind the magic of Artesia and Artesia: Adventures in the Known World.
Many fans of the Artesia: Adventures in the Known World role-playing game are aware that ASP has reviewed its submission guidelines and hired a games editor (Thor Olavsrud) to work on developing ASP’s gaming brand. The company’s submission formula seems pretty simple: Read the instructions about what ASP wants to receive, write it out, submit your work, ca$h in. No sweat, right?
The reality of taking on this type of project or virtually any other polished writing is that it takes significant amounts of time, effort, and the ability to accept criticism.
These are some questions that I wish I had asked myself before Ryan and I began work on our scenario-for-submission, and that other people may benefit from asking themselves:
1) Do I have the time to write this scenario pitch?
It’s taken Ryan and I between two and three months to finish our pitch. The finished work obviously falls within the submission guidelines (i.e. 1500 words, or less), which means we produced roughly 500 words of polished material per month, and we spent at least a little time on the pitch five nights a week. Divide that production number by two, as there were two writers.
250 edited, polished words per person, per month of development. Is this crazy slow? I don’t know. The end may justify the means, it may not – at this point we don’t know. Regardless of outcome, we couldn’t have moved quicker and felt comfortable with the writing/editing cycle.
2) Who’s on my “team?”
Ryan and I worked together as creative equals, with neither party having a veto over the other in any aspect of the scenario’s development. I feel this created a significantly stronger end-product, but added to construction time. We’ll see how it fares, but that’s how we operated.
It could be argued that one author would be quicker, as one writer means one creative voice, with no discussions taking place over what elements should be included or disregarded. But, it could also mean a lot more time in the editing phase, or simply a lower-quality product due to “writer’s blinders,” where the sole writer cannot fathom that his/her ideas are anything but wonderful. Having more than two writers or editors? I don’t know what would happen, but at three or four people, you’re beginning to have “a lot of cooks in the kitchen.”
3) Do I/we have an editur editor to review my/our work?
No one writes perfectly on the first draft. Most people don’t produce pure gold on the second, third, or even fourth draft. If you are uncomfortable with others editing your work, recall that ultimately your piece will stand or fail based on how it reads thematically, grammatically, stylistically. (I’m going to have to look some of those words up.)
4) Do I know the story background?
This one seems like a no-brainer… most people who write scenarios for submission are going to be intimately versed in the world. I would consider myself to be very close to this description, yet I repeatedly had to refer to all of the source material that I had on hand. Ryan and I tried to verify every factual statement made in the scenario proposal, to make sure it complied with the “canon” of the A:AKW sourcebook. It cannot be stressed enough: no proposal that makes serious errors about fundamental principles behind the game’s background or mechanics are likely to succeed. Do I know this to be true? No, I am not privy to the inner workings of ASP’s gaming department. That being said, a failure to demonstrate “doing your homework” will probably result in FAIL.
5) Am I prepared to fail?
We are, but it will still sting. We’re human, and no human likes to strive for a goal and be denied accomplishing that goal. The ultimate desired outcome of crafting a scenario proposal shouldn’t be money or fame (as this project will not likely result in either, no matter what level of success you obtain), but about producing a piece of work that adds your voice to a wonderful game and story. If you think you’ll be turned off from Artesia, A:AKW, or ASP if you’re turned down… don’t do it! Why artificially separate yourself from such a bad-ass piece of work? It’s not worth it.
NEXT: Part #1: Sewing the field, planting the seeds.
One administrative note: If you wish to comment on this post, or any other entry on this site, please do so via this site! I won’t respond to comments about middlekingdoms.net, or any of its content, except here on the site itself, with exceptions made for e-mail under “unusual” circumstances. We have a forums section that we’d love to grow into a community, so don’t be a stranger.
Is anyone in the Artesia/A:AKW fan-base concerned about the A:AKW discourse on the ASP forums? Intermittent, illegible, and/or just plain rude, one can’t help but wonder why newcomers to that virtual space would want to bother establishing a presence in that community.
I (Brendan) have few comments, which may be taken as statements of opinion, and in no particular order:
1) There must be restraint when posting about comments you disagree with. If you think that someone doesn’t “get” your point after you have just explained it twice, that is moment when you must gracefully bow out. Why? Because the other poster understands what you are trying to communicate, they just don’t agree or don’t want to respond meaningfully.
2) Being rude, even especially in backhanded ways, is immature and makes people not want to participate. Worse, it often makes other people be rude in return. Considering that Artesia and A:AKW is more-or-less for Mature Readers (adults), shouldn’t we all be acting like them?
3) Delivering opinion statements as irrefutable fact is disruptive to discourse and, if done with sufficient repetition and vigor, will destroy conversation. Posturing as if you know everything about a subject of which you are neither the creator, caretaker, or even contributor, is an asinine way to lead one’s life.
I regularly read the newly posted thread on the ASP forums, with special interest in the Artesia-related threads. Why are the these threads the only places where I see behaviors 1, 2, 3? Its puzzling and disturbing as a fan who wants to see the Artesia/A:AKW community prosper.
GenCon is 5 months, 12 days away.
Mark Smylie and Thor Olavsrud must be ready, because Archaia Studios Press have released their updated submission guidelines for independent writers who want to submit their Artesia: Adventures in the Known World ideas to the company.
Spring, ASP forum administrator, Artesia blogger, grandmaster knitter, and all-around nice person was the first to post the alert.
The requirements all seem fair and professional, although it may prove a challenge for aspiring contributors to keep their initial pitches to 1,500 words/2-3 pages. Check them out at knownworld.com by clicking here or just follow the link at the ASP forums.
Does anyone else wonder what happened with Joe Martin, ASP’s previous games editor?