--- In dfrpg-chat@yahoogroups.com, "Andy" <thranite_of_athens@...> wrote:

> Ok, time to pester for a bi-monthly update.

Appreciated!

> Does progress still continue?

It does! If anything, we're aggressively back on track.

> If possible, can we get a rough idea of where that progress is at?

We have had some core system issues that our local "in the lab"
alpha-testing had proven to be pretty fundamental.

So we nuked the damn system from orbit.

We're now at a point where the core system issues have been sorted out
and we're contemplating the impact this has on our spellcasting
implementation. We've got some proposals currently on-deck that are
pretty exciting, and that we have a strong feeling will make it out of
the lab this time around.

> Have beta testers been formed yet?

Nope.

> New artists?

Nope. I'm the art director here (among many other things) and we've
done about as much prior-to-typesetting art acquisition as I can
possibly be comfortable with. We need to get all of the authoring and
editing stuff out of the way before I can start seeing what our
remaining art gaps are.

> Any new material that can be shared as a preview?

Not yet, but hopefully soon.

> If the Dresden Files are on the back burner, what's Evil Hat got on
> the front burners?

The Dresden Files were on the back burner inasmuch as any thing Evil
Hat was on the back burner while we ripped apart our core engine and
turned it into something we were much happier with. That core
engine's been resolved and retuned, and is purring like a kitten with
a big saucer of milk. It's good stuff.

This has allowed us to proceed with more specific development on *two*
projects -- Spirit of the Century, and Dresden Files.

Spirit of the Century is likely to see publication before the Dresden
Files stuff is done. We've gotten all of the writing for Spirit done;
it's in the editing and art acquisition phase, which I am hoping will
be done sometime around June. Then, typesetting, and publication --
which we'll likely do solely Print on Demand through Lulu.com. Right
now, I'm thinking we'll be seeing a roughly 350-400 page game in a
compact 6x9 format, which we'll try to price at a good pricepoint to
take advantage of what print on demand offers us and the consumer.
You can get a small 'teaser' as to what Spirit of the Century is about
at http://www.evilhat.com/spirit/

The reason Spirit is particularly relevant to DFRPG fans is simple --
that "core engine" I was talking about us ripping apart and putting
back together is featured there too. In fact, you'll probably see
some material repeated across both products -- the "here are the
basics of the rules" stuff, and some of the GM advice, for example --
so if you want to get a rough handle on the game experience we're
looking to create, Spirit's going to be of real interest to you.
Plus, if you don't mind me saying so, it's a rockin little game.

That said, Dresden will be different from Spirit in some pretty
fundamental ways, though. The idea of what a fair fight is is
different between Spirit and Dresden; in Spirit, we're looking to
match the spirit of the pulp era, where dashing science heroes can
face down an army of 50 ape-men without too much trouble. In Dresden,
taking on three guys by yourself is pretty hard. The idea of how to
present supernatural abilities is also going to be significantly
different between the two products. Plus, Dresden's really all about
emulating the feel of the novels -- and that's going to subtly and
overtly alter how everything's presented, in the end.

2006 looks to be an exciting year. We appreciate everyone's patience
while we've been sorting out our self-induced derailment. :)