Latest murmur

[azazel1024]

I noticed in the latest Kevin Murmur that he mentioned contacting for art for the next Dead Reign book. Sounds like maybe we will be lucky enough to get another one by Halloween!

That would rock!
-Matt

PS I hope some future book addresses surviving on the water, boats, sailboats, water ways, bays, marinas, oil rigs, cruise ships (of the dead! Muwahahahha! cough, cough), rivers, islands, etc.

[asajosh]

Agreed, DR needs a water based source book...
I mean how deep must the water be to be "deep enough" to discourage zombie persuit? I know a zombie could walk across the bottom of a pool or other still body of water, but when do rivers carry them away with the current? These and other burning questions need answers and Halloween draws near!

[azazel1024]

My thoughts exactly!

Sadly it looks like the next DR book is going to be more of a Christmas issue, rather than Halloween. I'd love books more frequently, but I must say, it wouldn't be a terrible thing if PB tried to start a tradition of a new DR book for every October/Halloween.
-Matt

[azazel1024]

I would go even further and say it has been pushed into next year, but that is just a gut feeling.

It all comes down to one person trying to do everything.

Unfortunately it is always safer to assume later rather than sooner, but still looking forward to it.
-Matt

[jaymz]

Guys you also have to take into account there are at least 3 books slated prior to a new DR book. Armageddon Unlimited, Vampires Rev & Exp and the Vampires SB. Start thinking next summer. At Best. ArmU will take months to do as is evidenced by how long it typically takes KS to edit and do rewrites to a book. VampR&E will not take as long but tiwll take time as it needs new material written and added. The Vamp SB will take months as it still has to be written, edited and rewrites done. Yeah SUmmer at best. Same goes for any other book that is slated post the 3 I mentioned. Will I buy them? Igf I have the money. Do I liek waiting? Not a chance but it is Palladium and this is how it is.

[jaymz]

It just seems to me that personal issues aside the flow has REALLY slowed down since Marker was laid off and forced to seek more reliable employment.

While yes theflow has slowed, and product may have come out more frequently (sicne KS could work on other stuff while Marker was aorking on his stuff) Markers stuff, while the fluff was good, stil suffred froma lack of any kind of playtesting as evidecned by the extreme inconsistency in game stats for everything. (mind you that is an issue for ALL the boks that have come out for years)

But yes books did seem to come out faster.

[jaymz]

It just seems to me that personal issues aside the flow has REALLY slowed down since Marker was laid off and forced to seek more reliable employment.

While yes theflow has slowed, and product may have come out more frequently (sicne KS could work on other stuff while Marker was aorking on his stuff) Markers stuff, while the fluff was good, stil suffred froma lack of any kind of playtesting as evidecned by the extreme inconsistency in game stats for everything. (mind you that is an issue for ALL the boks that have come out for years)

But yes books did seem to come out faster.

OK, I've read more than a bit of Jason's stuff BEFORE it was edited and printed and there were substantial changes made. Jason Marker may be one of the best unsung writers working in the industry today and Palladium should have made much more of an effort to keep him.

And what did KS put out parallel to Jason during his tenure?

I am in agreemetn with you CL Thus why I also stated that all books have a lack of playtesting as evident int eh extreme inconsistency instats. It seems KS cannot let abook go without putting is personal touch on even if his personal touch isn;t really needed. Hell look atthevarious comment mande in regards to what was submitte to what was published for Triax 2

[azazel1024]

But then it wouldn't be PB or have PB's 'signiture character'. I certainly don't disagree that a bit more of a hands-off approach, or finding a couple of people who can edit (maybe the current staff can admirably, I don't know) and align things with the running strategy.

Seems like more planning sessions need to be held on each book, or series of books. Chart out the basics of where you want the book to go, certain things you might want covered in it, that sort of thing, then hand it off and then let the editors take a crack at it when they are done with a cursory initial edit by KS, with notes handed off to the editors/writer to make changes.

Seems like a lot of actual rewritting is done in the editing stage, which is much later than it really should be. Editing should be tweaks for continuity, stat leveling, mis-spelling/grammer, etc. Re-writting should really be the author's job, with, considering the nature of the stuff, minor (MINOR) additions from the editing staff/KS.

That at least sorta seems to be the way a lot of coauthoring in the novel world seems to work. A lot of authors who are the 'primary' create a detailed outline of what is in the book (sometimes as big as 10-20k words) and then the 'secondary' author actually goes ahead and writes the book based on the outline with the primary doing some minor tweaks or suggestions some changes in the end. I get the feeling that most books are concepts either pitched by KS to an author or vice versa with some basic discussion of ideas for the book and then a "go get 'er" with KS doing minor to major rewrites once the final is turned in instead of extensive outlines.

Just my thoughts.
-Matt