The Great CGL Rumors and Speculation Thread Options

[Pendaric]

I think my re-action to phase this succinctly in the old lexicon, "o frag it!"
Followed by," and hope that everyone gets paid."

[Sengir]

What the...? How in..

So what does this mean for the future of Shadowrun? It probably means that someone else will create a company and start making Shadowrun again.

Sure, the IP will be taken over by someone, it sounds like good money after all. I'm just hoping the CGL staff have the same chance.

[Stahlseele]

I posted this on the classicbattletech boards.
One of the CGL-Demo-Team replied that he would not comment.
Now the topic has been deleted.

[Synner667]

Shadowrun ain't perfect. But you know what? It's fun as hell, and it would suck to lose that. So here's the deal: I saw what Frank posted, and it's got me worried. I like Shadowrun a lot. I like what CGL has done with a lot. So this is what I will do.

I'm not a professional game designer. Hell, I've never been paid by an RPG company. But I've done some playtesting and "fact-checking" (don't ask, it just pisses me off) for WotC, and G-d knows I've got spare time. And I love this game.

I have no idea how your PDF sales are, but I figure that the actual process of taking a completed PDF file and giving it to DriveThruRPG or whoever isn't that expensive. (At least compared to printing a book.) So... I can write. I can design, at least in theory. I figure that the least I can do as a last ditch effort to help is donate my skills to a company I can get behind. So I will write for you, or playtest for you, for free. Period. And my hope is that other people will do the same.

Think about it, guys: this is the age of crowdsourcing. Anyone here have PDF design experience? Anyone here want to help me with mechanics? Between all of us, we could make a decent-sized PDF and then give it to CGL immediately. Hell, my mom's a contract lawyer; I'll see if she'll write up a donation of intellectual rights contract or whatever pro bono. It's a hell of a dream, but maybe we could help get CGL back on its feet.

1. Don't prostitue yourself. It just demeans you and your ability.
2. Why don't you just grab one of the open source licences and do this for yourself. Shadowrun is just a cyberpunk game, with little to differentiate it from any other - so do it and do it for yourself.

[Dumori]

At least we are free from such censorship on the "offical"-unoffical site.

[Udoshi]

OK, how about a fundraiser for them. I know I can use the tax write off.

Brent

I'd be up for that. I happen to like shadowrun, and have 5bux I can donate to a worthy cause. Now how do we do that?

[DireRadiant]

Shadowrun has tons of fan support and material. Gleaning the quality out of it is the bulk of the work. That happens.

The problem, if the rumors are true, has far more to do with the ethical running of a successful business supported by a strong fan base.

[Dumori]

Yep its not an issue of sales or such.

[knasser]

Shadowrun ain't perfect. But you know what? It's fun as hell, and it would suck to lose that. So here's the deal: I saw what Frank posted, and it's got me worried. I like Shadowrun a lot. I like what CGL has done with a lot. So this is what I will do.

I'm not a professional game designer. Hell, I've never been paid by an RPG company. But I've done some playtesting and "fact-checking" (don't ask, it just pisses me off) for WotC, and G-d knows I've got spare time. And I love this game.

I have no idea how your PDF sales are, but I figure that the actual process of taking a completed PDF file and giving it to DriveThruRPG or whoever isn't that expensive. (At least compared to printing a book.) So... I can write. I can design, at least in theory. I figure that the least I can do as a last ditch effort to help is donate my skills to a company I can get behind. So I will write for you, or playtest for you, for free. Period. And my hope is that other people will do the same.

Think about it, guys: this is the age of crowdsourcing. Anyone here have PDF design experience? Anyone here want to help me with mechanics? Between all of us, we could make a decent-sized PDF and then give it to CGL immediately. Hell, my mom's a contract lawyer; I'll see if she'll write up a donation of intellectual rights contract or whatever pro bono. It's a hell of a dream, but maybe we could help get CGL back on its feet.

As I understand FrankTrollman's post, it's not the company suffering through the excessive cost of their freelancers (I think any of the freelancers would rightly lynch me if I suggested they were highly paid considering the amount of work and skill they give in return). And it's not the company as such being ripped off. The person accused of embezzlement is one fo the founders of the company, I think. Until things are a bit more straightened out and you know exactly who and what you're offering your services to, I'd be a bit more careful. Plus, there's actually plenty of material sitting around waiting to be published. It's just that the writers haven't been paid for it and the company may not have the funds to actually publish them.

That said, I effectively self-produce a fair bit of material and I have a reasonably popular site and am willing to cover hosting costs. If you are willing to put effort in to produce things, I'd be happy to provide hosting and bring it to a wider audience. It's not the same as being published by Catalyst, I'm afraid, but I get a lot of downloads and this sort of thing - on my site or others - does help Shadowrun. Like you, I love this game and that's one of the reasons I put so much work in unpaid. (Even if I were paid for it, freelance rates are still less than my "day job" rates. I suspect like a lot of the free lancers, it's largely a labour of love).

Actually, this goes for anyone else that wants to create some Shadowrun material. I wont host a scrappy four line character bio, but anything that you're proud of, please send along. I can also offer limited editing and formatting services.

K.

EDIT: I hope that didn't come across as me leaping in to plug my own site. I well know it's no comparison to the real deal, but like the OP, I love this game and I do believe that fan made material has a role to play in helping out the game. If I can help with that, it's an honour.

[MJBurrage]

I'd be up for that. I happen to like shadowrun, and have 5bux I can donate to a worthy cause. Now how do we do that?

Assuming the rumors of CGL being in trouble have some foundation:

1. If it is simply a revenue problem, than buying PDFs directly from Battlecorps would be the best way to "donate". Since CGL gets a larger cut of those sales than through other methods of distribution.
2. If CGL is in trouble due to theft at the top, then a donation will not help any of us, and will help a thief.

[Warlordtheft]

In all honesty, I think this will be the end of CGL. Such malfeasance by a head of the company means there is 0 chance of them getting loans and 100% probabilty that there will be cash flow issues. Which means production and cashflow issues will end the Topps agreement.

[Udoshi]

Assuming the rumors of CGL being in trouble have some foundation:

1. If it is simply a revenue problem, than buying PDFs directly from Battlecorps would be the best way to "donate". Since CGL gets a larger cut of those sales than through other methods of distribution.
2. If CGL is in trouble due to theft at the top, then a donation will not help any of us, and will help a thief.

Exactly the problem there. Buying product is the easiest way to contribute - unless its going to the wrong guy's pockets. I was actaully thinking more along the lines of a paypal charity account. You can always send -that- to the right person, once you find out who it is.

[Chrome Tiger]

Exactly the problem there. Buying product is the easiest way to contribute - unless its going to the wrong guy's pockets. I was actaully thinking more along the lines of a paypal charity account. You can always send -that- to the right person, once you find out who it is.

I would say that the right people would be the freelancers that have not yet been paid. CGL is in enough of a quagmire as it is, it seems. If there are freelancers out there not paid for past work, they deserve some compensation. Perhaps it would even lessen the animosity so they come back to work for whoever picks up the license in the future.

[Chrome Tiger]

In all honesty, I think this will be the end of CGL. Such malfeasance by a head of the company means there is 0 chance of them getting loans and 100% probabilty that there will be cash flow issues. Which means production and cashflow issues will end the Topps agreement.

Yeah, we had a local tech company whose CEO was filtering money into his own lifestyle. That ended up with the feds raiding the business, a couple dozen people unemployed, and the CEO putting a 12-gauge through his head in a police standoff.

[Sengir]

I'd be up for that. I happen to like shadowrun, and have 5bux I can donate to a worthy cause. Now how do we do that?

You'd probably need to cough up a five-figure ammount just to get the initial printing to the presses. And who would give that to a company where (as far as we have been told) $850,000 disappeared and the boss seems to be the prime suspect?

[Dumori]

Ouch I hope for every ones sake this issue with CGL runs much smoother. Not that I'm a huge fan of the ones responceable for the fincala problems but I'd like to see a death free solution and hopefully one thats job loss free.

[Thanee]

That's sad news. CGL has been doing awesome work with the Shadowrun license.

I sure hope it isn't that bad, and they somehow make it through this mess.

Even if that means, that new releases will be just in PDF for a while. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Bye
Thanee

P.S. And hopefully those LEs will still get sent out... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Demonseed Elite]

I would say that the right people would be the freelancers that have not yet been paid. CGL is in enough of a quagmire as it is, it seems. If there are freelancers out there not paid for past work, they deserve some compensation. Perhaps it would even lessen the animosity so they come back to work for whoever picks up the license in the future.

It's a nice thought, but if the freelancers have any animosity, it's with the publishers, not the fans. The freelancers love the game as much as anyone else, it's why most of us transitioned from one SR license holder to another, even after getting burned by the former. If the SR license moves somewhere else as a result of all this, it'll be up to that new publisher to convince the freelancers to trust it. Which, given Shadowrun's past, will be a challenge.

[Kumo]

Damn.
That. Really. Sucks.

[knasser]

Yeah, we had a local tech company whose CEO was filtering money into his own lifestyle. That ended up with the feds raiding the business, a couple dozen people unemployed, and the CEO putting a 12-gauge through his head in a police standoff.

If that happens in this case, we'll get an eight page thread arguing about the accuracy of the point blank modifier rules.

K.

[AngelisStorm]

But if they could come up with enough to hold onto the IP use/printing rights, it would at least give them the opprotunity to -maybe- come up with something. Without the rights to SR, that's that.


What does this mean for books which are effectively ready to print? Do they potentially get picked up by the next IP holder, and if printed then people are paid?

[Demonseed Elite]

I just want to support knasser's idea. Good fan-written material is always a bonus for Shadowrun, no matter who holds the license or what is going on with it.

[Demonseed Elite]

What does this mean for books which are effectively ready to print? Do they potentially get picked up by the next IP holder, and if printed then people are paid?

If CGL were to fold or lose the license, yes, that could happen. It would all depend on the negotiations. Similar things happened when FanPro lost the license to CGL.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

WotC is losing the Star Wars license and bleeding people like hell. I don't think they're gonna be picking anything up any time soon.

Exactly! They are sticking to what gives BIG money and that is D&D and Wizards. If Wizards decides they are ready to expand again, I think they would try to get Star Wars license first (if it is stil available and probably will) then go after Shadowrun first.

[Mickle5125]

oh. Frag. This sucks.

Hope things work out.

Any word from CGL employees as to how the fans can help?