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Zolhex
Vairdic> Welcome everyone to the September Chat! I now turn things over to Peter Taylor, line developer for Shadowrun!

Vairdic> *Kermit the Frog Impression* Yaaaaaaay!

Peter_Taylor> Okay ladies and gentlemen, this month's Shadowrun chat is dedicated to the upcoming release schedule and what we have planned for 2009 and beyond. Those of you who attended GenCon and caught the Shadowrun seminar will be up to speed on a lot of this but for everybody else we have a bunch of surprises in store.

Peter_Taylor> I'll be talking about the different products we've got planned, dividing them up by different types of releases, and taking questions about each in turn.

Peter_Taylor> First off: Shadowrun novels

Peter_Taylor> They're making a comeback.

Peter_Taylor> Catalyst will be printing its own Shadowrun novels in the foreseeable future and we already have several mapped out.

Peter_Taylor> Our first release will be an anthology of Shadowrun short stories that's being edited by John Helfer (who wrote the ROC SR novel "Aftershock") and includes SR4 fiction by some very cool names.

Peter_Taylor> Our second book, the first novel proper will be written by Mel Odom.

Peter_Taylor> further down the line you will be seeing a novel by Pheadra Weldon (of Battletech fame) that ties into Emergence and a book by Jason Hardy (who wrote "Drops of Corruption")

Peter_Taylor> Additionally we'll be publishing a set of novels that tie into the major SR Anniversary plot arc (which you'll be hearing more about later).

Peter_Taylor> So any questions about the novels?

Coldan: Will the novels be translated into German too?
Peter_Taylor> That's up to the German licensee but I think it's reasonable to say that yes, the novels will see publication in Germany. Unfortunately I cannot give you any sort of timeframe for that.

Azure_Reg: Will we see any of the other authors of older novel writers from the SR2 and SR1 days return to the new line of books?
Peter_Taylor> Yes. We are also considering some reprints of the older novels. More on that when we have something solid to announce.

Casazil: The story line for the novels will be set in the 4th edition timeline I hope
Peter_Taylor> Yes. This time round Catalyst has control of the novels, not a third party publisher, or Wizkids. We have editorial control. Not only will contents be canon but the stories will be set in the current version of the setting.

knasser: Will you be soliciting proposals for fiction? And will you consider an anthology?
Peter_Taylor> As I mentioned an anthology is already in the works (actually finished reading some of the drafts last night). If this proves as popular as I think it will be, I'm certain other anthologies will follow. If you're interested in submitting SR fiction get in touch with me through my Catalyst email as there will be other alternatives opening up in the near future as well.

Blueeyes: Novels: Any chance that some of the past characters of shadowrun novels will be appearing in the new ones?
Peter_Taylor> Short answer: Yes. Long answer: I can't really tell you who but yes look for some familiar faces to make comebacks (keep in mind some of them have aged)...

Absinthe: Is there any possibility of bringing in old characters from the previous novels?
Peter_Taylor> See above: yes.

Ryu: I am hoping for some ED connections?
Peter_Taylor> Now that would be telling... Seriously though, ED connections will continue to be part of the metaplot and appear in upcoming books - whether they will take the spotlight again is something else entirely

Blueeyes: Novels: Any chance that the some of the settings of the new novels will be outside UCAS for once? In the older book we had several taking place in Europe, Africa etc. in the recent ones it’s been mostly North America.
Peter_Taylor> Yes. Some of the novels will be set outside the UCAS, in much the same manner as the sourcebooks are now opening the world beyond Seattle and the UCAS.

TKD_Ninja_In_Black: Will the anthology see any of the fiction works on the website, or will it be composed of brand new fiction we haven't seen?
Peter_Taylor> The Anthology will be all new fiction by a number of established authors some of which were dying to write some Shadowrun fiction and never got the chance.

Blueeyes: Dawn of the artifacts: Brand new adventure book that has been announced to be release this year, as far as I understand. Can we get a bit of info on this book, what’s it about, setting etc.?
Peter_Taylor> I'll be talking about that a little later but I just want to mention that this adventure (and its sequels will tie-in to some of the novels we have planned).

Casazil: Can we get names of the people lined up to write
Peter_Taylor> I can give you some of the names: Jason Hardy, Steve Kenson, Ilse Bick, William H. Keith, Dan C. Duval, and Stephen Dedman among others

Peter_Taylor> If that's it with Qs about the novels I'll move on to the next batch of surprises...

Peter_Taylor> Okay, starting in on 2009

Peter_Taylor> or before we start in on 2009

Peter_Taylor> Catalyst's 2008 Shadowrun schedule will be rounded out with the release of Ghost Cartels and Feral Cities.

Peter_Taylor> Ghost Cartels is a campaign featuring a new format combines what I feel are the best elements of the canned adventures (like On the Run), episodic campaigns (like Brainscan), and the event/track campaigns (like Blood in the Boardroom and System Failure).

Peter_Taylor> It features an street-level underworld/criminal oriented campaign with its own hidden surprises

Peter_Taylor> Its been written so that if you've got our core location books (Runner Havens and Corporate Enclaves) you'll get a lot more mileage out of all three books. And it goes beyond the "scenery" (as it were), the Cast of Shadows and Grunts that make an appearance have been stated out using all the nice options and gear from the 5 advanced books that player characters have access to. All this and it has a metaplot that will cascade into the underworld sourcebook Vice and something else I'm planning down the line.

Peter_Taylor> Feral Cities will be the third in our core location books and this time round we spotlight Chicago and the African sprawl of Lagos.

Peter_Taylor> Backup sprawls include Bogotá (look for fallout of Ghost Cartels), GeMiTo, Karavan (surprise), Geneva (what?) and Sarajevo.

Peter_Taylor> Questions?

Coldan: When will we get the errata’s? smile.gif
Peter_Taylor> This one's actually schedule related.... We've been busy updating all the errata’s for a series of reprints that we will be doing (our books have been selling really well) and errata’s for Augmentation, Arsenal and Street Magic will be posted soon.

Joanna_Hurley: When will they be out (approximately)? Also, is Runner's Companion in print yet?
Peter_Taylor> They were hit by cascading setbacks of various kinds, but both books will be out before the end of the year. Runners Companion was released at GenCon and should have hit stores a couple of weeks ago.

Vairdic> Runner's Companion (CAT26005) was available to retailers starting August 19th.

Azure_Reg: Feral Cities has new information on Chicago (obviously), does this mean we might see new hints/rumors/flavors of the Insidious Insect Invasion?
Peter_Taylor> Feral Cities will bring the city of Chicago (or what remains of it) into the 2070 setting and depict the aftermath of Bug City and what happened to the recovery efforts from Target: UCAS following the Crash 2.0. And yes, there will be bugs, and yes, they're up to no good again.

Blueeyes: Feral cities: Karavan in Kyrgyzstan? No Teheran section?
Peter_Taylor> Karavan is a surprise and a really unique setting. Central Asia is as close as you're getting from me.

Vertaxis: Geneva gone Feral? What happened there?
Peter_Taylor> This is explained in the book. As usual in the location books we introduce locations that while they fit the central theme they have very different atmospheres (Seattle/Hong Kong/Istanbul/Caracas or LA/Tokyo/Europort). What's happening in Geneva is a major modern sprawl going to hell... why? Well, that would be telling...

Method: Will corrected reprints be made available to those who purchased PDFs from Battlecorps? (Feel free to answer this later if it does fit into this segment).
Peter_Taylor> Yes.

Prime_Mover: This ones a ways into the future but will we be seeing more biodrone examples? Perhaps with Running Wild?
Peter_Taylor> You might want to wait till I get to Running Wild wink.gif

hobgoblin: remind me; didn’t UN relocate to Geneva after New York got the big one?
Peter_Taylor> Yes. Coincidence?

Blueeyes: Speaking of cites, Marseille was covered in the French version of Runners Havens. Any chance of an English translation of those circa 15 pages to become available online or in other form?
Peter_Taylor> Its quite a bit more than 15 pages when translated but we're considering various options for translated material in the future.

Casazil: I have a friend wanting to know when we will see an updated version of Shadowbeat?
Peter_Taylor> Not in 2009 (we've just got too much cooking already), but keep your eyes peeled for more news.

TKD_Ninja_In_Black: Is it true that I heard Ghost Cartels could have our runner team’s trekking to South America to be doing a lot of the damage we see to Bogotá in Feral Cities?
Peter_Taylor> Ghost Cartels has been devised so that it can be played as three separate campaign arcs (sort of like Blood in the Boardroom or Mob War) or it can be played sequentially (like Brainscan). The first campaign arc takes place in Seattle, the second visits pretty much all our core locations so far, and the final arc takes runners to South American just as things go err south... pardon the pun.

Ryu: [relayed Question] What about Poland? Any news regarding Calozerca? What about the NEEC?
Peter_Taylor> Calozerca: not yet. I'll talk about the NEEC in a minute with regards to a 2009 product.

Peter_Taylor> If those are all the questions regarding Ghost Cartels and Feral Cities, I'll move on to 2009

Peter_Taylor> Our first product for 2009 is being developed under the working title Gamemasters Toolkit

Peter_Taylor> but in fact it’s more general and will appeal to a lot of groups. This product will be a small boxed set that includes a new screen, On The Run, and a bunch of extras including cheat sheets and other goodies.

Peter_Taylor> At around the same time we'll also be releasing the first adventure in the Dawn of the Artifacts series which will play into the whole 20th Anniversary theme we have going next year.

Kadtarka: Will the parts be available separately?
Peter_Taylor> That's currently under discussion, but some of the components might be available separately if we detect enough demand.

Qing_Long: Why include On The Run in the Toolkit when most people could just buy it separately? Is this supposed to appeal to old hat SR players or just newcomers?
Peter_Taylor> the simple answer is On The Run is a cool introductory adventure and its not only out of print since before Catalyst took over the license but we've been getting a lot of requests for something of the kind from players who've picked up the game recently. The Toolkit is meant to appeal to everyone, hence the goodies.

Casazil: How many Adventures will Dawn of the Artifacts be?
Peter_Taylor> Dawn of the Artifacts will unfold over 4 stand-alone but interlinked adventures

ZenDead: I heard that there is going to be more tie-in to Earthdawn. Is the Artifacts series going to go into that a bit more?
Peter_Taylor> the Artifacts series will definitely tie into Shadowrun's secret history (as I told a friend recently if the name isn't a dead giveaway you shouldn't be running the shadows for long enough)

Kadtarka: So what is the "20th Anniversary Theme"?
Peter_Taylor> I'd like to talk about the remaining SR4 products before we get into our Anniversary products...

Blueeyes: Artifacts... When I see that in the title certain elements come to mind: ED (crosses fingers), Dragons, and of course Ancient elves any chance any of these elements will play a factor in Dawn of the artifacts and the 2009 plot arc? I might be way off of course lol
Peter_Taylor> Some if not all of those elements will play a role in the Artifact arc. What I can say is that the arc ties into a coming metaplot in a big way, think of it as a prequel...

Qing_Long: Will any "famous" ED artifacts make appearances.... the Book of Harrows? A certain dragon statuette? A collection of Blades? A clay tablet?
Peter_Taylor> We'll be keeping the names of the artifacts and their roles under wraps for the time being. What I can say is that we'll be using stuff that's previously been mentioned in Shadowrun canon.

Peter_Taylor> If that's it for the Toolkit and Dawn of the Artifacts I'll move on
TKD_Ninja_In_Black: Will we finally get some light on some of the wonderful goodies the Big D left us in his will?
Peter_Taylor> Could be wink.gif

Blueeyes: Dusting off Dunkie's will seems like a good idea? smile.gif
Peter_Taylor> Well it is an anniversary year and a tip of the hat to all the stuff that's as memorable in Shadowrun canon as the will would be appropriate, no?

Peter_Taylor> Okay moving on. The two other products that we've already announced and which will be appearing next year are the underworld sourcebook Vice and the critters book Running Wild.

Peter_Taylor> Vice will dive into what the Sixth World underworld looks like in the aftermath of Ghost Cartels and have a wider, more international focus than say the Underworld sb. That said all your old favorites will still be there (i.e. the Mob, the Yaks, the Triads, etc) as well as the not-so-small old time favorites (i.e. the Ancients, the Cutters, etc)...

Peter_Taylor> Running Wild will be much more than a critter compendium, though it will cover that too.

Blackthorne: Will the critter book focus on one region or will it cover the world?
Peter_Taylor> Running Wild will be global but it will also include sections on keeping pets, using and counteracting security animals, cybered animals, biodrones, toxic critters, heck why not Technomancer critters...

Casazil: Will running wild be paracritters only or will there be some normal critters too?
Peter_Taylor> I definitely want to include a chapter on normal animals. It’s never been very clear in Shadowrun but the percentages of expression of Awakened critters in my mind are similar to the percentages of metahumans (meaning 30-35% of the populations). Which in turn means there's plenty of "normal" animals out there to pose problems and which are often overlooked with the paranormals hogging the spotlight.

TKD_Ninja_In_Black: In the critter compendium section will we get 4th edition revamps of classic critters like the cockatrice and the corpselight?
Peter_Taylor> Yes.

Knasser: Will most / all of the critters from previous books be detailed in Running Wild. And specifically... Drop Bears?
Peter_Taylor> Why not?

Ryu: Vice: Yea on the international focus. Will it still include localized syndicate information for (some of) the official locations?
Peter_Taylor> Yes. We're trying to strike a balance between general setting information and specific examples that you can bring to the table.

Knasser: With "Vice," will we see our favorite pumpkin headed psycho gang return to their former glory? Don't you agree that the poncy Elven Ancients have had it easy way too long! biggrin.gif
Peter_Taylor> It depends we're trying to cover as many bases as possible and still keep the material useful and interesting. The Halloweeners are relatively localized while the poncy elves are a transnational gang with chapters in several sprawls and countries...

Blueeyes: Running wild: Are you planning on having illustrations for the different critters etc. in the book, like was done in the old paranormal animals books?
Peter_Taylor> I'd very much like to have proper illustrations of the various critters. We're working on the best way to do that without blowing our art budget (there are a significant number of critters out there to be included)

ZenDead: A critter book awesome. So are we going to see new things and not just rehashing old material? And will it include North America as well as the rest of the world?
Peter_Taylor> As I've said global. We'll be providing a mix of old and new.

Casper: Will organizations have attributes so that players and GMs can compare power levels or have an Idea of what they are capable of?
Peter_Taylor> Not in the way Corp Download had for instance. That said Vice does contain a chapter about using these organizations in your game and devising your own appropriate for your own settings.

Kadtarka: The last books had not much Shadowtalk in them, which was a feature I particularly liked about the old critter books. Will Running Wild contain more Shadowtalk than the last books?
Peter_Taylor> I'll be sticking to the model we've used for SR4 core books. We will be combining fiction sections with rules material to avoid the dull encyclopedic feel of some of the Third edition books, while at the same time contextualizing the rules and options provided in a Sixth World context.

Qing_Long: Is Running Wild the last "core rule book" so to speak? Is the rest of the line more focused on more adventures, campaigns, and sourcebooks?
Peter_Taylor> There is one more book penciled in after it that deserves the qualifier but it’s likely a 2010 release: the Mr. Johnson’s Companion.

Peter_Taylor> As for what else we'll be doing down the line... story development is a big thing for me, and taking a look around the Sixth World is something I'd very much like to do.

Hobgoblin: would that be critters with TM style powers?!
Peter_Taylor> Maybe... consider that if Awakened potential exists in animals why not the potential to Emerge?

Hobgoblin: on topic of gangs, red hot nukes?
Peter_Taylor> The problem with gangs is that everyone has a favorite and all I can say for sure is that we won't cover them all in Vice.

Blueeyes: Vice: will the 3rd edition's Vory vs. Mob war in Europe be updated on?
Peter_Taylor> Ghost Cartels addresses this in passing and Vice will visit the status quo in 2072

Knasser: There was a cover for Running Wild floating around a while back. It was one of the nicest SR pieces of artwork I'd ever seen. Is this the final cover art?
Peter_Taylor> Yes

Coldan: Is the J's Companion the extended version of corporate download?
Peter_Taylor> No. That would be the Corporate Guide. Mr. Johnson's Companion would cover many of the things we didn't feel were appropriate for Runner's Companion - such as alternate campaigns in the Sixth World, game master’s advice on various subjects (like integrating the "3 worlds"), quick resolution systems, etc.

Absinthe: Any rules for creating awakened critters?
Peter_Taylor> I'm toying with the possibility but this book is going to be crammed full even without them.

Casper: Is the Corporate Guide slated for 09?
Peter_Taylor> If we do manage to squeeze Corporate Guide into 2009 it will be towards the end of the year.

Blueeyes: I seem to remember you mentioning a Corporate Guide book 1 or 2 chats ago, has this one been put on the back burner or?
Peter_Taylor> We've got a bunch of really cool Anniversary products that will take precedence because of timing. That said Corporate Guide is very much a priority.

Ysrthgrathe: anymore info on flesh form insect spirit para mixes?
Peter_Taylor> I'm still considering whether we have space to include/update Insects and other metaplanar menaces in Running Wild... its too early to tell.

Casazil: Heh I'll ask the question this month Holostreets?
Peter_Taylor> We don't have a date, however, as we announced at the last chat and at GenCon we'll be testing the waters soon with our very own e-books...

Qing_Long: Can you share any more on the Anniversary plans or is that later anyway?
Peter_Taylor> Well, if that's it with questions about Running Wild and Vice, I'll move into the Anniversary releases

Peter_Taylor> Okay so regarding Anniversary products there's two I can announce and two I have to keep in secret for now.

Peter_Taylor> First off, we'll be releasing a "Seattle 2072" sourcebook, an Anniversary tribute to the original Seattle sb, full color and with all the local color you might want to wiggle your finger at.

JMecha: Will there be a more detailed time line released with anniversary updating us things like the current state of the U.K., the Tir’s, and other parts of the world that had revolutions at the end of 3rd edition and have not had much coverage in 4th?
Peter_Taylor> Funny you should ask....

Peter_Taylor> The second Anniversary product is the Sixth World Almanac.

Peter_Taylor> This will be a full color and entirely in character. It will include a detailed timeline of the Sixth World and a Sixth World fact book - a brief overview of what the world looks like in 2072.

ZenDead: Will it have some ads like the first one?
Peter_Taylor> That is our plan.

Blackthorne: Is it next year yet? lol
Peter_Taylor> No you have 4 books to buy before these come up.

Zed: Shouldn't the 20th Anniversary Products include "swag" from NERPS?
Peter_Taylor> Funny you should mention that. There's actually a third product I can talk about. We're planning on releasing an Introductory Boxed Set that's intended to get new players to sit down and play Shadowrun in 20 minutes. The Introductory Set will be an Anniversary product and I have it on good authority that it will be full of little extras and "swag."

Blueeyes: Regarding your anniversary products, any chance of past icons like the Big D, Harlequin, or even Ehran the scribe showing up in one form or another in any of them? How about another transcript from a long lost wyrmtalk featuring Big D and Harlequin? smile.gif
Peter_Taylor> There's always a chance... As I said before the Anniversary is the perfect opportunity to tip the hat at the ideas and characters that have made Shadowrun so popular over the years. So yeah, expect some of these to pop up.

Casazil: Seattle 2072 MAPS Please and Thank You. Not just one big one but several please showing the different areas of the city where things are what the lifestyles of each area are so on so forth
Peter_Taylor> How about full color maps? And in Sixth World Almanac too? And flags?

Ryu: Sixth World Almanac: What kind of coolness will be inside? For example: Will there be explanations of past metaplots?
Peter_Taylor> This will be written in character and include a detailed history of the world and a basic overview of what the global geopolitical landscape looks like. This book won't have the behind the scenes stuff..........

Blueeyes: Sixth world almanac with world maps? Sounds awesome!!
Peter_Taylor> And yes Amazonia should be spotlighted in this book for the first time.

Zed: Swag that we can buy?
Peter_Taylor> There's already swag that you can pickup at Battlecorps. I'm wearing my Aztechnology "No Sacrifice Too Great" t-shirt right now.

Zed: Will there be 20th Anniversary swag?
Peter_Taylor> Maybe.

ZenDead: It sounds like for new people to get into Shadowrun this is the year?
Peter_Taylor> Shadowrun 4 has been drawing loads and loads of new players (as well as bringing back many lapsed players). Now that we've released most of the core books, we don't want to put new players off with all the apparent complexity and we feel an Introductory Boxed Set will get people to play and get hooked on the coolest game around.

JMecha: Are government’s going to get any coverage in 4th ed....like the various armies, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement agencies of the world?
Peter_Taylor> I have plans for all that but further down the line.

Ysrthgrathe: considering how much you have in the works do you guys sleep at all? btw it all sounds fantastic smile.gif
Peter_Taylor> Short Answer: At least in my experience, no.

JMecha: What are the two things you can not tell us?
Peter_Taylor> Those would be two other projects that are on the schedule that I have high hopes for and will be teasing you for a while with...

JMecha: Is there any plan to release a new line of Shadowrun Minis?
Peter_Taylor> Not at present no.

Blackthorne: Speaking of bringing new people back I stopped playing in second edition. I saw the forth ed at a bookstore flipped through it and bought it right then. I must say great job to everyone involved in this great game.
Peter_Taylor> An astonishing number of people approached me at GenCon with similar stories. Lapsed players who've come back to the fold with Fourth Edition and are back to enjoying life in the Sixth World.

Cang: I know its asked allot, and I might of missed it but... SoLA? I need to know what happens to my native Brazil.
Peter_Taylor> SoLA remains in development limbo and we'll talk about it when there's something to talk about. Meanwhile South America will feature in Ghost Cartels and the Sixth World Almanac.

Qing_Long: When in the year should we expect all this 20th Anniversary stuff? GenCon time of year? Spread out all over? When?
Peter_Taylor> Anniversary products will come out during next year, interspersed with our "regular" releases. Obviously we're saving some of the biggies for the Con season.

Zed: How About CAS and Aztlan getting into another war for Austin, San Antonio, and Houston? There haven't been any good wars lately. Amazonia from the South CAS from the North that could be like the world of Blake for Shadowrun...
Peter_Taylor> It’s amazing how many people have approached me about taking the Shadowrun universe to war. Who knows I might even do it sometime...

Casazil: Other editions of Shadowrun had more than one book for magic gear augmentations will 4th edition being seeing additional books for these areas as well?
Peter_Taylor> I did talk about this at GenCon. Nothing's set in stone at the moment, and as you can see 2009 is a pretty full year for us. That said one of my overriding goals as Shadowrun developer is to make sure that the books we do put out are as integrated as possible with what we're doing metaplot-wise and setting-wise. Books like Ghost Cartels (and even Runners Companion) fit this philosophy. They integrate perfectly with where we're going metaplot wise and they use the setting material we've already released. To use a misquote of mine from GenCon "if we put out a military or espionage book it probably means a war is on the horizon."

Method: With the Corporate Guide pushed back to near-2010, will the Almanac at least cover the major corp. presence in each region?
Peter_Taylor> I think it's safe to say that yes.

Casazil: A starter box should go over well as a Shadowrun Special Agent for Catalyst I have seen a small pick up in new players at my Demo/SRM games
Peter_Taylor> That's definitely part of our target audience with the Intro Boxed Set

JMecha: Is there any plans to release a canon word on what technomancers actually are?
Peter_Taylor> I thought we had wink.gif Emergence has at least 5 explanations for what technomancers might be. Take your pick.

Cang: As from what I seen in Runner's Companion, do you plan on adding more mythos from different regions and religions into the game, not just the euro jazz?
Peter_Taylor> I'm the guy who asked to write India for Shadows of Asia. I wrote Argentina for the ill-fated SoLA. I did the global overview in Sprawl Survival Guide. I also did the magical traditions in Street Magic. It’s safe to say I like the global feel and I'll keep pursuing it...

Ryu: [non-relayed guessed question] It is also safe to say that the NEEC is in the Sixth World Almanac?
Peter_Taylor> Yup.

Coldan: Don't you think the people want some equipment for war, so they try to persuade you to start a war in time? wink.gif
Peter_Taylor> A lot of people have remarked that Arsenal doesn't really contain a lot of really heavy, cutting edge Miltech stuff... For the most part Arsenal is about the sort of stuff you might encounter on Shadowrun’s, on the streets of a Sixth World sprawl. This was intentional.

Blueeyes: Did I understand correctly that Dawn of the Artifacts will have sequels? If so will the 2nd be released in 2010?
Peter_Taylor> We're hoping to release all Dawn of the Artifacts adventures during the next year

Peter_Taylor> Okay we're running out of time here so I'm just going to quickly go over the e-books

Raggedhalo: When will the Runner's Companion be out in paper form? My FLGS knows nothing about it!
Vairdic> Runner's Companion was available to retailers August 19th. They can check with their distributor, but all the major distributors we work with should have it in stock or on order if they've run out already.

Peter_Taylor> Our first e-book release will be Digital Grimoire. This is a plug in for Street Magic and adds a lot of bonus material and some examples that we couldn't fit in the actual book.

Peter_Taylor> Digital Grimoire will be followed by the first three adventures in the NYC arc of SRM.

Peter_Taylor> For which we will also be releasing a multi-volume NYC setting e-book.

Peter_Taylor> Future e-books will fit a theme and like Digital Grimoire will also complement existing core books

Peter_Taylor> none of the material therein will be essential but they will be great bonus material for those who liked the core books and want more variety.
Coldan: No rules related questions today? :/

Peter_Taylor> Not today. We'll be posting errata in the coming weeks so save rules Qs for the next chat or mail them in to the FAQ address on the website.

Casazil: Between Magic and Tech is there anything or anyone going on or hanging out in Antarctica?
Peter_Taylor> If you're talking about who I think you're talking, I like the character but I have no plans to return him to the game at the moment.

Azure_Reg: Any chance some of these digital supplements will be written in the "Catalog" style that was so popular in SR2?
Peter_Taylor> Yes

Hawk: when will Ghost Cartels be released?
Peter_Taylor> When we have a street date we'll post it to the website

Cang: Will we see more awakened countries like the nagas in Cambodia?
Peter_Taylor> I would still very much like to do Awakened Haunts...

Peter_Taylor> That's about all we have time for on the official chat
Peter_Taylor> Moderation will coming off in a second and I'll be around for a little while to answer questions "unofficially.�
Zolhex
There are some minor edits for spelling as per what MS Word says is right mainly on names and the like. Also took out where it says my question was asked because the question is posted with the answer.
Ryu
Thanks for the spellcheck on my part... typing too fast for my own good sometimes.
Muspellsheimr
Thank you. For some reason, I cannot get the damn chat to work on any browser, so this is greatly appreciated. Hopefully someone will do this for every upcoming chat.
Zolhex
@Muspellsheimr Heh I'll try.

@Ryu No problem I don't type all that great either
hermit
Thank you for the transscript!

finally, some good news for old-fashioned gamers ...
knasser
You hear that, everybody? We have 4th edition Drop Bears. I repeat, we have 4th edition Drop Bears. Take cover! (but not under a tree). biggrin.gif

-K.
hobgoblin
bah, only fools have left the bunkers...

darn, pesky bears...
Ancient History
Widdle cuddly bears...of death?
hobgoblin
heh, who needs iron bombs...
Earlydawn
Wait, what happened to Awakened Haunts?
knasser
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Sep 21 2008, 03:30 PM) *


Goodness! I hadn't realised that Drop Bears had gone mainstream enough to appear in a comic.

That's fantastic!

And a little scary.
Ryu
Seems like "Operation Drop Bear Fame" is successful...
Ancient History
Y'all are both silly.
Zen Shooter01
Peter Taylor said in the chat to contact him with fiction proposals at his Catalyst email address. I can't seem to find an email address for him on the Catalyst Game Labs website. Does anyone know what his Catalyst address is?
Ryu
info@shadowrun4.com
psychophipps
I was all interested until the first time I read, "...ED metaplot..." and I lost my will to continue right there.

It was like laying the mack on a hot chick all night and having her fail the sniff test once you got alone and comfy. You were all excited, your balls hurt now, and you just want the stank ho to shut the fuck up and go away.
The ubbergeek
QUOTE (psychophipps @ Sep 21 2008, 04:31 PM) *
I was all interested until the first time I read, "...ED metaplot..." and I lost my will to continue right there.

It was like laying the mack on a hot chick all night and having her fail the sniff test once you got alone and comfy. You were all excited, your balls hurt now, and you just want the stank ho to shut the fuck up and go away.


What's the problem? Isn't it an high point for others?
hobgoblin
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Sep 21 2008, 10:21 PM) *
Y'all are both silly.


http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20050423
TKDNinjaInBlack
So we have the following in roughly this kind of order.

Ghost Cartels
Feral Cities
Vice
Running Wild
Dawn* of the Artifacts x4 *(hey, I got the reference! Sweet!)
GM's Kit with OTR and extras
Seattle 2072
Almanac 2072
Introductory Kit
Corp Book
Mr Johnson's Book revamped
+2 secret teaser projects laced through 2009 (most likely for the anniversary)
And a new novel line (yay!)

I'm so excited!
Adam
QUOTE (psychophipps @ Sep 21 2008, 05:31 PM) *
It was like laying the mack on a hot chick all night and having her fail the sniff test once you got alone and comfy. You were all excited, your balls hurt now, and you just want the stank ho to shut the fuck up and go away.

Y'know, I'm a big fan of the potty mouth, as I possess one myself, but this sort of commentary -- which says nothing about what you actually want out of Shadowrun -- really won't help you get what you want, partially because it makes you sound like a jerk, and moreso because after reading your post, I have no idea what you want -- beyond hot chicks to hook up with you and not turn out to be skeezy. Good luck with that.
Grinder
QUOTE (TKDNinjaInBlack @ Sep 22 2008, 12:27 AM) *
So we have the following in roughly this kind of order.

Ghost Cartels
Feral Cities
Vice
Running Wild
Dawn* of the Artifacts x4 *(hey, I got the reference! Sweet!)
GM's Kit with OTR and extras
Seattle 2072
Almanac 2072
Introductory Kit
Corp Book
Mr Johnson's Book revamped
+2 secret teaser projects laced through 2009 (most likely for the anniversary)
And a new novel line (yay!)

I'm so excited!


So, what's up with Awakened Haunts?
Zen Shooter01
Ryu, thanks for that address.
Ancient History
QUOTE (Grinder @ Sep 22 2008, 12:14 AM) *
So, what's up with Awakened Haunts?

We
ll get to it...eventually...probably...well, I sent in a proposal for the verdamnt thing.
Tiger Eyes
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Sep 21 2008, 08:19 PM) *
We
ll get to it...eventually...probably...well, I sent in a proposal for the verdamnt thing.


*snicker*
Adam
Official transcript and summary is up: http://www.shadowrun4.com/wordpress/?p=250
psychophipps
QUOTE (Adam @ Sep 21 2008, 04:04 PM) *
Y'know, I'm a big fan of the potty mouth, as I possess one myself, but this sort of commentary -- which says nothing about what you actually want out of Shadowrun -- really won't help you get what you want, partially because it makes you sound like a jerk, and moreso because after reading your post, I have no idea what you want -- beyond hot chicks to hook up with you and not turn out to be skeezy. Good luck with that.


I get surly when I don't get my sleep. My apologies.

I would very much prefer not to see an Earth Dawn tie-in metaplot. As these books are already being planned for, if they're not already in the process of writing, and have also been officially added to the release schedule, my wish is certainly not going to end up being your command.
Adam
As with all of our releases that have a big plot behind them, we look for the best ways to engineer plots that have trickle-down effects for all levels of 'runners, street criminals, organized criminals, and everyone else. Big changes "up top" stimulate the entire economy ...
Grinder
QUOTE (Ancient History @ Sep 22 2008, 02:19 AM) *
We
ll get to it...eventually...probably...well, I sent in a proposal for the verdamnt thing.


But you're not the only one writing for it, right? So I was wondering why the book wasn't mentioned at all in the roster for 2009.
TW
When planning a release schedule, the developer and higher-ups try to make sure it's a good mix of fluff, crunch, plot, so eventually some books take priority over other books. Also, even though Ancient's not the only one writing SR (though he writes _a lot_ wink.gif), there's still only one line developer who has to juggle all books in the various production stages...
Besides, instead of Awakened Haunts, you'll get the Almanac!
Fuchs
QUOTE (Adam @ Sep 22 2008, 05:04 AM) *
As with all of our releases that have a big plot behind them, we look for the best ways to engineer plots that have trickle-down effects for all levels of 'runners, street criminals, organized criminals, and everyone else. Big changes "up top" stimulate the entire economy ...


In this particular instance, "trickling down" soy sauce over the whole buffet is not advised. Restricting this particular taste to a select dish, like the vampire conspiracy, is much better. Those who like the taste can pour it over other dishes as they please.
Grinder
QUOTE (TW @ Sep 22 2008, 02:31 PM) *
When planning a release schedule, the developer and higher-ups try to make sure it's a good mix of fluff, crunch, plot, so eventually some books take priority over other books. Also, even though Ancient's not the only one writing SR (though he writes _a lot_ wink.gif), there's still only one line developer who has to juggle all books in the various production stages...
Besides, instead of Awakened Haunts, you'll get the Almanac!


I know, but I'd like to get either a reason why the book is delayed or if it just has been forgotten to mention it for 2009. smile.gif
TW
Not delayed, but pushed back. wink.gif
Grinder
That's so much better... not. biggrin.gif
Synner
Well, to put it simply: a 20th Anniversary only comes around every 20 years or so, and there's products we think/believe we should/must do that make perfect sense as Anniversary books. Books that celebrate and promote the setting, the game, and its 20-year heritage. Hence those books taking up some of the slots in our already overcrowded schedule.

Would I have liked to release Corporate Guide, Awakened Haunts, and a couple of other books I had planned next year? Hell, yeah. However, Catalyst and I have to consider Shadowrun as a game line and take a step back from what our personal tastes dictate. The 20th Anniversary is just too good an opportunity to pimp the game and showcase our plans for its future that we'd be idiots for not exploring it with a series of targeted and well-crafted releases. That said we kept a couple of must have projects in the mix: Vice and Running Wild and we'll be returning to our normally scheduled...errrr... schedule as soon as we can.

As for Fourth World-related metaplots... As a long time fan, I have pretty much the same reservations as every one else when approaching stuff like this - we've been around and seen it done right and seen it done wrong. However, that's the thing to keep in mind it can be done right or it can be done wrong.

The way I envision Fourth World related stories is much more akin to the original Harlequin campaign than most of the novels and Survival of the Fittest. What I always loved about Harlequin is that if done right at the end, characters only have the foggiest notion of the existance of immortals even though they've been emeshed for months in a plot that's woven around a life that's lasted centuries. The clues are all there, but its up to the characters to add it all up. That's my idea of a good story, one that slowly unveils some of the Secret History of the Sixth World to shadowrunners. A plot where their actions matter (for better or for worse). A plot that doesn't blurt things out, but hints and teases at the hidden mysteries, and yet is still exciting, dangerous and suggestive of something more, something secret. A story that introduces something new and exciting to the setting.
Fuchs
Please, no more "We don't give stats since the PCs won't ever kill this NPC" bullshit. That just screams "Author Pet NPC! Author Pet NPC! Mary Sue!". We don't have gods in Shadowrun.
Adam
QUOTE (Fuchs @ Sep 22 2008, 08:40 AM) *
In this particular instance, "trickling down" soy sauce over the whole buffet is not advised. Restricting this particular taste to a select dish, like the vampire conspiracy, is much better. Those who like the taste can pour it over other dishes as they please.

The "trickle down" effect isn't "elves and dragons landing on your apartment roof" -- it's "elves and dragons stirred up things at a high level, and that has created a situation that has stimulated the criminal situation. You are part of the criminal community, and now you have to live with the criminal situation. You are still not doing tea with Ehran."

To go back to the original Harlequin ... all of it was created as a trickle-down from the immortal elves, and aside from the final chapter, you can play the _entire adventure series_ without knowing anything about the IEs or knowing who was behind the hirings.
martindv
Just putting this out there: I'd love to see a 20th-anniversary art retrospective. Especially if you could get some of the old artists to just talk about their experiences. I mean, goddamn, Tim Bradstreet met Alex Ross through their mutual work on Shadowrun twenty years ago.

Alex Ross! The man who painted probably the two most iconic graphic novels of the 1990s (Marvels and Kingdom Come) has b&w art in some of the first edition adventures.

Adi Granov was one of the conceptual designers for the Iron Man movie (and is doing a slowly-produced mini with John Favreau). Marko Djurdjevic (and his wife, who I don't recall worked on SR) and Clint Langley have also transitioned their own unique styles to wider audiences to critical and financial success. Marko's one of those artists comic writers really want to work with (and looking at the art on his Thor one-shots should explain why). And those are just people I can think of off the top of my head.

Anyway, I also guess this means Cities of Intrigue or something like it is slated for 2010 at the earliest.

But at we finally get Running Wild.
Fuchs
QUOTE (Adam @ Sep 22 2008, 08:24 PM) *
The "trickle down" effect isn't "elves and dragons landing on your apartment roof" -- it's "elves and dragons stirred up things at a high level, and that has created a situation that has stimulated the criminal situation. You are part of the criminal community, and now you have to live with the criminal situation. You are still not doing tea with Ehran."

To go back to the original Harlequin ... all of it was created as a trickle-down from the immortal elves, and aside from the final chapter, you can play the _entire adventure series_ without knowing anything about the IEs or knowing who was behind the hirings.


The trickle down effect in the past was "hehehe, ain't it cool? IEs are behind everything, and in every book!".

If I can use sourcebooks without having my nose rubbed into IE facts, if the IE stuff is kept a rumor, and not much bigger than the Vampire conspiracy, then it's ok. My characters may not know anything, but as the DM, I was forcefed that stuff with every second rulebook.
Adam
QUOTE (Fuchs @ Sep 22 2008, 02:36 PM) *
The trickle down effect in the past was "hehehe, ain't it cool? IEs are behind everything, and in every book!".


And that's why I used an example of the way the trickle down effect can and does work without making everything about the IEs [until the last scene, which was a major bummer, so we'll try not to repeat that..]
Fuchs
My point is I hated how the IEs were forced into game info, unlike most other threats which are kept as rumors and options.
Dumori
To be honest I like the ED links well some of them. It's the flavor they add to the game and the depth. I really want to see some new "Knights Templar" stuff but that's off topic and set for 2075 IIRC
Eugene
I would have liked to have seen (a) a full-color anniversary special edition BBB* and (b) some idea as to when the electronic stuff might hit Battlecorps, but otherwise I'm super pumped about what's on the horizon. I'm particularly interested in how the new adventure format in Ghost Cartels turns out and the Dawn of the Artifacts, too. Plus all the novels to supplements and back again traffic, and the anthology sounds sweet.


* because it'll be weird to have two full-color books in the line and have neither be the core book. Also it would be awesome to have one. Just sayin'.

** Also, I guess another adventure besides "On the Run" in the boxed set. It's a good adventure (even if most people won't ever see the 2nd half of it without some tweaks), and it's got golden advice for new GMs, but (selfishly) I've already got one, you see...
Prime Mover
Pumped is as good a descriptor as any. Really looking forward to all the future releases and I for one am ready for the metaplot to get back to its roots. Kudos Synner.
Wesley Street
Sixth World Almanac: Would it be safe to say that it's a mash-up and rewrite of the three Shadows of..., Cyberpirates and other books with location details? A light glossing over each country? Updated for 2072 and with some new stuff, naturally? Maps and flags sound very nice.

And yay! on Running Wild's cover. That piece of art is awesome. I am curious if critter art from the Paranormal Animals of North America and Europe books will be reused. It was great work but Peter mentioned not wanting to blow the art budget so I'm curious as to how much new art will be brought in.
Wesley Street
QUOTE (Eugene @ Sep 22 2008, 04:01 PM) *
It's a good adventure (even if most people won't ever see the 2nd half of it without some tweaks).

Honestly, it wasn't that hard to get my players to the second half. Must just be me.
Grinder
QUOTE (Synner @ Sep 22 2008, 05:45 PM) *
Well, to put it simply: a 20th Anniversary only comes around every 20 years or so, and there's products we think/believe we should/must do that make perfect sense as Anniversary books. Books that celebrate and promote the setting, the game, and its 20-year heritage. Hence those books taking up some of the slots in our already overcrowded schedule.

Would I have liked to release Corporate Guide, Awakened Haunts, and a couple of other books I had planned next year? Hell, yeah. However, Catalyst and I have to consider Shadowrun as a game line and take a step back from what our personal tastes dictate. The 20th Anniversary is just too good an opportunity to pimp the game and showcase our plans for its future that we'd be idiots for not exploring it with a series of targeted and well-crafted releases. That said we kept a couple of must have projects in the mix: Vice and Running Wild and we'll be returning to our normally scheduled...errrr... schedule as soon as we can.


Thanks. smile.gif
Grinder
QUOTE (Fuchs @ Sep 22 2008, 08:02 PM) *
Please, no more "We don't give stats since the PCs won't ever kill this NPC" bullshit. That just screams "Author Pet NPC! Author Pet NPC! Mary Sue!". We don't have gods in Shadowrun.


How did you get the conclusion that it's going to happen?
Fuchs
I'd rather voice my thoughts now, and maybe have an effect, than complain later when it's done.
The ubbergeek
It isn't a bad option - the DM make the stats, or just leave things as fluff and background. It's not that you 'can't' kill them as much as some things are mysterious, some don't need stats at all, some may not even be, etc... Stateless, a thing still exist.

Hate to say, but work well in D&D, the supposedly rpg-less rpg. The new design philosophy have a similar side.
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