feb 6 2013 update

[Jaymz]

www.palladiumbooks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=708:palladium-booksr-weekly-update-february-6-2014&catid=52:weekly-updates&Itemid=183

By Kevin Siembieda

This week has been a whirlwind. Between dealing with more winter snowstorms (7.6 inches just yesterday – 68 inches of snow for the Winter Season so far, that’s about 28 inches more than usual for the ENTIRE winter, and 1-3 more are coming this weekend), end of year tax matters and bookkeeping, writing, assigning artwork, advertising, coordinating day-to-day business matters, planning summer conventions and keeping all the balls in the air ... another week has just flown by. The other day, Alex walked into my office and said, out of the blue, “Kev, I don’t know how you handle it all.” So I guess the level of work and business activity must have been obvious. Though I feel pretty tired by the end of most days, I've been waking up highly motivated and raring to go. In fact, when I've been editing and writing I’m usually hot as can be. That’s great. The trick is squeezing in time to write.

The Rifter® Super-Subscription Drive – Low Price – Free Gift

UPDATE: The Rifter® #65 – Available now

Also BACK IN STOCK and available now

Heroes Unlimited™ RPG – hundreds of powers, create any hero – Available now
Dragons and Gods™ – for Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® – Available now
Rifts® Mystic Russia™ – Magic and mayhem galore – Available now
The Rifter® #50 – Special Anniversary Issue – Available now


UPDATE: Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover – Ships next week

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two – goes to the printer in February

Holy Cats, there is a ton of exciting gizmos, gadgets, body armor, power armor, vehicles, drones and other good stuff in this book. I’m done with the Robodome and Robo-Gladiators section (very cool) and I’m almost done with the body armor section. The latter includes new Hovercycle Ride Armor (lightweight, non-environmental body armor), the Street Wolf armored clothing line and other good stuff. In between working on the armor, I’ve been trying to cobble together other sections of the book and hopping around a bit stream-of-consciousness. Unfortunately, there are a lot of files and odds and ends that need to be woven together, plus new material to be added and old material to update. Having fun, but it’s been craaaaazy. Great book. You’re gonna love it. I wish I could devote ALL of my attention to just it. At this stage, NG-2 will be finished and sent to the printer this month, but I don’t know if we can get it printed and back in our hands this month. Starting to look like an early March release.
UPDATE: Rifts® Crossover: Megaverse® in Flames™ – ships March, 2014

Most of the art has been assigned. I think the editing and any rewrites on Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ will be a breeze, so I’m still thinking this will be an end of March release. This is another sourcebook that will surprise and please Rifts® fans.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™

You guys and gals should have seen the news in our special Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Update sent out last Friday, in which we announced breaking the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter items into two waves. One in June and one this fall. That will get the core product into the hands of the Kickstarter participants and retailers sooner than later, and people can get started building armies, painting and playing. As I stated, it’s not the ideal situation, but it is a sound alternative. Most people seem to agree, thank goodness.

I want to say, yet again, Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is absolutely coming out in 2014, and Kickstarter supporters will get product before retail. In fact, we have officially added the “Wave One” products – the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Box Game and first six Expansion Packs – for retail in Palladium Books’ online store, where they are ready for pre-orders.


UPDATE: Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

As I said last week, the Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook has gotten a name change to Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One. This is one of the other titles that we are looking to get released in the spring. We are not saying much about it yet, because we want to surprise and dazzle our Robotech® fans. I will be assigning the art for it very, very soon.


UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth™

Nothing new to report on Graveyard Earth™. As I mentioned last week, it is one of several projects we’ve had on the down-low. It is written by Matthew Clements and it takes a look at the worldwide zombie apocalypse. It also asks and answers the question, if you were caught overseas, perhaps in the military, could you find your way back home, and what kind of arduous journey would that be? More on this Dead Reign™ sourcebook in the weeks to come. Target release date is April, 2014. There should be another Dead Reign™ sourcebook for a fall release. And yes, we plan to support Robotech®, Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy®, Beyond the Supernatural™ and others in the year 2014.

The Rifter® #65 Sneak Preview – available now on DriveThruRPG.com

Palladium Collectibles Available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

[joshuagoliath]

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

another week has just flown by. The other day, Alex walked into my office and said, out of the blue, “Kev, I don’t know how you handle it all.” So I guess the level of work and business activity must have been obvious.

----He doesn't. That's why the constant delays and editing errors. Kevin seems like a GREAT guy, but all this does is reinforce his need for an actual office/business manager. Writer, Editor, Con Organizer, office manager, accountant, advertising guy, art assignment guy... it doesn't work anymore. A business manager who handles the Office, accounting, and advertising would probably save Kevin from the early grave he's working towards.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two – goes to the printer in February

exciting, good stuff, (very cool), other good stuff--- Oh look, some of his key words...

trying to cobble together other sections of the book-- trying to cobble together? For a book that's a year and a half behind schedule?

Great book. You’re gonna love it. -- Oh look, another pair of Kevin catchphrases.


I think the editing and any rewrites on Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ will be a breeze, so I’m still thinking this will be an end of March release. -- And this is something we haven't heard before? I'll place money now, we hear something along the lines of "the editing and rewrites were harder than I expected"



UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
---I'm not even going to TOUCH this one, except to say that the pre-order may be a bit premature. KNOW when it's coming before putting it up..


UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth™

Nothing new to report on Graveyard Earth™. As I mentioned last week, it is one of several projects we’ve had on the down-low. Target release date is April, 2014. --the real question is, is this going to be an actual book, or another 50 page splatbook?


There should be another Dead Reign™ sourcebook for a fall release. And yes, we plan to support Robotech®, Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy®, Beyond the Supernatural™ and others in the year 2014.

So... MIF+Ng2+1PF+1BtS+2DR+1RT+1HU+1"others" (although, with it plural, that should be at least a 2), 9+ books, PLUS RRT, in 2014? REALLY?! Not. A. Chance. In. Hell. When was the last time PB had 5 releases in a year, let alone 9?!?!

[joshuagoliath]

Honestly, I'd be a LOT less critical if:

1) We didn't hear the same buzzwords over and over. They lose their effectiveness when you hear them repeatedly.
2) We had a realistic release schedule
3) We didn't hear how something's going to be a breeze, because I can't think the of last time he said it, and it really was.
4) We didn't always hear how much HE does. We've heard from other sources about him being a control freak, when several people have said repeatedly how much he needs a business manager. There's a reason business managers are used in the business world. They free up the creative people to CREATE, which enables them to get more done, meaning more product, meaning more business. A half-way decent business manager pays for themselves. A GOOD business manager increases profits. And that doesn't include the headaches they take away from the other people.

[MacrossMike]

Wait... this update is from February 6, 1013?  Kevin's writing to us from 1,001 years in the past?  He's got an entire millennium of run-up and he STILL can't meet his deadlines?

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

This week has been a whirlwind. Between dealing with more winter snowstorms (7.6 inches just yesterday – 68 inches of snow for the Winter Season so far, that’s about 28 inches more than usual for the ENTIRE winter, and 1-3 more are coming this weekend), [...]

Ugh... boo f*cking hoo, Kevin.  It's not that atypical for Michigan weather, and you've lived here for decades now.  If the snow doesn't cause universal school closings, there ain't enough to excuse not getting shit done.

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

[...] end of year tax matters and bookkeeping, writing, assigning artwork, advertising, coordinating day-to-day business matters, planning summer conventions and keeping all the balls in the air ... another week has just flown by.

So... he's worn out because of all the stuff he's supposed to be doing on a regular basis, but usually isn't?  

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

The other day, Alex walked into my office and said, out of the blue, “Kev, I don’t know how you handle it all.”

Proof positive that Kevin is constitutionally incapable of identifying sarcasm?

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

So I guess the level of work and business activity must have been obvious.

Or its absence, in the case of recent weeks.

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

You guys and gals should have seen the news in our special Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Update sent out last Friday, in which we announced breaking the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter items into two waves. One in June and one this fall. That will get the core product into the hands of the Kickstarter participants and retailers sooner than later, and people can get started building armies, painting and playing. As I stated, it’s not the ideal situation, but it is a sound alternative. Most people seem to agree, thank goodness.

Lo, and the Robotech fan base stood up as one and spake thusly:  "We'll believe it when we see it, Kevin."

Admittedly, the constant reminders that they screwed the pooch on this and are not just going to miss their release target, but also have to release the product in waves instead of having the game ready to roll at the outset is just damaging matters more.  It's not surprising that they missed their target, but appearance is everything and the appearance they're giving is one of very significant levels of incompetence.

Feb 7, 2014 2:51:10 GMT Jaymz said:

As I said last week, the Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook has gotten a name change to Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One. This is one of the other titles that we are looking to get released in the spring. We are not saying much about it yet, because we want to surprise and dazzle our Robotech® fans. I will be assigning the art for it very, very soon.

Eh... like they say, if you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.

Harmony Gold and Palladium have been entirely out of material for the RPG that is actually from Robotech since New Generation went to print... and the desperation is showing.  I still think it's wrong of them to try to pillage the only OSM they can use and pretend it was Robotech all along, but the book already seems to be a contentious topic even before its release.  Something I don't understand, since there's plenty of precedent for the existence of Marine forces (OSMly, the UN Forces had TWO marine corps, one for the blue-water navy, and one for space) and Harmony Gold is just replacing a horrifically unpopular faction from the original incarnation of Sentinels with something they feel is more appealing and consistent with Shadow Chroncles...

[Jaymz]

fixed I hate laptop keyboards without a number pad

[Sci-Fi]

As noone else has singled out the sentence that got me....

"At this stage, NG-2 will be finished and sent to the printer this month, but I don’t know if we can get it printed and back in our hands this month. Starting to look like an early March release."

It's Feb 7th. If it's 'starting' to look like a March Release now, it's NOT going to be a Feb release how ever you look at it. Then again it was pointed out that to BE a Feb release, it'd need to go to print by Valentine's day. One week from now. If he's still bouncing around doing bits and pieces here and there, it's not a week from completion.

-If- he gets the book done in the next two weeks, that'll be a week for layout, and in theory it could go to print on the 28th. Then be out second or third week of March.

...... Ehh......

Unless we have newer indications of more work being done, this sounds like Kevin just getting started hunkering down on a book. I'm still thinking April. I hope I'm wrong. I want the book. Want the body armor, the power armor and the drones. My char's seldom go full out robot pilots. hard to sneak around in something that big. Love the Gunwolf but still.

I hope I'm wrong.

[MacrossMike]

Feb 7, 2014 16:06:25 GMT Jaymz said:

fixed I hate laptop keyboards without a number pad

And here I was, thinking Kevin had gone out and bought a DeLorean DMC-12 in the hopes of addressing his deadline problem...