Post by Jaymz on Apr 4, 2014 22:52:57 GMT
By Kevin Siembieda
Another week has flown by, and this one felt a little stranger than most.
Sales shot up for no apparent reason. Cool, please keep the orders coming.
Jeff was in the office only half the time. The rest of the time I let him work at home on various pieces of artwork.
My birthday was Wednesday, so that day was unusual because I received dozens and dozens of well wishes on my Facebook page, the Palladium Facebook page and via telephone calls, text messages, emails and private messages. I spoke with both of my children, my brother and a host of friends. It all made for a very enjoyable day. And despite a million interruptions, I got a fair amount of work done. Not sure how. I only worked nine hours on my birthday, coming in later than usual and heading out about an hour earlier. I enjoyed a delicious dinner and a quiet evening with Kathy and Alex. We talked and laughed while we watched TV shows I had recorded on the DVR. I also got a couple of nice gifts. Half the Palladium staff has birthdays in April (me, Matthew Clements and Julius Rosenstein), so we’re doing a three-person Palladium party the end of next week. That’s when more good eats, cake and presents will flow freely. lol
The weather finally turned with a day or two in the 50s. That meant I got to do my daily 30+ minute walk outdoors for the first time in months. That was very nice, though the wind was fierce as hell one of those days and all kinds of crazy stuff could be seen blowing by me on my walk: leaves, bags, paper, sheets of plastic, someone’s shirt and a giant tarp. I was waiting for a cow carried by the wind next. Some of those wind gusts were something else. I’m amazed (and thankful) that we didn't lose power at the office. Even with the warm temps, the nights have been cold and there are still a few quickly dwindling mounds of packed snow and ice remaining. That’s how big and dense those suckers were to begin with. Yow. Glad spring seems to have finally arrived, even if it’s a timid arrival.
A strange rumor surfaced that I had broken one of my legs. It is NOT true, by the way. I’m entirely whole, unbroken and feeling fine, even though Wayne has some kind of hideous plague-cold-thing and Jeff seems to be coming down with it. So far, I have managed to avoid this particular plague.
I wrote a couple of Murmurs from the Megaverse® in the same day this week. I’m really sorry I haven’t written and posted more, but we are working like fiends to finish a bunch of different projects.
I’m FINALLY writing with better speed and momentum. Thank goodness. By the way, when I say I wrote 10 or 20 manuscript pages, that’s not typeset “book” pages. Two manuscript pages turn into one typeset printed page. A typical manuscript for a big book like Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is 400+ pages. Getting there . . . very soon I hope.
UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two
Eighty percent of my time has been dedicated to working nonstop on Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two. Progress is being made, if slow, but sure. We are ALL very pleased with the source material going into this book. I think you will love it as well. The delays have been just as frustrating for me as for you, our loyal fans, as I have been working as fast and as well as I can, 10-12 hours a day, seven freakin’ days a week for some time now. Gahhh. For me it has been like running a never-ending marathon with people yelling at me to “hurry up,” and asking, “What’s taking so long?” I don’t know! I’m doing everything I can! I know that answer sucks, but I am. We all are. Keep the faith.
If the last couple of days are any indication, I’m really starting to crank and pick up speed. All the writing is top notch (if I do say so myself) and the book is jam-packed with darn cool stuff. There are also some nice bits of NG history and peeks behind NG’s public veil scattered across the book that I think will entertain you. I’m hoping for a productive weekend. We need to get NG-2 done and to the printer pronto.
DON’T FORGET, you can see a Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two Sneak Preview – available free on DriveThruRPG.com. There are also FREE previews on DriveThruRPG.com for Rifts® Northern Gun™ One, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, The Rifter® #65, Dragons and Gods™, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others, too. Plus we plan to add other sneak previews. Btw, the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is also available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG, for those of you who may be interested. More are coming.
UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – Ships May
This is the bad boy that comes next. I think the final editing and rewrites for it will go very quickly. May release seems very doable at this time. Really. The manuscript looks pretty clean and every time I take a look at it, I want to dive into it.
BACK IN PRINT! The “Collected” Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy – available now
A lot of folks are ordering and enjoying the re-release of the 8½x11 softcover edition of the “collected” Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy. It is back in print because you demanded it. Other reprint titles are coming. It was fun for me to look at these first endeavors at publishing and to see how surprisingly good the ideas, writing and artwork are. Glad you are enjoying the book.
Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover – Ships in April – pre-order now – at the printer
Palladium Fantasy®, 2nd Edition Hardcover should be shipping in another week or two. We’re waiting to get a ship date from the printer. Pre-orders have outpaced the sales of the Heroes Unlimited™ hardcover. Keep those orders coming. You can start placing your pre-orders now. See the full description elsewhere in this Weekly Update or in our online store. Destined to be a collector’s item. The old “Crimson Edition” hardcover sells for $300-$500 on the secondary market. Note: This is the Palladium Fantasy RPG, Second Edition, all exactly the same as the current printing.
AVAILABLE NOW: Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition
This nifty Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover is a beauty and a nice addition to any collection. Available now at $40 while supplies last. Destined to be a collector’s item. The old hardcover sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market.
UPDATE: Dead Reign™: Graveyard Earth™ Sourcebook – ships May
Maybe there’s something in the wind, because I haven’t gotten the finished manuscript from author Matthew Clements, yet. Been hearing, you’ll get it next week for several weeks now. Matt went back into it to expand and add some bits and pieces. But how about that E.M. Gist cover painting? What a beauty, eh? Artwork for the book has been started.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #66 – ships April
All the artwork is done and looks great. However, all of our attention has been on Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two and Robotech® RPG Tactics™, so there was no movement on The Rifter® #66 this week. See the full description in this Weekly Update and the online store. Cover price has increased to $13.95 and remains a steal for a 96 page sourcebook.
UPDATE: Palladium artists are awesome
I love my artists. I know that’s a strange, train of thought comment to interject, but I just mentioned them twice and I've been immersed in their artistry for weeks. Boy does Palladium have a great crew of freelance artists (and writers). I wanted to give them a shout out and say thank you for always giving it their all. They constantly amaze me. Most of them always hit their deadlines. They are all crazy talented, and just seem to get better over time. To top it all off, they are wonderful people. A tip of the hat to these hard working and talented men and women. Thank you for your artistic wizardry that brings our words to breathtaking visual life, and for your friendship and professionalism.
UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
Molds are being cut. Waiting for the final prototypes of the Valkyries for our final approval. Making the last fine tuning to text, rules, decals and other stuff. Can hardly wait to get the First Wave into manufacturing! When we have something much more definitive YOU will be the first to know.
Heroes Unlimited™ Anniversary SALE – 30% discount – ends April 13, 2014
We did it for Palladium Fantasy RPG® last year, so we are doing it for Heroes Unlimited™. ALL HU2 titles – with a few exceptions like the already “priced to sell” hardcover edition – are 30% off right now and running till April 13, 2014. Get ‘em while they’re on sale! Happy Anniversary!
UPDATE: 2015 Palladium Open House – May 14-17, 2015
You have spoken and it is on! My sincere thanks to all of you who sent your input and made your thoughts known to us. I want to especially thank Jorel Levinson for the poll he put up and keeping a constructive conversation going. All of your comments were read and input considered. They were very appreciated and helpful. I’m glad to see so many of you looking forward to the 2015 Palladium Open House event.
There will be a 2015 Palladium Open House – May 14 (VIP Thursday), 15, 16 and 17 (Friday thru Sunday).
The “official” hotel is the Novi Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel. This is the same hotel we’ve used in the past and the one everyone prefers. The “flat fee” for a room with two double beds or a King with one king-size bed and a sofa with a pull-out sleeper is $109 (plus tax). Note: You can start to reserve rooms in a few weeks, which we advise, but your credit card will NOT be charged until a day or two before the actual event.
Large game room at the hotel. The usual large conference room with enough space for 8-12 pick-up games will be available for around-the-clock gaming for those of you who want to game till you drop.
Volunteer G.M.s to run games NEEDED! G.M.s who run three or more events get a 30% discount on product and a special T-Shirt at the Open House. Please, start plotting your games now. And get back to us at your convenience. The awesome Mr. James Brown has already committed to running four games at the 2015 Open House. Cool.
Volunteer helpers are needed, too. You know, folks to help man the doors, run errands, sweep floors, clear and straighten tables, throw out the trash, and help out in other ways during the event, as well as help set up and tear down.
Palladium Artists, Writers and Creators, come on down! Hey guys, please let us know as soon as you can if you will be coming in to chat with fans and participate in panel talks, events and fun. Maybe even run some games. Always a blast. Let us know if you plan to attend as SOON as possible so we can make plans.
More details will follow in a few weeks. I mainly wanted to let you know the basics. I will post more details and guests at the event in a few weeks. We are excited about the 2015 POH. Start making your plans and saving up your funds. Looking forward to see many of you next year!
Closing thoughts
Wayne and Jeff conducted several telephone conference calls this week, mostly involving finalizing details on Robotech® RPG Tactics™ for manufacturing. As for me, except for my birthday, I’ve been largely locked away from the outside world writing and editing for the last few weeks. I will continue to write my keister off all weekend, but I’ll try to make time to post online to keep you informed.
Sorry if I sounded a bit down or frustrated last Weekly Update. I was both, but I didn't mean to come across as such in the Update. This week has been much more upbeat and productive. Let’s talk soon. Have a great weekend.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Game Designer
Another week has flown by, and this one felt a little stranger than most.
Sales shot up for no apparent reason. Cool, please keep the orders coming.
Jeff was in the office only half the time. The rest of the time I let him work at home on various pieces of artwork.
My birthday was Wednesday, so that day was unusual because I received dozens and dozens of well wishes on my Facebook page, the Palladium Facebook page and via telephone calls, text messages, emails and private messages. I spoke with both of my children, my brother and a host of friends. It all made for a very enjoyable day. And despite a million interruptions, I got a fair amount of work done. Not sure how. I only worked nine hours on my birthday, coming in later than usual and heading out about an hour earlier. I enjoyed a delicious dinner and a quiet evening with Kathy and Alex. We talked and laughed while we watched TV shows I had recorded on the DVR. I also got a couple of nice gifts. Half the Palladium staff has birthdays in April (me, Matthew Clements and Julius Rosenstein), so we’re doing a three-person Palladium party the end of next week. That’s when more good eats, cake and presents will flow freely. lol
The weather finally turned with a day or two in the 50s. That meant I got to do my daily 30+ minute walk outdoors for the first time in months. That was very nice, though the wind was fierce as hell one of those days and all kinds of crazy stuff could be seen blowing by me on my walk: leaves, bags, paper, sheets of plastic, someone’s shirt and a giant tarp. I was waiting for a cow carried by the wind next. Some of those wind gusts were something else. I’m amazed (and thankful) that we didn't lose power at the office. Even with the warm temps, the nights have been cold and there are still a few quickly dwindling mounds of packed snow and ice remaining. That’s how big and dense those suckers were to begin with. Yow. Glad spring seems to have finally arrived, even if it’s a timid arrival.
A strange rumor surfaced that I had broken one of my legs. It is NOT true, by the way. I’m entirely whole, unbroken and feeling fine, even though Wayne has some kind of hideous plague-cold-thing and Jeff seems to be coming down with it. So far, I have managed to avoid this particular plague.
I wrote a couple of Murmurs from the Megaverse® in the same day this week. I’m really sorry I haven’t written and posted more, but we are working like fiends to finish a bunch of different projects.
I’m FINALLY writing with better speed and momentum. Thank goodness. By the way, when I say I wrote 10 or 20 manuscript pages, that’s not typeset “book” pages. Two manuscript pages turn into one typeset printed page. A typical manuscript for a big book like Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is 400+ pages. Getting there . . . very soon I hope.
UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two
Eighty percent of my time has been dedicated to working nonstop on Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two. Progress is being made, if slow, but sure. We are ALL very pleased with the source material going into this book. I think you will love it as well. The delays have been just as frustrating for me as for you, our loyal fans, as I have been working as fast and as well as I can, 10-12 hours a day, seven freakin’ days a week for some time now. Gahhh. For me it has been like running a never-ending marathon with people yelling at me to “hurry up,” and asking, “What’s taking so long?” I don’t know! I’m doing everything I can! I know that answer sucks, but I am. We all are. Keep the faith.
If the last couple of days are any indication, I’m really starting to crank and pick up speed. All the writing is top notch (if I do say so myself) and the book is jam-packed with darn cool stuff. There are also some nice bits of NG history and peeks behind NG’s public veil scattered across the book that I think will entertain you. I’m hoping for a productive weekend. We need to get NG-2 done and to the printer pronto.
DON’T FORGET, you can see a Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two Sneak Preview – available free on DriveThruRPG.com. There are also FREE previews on DriveThruRPG.com for Rifts® Northern Gun™ One, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, The Rifter® #65, Dragons and Gods™, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others, too. Plus we plan to add other sneak previews. Btw, the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is also available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG, for those of you who may be interested. More are coming.
UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – Ships May
This is the bad boy that comes next. I think the final editing and rewrites for it will go very quickly. May release seems very doable at this time. Really. The manuscript looks pretty clean and every time I take a look at it, I want to dive into it.
BACK IN PRINT! The “Collected” Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy – available now
A lot of folks are ordering and enjoying the re-release of the 8½x11 softcover edition of the “collected” Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy. It is back in print because you demanded it. Other reprint titles are coming. It was fun for me to look at these first endeavors at publishing and to see how surprisingly good the ideas, writing and artwork are. Glad you are enjoying the book.
Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover – Ships in April – pre-order now – at the printer
Palladium Fantasy®, 2nd Edition Hardcover should be shipping in another week or two. We’re waiting to get a ship date from the printer. Pre-orders have outpaced the sales of the Heroes Unlimited™ hardcover. Keep those orders coming. You can start placing your pre-orders now. See the full description elsewhere in this Weekly Update or in our online store. Destined to be a collector’s item. The old “Crimson Edition” hardcover sells for $300-$500 on the secondary market. Note: This is the Palladium Fantasy RPG, Second Edition, all exactly the same as the current printing.
AVAILABLE NOW: Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition
This nifty Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover is a beauty and a nice addition to any collection. Available now at $40 while supplies last. Destined to be a collector’s item. The old hardcover sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market.
UPDATE: Dead Reign™: Graveyard Earth™ Sourcebook – ships May
Maybe there’s something in the wind, because I haven’t gotten the finished manuscript from author Matthew Clements, yet. Been hearing, you’ll get it next week for several weeks now. Matt went back into it to expand and add some bits and pieces. But how about that E.M. Gist cover painting? What a beauty, eh? Artwork for the book has been started.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #66 – ships April
All the artwork is done and looks great. However, all of our attention has been on Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two and Robotech® RPG Tactics™, so there was no movement on The Rifter® #66 this week. See the full description in this Weekly Update and the online store. Cover price has increased to $13.95 and remains a steal for a 96 page sourcebook.
UPDATE: Palladium artists are awesome
I love my artists. I know that’s a strange, train of thought comment to interject, but I just mentioned them twice and I've been immersed in their artistry for weeks. Boy does Palladium have a great crew of freelance artists (and writers). I wanted to give them a shout out and say thank you for always giving it their all. They constantly amaze me. Most of them always hit their deadlines. They are all crazy talented, and just seem to get better over time. To top it all off, they are wonderful people. A tip of the hat to these hard working and talented men and women. Thank you for your artistic wizardry that brings our words to breathtaking visual life, and for your friendship and professionalism.
UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™
Molds are being cut. Waiting for the final prototypes of the Valkyries for our final approval. Making the last fine tuning to text, rules, decals and other stuff. Can hardly wait to get the First Wave into manufacturing! When we have something much more definitive YOU will be the first to know.
Heroes Unlimited™ Anniversary SALE – 30% discount – ends April 13, 2014
We did it for Palladium Fantasy RPG® last year, so we are doing it for Heroes Unlimited™. ALL HU2 titles – with a few exceptions like the already “priced to sell” hardcover edition – are 30% off right now and running till April 13, 2014. Get ‘em while they’re on sale! Happy Anniversary!
UPDATE: 2015 Palladium Open House – May 14-17, 2015
You have spoken and it is on! My sincere thanks to all of you who sent your input and made your thoughts known to us. I want to especially thank Jorel Levinson for the poll he put up and keeping a constructive conversation going. All of your comments were read and input considered. They were very appreciated and helpful. I’m glad to see so many of you looking forward to the 2015 Palladium Open House event.
There will be a 2015 Palladium Open House – May 14 (VIP Thursday), 15, 16 and 17 (Friday thru Sunday).
The “official” hotel is the Novi Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel. This is the same hotel we’ve used in the past and the one everyone prefers. The “flat fee” for a room with two double beds or a King with one king-size bed and a sofa with a pull-out sleeper is $109 (plus tax). Note: You can start to reserve rooms in a few weeks, which we advise, but your credit card will NOT be charged until a day or two before the actual event.
Large game room at the hotel. The usual large conference room with enough space for 8-12 pick-up games will be available for around-the-clock gaming for those of you who want to game till you drop.
Volunteer G.M.s to run games NEEDED! G.M.s who run three or more events get a 30% discount on product and a special T-Shirt at the Open House. Please, start plotting your games now. And get back to us at your convenience. The awesome Mr. James Brown has already committed to running four games at the 2015 Open House. Cool.
Volunteer helpers are needed, too. You know, folks to help man the doors, run errands, sweep floors, clear and straighten tables, throw out the trash, and help out in other ways during the event, as well as help set up and tear down.
Palladium Artists, Writers and Creators, come on down! Hey guys, please let us know as soon as you can if you will be coming in to chat with fans and participate in panel talks, events and fun. Maybe even run some games. Always a blast. Let us know if you plan to attend as SOON as possible so we can make plans.
More details will follow in a few weeks. I mainly wanted to let you know the basics. I will post more details and guests at the event in a few weeks. We are excited about the 2015 POH. Start making your plans and saving up your funds. Looking forward to see many of you next year!
Closing thoughts
Wayne and Jeff conducted several telephone conference calls this week, mostly involving finalizing details on Robotech® RPG Tactics™ for manufacturing. As for me, except for my birthday, I’ve been largely locked away from the outside world writing and editing for the last few weeks. I will continue to write my keister off all weekend, but I’ll try to make time to post online to keep you informed.
Sorry if I sounded a bit down or frustrated last Weekly Update. I was both, but I didn't mean to come across as such in the Update. This week has been much more upbeat and productive. Let’s talk soon. Have a great weekend.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Game Designer
Is it bad the only thing I got from all that was.....a set up that he may get sick again?
