Saturday, February 11, 2012

New Tekumel stuff!

The attached picture is a preview of a new release coming VERY soon from Prof. Barker and the Tekumel Foundation. It will be available through DriveThru/RPG Now. Details to follow soon!


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13 comments:

  1. irbyzFebruary 11, 2012 at 4:19 PM

    Wonderful news, in whatever format, thank you.
    Have been chomping at the bit for too many years to find out how the original version bridges the gap from OD&D, as well as how much of the setting overview is present and in what format. :)

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  2. grodogFebruary 12, 2012 at 12:50 AM

    Fabulous news, Victor. Will print product be available, or just .pdfs? How about some facsimile reprints, hmmm? :D

    Allan.

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  3. irbyzFebruary 20, 2012 at 5:19 PM

    *g* Heya, Victor! I was waiting for the news here but Frank Mentzer's already spotted the re-release over on http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=99646&affiliate_id=188022

    Could you perhaps get them to update that from "Spring 1974" to the actual date of "publication" (August 1974) or otherwise contextualize that, please; we've enough trouble with the historical framework around "RPG"s as it is!
    Amusingly you've linked the recent excellent Mike Mornard posts (good call :) but had already flagged 1972 not 1971 for the timeframe: two birds with one stone, last July; http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=blackmoor&thread=5606&page=2#76925 ;)

    Kudos again and please pass on likewise for ongoing good work: $15 to follow asap!

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    1. Victor RaymondFebruary 22, 2012 at 8:02 AM

      The Spring 1974 date goes back to when Prof. Barker prepared the game. Michael Mornard enrolled as a freshman at the University of Minnesota in Fall term 1973; shortly thereafter he began playing in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign and was introduced to Prof. Barker. Our current estimate, based on what Prof. Barker has told us, was that the original manuscript for EPT was produced in early 1974, and the initial game session was sometime during the Spring. There is a copy that's dated to August 1974, but that does NOT mean that that was when the first game took place. (There is apparently some disagreement amongst Phil's first EPT players as to when it happened.)

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    2. irbyzFebruary 22, 2012 at 9:48 AM

      (hopefully this indents properly: apologies if not)

      Hiya Victor! Many thanks for the reply. :)
      My 02c only, but if you don't know for sure (absolutely 100% certain) it's probably safer not to appear that you are certain since that date /will/ be cited as fact, end up in Wikipedia, then recycled. Have seen that way too often. :)

      Not that I was there, of course, but I'd still be very strongly inclined to follow http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tekumel/message/24319 since the dates mesh perfectly with the other primary evidence.
      Phil's letter published in March 1974 stated that he'd only just started to take an interest in wargaming again and his August 1974 letter mentions D&D but says nothing whatsoever about making up his own rules. Given the 6 week period quoted by Mike Mornard (even if he wasn't sure whether that was 1973 or 1974!), May/June for development and August for the first session still does seem to fit best.
      "August 20, 1974" does seem to be a rather random date to write on that copy, otherwise!

      I haven't yet ponied up my $15 (finances are tight and I usually wait a few weeks for any revisions, just in case) but might there be a date other than 2354AS helpfully in the text: clutching at straws, I know, since I'm sure you'll have cross-checked! I know the dates lagged after the campaign stated, but those have been useful in earlier contexts since they do appear to map to RL; q.v. http://www.acaeum.com/forum/about9180.html

      Thanks again,
      David.

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    3. irbyzFebruary 22, 2012 at 11:02 AM

      *fixes* -> June/July

      (I knew there was another month before August. Long day, sorry...)

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    4. Victor RaymondFebruary 22, 2012 at 12:19 PM

      The dates I have provided are based on Prof. Barker's recollections and some of the rest of the documentary evidence we have. However I'm not going to rehash that here as it is not in front of me. I hope that is satisfactory.

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    5. Victor RaymondFebruary 26, 2012 at 12:22 AM

      Actually, someone who could shed some light on the earliest days of Phil's campaign would be Jeff Berry. I would suggest checking with him about it.

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  4. grodogFebruary 21, 2012 at 11:53 AM

    Also: any word on the POD version, Victor? I'm going to hold off for print (or print + .pdf) option :D

    @ David: I spent a good chunk of Sunday working on the office, have been putting things into a box for shipping to you.

    Allan.

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    1. Victor RaymondFebruary 22, 2012 at 8:21 AM

      I'm working on it right now. It'll be the first POD product available from the World of Tekumel at DriveThru, so we want to get it right. It's complicated by the fact that the original is in two 8.5x11 stapled books, so for the sake of verisimilitude, we're thinking of doing the POD as close to that as possible.

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    2. irbyzFebruary 22, 2012 at 11:08 AM

      Either that or just take the task into your own hands and run off 100-200 copies non-POD as a limited edition closer to the original at $50-100 each with a bonus pdf link? ;)
      Or are y'all AOK for funding?

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  5. irbyzFebruary 22, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. AnonymousJuly 26, 2012 at 6:00 PM

    Will "You, too, CAN run Empire of the Petal Throne" ever be finished?
    =

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