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Author Topic: An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast  (Read 11758 times)

Zachary The First

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2007, 10:10:58 AM »
So are there any folks here who'd seriously be interested in dedicating a bit of their skills and/or time to this? Folks with an interest in a particular historical era or eras?
 
If so, we can start to talk about format, page count, who to go through, etc...
 
EDIT: I like Tower Source, too.
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HinterWelt

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2007, 10:31:45 AM »
Quote from: Zachary The First
So are there any folks here who'd seriously be interested in dedicating a bit of their skills and/or time to this? Folks with an interest in a particular historical era or eras?
 
If so, we can start to talk about format, page count, who to go through, etc...
 
EDIT: I like Tower Source, too.

I would be happy to handle layout and make up any maps needed. I have a system for cleaning up and colorizing the public domain maps (a lot of historical stuff is in PD) so I could handle maps. I don't think I have the cycles for writing.

If everyone would agree, I could also offer it as an imprint of HinterWelt. Or if there are objections, Clash might be able to do it for BMT or Flying Mice. So, it would be Tower Source, an imprint of HinterWelt or Flying Mice.

So, two or three column? Portrait or Landscape?

This is fun. :)

Bill
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Zachary The First

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2007, 10:42:09 AM »
Gosh, I honestly don't know. I'm so despicably a noob at this that I'm not sure which would work better. Offhand, I would say two-column....thoughts on something else?
 
I would personally have objections going through either one of those two fine companies!
 
EDIT: I like the "Resources for the Resourceful GM", but perhaps we should put "historical" in there somewhere?
 
I also still ike the idea of assigned old MSH-style stats to several different areas to help for generic statting purpose, but we should likely figure out what those should be...
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flyingmice

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #18 on: January 15, 2007, 10:46:30 AM »
Quote from: HinterWelt
I would be happy to handle layout and make up any maps needed. I have a system for cleaning up and colorizing the public domain maps (a lot of historical stuff is in PD) so I could handle maps. I don't think I have the cycles for writing.

If everyone would agree, I could also offer it as an imprint of HinterWelt. Or if there are objections, Clash might be able to do it for BMT or Flying Mice. So, it would be Tower Source, an imprint of HinterWelt or Flying Mice.

So, two or three column? Portrait or Landscape?

This is fun. :)

Bill


I'd be happy to set up a BMT imprint, but I'd take Bill's offer if I were you. I have literally no time to donate. I'm writing for seven different projects at the moment! Besides, Bill can out-layout me blindfolded with both hands broken and hanging upside down by one foot.

-clash



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HinterWelt

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2007, 12:41:43 PM »
Quote from: flyingmice
I'd be happy to set up a BMT imprint, but I'd take Bill's offer if I were you. I have literally no time to donate. I'm writing for seven different projects at the moment! Besides, Bill can out-layout me blindfolded with both hands broken and hanging upside down by one foot.

-clash



-clash

Oh, you will be involved Clash! By the gods, you will be involved! You spoke up and now you will need to write a piece (at least an intro) on some fruity navel commander or some such. :p

As to three vs two column, I was just wondering if Zach had a preference. Small pieces will often benefit from 3 column since it will allow inlay of art/maps better and stretches the page count. Many magazines use this format. Two column are good for dense text book style reading. Either will work.

I will try and post examples of each down the road.

Bill
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Zachary The First

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« Reply #20 on: January 15, 2007, 12:50:58 PM »
Well, great!  Guess I need to start looking at public domain items--I've got a website that works as a search engine for public domain stuff--need to hit up my del.ico.ous when I get home.
 
I'd like to see that 2-column/3-column comparison, when you get a sec.
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HinterWelt

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« Reply #21 on: January 15, 2007, 01:58:12 PM »
Quote from: Zachary The First
Well, great!  Guess I need to start looking at public domain items--I've got a website that works as a search engine for public domain stuff--need to hit up my del.ico.ous when I get home.
 
I'd like to see that 2-column/3-column comparison, when you get a sec.

So, this is a section of Roman history that Linda made me cut so that Roma could be cut down from the 500 page manuscript it started life out as. Man, am I verbose. ;)

Two Column
Three Column

You wont hurt my feelings if you say you cannot see the difference. I get it all the time from Linda. :)

Bill
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JongWK

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« Reply #22 on: January 15, 2007, 02:39:48 PM »


:)
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Mcrow

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« Reply #23 on: January 15, 2007, 03:05:16 PM »
I kind of like the 3 column look.

flyingmice

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #24 on: January 15, 2007, 03:16:01 PM »
Quote from: HinterWelt
Oh, you will be involved Clash! By the gods, you will be involved! You spoke up and now you will need to write a piece (at least an intro) on some fruity navel commander or some such.

Bill


Oh, I'm sure I'll be doing something. :D

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HinterWelt

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #25 on: January 15, 2007, 04:25:23 PM »
O.k. So what is the topic for the first one so I can get looking for clip art?

Bill
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Zachary The First

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« Reply #26 on: January 15, 2007, 06:14:22 PM »
Well, I'm not sure.  I was thinking either Eccentrics & Oddballs of the American Civil War, Confederate Spies, Patriot/Tory Officers of the American Revolution, the Catiline Conspiracy (if El Pundito is thinking of partaking, I might leave some of the Roman history to him at first), True Outlaws of the West, The Elizabethan Court, etc.  What would be a strong first outing.  US History (most notable the US Civil War) is my specialty, but I'd be happy with any of those.  Thoughts?
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JongWK

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« Reply #27 on: January 15, 2007, 07:36:38 PM »
Oh, one thing you might want to consider: give different profiles of each character, like Amber does.
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RPGPundit

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An Idea I Had For A Product: Historical Cast
« Reply #28 on: January 15, 2007, 09:03:45 PM »
I think the format for all this is very important to determine just how useful it would be to people. I think what people would want is a general set of "stats" (not as in game stats for a specific system, but a rating of their strengths and weaknesses in things like charisma, leadership, military capacity, physical ability, intelligence, etc), a BRIEF history, and some extra details that are interesting (as in, perhaps not common knowledge to all) and USEFUL for rounding out the individual as an NPC in game.

In other words, you want short, sweet, and lots of it.  And of course, each "era" would benefit from a point-form timeline of major events.

I'd be willing to handle any era of Imperial Rome.  I'd leave Republican Rome to someone else who was more qualified in terms of either academic credentials or amateur passion.

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« Reply #29 on: January 15, 2007, 09:04:56 PM »
Quote from: JongWK
Oh, one thing you might want to consider: give different profiles of each character, like Amber does.


Im not sure how useful this would be; but it could be useful to give two or three different "presentations" of how the NPC can be portrayed in a game, or what areas of interest he might participate in where he might come in contact with PCs.

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