Author Topic: Director's Briefing - July 2014  (Read 3103 times)

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Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

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Director's Briefing - July 2014
« on: July 02, 2014, 02:34:54 PM »
Welcome to the thirty-seventh Briefing and the seventh scheduled Briefing for 2014.

Marking and Grading

I can confirm that marking and grading is an absolutely draining process, and just when you think it's done, there's another umpteen forms to fill in. I can also confirm that it did take out my entire June. On the upside, it's done.

Also on the upside, I have seen the projected calendar for the next academic year on the two degree courses that I principally teach on and the message is "No new modules" so this summer and next academic year is *not* going to be an endless lecture writing death march. The university here has also restructured its organisation and the IT teaching team (that I am part of) has now moved to the Department of Science and Technology, which means that the amount of business management teaching that I will be expected to provide will be limited (and again no new modules to take on).

Progress on the ToDo List

RMU: I deliberately have been keeping updates on RMU minimalist for months.Partly this is because the second quickest way of delaying a writing project is to talk about its details in public (the first quickest way is to declare a release date before writing is completed). Partly this is because I am not Line Editor on Rolemaster (it's more than enough work running the overall company and being Line for HARP and Cyradon and quasi-Line Editor for Shadow World without trying to micromanage RMU) as that is Marc's job. Of course, I could get Marc to talk about it in detail but then he's talking not doing.

Colin's ICE newsletter report gives a sense of how close the team is to getting Arms Law/Character Law and Spell Law off their desks. They do have several stubborn issues such as the RR mechanism that have been frustrating their efforts to declare closure; in the end, these issues will resolve even if Marc or myself have to choose / impose a solution.

With regard to Guild Adventurer #4, it is a painfully slow process updating HARP stats using a tablet on a train. I have not yet found an optimal workflow for this but I will persevere as there are other projects with similar issues.

On Shadow World, Terry continues to multitask his way across multiple projects, but Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn is still most likely to be first out from his pack.

On Cyradon, I am still open for suggestions for a new name for Phillip Ellis' module based on the "M is for Murder" adventure seed.

The Spacemaster Imperium text recovery process continues with more modules being recovered for their text.

Until next time

Time for me to get back to the doing and less talking.The next scheduled Briefing will be in August

Best wishes,
Nicholas

Director, Guild Companion Publications Ltd
Dr Nicholas HM Caldwell
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
Publisher of Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Shadow World, Cyradon, HARP & HARP SF, and Cyberspace, with products available from www.drivethrurpg.com
Author: Mentalism Companion, GURPS Age of Napoleon, Construct Companion, College of Magics, HARP SF/HARP SF Xtreme

Offline Hurin

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Re: Director's Briefing - July 2014
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2014, 03:55:36 PM »
Congrats again on getting through your first year of teaching!

On the RR issue, maybe we can help? One thing we forum trolls are pretty good at is providing feedback on mechanics and generating solutions to problems with them. We'd be happy to throw some ideas out there if they might break the deadlock.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Offline Wolfhound

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Re: Director's Briefing - July 2014
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2014, 07:05:42 AM »
Yes, we may be able to help by testing what is being discussed and providing feedback. 

Would really like to see the next version of the beta rules released before GenCon so that those of us running events there can use the newest version of the rules (and have time to learn the differences before GenCon actually starts if possible).

Besides my play-test group is really starting to get frustrated with the fact that we haven't yet seen any of the changes from the feedback that has been given so far, and at times it is difficult to try to smooth over those frustractions with certain aspects of the version of the rules we are currently using, so anything that can be done to speed up that process would be great for the game as a whole and we would be willing to do whatever we can to help get there.   In fact our next (25th) play-test session is in 2 days and we are nearing the end of testing out the campaign module I'm writing (they are now about 70-80% through it depending on the choices that they make in the upcoming sessions).
Wolfhound (aka Aaron Smalley)
World of Aernth/Channel Cities setting: www.ChannelCities.com
City of Archendurn & Dun Cru author (for RM/HARP)
Cur. projects: RMU Creature Law 1 & 2, No Quarter Under the Crown (campaign module for RMU)

Offline Old Man

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Re: Director's Briefing - July 2014
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2014, 07:11:46 PM »
...
On Cyradon, I am still open for suggestions for a new name for Phillip Ellis' module based on the "M is for Murder" adventure seed.
...

A couple come to mind:
In Truth, Fiction. In Fiction, Truth.
Words Sharp as Blades.
Factions Among the Columns.

** Yes, some of ROCO IV and VII is my fault. **

Offline Moriarty

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Re: Director's Briefing - July 2014
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2014, 05:05:32 AM »
What kind of plan do you have in mind for releasing the new RMU beta? Will it be released to the public all at once, or do you plan to show it to selected individuals first for reading and initial commenting? Once it is released to the public, what will the process forward be like? Will there be full scale open discussions again, and how will they be handled? Are you going to rule out major changes, or a third beta?
...the way average posters like Moriarty read it.

Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

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Re: Director's Briefing - July 2014
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2014, 06:07:37 PM »
What kind of plan do you have in mind for releasing the new RMU beta? Will it be released to the public all at once, or do you plan to show it to selected individuals first for reading and initial commenting? Once it is released to the public, what will the process forward be like? Will there be full scale open discussions again, and how will they be handled? Are you going to rule out major changes, or a third beta?

I hope the changes that have been made mean that we will not require a third beta. We will have discussions on these boards.

Best wishes,
Nicholas
Dr Nicholas HM Caldwell
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
Publisher of Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Shadow World, Cyradon, HARP & HARP SF, and Cyberspace, with products available from www.drivethrurpg.com
Author: Mentalism Companion, GURPS Age of Napoleon, Construct Companion, College of Magics, HARP SF/HARP SF Xtreme