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Illuminated Site of the Week
is coming up in just a few weeks. I will be there, in my never-ending quest to create digital versions of Car Wars, Munchkin, GURPS, Ogre, and so on, and so on . . . if you're going to be at GDC, watch for my nametag and say hi!
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Buy This Bumper Sticker Or Die!
The honor of your ancestors demands that you purchase this Ninja Burger: Guaranteed Delivery Bumper Sticker! Do not fail your ancestors! Dead people have entirely too much time on their hands, and they wouldn't think twice about taking you around the block a few times!
Science fiction author Octavia Butler died on Saturday, February 25, following an apparent stroke.
Winner of one Nebula and two Hugo awards, Butler is probably best known for the novella "Bloodchild" and the Xenogenesis series. She once introduced herself, "I'm a 53-year-old writer who can remember being a 10-year-old writer and who expects someday to be an 80-year-old writer." Tragically, she didn't make it.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Mother Nature Knows Best
Besides, if you don't abide her, she'll drop an earthquake on you. So maybe it's time you started learning a little something about nature, and had a good time doing it to boot! EcoFluxx: everything you love about normal Fluxx, now with extra eco-!
Check out Raph Koster on the state of MMORPGs today.
I don't think I have ever recommended Koster's A Theory of Fun here. But even if I have, I'm recommending it again. If you're interested in game design, get it and read it.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Now That's Smart Advertising
With a name like Berserker Halflings from the Dungeon of Dragons, what can you possibly say to further sell the product? How about the fact that it's only one game in a whole line of such games?
February 25, 2006: Dinosaurs The Way They Should Have Been
"Humans and dinosaurs go together like gamers and pizza." That's the raison d'etre behind GURPS Lands Out of Time, the all-new sourcebook now available on e23!
This book is all about dinosaurs and cavemen as they should have been, and it provides everything you need to place man and giant reptile side-by-side, whether it's a "Lost World" adventure, caveman slapstick, or something in between. So grab your elephant gun, head out into the fern jungle, and see if you can get the tyrannosaur before he gets you!
Warehouse 23 News: Plus Ça Change . . .
The Sixth World is different, chummer. Megacorps rule our day-to-day lives. Magic changes the way we understand the universe. Desperate people do desperate deeds for whomever has the most cash. Technology is rocketing out of control. A good Shadowrun just ain't like it used to be, chummer.
February 24, 2006: Illuminated Site of the Week: Dissect This
VJ Enterprises has a lot to say about Roswell. If you want enough information about the incident to bury the staunchest critic, go to their site. If you want more than that, click on a subheading. It's turtles all the way down. -- Andy
Warehouse 23 News: Birth. Death. Then Things Get Complicated.
Just because someone is dead doesn't mean they have to stop living it up. Orpheus, a six-part RPG from White Wolf Publishing, explores what happens when live people get dead. For the weekend.
Two words. Lego Pinball. Just two words.
But now my brain is going to explode.
I need to get a half-euro coin and a ticket to the Netherlands . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Everything Is Conder Untrol
Congrats, you're the new head of a government agency dedicated to stamping out terrorism! Of course, your friends are also heads of their own agencies. The more agencies, the better, right? Anyway, there are only so many terrorists to go around, so if you want that Presidential commendation, you better get started Fishing for Terrorists.
Someday. No schedule yet . . . but we've invested in some equipment, we're beginning to learn how to use it, and eventually we hope to do something interesting with it.
Warehouse 23 News: Bring Your +2 Hoe Of Tilling
What Dungeon Crawl Classics #0: Legends Are Made, Not Born lacks in epic storytelling, arcane items of immense power, and grand battles the likes of which will be told in song by bards for thousands of years, it more than makes up for with . . . um . . . farmer's daughters?
The GURPS Character Assistant seems to have a sales pattern all its own in e23. Specifically, it just keeps selling; it broke 800 a couple of days ago. We are not blind to this success, and would like to repeat it, but programs that useful don't just write themselves. Nevertheless . . . we're thinking about it.
Warehouse 23 News: A Thoroughly Unexpected Plush
The chief weapon of the Monty Python: Talking Spanish Inquisitor Plush is cuteness. Cuteness and notoriety. The two weapons of the plush are cuteness and notoriety. And its ability to say several phrases. Three! The three weapons of the plush are . . . I'll come in again.
If it were a test message, it would probably make much less sense. Or it would SEEM to make much less sense. There might be a deeper meaning buried in it . . .
Naaah. Too much trouble.
Warehouse 23 News: Putting The "Feud" Back In "Feudal"
When opposing Dynasties seek to control China, do you really think they're going to sit down and solve their differences with a nice game of Rock-Paper-Scissors? No, they will gather troops, raising whole armies to collide on the battlefield and see that they are proclaimed the ruler of the Middle Kingdom. Then, and only then, will they sit down for a friendly game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.
February 19, 2006: GURPS Magic Spell Charts – Now New And Improved!
Even though Michelle Barrett, one-time Mistress of Mail Order and Ruler of Retail over at Warehouse 23, is no longer here, she still keeps an eye out on one of her last projects for us, the GURPS Magic Spell Charts. This handy set of charts lists all the Fourth Edition spells by college, showing their relationships, prerequisites, common roots, etc. It's very handy, and we've been giving it away (like, for free) over on e23.
To make a good thing better, Michelle just sent us a new version of the Spell Charts. It fixes all the known errata to date, of course, but on top of that, she did it in a vector graphics program that cuts the PDF file size to less than 10% of the size of the old file!
And, of course, it's still free. Pick it up with a simple click (or two . . .). Consider it a preview for the PDF of the Fourth Edition version of GURPS Magic, which will hit e23 in another week or so. Enjoy!
-- Scott Haring
Warehouse 23 News: Throw Another Babe On The Barb
Hungry for some genuine baby back ribs? King Torg (all hail King Torg!) has a rather modest proposal for you, then. Raid the village, grab some babies, and for once in your life try not to get killed in the process. Kobolds Ate My Baby! Super Deluxx Edition is more than just a simulation, it's an cheap excuse to laugh and yell. A lot.
Marcus King, of Titan Games, has been offering good deals for a long time. But here's an amazing one, if you are anywhere near Battle Creek, Michigan.
He says:
FIXTURES FREE. Gondolas, spinner racks, glass shelving, etc - free. No
charge. FREE! (ALL YOU CAN CARRY, FREE.)
(As in you can come get it, you can take as MUCH as you want, no charge, and
I will even have someone help you load your truck!)
No, I will not ship. I have more than 50 fixtures currently. First come,
first served, and whatever I can't get rid of I am going to have to THROW AWAY.
I have to vacate the facility they are stored in by the 28th of February.
Come one, come all, get the fixtures (uh, free)!!!!
Marcus King
269-963-3773
Titan Games - Owner
637 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49015
Of all the Dungeoneer sets, Realm of the Ice Witch is easily the coolest. Sorry, did that joke leave you cold? We thought it would be a good way to break the ice. We'll chill out, now.
There have been attempts to put jigsaw puzzles on the computer, but not quite like Puzzling Pictures. With a mechanical component akin to those tile-sliding picture toys, but without the open space, tweaking all the segments into place is a little more challenging. Upload your own images if you like.
Warehouse 23 News: Thank You For Calling, Please Hold
Calling up technical support is a fulfilling and enjoyable experience that few other things in life can match. Hitting yourself in the head with a hammer comes pretty close, though. Luckily, with Tech Support, you no longer need to wait around for something to break to enjoy this wondrous, magical part of life.
I had a fantastic time at OwlCon. There were more than 600 attendees, lots of MIBS, lots of events . . . I spent most of the day playtesting various new submissions, including one that had made it into the office only a couple of days before. (It . . . ahhh . . . Well, you won't be seeing it. But it looked interesting and was worth trying.) Some of the others fared better, including a still-unnamed dice game I've been fooling with but had never actually gotten to play myself - because I missed the office session where we tried it out.
Lessons learned:
- Alan Moon's Ticket to Ride is as much fun as everyone has been telling me.
- When Sprite tells me to look in my suitcase, I should just shut up and look in my suitcase.
- The Stikfas "Phantom" makes a great Z'Mendrik for Dork Tower. Now I want one for myself.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Fun
Ye don't be needin' to spend all yer booty to have fun, matey. If ye raise yer sail alongside Captain Treasure Boots, ye be sure to find a bounty o' fun without needin' to put another mortgage on ye house. Or boat. Or houseboat. Yaarr.
This is the latest release from Steve Jackson Games, now on the shelves of a game store near you:
Munchkin 4 - The Need for Steed
Munchkin 4 - The Need for Steed is the latest expansion for the original Munchkin – 112 more John Kovalic-illustrated cards for killing monsters, stealing treasure, and backstabbing your fellow players. This set introduces Steeds, the trusty mounts of legend . . . Oh, wait – this is Munchkin! So these Steeds include not just the Dragon and the Tiger, but the Giant Mutant Gerbil (drawn by guest artist Shaenon K. Garrity of Narbonic), the Chicken, and Big Joe, who might be a Steed or might be a Hireling. It’s hard to tell.
Hireling? Yes indeed, The Need for Steed has lots and lots of Hirelings, who look quite a bit like Sidekicks from Super Munchkin, or Minions from Munchkin Bites! Add these valuable characters to your retinue, use their special abilities, and sacrifice them without a thought to save your own skin! Or, better yet, kill somebody else's Hireling. That's the way a Munchkin does it!
Feel the need . . . The Need for Steed!
112 cards in a clamshell display pack.
Stock #1444, ISBN 1-55634-749-9.
$16.95.
Warehouse 23 News: The Ball Is Round, The Game Lasts 15 Minutes
Dodgeball. Dismissed by some as a simple game for children, dodgeball is a contest of wills, a test of endurance, and quite possibly the purest form of sport known to the human race. So if you've got the guts to partake in the ultimate battle between you and that other guy, grab your . . . large, rubber spheroids and sign yourself up for World Championship Dodgeball.
National Games Week did a survey of their 2005 members, asking about their favorite games. We were pleased to see Munchkin at #17, and GURPS at #82.
The list, overall, is an interesting mix of old classics and new releases. Comparing this list to next year's . . . that will be very interesting.
You can see the full list at Gaming Report.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: The Dice Who Cannot Die
Okay, so maybe they don't carry around a legend of having fought evil for the last 400 years, but they sure are pretty! The Phantom dice from Chessex would certainly make a super addition to any dice collection.
February 13, 2006: Call For Playtest: Locations: Wizard's Tower
"Locations: Wizard's Tower" is a mostly generic (with some GURPS Fourth Edition stats) fantasy supplement, a detailed description of the premises, contents, and inhabitants of a wizard's tower, ready for integration into most medieval fantasy games. Written by Matt Riggsby, it will appear soon as a PDF at e23.
The "Locations: Wizard's Tower" playtest will be a closed mailing list playtest. Participation in the playtest does not guarantee credit in the published book, and is limited to people with valid Pyramid subscriptions. (You can purchase a Pyramid subscription directly from e23.) A sizable but still limited number of playtesters will be chosen to participate based on a variety of criteria to represent the diverse GURPS player base; previous playtest experience is less important than an interest in the subject. Playtesters may be added in two or more groups to give everyone a chance to apply; the playtest is
expected to run until the end of February.
Some simple rules and posting guidelines, based on the usual playtest rules here:
www.sjgames.com/pyramid/playtest.html
www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/playtest/playtest-rules.html
will be in effect during the playtest to help the authors and staff keep track of everyone's contributions, and will be provided as part of the playtest materials.
Interested parties willing to follow instructions should apply by sending an e-mail to the
Lead Playtester, Jeff Wilson, at jwilson@io.com . The subject should say "LWT Playtest" and the first line should have the applicant's real name followed by their preferred playtest e-mail address in brackets like so:
Jeff Wilson <jwilson@io.com>
Applicants may use as many additional lines as necessary to relate their relevant background and other qualifications for playtesting "Locations: Wizard's Tower." People with little or no particular background or experience in playtesting are equally sought and encouraged to apply, with spots reserved for first-timers.
As Shadowrun goes into its fourth edition, things are bound to change. Make sure you'd not plugged in when the entire Matrix suffers a System Failure, chummer. You wouldn't want to get lost on the other side when cyberspace implodes . . . would you?
Cleaning off my desk . . .
- We rarely have unskilled job opportunities here, though we get a lot of inquiries. While "Shipping Clerk" is not literally unskilled, it's one of the few that we might be willing to train on the job. Here's the information.
- A friend gave me a very good book a couple of weeks ago. Shadows Over Baker Street is an original anthology on the theme "What if Sherlock Holmes had faced the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos?" Several great stories here, with Neil Gaiman's "A Study in Emerald" leading the pack.
- Another good book simply showed up in my mailbox . . . a promo copy from a publisher. Usually these hit the "Take to Half Price Books" stack before I've read five pages. Not this one. I read it in one sitting, and have kept it on my desk and dipped into it again and again. It's To Crush the Moon, by Wil McCarthy. I must now hunt down everything else he has written. This novel just sparkles with ideas, and it's written in an intelligent yet lively voice that I really enjoyed. It turns out to be the climax of a series of four, but it read just fine by itself. Ignore the drivelous and grammar-challenged blurb on the back cover!
- Several of you have asked if there will be a Stakeholders' Report this year. Yes, and fairly soon; our 2005 books are closing right now (much sooner than last year), and I want to include that information in the report.
- I had a fantastic time at WarpCon and will post a report soon. I also suffered badly from jet lag going both ways . . . and am still not over it. I hope this does not represent a trend.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: How About A Nice Game Of Chess?
Believe it or not, the Nuclear War Card Game Special Limited 40th Anniversary Edition does contain a winning move or two. This special edition of the classic game of nuking everybody brings back the fear of nuclear proliferation that we all know and love. Love to make fun of, that is.
February 11, 2006: GURPS Fourth Edition Books To Be Available On e23
Starting this month, Steve Jackson Games will be releasing PDF versions of its GURPS Fourth Edition books on e23. The PDFs will be bookmarked and searchable, and will be priced at $24.95.
We will be releasing the existing books in chronological order. GURPS Fantasy is available now at e23, and there will be a new PDF every two weeks through the end of March, which will see the release of GURPS Powers. Thereafter, a new GURPS Fourth Edition PDF will be released approximately three months after the print version ships to retailers. The GURPS Fourth Edition Basic Set will remain a "print-only" product.
Why release the PDFs now? Steve Jackson Games was built on good relations with our retail partners. We were concerned, as were many retailers, that PDF sales would reduce the number of print sales. After observing the market, we have concluded that, in general, the sales of a PDF version of a product do not affect the sales of the print version. Therefore, we can satisfy the growing number of PDF-using customers without harming the retailers who have supported us for so long.
The release of the Fourth Edition PDFs will not change our print runs. Gamers who love the smell of a new book will be able to find print copies just as easily as before, and those who prefer the advantages of digital can now be satisfied.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Those Cats Really Were Fast As Lightning
At the moment, though, they're passed out on the floor. Kung Fu Fighting will do that to ya. What with all the punching and the kicking and the putting someone's head through a wall and whatnot.
February 10, 2006: Illuminated Site of the Week: WWJD Later This Afternoon?
Brother Anthony Grigor-Scott certainly seems up in arms about something. What, we're not sure, though it certainly involves the U.N., drugs, and overpopulation. Visit his Bible Believers' Newsletter, and marvel at his rant, simply and elegantly titled "Conspiracy." -- Andy
Warehouse 23 News: Progress Island, USA
Puerto Rico is more than just a beautiful little island in the Great Antilles. It's the perfect place to start amassing a ridiculous amount of fame and fortune by exploiting the local resources! Erm, but, exploiting them nicely, of course.
is at Rice University in Houston this weekend. I'll be there all day Saturday. I will have some new things to playtest. Come talk to me. OwlCon details are here.
This has been brought to you by the Department of Nice, Simple Messages.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: We Know Who You Are And We Saw What You Ordered
The Ninja Burger: We Know Where You Live shirt is the kind of truth in advertising you only get from a fast food chain that originated in ancient Japan. Or was it Jersey? We forget.
Juliet is the next UltraCorps playtest game. You can join now; the first tick (that is, processing of the first move) takes place at 10pm CST Wednesday (and then the game closes; you cannot join after the first tick, and you really should join long enough BEFORE the first tick to complete a move). There will be 20 turns, one per day.
This game has evolved since the last playtest. It will have more than 500 players if it fills up; the economic rules are now in place; the goal is maximum population, not just number of worlds controlled, so you have an incentive to be nice to your subjects; and there's an entry condition. In order to join, you must first complete the solo game (if you have already completed a solo recently, the database will know that). This was a player suggestion, and it's a good one. It insures that everyone who gets into the game will have some clue what's going on! Sort of a Galactic Warlord Qualifying Exam.
UltraCorps is still free, so this is your chance to see what it's like while helping us out.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: History Repeats Itself. Again.
Anachronism, the card game of old, dead people beating one another up, has released another pack of antediluvian assailants. Get in at the ground level with the Sainte Jeanne d'Arc vs. William Wallace - 2-Player Starter Game, or supplement your ancient army with any of the new warrior packs.
Recently, we heard that Kevin Rett of The Game Castle is a big fan of our games, and that in his spare moments he likes to create the occasional endcap with them.
The Secret Masters would like to take a moment to applaud Kevin's efforts to further our world domination. Looks like a great display -- thanks!
Warehouse 23 News: Shake It Up Baby, Now
Shouting is optional, but twisting is clearly a requirement in Dungeon Twister. Twisting of the maze, twisting of your strategies, twisting of your mind as you try to outwit your twisted opponent as he twists you around his finger. Go on, and work it all out.
As the weeks tick away, the release date for GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars grows closer. Today, we slip out a sneak peek at the Crockett-class picket ship.
Five o'clock shadow not included.
No Miami Vice fans? Fine. But you could still put an alligator in the storage area . . . .
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Safe. Sane. Sort Of.
As you might have guessed, Let's Kill is not a game about fluffy kittens and happy kings and whimsical sprites that dance along a chocolate river in a lollypop world of candy-cane dreams. No. Let's Kill has about as much in common with sunshine and flowers as nachos have in common with a belt sander.
Once again, the big desks of our new office come in handy for proofing. The product this time was King's Blood, the card game scheduled for release in late February. Moe, Chris, and Justin can be seen here checking the backs of the cards for errors. None were found, which lead to the Happy Dance. Sadly, no pictures of the Happy Dance survived.
But King's Blood is on schedule! Look for it in your local game stores in four to six weeks. (Don't worry -- I'll remind you.)
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: And Dice Keep On Rollin'
Toy Vault knows exactly what gamers always need more of: weird dice. That's probably why they made the Fuzzy Dice: 6-Sided Plush Die, Purple With Pips, Large and the Fuzzy Dice: 6-Sided Plush Die, Black With Numbers. That, or some unspeakable motive that's so unspeakable that . . . that we simply mustn't speak of it!
Ken Hite, writer of many, many syllables, has published his list of outstanding gaming releases. His "Outie Awards" have crowned GURPS Powers the second runner up in the category of Best Supplement of 2005.
But from Hite, the placement isn't the important thing -- it's the quote:
[GURPS Powers] could have been deadly tedious mechanical logic-chopping, but is instead a clear-headed and concretely useful "advanced course" in high-level GURPS rules.
When they get around to giving Origins Awards for "Most Quotable," Ken deserves the Lifetime Achievement Award.
More the rest of the Outies, as well as some well deserved self-promotion of GURPS Infinite Worlds, go here.
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: Warehouse 23 Top Ten
Check out Warehouse 23's top selling items for January at the Warehouse 23 Top 10 page.
February 3, 2006: Illuminated Site of the Week: Art For The Rest Of Us
Brandon Bird has a talent for paint, and he puts it to good use creating modern myths. Or recreating old myths with a modern flair. Or perhaps it's all modern, and this is the very definition of "pop art." -- Suggested by Richard Beeler
Warehouse 23 News: This Time, With Feeling
Not content to have simply one graphic novel's worth of material, Nodwick Chronicles I & II: Haulin' Assets contains two whole Nodwick Chronicles worth of treasure-carrying, monster-slaying, butt-kicking-for-Goodness fun!
February 2, 2006: Call For Playtest: GURPS Vehicle Design
GURPS Vehicle Design is a GURPS Fourth Edition supplement written by David Pulver, containing detailed rules and systems for modeling real and fictional vehicles and scheduled to appear soon as a PDF at e23. (Weapons design will be largely reserved for a companion work.)
The GURPS Vehicle Design playtest will be a closed mailing list playtest. Participation in the playtest does not guarantee credit in the published book,
and is limited to people with valid Pyramid subscriptions. (You can purchase a Pyramid subscription directly from e23.) A sizable but still limited number
of playtesters will be chosen to participate based on a variety of criteria to represent the diverse GURPS player base; previous playtest experience is less important than an interest in the subject.
Playtesters may be added in two or more groups to give everyone a chance to apply; the
playtest is expected to run until the end of February.
Some simple rules and posting guidelines, based on the usual playtest rules here:
www.sjgames.com/pyramid/playtest.html
www.sjgames.com/pyramid/login/playtest/playtest-rules.html
will be in effect during the playtest to help the authors and staff keep track of everyone's contributions, and will be provided as part of the playtest materials.
Interested parties willing to follow instructions should apply by sending an e-mail to the
Lead Playtester, Jeff Wilson, at jwilson@io.com . The subject should say "VDG Playtest" and the first line should have the applicant's real name followed by their e-mail address in brackets like so:
Jeff Wilson <jwilson@io.com>
Applicants may use as many additional lines as necessary to relate their relevant background and other qualifications for playtesting GURPS Vehicle Design. People with little or no particular background or experience in
playtesting are equally sought and encouraged to apply, with spots reserved for
first-timers.
Go, Dork! Go!! Go make wry comments about technology, pointed jokes about fandom, and goofy puns about movies. Go!
Steve Jackson Games announces for release in April, 2006:
Chez Guevara
Viva la Revolution!
Chez Guevara is a stand-alone game that puts a new spin on the award-winning Chez Geek. Instead of roommates, you and your friends are grubby, desperate guerrillas, struggling for survival, freedom, and Slack in the stinking jungle!
The food is bad, everybody is shooting at you, and the Leader is nuts. But it could be worse . . . and it probably will be. Harass those of lower Rank by having them Dig Holes, inflicting KP on them . . . and then having them Fill In Holes. Raid the locals for supplies. Avoid being Denounced. Spend your money and precious time to gather enough Slack to escape back to civilization.
With great card illustrations by Greg Hyland!
This game can't be completely combined with Chez Geek, but the Thing cards from either game can be dropped into the other one.
Chez Guevara uses the Chez Geek mechanics, with a couple of new twists. Sure, you could combine any of the Chez games with Chez Guevara, but that’d be crazy!
112 cards in a tuckbox.
Stock #1392,
ISBN 1-55634-754-5.
$17.95.
Cowpoker
From James Ernest and Mike Selinker comes a fast-playing card game of cattle rustling and shootouts . . . Cowpoker.
It's a range war for two to four players. Rustle each others' cattle. Hire away each others' cowpokes. Recruit the wacky characters into your Ranch for points and bonuses, and collect them in tricks from the roundups and shootouts. Once all the cards are taken, make poker hands to score additional points! Every card can be used at least two different ways, so there's strategy as well as luck.
Each full-color card is illustrated by Greg Hyland, the artist of Burn in Hell and Munchkin Fu.
Cowpoker – the card game that's a rootin' tootin' good time until the cows come home. Yeeehaw!
66 cards in a tuckbox.
Stock #1395,
ISBN 1-55634-750-2.
$11.95.
The infinite stretches before you like . . . well, like the infinite. It's always been there, this is just the first time you've noticed. You wouldn't think it'd be so hard to miss, it being infinitely big and all. You see- ah, here, just read Mage: The Awakening. They tell it better than we do.
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