One thing I like about GURPS PD and shields over d6 was that d6 was a role of a chance to get through.
Didn't GURPS actually have a certian amount of damage that a shield could resist before leakage?? I think this was special rule pertaining to gurps pd

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 06:14 pm: Edit

Is D6 the "low seller" of the three (or four if we do HEROES) systems?

Hard to say. That might be the case today, but it wasn't earlier. When D6 had star wars it was doing, well, "more than several times what SFB sold" and even now, new D6 books are shipping every month (and that wouldn't be happening if they were not making money). Of course, GURPS sells "many many times" what SFB sells and GPD sells only about twice what SFB sells, partly because stores cannot comprehend that somebody other than SJG is doing GURPS books.

In the end, I don't care which of the systems makes the most money. The breakeven point for publishing D6PD is about 120 books, and you'd have to phone wholesalers and insult the buyers with dirty jokes about their mothers before sales would be that bad.

The war plan here, guys, is this....
1. Find somebody (Scott Palter) who can do the books without handholding and supervision.
2. Print the books and sell them.
3. Pay Scott for doing them.

As long as I don't have to write them myself and as long as I can't lose money, it doesn't matter if one or the other of the product lines sells 500 or 5,000. The point is that people other than me do the work (and are paid accordingly) so no system's book slows down any other system's books. We'll print the same D20 books regardless of whether we do D6 books and regardless of what either sells.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, March 26, 2005 - 08:11 pm: Edit

Since a particular work might go into many different publications does that effect the pay to writers and artists? Just askin'

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 03:29 pm: Edit

Loren: I need to get some work done on the standard contract, but basically....

The author of the background parts of GURPS SFU SOMETHING gets some royalties for D6 SFU SAMETHING and for D20 SFU SAMETHING.

So, for example, let's say you wrote 136 pages of THE THOLIAN BOOK to which I added 8 pages of GURPS rules and created GURPS THOLIANS and to which I paid Scott to add eight pages of D6 and published as D6 THOLIANS and to which I paid Jon Thompson to add eight pages of D20 and printed that as D20 THOLIANS and so forth. You'd get royalties for them all.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 03:58 pm: Edit

So I'm like totally lucky to have entered into this at the best time possible! Cool!

BTW: I have an e-mail(s) with a still pending question regarding Tholians.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 02:20 am: Edit

SVC:

Just out of curiosity. Do you accept art that is double width ( filling both collums like the art of GPD pg 11 & 92 ) or do you only accept the 3 by 4.5 inch ( 300 DPI ) standard?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, March 28, 2005 - 08:45 am: Edit

We use art of all sizes. it's easier to use the 3.5xsomething size since it fits in a column. (I don't know why you think 3x4.5 is standard, it's not, it's a very oddball size.) It just depends.

When we do open calls, we tell artists that 3.5 is easier to use but they can do anything and we'll make it fit. When we do directed assignments, we lay out the chapter and send a PDF to the artist to fill in the holes. There is, sometimes, lattitude to turn a 3.5x4 picture into a 7x2 picture or whatever, but sometimes there isn't.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 10:18 am: Edit

One thing that concerns me about d6 is that they do not have a martial arts system. Gurps basic has judo, karate, etc..
Hopefully, by the time d6 goes through, they will.

By Jonathan M. Thompson (Bpi_Jonathan) on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 06:14 pm: Edit

And I think Scott is capable of doing what needs to be done in that regard if it comes down to it.

By F. Douglas Wall (Knarf) on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 09:17 pm: Edit

Darren: GURPS just has more finely split unarmed combat skills. I'm sure that d6 has a system that works well for them.

By William F. Hostman (Aramis) on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:46 pm: Edit

Darren, since this is likely the PD I will run, I hope that such specialization of skills is NOT present, save maybe as (drumroll, please) specializations, not separate skills.

the different games have different levels of skill focus. GURPS has many, very narrow skills. D20 core (D&D3E) has very few, about 25, with a few having specializations. D6 has always had about 35-45 skills in each edition, with several having 10 to 15 obvious specializations, and all allowing for specializations; a 2 layer skill system (as opposed to GURPS' and D20's 1-layer with some skills being actually collections of skills. Different styles of skills for different engines and play styles.

Viva l'differance!

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 10:55 am: Edit

In talking with West End, the only thing out there for martial arts are "suggestions" on their discussion boards as well as a few suggestions in their upcoming product FANTASY Locations. They are a year away from having such a martial arts expansion.....so, on the other hand, Gurps martial arts 3rd ed takes some tweaking to get to 4th ed stats and they are also a year or more away from an official update. All of this from each of the companies line developers yesterday.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - 01:28 pm: Edit

In another topic, Darren said:

"Maybe the d6 version people will be more understanding (compared to SJG) since they just want to get as much product out as they can."

Actually, you miss the point both ways.

First, these are ADB products not WEG products, so they don't really benefit from us reprinting a lot of their rules.

Second, we don't plan to reprint more than the quick start rules for D6 (last I heard from Scott, anyway). Now, I might comment that after we do PD6, KD6, FD6, and RD6, we might consider the concept of a PD6-II which could have a lot more D6 rules, but we'd have to nicely ask WEG if they'd agree, and again, this product is a MAYBE (and one I hadn't thought of at all until this second).

I could be wrong but Darren might be the guy who asked if if WEG had decided on a release schedule for PD6, and of course, since these are ADB products not WEG products, they have nothing to say about the release schedule.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 - 05:13 pm: Edit

wasn't sure about the relationship there. Thanks for straightening me out on that.
-Darren

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 - 12:01 am: Edit

Well in a lot of ways MPA was GPD-II thanks to the extra rules...I hope that doesn;t make you feel uneasy.

By F. Douglas Wall (Knarf) on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 10:00 pm: Edit

As long as PD6 is functional as a corebook, and allows me to make my own character, I really don't have a problem with the amount of rules provided.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 11:52 pm: Edit

GM wanted to run PD6 demos at GenCon. Contact me ASAP to discussing getting you a free badge.

By Paul Hayes (Lostsoul) on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 08:27 am: Edit

What exactly does the D6 quick start rules contain? I'm assuming charachter creation, combat, skill resolution and so on, is there anything else?

I dont think WEG will mind you including full rules if/when you ever decide to do a second version, another company has recently published a game which includes full D6 rules in a 'core book' for their game. I can't see them having a problem you doing the same.

By Jeremy Reaban (Trancejeremy) on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 09:56 pm: Edit

So how alive is the d6 version?

I was going to buy it, especially when I heard about the d20 versions rules er, 'quirks'. But it seems dead in the water.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, October 24, 2005 - 11:13 am: Edit

Being worked on.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 02:23 pm: Edit

At the Game Preserve in Indy, this is a MUCH anticipated product for SFB gamers.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 12:04 pm: Edit

Are we still slated for this year for PD d6?
I am just trying to figure out what to tell people who keep asking me.
Has there been a newer discussion group opened up yet (to replace the yahoo one?).
Thanks Steve!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 01:46 pm: Edit

We'll release them as soon as the (third) author finishes them. He's working on them now, but I seriously doubt we'll be shipping these before New Year's. It not technically impossible that we might, just very much not likely. Jan/Feb sounds good at this point.

By Ken Burnside (Ken_Burnside) on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 05:42 pm: Edit

Author checked in today with a progress report. Will let Steve tell the rest after the meeting.

By Darren Kehrer (Kehrer1701) on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 05:45 pm: Edit

Is it possible to get in on some test playing? I know the yahoo group was very eager.