Monday, October 31, 2005

NaNoWriMo 2005



I have decided to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

My wife participated last year and ended up with a complete novel which we hope to eventually self-publish via Highmoon Media Productions. I can't say that I have a very solid idea of what I'll be writing, but I do have a germ of a story born from a daily writing excercise a couple months ago. As a bonus, the story idea ties into a product HMP will be releasing in the near future.

50,000 words in 30 days. Let's see what happens.

Friday, October 28, 2005

After Wilma

Just a quick post. My family and I are all fine after Wilma. I just got power last night, thank G-d, but half of Miami is still in the dark. I'll post later more info as well as some pictures.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Time To Hunker Down!

With Wilma set to make its appereance in Florida starting later tonight, my wife and I have finished all our preparations and are ready to hunker down. The day off tomorrow comes in nice, though only if we don't lose power, in which case it's going to suck. If I lose power, I might post via my cellphone. If, however, we don't lose power, then I may be able to use the day productively and finish the layout for the Testament adventure once and for all.

Wish us luck, cause here we go again!

Saturday, October 22, 2005

About The RPG Business

Cross-posted from Mark Gedak's blog.

FYI, the quote Mark attributes to "One of the people I volunteer with" was said by me.

I think my biggest problem with the new move by EN World, as a fan (as a publisher, it's completely different), is that it has broken down the boundary of what EN World had set itself to be: THE site for d20 news on the internet. This is not the case anymore, and I lament that. I see many people say that nothing has changed, that people are reading too much into things, but I think that this is being naive. Though there has always been a business aspect to EN World, one I fully understand since it needs to keep itself afloat, I could count on this site to inform me with a fair amount of impartiality. Yes I understand that no thing is 100% unbiased, but this was pretty close to it, and that's now gone. Though I will still frequent EN World, I can't help but now take everything with a healthy dose of salt.

One of the weirdest realities I had to face once I began Highmoon Media Productions was that, while this is my hobby, this is also a business now, and that means loosing some of the fun, some of the magic, though to what extent is up to me. As I told a potential partner a couple days ago, fun is very much a part of the equation to me. If I am not having fun with my business, then that's it. Money is not everything, and I live by that statement.

And to answer two specific concerns:

When I revise and develop material with Daniel am I a) working with Daniel or b) working for Daniel?

Though my first instinct is to say both, it's really (a). Even in the project you are developing for HMP, it's really a joint effort (though you are really doing 99.9% of the work). If I were paying you to develop the project for me and that's all, then you would be working for me, but the way we are working, we both have a vested interest in the project, from development until it goes on sale, so "with Daniel" is correct.

I shudder at the thought of my name appearing on a business plan as a resource or asset.

As far as this is concerned, at least with me, that will never be the case.

Friday, October 21, 2005

And I Emerge To Find...

...a crapload of stuff going on! It is really the only drawback to the Holy Days, the mess of having to catch up with the rest of the world.

After the first two days of Sukkot, I emerge to find a really large hurricane (Wilma) already forecast to threaten South Florida, though we don't know yet when or where. I've taken some precautions, and much like the rest of South Florida, I wait.

I also emerge to find two big changes at EN World. First, we have been forbidden from providing links to, even mentioning by name, other e-book retailers, such as RPGnow.com or DriveThruRPG. We are allowed to have links to our company websites, even if the website does link to other e-tailers, but in our signatures or press releases, we can only mention the ENWorld Game Store, and that would be the second big change.

EN World has thrown their hat in the e-book retailing arena with their own ENWorld GameStore. Already about a dozen publishers have joined, and so did I, though in a moment of complete business brain fart, I did not read the terms. Their percentage fee is very good, but they have a set-up fee that I am not too keen on, at least not at the moment. While I am 100% convinced of the importance of EN World to my business and to the general d20 market, I don't know that it will transfer to the store. I am happy to sell in yet another retailer (especially since I will be dropping one very soon), but I'm making some steady sales and I would like a little more security. RPGnow was, and is, the foremost name in gaming e-book retailing, DriveThruRPG exposes my products to people who shop form their cadre of exclusive vendors as well as those who don't shop at RPGnow, and e23 exposes my products to the SJGames/GURPS crowd, which is exclusive to their site. What does ENGS bring me as a publisher? Still trying to figure it out.

Right now I would rather use the money from the set-up fee to contract art for a product, though if they can show it's worth it in new customers and/or sales, I'll go ahead and put up my products.

I'm almost afraid of what I'll find once I emerge again Wednesday night after Simchat Torah is over.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Three Great News For Highmoon Media Today

I love days like this. Yom Kippur yesterday was great, and even though I started really feeling the fast late in the day, I was able to truly get into my prayers in a way I haven't really achieved before. Now, I check my mail/industry sources, and there are 3 wonderful pieces of news that make me all tingly. Please forgive if I am somewhat vague on two of them, as I need to wait for legal papers to be finalized (you know how these things do).
  1. Green Ronin has approved my proposal for a new type of support for their Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era Mythic Vistas setting. I already have a signed license to do adventures for Testament and other MV settings, but this new project will go beyond adventures, and will actually include the other Ancient World MV settings in a fashion. An official announcement should be coming soon.
  2. A primarily non-d20 company has approved my proposal for support for one of their roleplaying lines. Yes, it is a medieval fantasy-type RPG, but not a D&D clone. This opportunity for HMP to venture outside of d20 is something I am very keen on, esepcially because it is a very low risk for us. More details after I sign contracts and such.
  3. Mongoose Publishing has just announced they will be doing a new edition of RuneQuest in 2006. What's even more interesting than that, they will be opening the system for 3rd-party development! If there was a competitor to D&D in the Golden Era (aka. the 80's) it was RuneQuest, and the ability to develop for another well-established brand is just too cool. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for more details about this.

Like I said, great news all around on the business front. Now I just need some more capital. Anyone an investor? ;-)

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Happy Birthday To Me!


Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday #31, Happy Birthday to me!!!

:-)

D&D Class Test

Now, this was a surprise. I expected Bard or Loremaster at most.

Mystic Theurge
48% Combativeness, 30% Sneakiness, 82% Intellect, 61% Spirituality

Brilliant and spiritual! You are a Mystic Theurge!

Score! You have a prestige class. A prestige class can only be taken after you’ve fulfilled certain requirements. This may mean that you’re an exceptionally talented person, but it probably doesn't.

The Mystic Theurge is a combination of a cleric and a mage. They can cast both arcane and divine spells, and are good at both, making them pretty terrifying on the battlefield. They have more raw spellpower than just about any other class.

You're both intelligent and faithful, but not violent or deceitful. I guess that makes you a pretty good person.



My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online dating
You scored higher than 33% on Combativeness
free online dating
You scored higher than 34% on Sneakiness
free online dating
You scored higher than 78% on Intellect
free online dating
You scored higher than 82% on Spirituality
Link: The RPG Class Test written by MFlowers on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Monday, October 10, 2005

[HMP] Highmoon Media Productions Turns One Year Old

One year ago, Highmoon Media Productions' first product went live at RPGNow.com. Today, we are here to celebrate this first milestone and reflect on where we have been and where we are going.

For celebration, we have put all our products on sale at
RPGNow.com from Monday, Oct. 10 until Friday, Oct. 14. In addition, any purchase of $5.00 or more gets a free copy of our first product, Liber Sodalitas: The Blind Path, as a gift. You can read more about our first year and the future of HMP below.

*************************************

HIGHMOON MEDIA PRODUCTIONS CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

October 10, 2005--Miami Beach, FL: It has been one year since Highmoon Media Productions appeared on the electronic game publishing market with our first product up for sale at RPGNow.com. In the past year we have experienced tremendous growth, far beyond what we originally envisioned for this spare-time, why-the-heck-not business. From a one-man operation, we have grown to include a number of excellent freelance writers and artists as part of our regular ensemble, people who have contributed their hard work and vision to shape Highmoon Media Productions.

Our launching product, Liber Sodalitas: The Blind Path, received a very warm and enthusiastic reception since its release, and to this day remains our best-selling original product. Its success encouraged us to expand the series with two successful follow-ups, Erzsak's Drake Riders and Scions of the Holy Triad, both equally well-received by customers and reviewers alike.

Bardic Lore: The Fachan introduced readers to a creature out of Celtic mythology, launching our second product line. With the timed release of Bardic Lore: Ogham for St. Patrick’s Day, Bardic Lore acquired a life of its own, evolving from a general fantasy product line to our specialized Celtic-themed line, and introducing customers to new gaming material from Celtic mythology as well as presenting them a glimpse into the lands of Ierne. The third release in the series, and our first collaboration with another 3rd-party publisher (UKG Publishing), The Villa of Mysteries expanded the boundaries of the implied setting of Ierne to include the Roman lands of Albion by presenting a historically-accurate villa with gorgeous floor plans.

Over the last year we also became the exclusive online distributor for the critically acclaimed, but now defunct, d20 publisher MonkeyGod Enterprises. With our help, MonkeyGod's electronic catalog grew from five products to over a dozen, with many more on their way. This partnership has brought new life to MonkeyGod's excellent adventures for all levels, as well as their comprehensive sourcebooks, including the first environmental book for d20 rules, Frost & Fur: The Explorer's Guide to the Frozen Lands--declared by some as the best sourcebook on cold-weather adventuring--and the massive encyclopedia of weapons and armor, From Stone to Steel, the single most comprehensive tome of martial equipment published.

Our sales have grown steadily over the past year, allowing us to expand into new and exciting projects we hope to unveil in the near future. Though we are a small company, we are and have always been firmly committed to producing quality products, a commitment which has been clearly attested to by the fact that we remained in the main RPGNow.com site after the reorganization into two sites. We will continue to work to bring you only the best of what we have to offer.

So where are we headed in our second year? We have a number of projects in the works to take Highmoon Media Productions to the next level:

  • New website - Highmoon Media Productions will be unveiling a brand-new website in the coming months, featuring simplified navigation, integrated forums, development blog and the capacity for expansion into member-only areas and store.

  • New product lines - We have two great new lines coming up: DaVinci Labs, our d20 Modern line for futuristic gaming, and Terra Mythica, featuring adventures and sourcebooks set in the most wondrous world of all: our own. And of course, we cannot forget about the new setting we have been developing for close to a year now, one that combines familiar concepts with elements seldom seen in modern gaming to create an innovative vision of the universe for characters to explore.

  • New partnerships - We have joined forces with Green Ronin Publishing for the development and publication of licensed support material for their Mythic Vistas line of settings. Our first product, an adventure for Testament: Roleplaying in the Biblical Era, should be out within the month.

  • Further support for established lines - New Liber Sodalitas, Bardic Lore and MonkeyGod products are in development, to bring you more exciting releases in your favorite lines.

We would like to thank each and every customer we have had in the past year for helping us reach this milestone. Highmoon Media Productions was started as a dream and it is your support that has made it not only a reality, but a successful one. In a small market with so many good publishers producing great books, we feel humble that you have chosen us time and time again to fulfill your gaming needs. This gives us the courage and impetus to continue on this journey and make even more great products for you.

Our second year promises to be one full of good things, and we couldn't be more excited about all that we have in store, so stick around and join us on this amazing ride.

Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
October 10, 2005



Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
http://www.highmoonmedia.com/

Monday, October 03, 2005

Shanah Tovah!!!

I just want to wish everyone a Shanah Tovah, a Happy New Year!

On this Rosh Hashanah, may we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for good and blessings all year long.