Converting Space Marine Charactors

[rikki]

Do you think there is a place for a book to convert space marine charactors?
I have made up a quick reference guide with basic concept of conversion from codex to chapter, chapter to chapter and chapter to codex and indexed and cross referenced all the named charactors, all the unique weapons as well as listing all the unique special abilities so that you could select just the man your after.

[Dan]

Do you have access to legal advice? you could run into problems with the unnamed company.

[rikki]

I got a reply back from said unnamed company that they don't commision work 'out of house' but try other companies. Just need to know if its worth doing.

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

One rather big problem is that your entire book is based one someone elses IP. And "the company who shall not be named" have done a LOT of work, across the world, to safeguard thier IP. Afterall, its their biggest asset.

Take a look at Osprey and see how their authors go about producing books on modelling WW2 tanks, as they base a lot of those books on SPECIFIC companies kits, so that may be a start...

And thinking about it, Osprey is the sort of company to publish such a book...
Only problem is that when they publish "Tomorrows War" in Spetember, a lot of gamers will then be using those rules to play 40k, as they are SO SO SO mauch better than the current 40k ruleset....

[TheMightyFlip]

My advice, dont even go there. The only way a book like that would be published is if you went and worked for the big company itself and they actually wanted such a book to be printed.

[Commander Vyper]

Sorry to say the idea is a non runner in print, but you could blog it?

[Inso]

Sorry to say the idea is a non runner in print, but you could blog it?

Yep, I'd agree with that.

Blogging should be OK but even then, GW have been known to get funny.  I guess it all depends what you are using.  If you are using all GW stuff to make a GW character conversion, I would say it is no worse than a million other bloggers who do the same.

Whatever happens, if you are going to do it in English, I would strongly suggest the use of a good spell-checker...charactErs... .

[rikki]

Thanks for all the advice, i may just circulate around the immediate gamers and try a blog at some stage. It does make it easy to construct unique army lists and i haven't failed to supprise (and sometimes shock) my regular gaming buddies. 

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

When designing games its best to just try it out on your mates.

You cannot print a book using other people's IP, or intellectual property. This is what you want to do.

However, if you ar emaking great things that your buddies are having fun with, then keep it up.

Next time use an original idea instead of stealing one! Try to invent your own game. Lets face it, 40k is not exactly the most robust or realistic game mechanic out there.....

[rikki]

You are right about using IP that belongs to others, the intent was not to pass it off as my own, rather to group all that information together and make it easier to access rather than the rather costly and time consuming exercise of gathering all that information yourself.
That is not a bad idea, game machanics - will put some thought into that
Thanks again for thoughts and feedback it is much appriciated.