Whither to comrades?

[Craig]

I would be a bit disappointed with high powered superheroes to be honest.

So would I. The concept we are considering is more along the power level of Batman, the Shadow and Doc Savage. Men and women with one or two extraordinary powers. More leaping an express train in a single bound than flying at Mach 7.

I'm also curious about something else: How would you feel about others using your core system to design games? I think it would be fantastic for a few things, including Lovecraftian Horror.

We are happy for people to adapt the system for their own use. Honestly we couldn't stop you doing this anyway
If someone wanted to produce something professionally then we'd consider this on a case by case basis.

[Cubs]

The other advantage of having an American 'base' as it were, is that they were globally seen as almost neutral in the post-WW1 era, without an imperial agenda and unfettered by the various colonial alliances and rivalries of the European powers. It allowed American institutions and individuals greater access and freedom to travel and explore in 'hostile' areas.

[Arlequín]

Indeed, with a professed policy of 'preserving peace' what better hook for a setting would you need? Just because you have the U.S. as the 'hub', it doesn't mean that adventures need to be set there, just as IHMN wasn't all about Britain.

I have been pondering whether it being a continuation of IHMN might cause problems though. The potential '30s that might follow on from the world of IHMN could be fundamentally different and a mammoth task in plotting the possible course of technology and events.

It might therefore be better to do it as a standalone in the same way as IHMN was; similar style of game, but a different world.

[oabee]

Given the period, I see no reason not to make the hub of the game vaguely American, for the reasons already given, plus the obvious rich gaming possibilities of organized crime, which found fertile ground here in the early part of the century.

I also agree that nothing in the rules' background would force players into a given milieu, as gamers will inevitably goeth wither they wisheth. I am American and have written 12 IHMN Companies: at last count only four are American (for the record: 4 USA, 2 Thule/German, 3 English, 1 English/Tibetan, 1 Euro/American/international, and 1 Scottish/Irish/Gaelic).

The other consideration would be available miniatures. Here we are blessed, including the aforementioned gangsters. Players could blend World War I & II figures, with a little imagination. There is a wealth of early (pulp) Nazi figures out there, so it would be extremely helpful if the new game's story line includes---somehow---the rise of a Nazi-like Germany. Society of Thule's eventual destiny, perhaps. I personally would leave the term "Nazi" out of this project, of course. Thule should do nicely. But after all, it is no coincidence that in the best two of the Indiana Jones movies the Germans were the antagonists. And Indiana could lead his own Company, as could Dr. René Belloq and Dr. Elsa Schneider.

As for the inclusion of some kind of past Great War in the story line, I am agnostic. Let you creative types come up with a logical time line.

Craig, give us a framework and let us wreak utter havoc with it, just as we do now.

As for the nuts-and-bolts, I would be just fine with a PDF. If I want a hard copy, I can have my local print shop provide me one. Lack of graphics does not bother me: the main purpose of graphics is to illustrate the rules, although a little fluff is just fine. Point in fact: the $40 rulebook for All Quiet on the Martian Front is how not to approach graphics and fluff. Beautifully done, wonderful minis, nice rules, but: of 176 pages  , at least a third are pure fluff (ultimately an estimate, as background bits are scattered throughout the rules bits). Lots of beautiful photos and artwork, but there are about seven dozen that are purely redundant fluff, designed to, yes, give you the atmosphere of the genre, but mainly to sell those wonderful miniatures. How many photos of those same six-or-so models of Mk. II Steamers are really necessary to teach the rules? About 38, apparently. You know there's a problem when the actual rules start on page 32.

Oops, apparently that turned into a rant. Apologies.

I'm feeling better now. 

Mike O

[Maldred]

I think it would be more enjoyable if you continued on from the world of IHMN but I agree with Arlequin

The potential '30s that might follow on from the world of IHMN could be fundamentally different and a mammoth task in plotting the possible course of technology and events.

Given that IHMN already has aerial warfare and arc weapons, It's likely WW1 would achieve V1 rocketry early on and probably conclude with the equivalent of the atom bomb.

Best I think to avoid having WW1 at all .. have Germany invade France (not Belgium), have the French lose Moselle, Bas-Rhin & Haut-Rhin and leave it at that. Enmities fester but don't drag the whole world down into hell.

After that you have a blank canvas - the flu pandemic of 1918 might not have killed 50 million plus people, the Russian revolution might not have happened ...

Personally I like the idea of a change of focus to the Americas;
Imperial Russia might seize Alaska back looking to pressure Britain through Canada
Imperial Japan seizes Hawaii and sees the Pacific as their domain, threatening west coast America with their dirigibles.
Marxism sweeps through the South American nations unifying their people and their crusade is threatening the Southern States, with both sides using Mexico as a buffer and undeclared battlefield ... and so on.
With tweaks like this America moves from being a neutral power to a beleaguered nation which puts a lot more tension into the storyline, would Prohibition and the consequent rise of organised crime have happened if America had had other things to worry about?
 
But all that is a completely new history and one hell of a lot of work.

Whatever you do I'm sure it will be well done, just be careful what you sign up for!

Mark
 

[Varangian]

Maldred makes some great points.

I like the idea of Alaska and Hawaii being battleground areas, between companies and even larger forces (see how I just suggested there be rules for larger forces?). Beyond that, I love the direction.

[Craig]

Larger forces eh? Rummage.... oh yes Project IX...

[Craig]

Mike,

I agree on modern rule sets often being the triumph of art over artifice.

I have a copy of Tomorrow's War somewhere. Incredible production values but very nearly unreadable. I have no idea how the game plays as I gave up after a couple hours of squinting and head scratching.

We gamers do love pictures of well-painted minis set against gorgeous terrain. It is both inspirational and aspirational stuff for many of us. Where these pictures illustrate the available forces or particular elements of the rules they also have a certain utility.  My problem comes when the art department at the publisher set out to prove their worth and their ability.

I am grateful for the work Osprey put into the core rules, the full colour plates and Kev Dallimore's photos from Northstar. However, by having them we only were able to include 22,500 words which is actually pretty tight. The two supplements, with no pictures in HVF and just a few whitespace fillers in SDRS, allowed us to produce 25,000 and 27,500 words respectively.

There is a balance to be struck between content and art and it is quite difficult to get it right.

[oabee]

Craig (and Charles, if you're out there):

In high school in the late 60s, Strunk and White's Elements of Style was our writing Bible, and the admonition "Make every word tell," reinforced by the 17th principle of composition, "Omit needless words," was our creed. Your work with IHMN is an example of excellent prose and the elimination of the extraneous, which adds to my enjoyment of the game. Not having to shell out $40+ for the rule book helps, as well.

There is a balance to be struck between content and art and it is quite difficult to get it right.

Just so. Keep up the good work.

[Conquistador]

Strunk and White's Elements of Style - great wisdom there many rules writing could have used as a guide.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Craig]

In high school in the late 60s, Strunk and White's Elements of Style was our writing Bible, and the admonition "Make every word tell," reinforced by the 17th principle of composition, "Omit needless words," was our creed.

I have a copy on my hard drive. I also own Sir Ernest Gowers' "The Complete Plain Words" and Fowler's "Modern English Usage".

[twrchtrwyth]

So, if we produced this would you support it? The options include:
1. A full print version, though this would have to wait until after Daisho, so we're talking late 2015 at the very earliest (and probably 2016).
2. A straight Pdf version, possibly sold through a service like Lulu so you could print it if you wished. This would not have the full graphic treatment a book would have.
3. Released in instalments like IHMN Gothic, with the option of buying a print version at the end.

3.

The second question, and this one may turn out to be more partisan. We could approach this version of the game from a number of directions. For example:
1. Have it as a continuation of the IHMN milieu.
2. Have its own, completely separate backstory.
3. Base it once again in Britain/Europe, it being an absolutely fascinating period of history, or in the USA? In either case it could be expanded like IHMN to cover more global concerns.

1 and 3 UK/Europe. Please, please don't make the mistake of not making it 100% compatible with IHMN.

The third question. Straight Pulp is all well and good, but we are thinking giving it a similar treatment to IHMN with lost of fantastical options. Should we include Golden Age Superheroes/Ubermensch in the mix?

Add the superhero elements. If you don't want them in your game they are easy to take out. If you want them they are not as easy to put in. The rules should then allow for prohibition gangster games, Irish War of Independence, German Frei Korps, etc or with the more supernatural elements, and possibly some bits from IHMN, Lobster Johnson and the other heroes you mention. There may even be enough for some WWW2. Rules for pirate junks and tramp steamers and boarding actions too please, even if in a supplement. 

[WitchfinderGeneral]

I bought IHMN because it's a nice little book, with nice pictures and inexpensive compared to similar releases.
Because I hate to have to buy add-ons to get "the whole thing", I resisted to get the companion books so far.
While the rules are detailed and flexible enough to field whatever figures you like I'm not too fond of the core mechanics. So I'd skip that companion too and rather get some other Pulp or WeirdWWII rules available.

[Varangian]

Larger forces eh? Rummage.... oh yes Project IX...

This I like.

A lot.

What can I do to help this along?