koraq
4th Level Troll
Posts: 355
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Post by koraq on Nov 19, 2009 15:41:13 GMT -5
I posted this in another thread, but decided it needs its own space. The old school D&D crowd have things like thmgames.blogspot.com/ which are fans getting together and selling their fan made stuff using print on demand from Lulu. If "that company" goes down, or not, I would like more of that cool T&T publishing keep coming. Some contributors to OP hang around here, and there are more. So, what stops us from opening shop and selling home made T&T books, print on demand? If writers and artists former published through OP pool their talent we should be able to produce some cool stuff. Well, I know there are one stumbling block, getting permission from Rick Loomis. But, I have gotten permission from him to publish T&T stuff on by blog and he seem a very reasonable fellow who would love to see more T&T books published. Some kind of deal must be able to be worked out, right?
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Post by ragnorakk on Nov 19, 2009 17:59:14 GMT -5
As far as I can tell, nothing in particular is stopping that, aside from organizational issues. There'd be a Trollgod and Mr. Loomis to contact, clear it w/Vin if it uses Trollbridge...
Each of us as individuals - provided we had PayPal accounts and such - can start a lulu store to my knowledge (limited and indirect as it is). My understanding is that even if you only offer free products, you still have to have a PayPal (or something else) at the other end.
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Post by ragnorakk on Nov 19, 2009 18:49:12 GMT -5
IN fact, though, I was wrong, as I was just able to open a lulu account and upload a frankenstein of cobbled notes (to make a document of minimum size... there's got to be a way around that for ebooks...) and put it up for "sale" for free as a pdf and I didn't have to have paypal. OK. Hmmmm...
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Post by hrrrothgarrr on Nov 19, 2009 18:51:50 GMT -5
Checking with Ken and Rick would be a good thing. We don't want to step on any toes, and should find out if a license etc is required. Maybe not if we don't charge for stuff.
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Post by jongjungbu on Nov 19, 2009 19:00:41 GMT -5
Good idea, nonetheless, yeah. Especially with all the dirt going down, just to be on the pleasant side of communication.
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Post by ragnorakk on Nov 19, 2009 19:03:18 GMT -5
BUT, when I try to make a dead-tree project it just seems to get hung up on the cover-creation step. Perhaps this is a temporary glitch... hard to say... but it has proven to me that making a PDF freely available through lulu is a pretty painless process!
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machfront
11th level Troll
Stalwart of the Trollbridge
"Let's go dark!"
Posts: 2,147
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Post by machfront on Nov 19, 2009 19:31:22 GMT -5
I've wondered why more folks haven't done this for T&T. Main problems standing in the way and the things that make it different than the D&D fan material are as follows: First, there's a lot more fans of AD&D1E and Classic and Original D&D. (A)D&D is much more familiar and thus, it's easier to publish something homemade and have someone 'get' exactly what it's for if you present it in a generic way to skirt legal problems. What I mean is, every D&D fan would know what you meant if you wrote: "Hits to kill-27" Also, thanks to the retro-clones, it's a lot easier to write and publish stuff for your choice of flavor of D&D with no worries that anyone will not know what it is and also no worries of accidentally (or otherwise) doing something in an illegal or shady manner. Also, because of the retro-clones, there's a little bit more...modern feeling to them. They seem more vital and alive, because they are. All of this breeds excitement and that in turn fuels the creativity and, before you know it, there are dozens of Swords & Wizardry and Labyrinth Lord-centric blogs (and there are) and lots of products, free and otherwise. All that said, I still think folks should make the move to self-publish their T&T stuff. "that company" was great support, but it wasn't needed. If Rick allows great leeway for the fan-published stuff, then aces. If it needs to be a one-on-one thing each and every product for each and every potential publisher, and/or the game goes out of print, etc., then we definitely need the/a clone. Each person could have their own Lulu store and still it could be centralized. A lot of the old-school renaissance guys are on the same 'circuit'... err... what I mean is this: stores.lulu.com/oldschoolrenSo, see? They all have their own fronts and company names, blah, blah, blah... but they're centralized, if they wish, under the Old School Renaissance Publishing Group storefront as well.
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Post by wilowisp on Nov 19, 2009 19:57:54 GMT -5
For the record, I think that a clone is both inevitable (indeed; there are TWO rule sets employed actively on this very site which really qualify as existing clones already) and desperately needed. For any RPG to live, except for the "big four" perhaps, it needs to be in the loving hands of its fans.
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Post by jongjungbu on Nov 19, 2009 20:15:37 GMT -5
That would be a cool thing to see for T&T, machfront. But for some reason, I think it won't happen for T&T.
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machfront
11th level Troll
Stalwart of the Trollbridge
"Let's go dark!"
Posts: 2,147
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Post by machfront on Nov 19, 2009 22:34:37 GMT -5
Which thing is that, jongjungbu?
Well, which ever it is, it can...as long as someone does it. Every one of these things rely on someone or someones just....doin' it.
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koraq
4th Level Troll
Posts: 355
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Post by koraq on Nov 20, 2009 7:35:59 GMT -5
Thanks for digging out that storefront on Lulu I was thinking of, Machfront.
See that's how we can do it. No need to be negative jongjungbu. I know there are people here who write stuff, and then we only need to get together. I'm pretty sure we could do a fanzine like Hobbit Hole if we pooled our resources. If not for any other reason than to show that T&T fandom is more than one crooked fan publisher!
I have already started to talk to Ken about POD and will talk to Rick in a while as well.
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Post by jongjungbu on Nov 20, 2009 8:51:30 GMT -5
Ack, yeah I am being negative! Too much machfront influence LOL. Okay, if someone gets it going, I will gladly contribute. I was already sending one narrative story of a solo session, and one solo to HH. I'm in no way tapped out yet.
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Post by mgtremaine on Nov 20, 2009 9:39:21 GMT -5
I have already started to talk to Ken about POD and will talk to Rick in a while as well. Good! Knowing what obstacles there are is a good ides. Have an exalt for pushing forward on this. I know I'm to work on the material I have extra hard in the next few months so I have something to contribute. -Mike
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koraq
4th Level Troll
Posts: 355
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Post by koraq on Nov 20, 2009 9:43:02 GMT -5
Great, and thanks Mike!
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koraq
4th Level Troll
Posts: 355
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Post by koraq on Nov 20, 2009 9:43:50 GMT -5
If we get this moving jongjungbu, those narratives sounds great.
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