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Post by nialldubh on Aug 9, 2023 10:45:25 GMT -5
Slightly off topic as I missed it somewhere - where can we download TZ12 and TZ13 now that I can't see them on Drivethru? If you look at base of a Zanshin post, the link there will go to Trollzines!
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Post by zanshin on Aug 14, 2023 15:26:24 GMT -5
I have the very good news that the esteemed alkazar has agreed to take the zine forward. I am currently contacting my list of past contributors to check that they are happy for me to pass their details on to him, and have had very many enthusiastic and touching responses to the affirmative. Please inundate him and this thread with your ideas and proposals for items to be in the Trollbridges next zine. You will also be relieved to know that his non Troll forename is Dan, thereby maintaining the vital Trollszine tradition that one of the editors goes by this nomenclature If you previously submitted items for the next zine I will contact you separately for your release.
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Post by alkazar on Aug 14, 2023 18:16:26 GMT -5
Thank you Zanshin! Although I believe I may be in over my head, my hope is that in the coming issues, TrollsZine! will satisfy everyone's expectations and not turn into a complete disaster. So I may call on your expertise from time to time if that's OK.
So the first order of business: We are not going to change the name! TrollsZine! has a proud history and it's name carries weight; I want to continue with that legacy.
So a little bit about myself: I'm a freelance illustrator (I actually have a BFA in illustration, believe it or not.) While at university I was forced to learn page design and layout while getting my illustration degree (design was hands down the most boring thing I've ever taken.) Unfortunately, my knowledge in this area has become a bit rusty but I think we'll be alright. I was trained on Adobe InDesign, but I use GNU/LINUX as my operating system of choice, which means getting this program to run through WINE is spotty at best. That's not a bad thing though, because I'd like to move TrollsZine! development to using free and open source software and open license fonts exclusively. It is my intention to learn Scribus in the coming months, until then I will use LibreOffice as well as my ancient copy of Acrobat Pro (yes, I know that pro is not open source, but eventually I hope to move away from it.)
Anyone here who wants to help or knows anything about page design and layout or maybe wishes to learn, don't be afraid to Message me.
I would also like to standardize the look and feel of future issues of TrollsZine! I was recently introduced to Fighting Fantazine (a fanzine dedicated to the old Fighting Fantasy game book series) and I was blown away by how slick and professional the design and layout was. It doesn't look like a fan project, and I would love to see TrollsZine! get to that level maybe not right away but eventually. So in the coming days I'm going to post some standards and maybe create a type of style guide for TrollsZine! However, if you want your submission formatted a particular way then do it yourself, and let us know when you submit it, but know we will be adding footers and possibly headers so take that into consideration. If you send in your submission unformatted, we will format it for you according to the guidelines I'll be posting soon.
More on that later.
Also, the recent discussion of making issue 14 an all Monsters! Monsters! issue is fine by me. Seems like Monsters Monsters is on a high right now and we should take advantage of it, however TrollsZine! exists to support T&T so if you do not want to create a M!M! submission or would like to keep it T&T (any edition) I'm OK with that. However, with the recent legal scare, and with T&T's new owners being a mysterious uncertainty in regards to fan made materials, we will no longer be using the Tunnels and Trolls name on the cover, and we ask that you restrict the use of the Tunnel's & Troll's product name in any submissions, at least until we know where Rebellion stands.
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mosker
5th Level Troll
Posts: 531
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Post by mosker on Aug 14, 2023 19:22:14 GMT -5
So the first order of business: We are not going to change the name! #ObligatoryAndUnnecessary... (Anthrax post 9/11)
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Post by zanshin on Aug 15, 2023 1:30:04 GMT -5
Just a minor point that the name of Trollszine is Trollszine with an S Someone else had used Trollzine and would not release it, so we used the name we did. There has been some confusion about that All the very best to Alkazar, thank you very much for taking this forward. I am happy to be of assistance as needed.
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Post by nialldubh on Aug 15, 2023 3:13:20 GMT -5
So the first order of business: We are not going to change the name! Trollszine has a proud history and it's name carries weight; I want to continue with that legacy. Yeah, it is for the best, Trollszine (with a 'S') it is... I agree, their format looks good... mosker supplied a link to it from this post: trollbridge.proboards.com/post/66964/thread M!M! is fine for Trollszine 14 and I agree a zine to M!M! would be an experience, but I think we should still cater to T&T (any Edition) in the future. I believe Rebellion would encourage fan-based material for T&T in the world. But I been wrong before... Important: Well done alkazar, you doing a good job, and a good help to Zanshin...
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Post by alkazar on Aug 15, 2023 7:53:43 GMT -5
Thank you. I know it has an S but for some weird reason I drop it when typing and I don't notice, I think it has to do with a Z following directly after the S and it over-powers the S sound in my head I automatically drop it. Weird I know.
It was that same post from Mosker that introduced me to Fighting Fantazine.
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Post by alkazar on Aug 18, 2023 9:50:04 GMT -5
OK, while making some examples show what I wanted as a style; they looked pretty good and I've decided to create a downloadable TrollsZine style guide pdf for people to follow. I'm about half done and I'm trying to get it finished between my free time and real life (I swear I had nothing going on all summer, then as soon as I took over TrollsZine, suddenly here comes life.)
I should hopefully have this done in a few days.
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apn
5th Level Troll
Posts: 578
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Post by apn on Aug 22, 2023 12:01:10 GMT -5
Has anyone made an attempt to contact/reach out to Rebellion yet about maybe some kind Q&A/Interview? Even just something reassuring that says 'we're doing something with T&T unlike the last lot'...
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tp
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 237
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Post by tp on Aug 23, 2023 9:04:07 GMT -5
I have had some contact with Rebellion. I think at this stage probably leave them out. I get the impression they are not at a point yet where they know how they will approach 3rd party content. Ergo it is doubtful Trollszine 14 is going to be officially advertised as being a T&T magazine, which would make it a bit odd to have an article about the future of T&T in it. That's only my 2p worth though.
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Post by alkazar on Aug 25, 2023 11:16:54 GMT -5
I have had some contact with Rebellion. I think at this stage probably leave them out. I get the impression they are not at a point yet where they know how they will approach 3rd party content. Ergo it is doubtful Trollszine 14 is going to be officially advertised as being a T&T magazine, which would make it a bit odd to have an article about the future of T&T in it. That's only my 2p worth though. I'm for an all Monsters! Monsters! issue. Rebellion is a big uncertainty, that's why I want to refrain from using the Tunnels & Trolls branding. Monsters! Monsters! is in active development from a group of people who are consistent and tested. Now, I don't know, but rumor is that Monsters! Monsters! is compatible to a fair degree with T&T. Of course I can't verify this as I don't currently own a copy, but I trust the people who do. Not only that, but Steve and Ken and Sarah have been really cool to us and have even offered to write some stuff for TrollsZine! I think we should take advantage of that. If Rebellion decides they want to encourage fan support then great we'll continue on same as before, but if they don't, then Monsters! Monsters! is the future. We have options is all I'm saying. Regardless of what happens though, I will support Monsters! Monsters! in TrollsZine! In my opinion it's the strongest of the two brands right now.
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Post by zanshin on Aug 26, 2023 2:24:06 GMT -5
I fully support alkazars position here. Both Ken and Steve have a record of engagement with and contribution to the zine. Anything created for M! M! can be used for T&T with barely any adjustment, IMHO.
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sscrompton
4th Level Troll
One of the members of the Fellowship of the Troll. Worked on dT&T with Ken, Liz, Bear & Rick.
Posts: 417
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Post by sscrompton on Sept 5, 2023 20:54:28 GMT -5
YES - and we would be happy to help you with official art, logos articles etc., should you want to do that issue, just let us know!
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Post by alkazar on Sept 7, 2023 1:06:30 GMT -5
YES - and we would be happy to help you with official art, logos articles etc., should you want to do that issue, just let us know! I'm on board for this. If the rest of the group is ok with doing Monsters! Monsters! then that is what we will do. Besides it sounds like a lot of fun.
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apn
5th Level Troll
Posts: 578
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Post by apn on Sept 7, 2023 3:06:07 GMT -5
One of the issues I always had with Tunnels and Trolls when I was younger was 'having to fill in the gaps'. For instance D&D started out that way but soon expanded to give a place to rest and recuperate (Threshold, Karameikos etc) and built a game world the GM and Players could immerse themselves in.
Back in the early days there was only so much time a GM could assign to note making and world building (pesky homework, playing out with friends etc took up a lot of the time) so T&T was a 'tough sell' for me, more of a pick up and play then go back to our campaign once we've had a break and cast the spells with the funny names and so on. The players would ask "Where can we go now?" and I'd shrug and offer the few places I'd written up. Hex maps! Old School fans of RPGs love a hex map!
That's kind of the vibe I'm getting with M!M! - to me it's at the stage where it needs details filling in and giving players a reason to stay the course with a campaign rather than one shot fights and beating up Delvers etc. Your opinion may differ of course but I see something like Lair of the Leopard Empresses with a fleshed out game world ready to go and don't see much point playing M!M! when Lairs is out there.
However the rules are a decent springboard to jump from so I would suggest a M!M! special and come up with articles like:
Campaign Ideas/Collaborative game world (with hex maps!)with a Big Bad, several big bads, a war going on and so on Individual places to Go/See/Do/kill including maps of places, towns, cities, dungeons, ruins etc (yes I know Zimrala exists) Short adventures and random encounter tables etc Using M!M! with different genres (Pulp, Sci Fi, Supers?, Noir, Steampunk, Horror, Cyberpunk, Mercenaries Spies and Private Eyes reboot using M!M! rules? etc) Solo adventures/short group adventures. We have a number of talented Solo creators right here on the board...
Basically really sell M!M! and give people a reason to check it out when there are so many other Fantasy games out there. Right now it is carrying the torch for Tunnels and Trolls whether we like it or not (stuff is coming out for it, it's rules close/near identical and T&T has been in Limbo aside from independent creators since the Webbed Sphere takeover) so we should make the most of the opportunity. We don't even know what/if Rebellion are doing with it so this is a chance for M!M! to come out from under its rock and give people a few more reasons to check the game out.
Anyway, just a few thoughts.
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