Mystic fantasy meets heroic sci-fi in an epic adventure saga for 5E.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
May Update
11 months ago
– Fri, May 19, 2023 at 06:50:02 AM
Hello all!
I was delaying this update in the hopes that I would have more content to send. Unfortunately, I'm still a few weeks out from that, as two of the middle chapters have to be reworked from the ground up due to content and continuity issues.
At the very least, the reference updates to make use of the CC license were done. Since the last few chapters have long since been completed, I'm hoping that I can quickly fit all the sections together once we get past these pesky hurdles in the middle.
Artwork: There are also several illustration commissions that I'm still waiting on where I might have to reach out to alternate illustrators to finish. Once we have those, layout for those sections can continue.
VTT Update: I'm still working with Roll20 on integrating the existing EG compendiums into the 5E base. I've been pushing at this for months, but the ball is in Roll20's court and at least there's a clear path to completion. Not only would the move greatly expand options for future 5E games, it would prevent GMs from having to switch between sheets and modules in order to run this adventure's storyline effectively.
Since Fantasy Grounds and Shard Tabletop can easily interchange between Esper Genesis and D&D, those are just waiting for content to be put in.
Production: Although the costs have spiked significantly, I intend on sticking with domestic printing. I'm also having discussions and looking into alternative options to finish production faster. Due to availability, a lot of this has become solo work on my end for now, which can turn even small issues into huge delays. I promise to update everyone once I have more concrete info, which I plan to have in the next couple of weeks.
That's all for now. Until next time - the Light of Aeoth endures!
Project Update - March
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Mar 09, 2023 at 11:00:02 AM
Hello, everyone!
I missed a couple of planned updates, so this will be a longer one. We're still making progress, but it's been a slow but steady process which ran into several unforeseen issues over the past few months.
The OGL Thing
In mid-January we were all blindsided by the Open Gaming License kerfuffle. It caused several publishers to pull their Kickstarters, but we chose to wait it out while making alternate plans. We were one of the first to sign on with O.R.C., but had also started working on our own avenues.
The eventual decision for the SRD to be released as creative commons was the best outcome we could hope for. However, one of the key elements of this project is a direct compatibility with core 5E, to which D&D itself appears to be drifting away from in a major way. Removing the OGL causes a shift in how we must reference many of those rules in our book. It creates a bit more work, but prevents us from being tied down to a now unreliable license.
Life Factors
I don't like discussing personal issues, but it's necessary when it affects the project. In November, my work schedule with D&D Adventurer's League abruptly ended with a change in how the program would be developed. That shift wiped out a sizeable portion my regular income in the middle of all our production costs spiking. So, in addition to managing this project, a lot of time went into filling that scheduled workspace so I can afford to pay bills.
Fortunately for me, I also have wonderful friends in the industry. I am now part of a new development schedule with AL, and have been contracted for a couple of other exciting projects that I can't talk about until the Summertime (re. NDA). That said, the lack of stable income for four months put a temporary stall on things.
Good Things Coming
To avoid being all doom and gloom, I can say there are some silver linings to recent events.
Development Timeline. We had a huge shift in budgeting and scheduling, but the current goal is to have most of the project development finished by late Spring, then off to conversion and printing.
EG Core Books. Our snag with the printing of the Master Technician's Guide is over and we're expecting to see the bulk of them soon. It's been a major sticking point with the Esper Genesis project that we're happy to have overcome. We have not and will not charge for shipping on this project until we are positive they can be delivered.
Roll20 Rework. Discussions with the Roll20 team have been constant and there's now a plan in place to for Esper Genesis content to function seamlessly within the base 5E compendium. That not only creates a world of options with Roll20, it cuts down the conversion work by half and makes all play options available in a single module. If you haven't picked up EG on Roll20 yet, it's available this month as a free perk to Pro subscribers.
Open Content. With the recent launch of our community content program for Esper Genesis, we plan on including the IP and lore for Expedition into the program as well once completed. This allows for more potential content and provides an avenue for creators to share in a new open setting.
That's it for now. I hope to have more (and much better) news in the coming weeks.
Until next time!
December Project Update
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Dec 30, 2022 at 11:19:28 PM
Hello all!
I hope everyone had a wonderful, happy, and bright holiday week!
Status Updates
Writing/Editing: Mostly done writing the two connecting chapters with more chapters currently being edited. Appendices are almost finished. Destiny Tracker and character bonds will be put together once all the chapters are complete.
Artwork/Layout: Commissioned a few new illustrations to cover the page count changes during layout. I was not happy with the way a couple of the maps and Exemplar commission pieces came out (specific requested elements were not included), so I'm reassigning those to another illustrator.
Preview Content
As promised, we put together a preview draft for the first few chapters. Access to this PDF preview will be emailed separately to all backers via BackerKit either today or tomorrow.
Still in Progress: Please be aware that some of the content has not gone through a full editing pass. In addition, some references may be made to sections or appendices that are not yet completed (ex. appendices marked with "$$" or references to the Destiny Tracker.
Creature Statistics: For easier reference, all stat blocks referenced in the preview are included at the end of the PDF file.
Happy New Year!
Lastly, we would like to wish everyone the very best for a safe and Happy New Year to come. See you next year!
November Update
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Nov 18, 2022 at 10:26:55 PM
Hello all! A quick follow up from the last update:
Writing
We've resolved the delays for the missing chapters and had to do some rewrites to make sure everything flows properly. Some writing assignments were reassigned (and those drafts completed) and a couple of them I'll be writing myself.
First few chapters are in editing. Draft for Chapter 5 is also done and going to edit soon. Chapters 6 & 7 are underway, which will link to the later completed sections.
In the meantime, we're sticking with the plan to send out some chapters with a layout preview.
Playtest
Now that we have our content in order, we can plan out some more playtesting. I wanted to take a pause on these, since I wanted to make sure certain things balanced out between chapters such as APL and connecting events.
Graphics
As mentioned above, we have plenty of connecting content now to start laying out with our wonderful art commissions we've had waiting in the wings for the past few months. I'm aiming to have more digital content previews to everyone within the next couple of weeks for some holiday gaming. :)
We're still working, but we're over the big hump and finally making some strides. I hope to have a lot more for everyone on the next update!
September Project Update
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 09:47:22 PM
Hello, all!
I wanted to make sure I had an accurate accounting of where we are before I posted a new update. As I mentioned on the prior update, we're working through some delays, which unfortunately set us back a few months.
Writing
This is unfortunately one of our longest delays. We do have an amazing team of writers, but real-life events and scheduling changes has made it difficult to get some of the drafts finished and tested. Fortunately, we are much further ahead than we were on the last update. Here's a rundown of what we have done and what we're still working on:
Completed
GM's Tools/Intro
Prologue and Chap 1
Chapters 2 though 4
Chapters 8, 9 & 10
Delayed (In Process)
Chapters 5, 6, 7
Chapter 11
NPC/Threat Appendices (requires completion of the other chapters)
Art
We're on a very good schedule with illustrations. Because we are still waiting on some of the finalized adventure info, there are still a few art commissions and maps that are on hold.
The final layout template is completed and ready to go for edited chapters. It will be also be included with an updated version of "The Final Command" intro section.
And just because—here's a sneak peek of the map of Celes!
We're excited to see so many sign-ups for the playtest! We're attempting to spread the love as much as possible, so if you haven't been contacted yet, it doesn't necessarily mean you missed out. There are still a few sections left to go. :)
Again, thank you all for your patience and support.
