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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Lamora Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 01:44:01
So not sure where to put this, but I figured I would mention it if people haven't seen it yet.

There are now two StormTalon books already out on Amazon with at least three more coming this year it looks like. Greenwood has already released one and Richard Lee Byers and Jaleigh Johnson has one coming later on. There seems to be 120 novels planned. A little specific, but I assume Ed has a 'master' plan in the works. He seems to have some good talent working with him on this setting at least.

Is anyone planning to check out this new world? If anyone already has, should I pay the price to buy a book or two?
17   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
BountyHunter Posted - 11 Apr 2017 : 13:43:25
I'll check this out. As soon as paper books become available. Won't do ebooks.
TBeholder Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 22:11:17
Ed posts "Stormtalons Whispers" on twitter.
Markustay Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 19:22:54
NO, or rather, NOT QUITE.

Stormtalons is just one setting - until recently code-named "Pony Island Adventures". It is probably the type of setting WE are most familiar with - High Fantasy. Only it is VERY humanocentric (there are elves and dwarves, but they are handled mostly in a more 'folklorish' way... at least the elves are). The biggest threats/monsters you are going to find are other evil humans, which the setting has in abundance (I can't say much here, but there are at least two major setting-wide story arcs, and TONS of local stories taking place - there will be no want for adventure). That doesn't mean there aren't 'real monsters' - nearly all of those live 'in the mists' (for lack of a better comparison - very similar to, but NOT the same as, Ravenloft).* A LOT of the setting-story will be about exploring into those mists ("The Stormtalons") and discovering its secrets. In that way, new campaign areas can open up as the setting matures (LITERALLY, parts of the map become 'unveiled').

However, that is just one of the many interesting settings TEGG is offering - the very first it launched was Hellmaw, which isn't really like anything else, at least not in its entirety. Its set on modern-day Earth, but it does draw from myth and legend, and NOT in a 'silly way' the way some TV programs do these days - its HORROR at its core. Think the movie "They Live", but with demons instead of aliens (well... ummm... yeah, I'll just leave it at that). And although its technically Horror, it also has elements of Scify and classic fantasy. Which brings me to...

Is all of this connected? Thats NDA, but I guess I won't get in trouble saying the settings are about as 'connected' as TSR settings were back in 2e... maybe less so (now that I'm thinking about it). There will be certain common elements, if for no other reason than all of them need to be connected to a single set of game mechanics eventually (a project being headed-up by our very own Steven Schend, last I heard). So the 'physics' of these worlds have to remain fairly consistent simply because there will be "one set of rules to rule them all" LOL. As for moving between settings, well, thats not possible. That would be like trying to go from Earth to FR... oh... wait... ()

There will be settings covering just about every genre (including at least one that would surprise most folks). Another I am particularly interested in - and you guys should be too - is the one wrapped around the Folklore: The Affliction IP - its more of a 'classic folklore world' right out of Grimm's Fairy Tales, with definite horror elements, but more like a typical fantasy milieu (so magic, but not crazy, D&D-level magic, with godlike wizards juggling planets at high levels - more like your 'Gypsy Fortune Teller' or 'Old crone in the woods' level of magic). The boardgame had a phenomenal success on Kickstarter, and is due out in August, I believe (I went in on the $300 tier, because it looks freakin' AWESOME!) You can read more about it HERE.

The only real problem - and it IS a very REAL problem - is that they are depending mostly on 'word of mouth'. Hopefully, if Folklore: The Affliction is out by Gencon this year (and it SHOULD be), the TEGG guys will be able to hype the living heck out of their end of things. I really hope so - that is one of the TEGG settings 'to watch' (not saying the others aren't, but I am looking at this from the perspective of what FR fans might like).

And when the game comes out, it will actually be connected to its own, 'core setting' - I can't recall the name, but it revolves around a library (IIRC). I tried to find the name, but couldn't... ANYWHERE. Thats not good...

But thats another that really caught my attention, because the premise is spectacular. So don't sell it short just yet - it has an epic amount of potential - its just a slow start because of the business model (there is NO 'front money'). If and when it catches on, its going to grow exponentially, and it would probably be better to be "in on the ground floor" than hitch your wagon to it after it is successful (because anyone can do that). Buy a book and review it - PAY IT FORWARD. That's how this is going to work.

Cheers --- Mark


*Its very easy to make that comparison, and it may be correct, but only superficially. The underlying mechanics of how and why the Stormtalons exist is very different. They are not just the setting's 'McGuffin', it IS the plot. And the Mists are also not nearly as 'static' as Ravenoft's - they can behave exactly as RL's do, but they can also be wild magic zones, dead-magic zones, dungeons, Plagewrought or 'Mournlands' type regions, or just a place where you battle an invading army of cosmic horrors.. or it could just be plain, ordinary 'fog'. The point is, you have no idea what to exact in the Stormtalons; even the Domains of Dread are more predictable than that.

NOW, that doesn't mean it doesn't have rules... part of the fun is going to be discovering those together.
ZeshinX Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 16:26:59
If the barrier to entry is THIS difficult just learning about what Stormtalons is, I won't be bothering with it. I don't say this out of any desire to see it fail, vindictive nature, spite or any ill-wishing whatsoever. If anything it's with sorrowful honesty. I'm curious, but I find it impossible to wrap my head around what the hell it is, with no particular central spot to learn about it. The impression I have thus far is that it is various campaign settings (different worlds or different countries/continents on the same world), novels, and...hell, I dunno what the heck it is.
Taleras Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 14:09:45
I am another who has not yet heard of this. Is it a similar setting to Forgotten Realms? In that it's sort of "medieval" with magic and adventuring?
idilippy Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 05:03:51
This is the first I'd ever seen anyone talking about this, which is incredible to me. If this is a 120 novel 50 person creative effort how can there be so little talk and advertising about this? I've picked up Words of Unbinding which I think (hope) is the first one. Here's hoping this is an entertaining venture and that they get their act together on advertising and spreading the word.
fish321 Posted - 10 Apr 2017 : 03:30:51
I've just read all 6 of the currently released stormtalons novels and they're pretty good. Some are downright compelling while a couple were just ok but at least 4 out of the 6 have me now waiting on the next release so I can see what happens, 1 has me interested enough to want to read the next book and 1 was a bit clunky and while I didn't enjoy it I think I'll probably follow the story in the next book anyway because it was enough to make me curious. I'll be interested to see where the setting goes and id say it's definitely worth a read if you're missing the realms. It's different but that's not really a bad thing considering how things have gone. I like it and intend to continue following.
Markustay Posted - 14 Mar 2017 : 23:57:22
Preaching to the choir.

One of my other 'problems' with them is their insistence on using Trello to communicate everything (internally), which I found extremely confusing, and inefficient. So I managed to contact most of the people I needed to talk to directly instead... and then promptly got int trouble for that as well.

Sometimes I think certain people are more concerned with holding onto their own little piece of 'management' more than they are in producing quality products. Imagine the cartographer being told not to communicate with the person writing a story directly. I'm not a big fan of bureaucracies. Never was, never will be. They are insanely inefficient beasts, by their nature.

So, to all of that I'm only going to add that the actual material - story, game, and otherwise - is pretty freakin' amazing, and if they can just 'get their act together' on the management/web end of things, they'd hit one out of the park. It always comes down to an 'if'. They're counting entirely on 'word of mouth' right now, so hopefully more threads like this one will spring up all over the Web.

I personally pledged $300 to a related Kickstarter (Folklore: the Affliction), and am currently eagerly awaiting delivery of that. "Go big, or go home" I always say. So I went 'all in' LOL.

Oh... and there will be a full line of novels and other products to go with THAT setting as well... so long as folks spread the word.
Caolin Posted - 14 Mar 2017 : 23:07:42
One bit of advice I would pass along. Make a better website. I think that would go a long way towards helping spread the word.

When I Google Stormtalons, this is the top search result:

http://onderlibrum.com/

This website is super confusing and it's too difficult to get basic information out of. Just my 2 cents.
Markustay Posted - 14 Mar 2017 : 18:59:28
Yes, their 'marketing' has been less-than-stellar. Basically, only people already 'in-the-loop' are talking about it, and THAT is not good. I try to repost any TEGG posts I see on my FB feed, just to 'increase the bandwidth'.

I did a bunch of 'banners' for authors, etc., to put up on their homepages, and instead of TEGG distributing them, I got chastised for creating them (because it was Hellmaw, and I was apparently 'stepping on someone's toes'). That wasn't the first 'crack' to appear in our relationship, but it was definitely a major one. Whats that quote about 'regretting favors'?

ANYWAY, that was all really between myself and one other person, NOT Ed, and not any of the Creatives working over there, who are all great people, and are doing some awesome stuff. AND it may have even been my fault... somewhat... maybe.

@Varl - It actually is a LOT like an 'actual fog of war'. Here's the thing - we don't even know (well, at least I didn't, and I was mapping the place!) if those places are even there UNTIL the 'fog is lifted'. In other words, as the fog is cleared, are those places just existing for the first time (even though they have their own, long-running histories... that don't inlcude the 'known' parts of the world), or were they always there, obscured by the Stormtalons?

And the only reason why there is any question as to whether they were 'always there' is because there have been a few, brave (foolhardy?) souls who have 'braved the mists' and traveled far within them, and didn't report seeing any of those places before the fog was lifted.

Its an enigma... and a major plot-point in the setting. I know a wee-bit of the 'bigger story' (and its BIG), but not everything, and certainly not the 'true nature' of the Stormtalons.

I was invited to stay as part of the gaming division, which I declined, and I may be regretting that now. The setting has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, and so many diverse (technology and otherwise) cultures (its humanocentric, but there are 'others' around). And I can say with some satisfaction that they are NOT just 'randomly sprinkled in everywhere' - there is a definite rhyme and reason how and why everything is where it is (so no 'Middle-Eastern-like' cultures sprayed all over the place, like a certain setting we all know), and the 'high tech' (magical steampunk-esque) areas are well-away from the 'savage' ones, so its not a 'hodgepodge' (like we see with settings like Golarion).

Trust me, its worth looking into, and investing in. It might be slow to launch, but it will (eventually) take-off, and then it will SHINE.

Cheers - M. Taylor
Thoth Posted - 14 Mar 2017 : 11:56:17
I'm with you Varl. This is the first I heard of it.

If they include audio books so I can listen on my way back and forth to work, I'm willing to take the plunge.
Varl Posted - 14 Mar 2017 : 01:10:51
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
It will only succeed if people buy them, and I can pretty-much guarantee (unless something major has changed) that the novels are NOT the only thing being developed (for example, I was also working on a fast-paced political cardgame), and all products are interconnected, and other media will be involved as well... so long as people support them. Its not going to happen if you don't start reading the novels, and if everyone is waiting to see "if it takes off", it won't, plain and simple.


I hope they plan on sufficient marketing towards it then or people might not ever know they're creating this. I didn't know until I read this thread, so there ya go.

quote:
And the best part is, the world is literally like an RTS video game, in that there is an actual 'Fog of War' ('The Mists', or Stormtalons) covering most of the world, and as the setting moves forward, other parts will be 'revealed' (just like when you discover parts of the map in an RTS). Its pretty awesome.



Not an actual fog of war I take it, as that would imply video game or simulationist fog of war removal as per something like http://battlegroundsgames.com/. If you mean something more like area reveals per hard copy supplements, then yes, that would be awesome.
Markustay Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 23:12:40
I know he has some damn good authors lined-up (some of whom can't be announced yet because they have other pending commitments).

It will only succeed if people buy them, and I can pretty-much guarantee (unless something major has changed) that the novels are NOT the only thing being developed (for example, I was also working on a fast-paced political cardgame), and all products are interconnected, and other media will be involved as well... so long as people support them. Its not going to happen if you don't start reading the novels, and if everyone is waiting to see "if it takes off", it won't, plain and simple.

I put a LOT of time and effort into making the main setting - Stormtalons - into something cohesive and amazing (built upon the solid foundation Ed himself created). I'm not sure how much of my alterations remained after I left, but I know from working with some of the folks there - including authors writing novels 'down the line' - that there is some really cool stuff to look forward to.

And the best part is, the world is literally like an RTS video game, in that there is an actual 'Fog of War' ('The Mists', or Stormtalons) covering most of the world, and as the setting moves forward, other parts will be 'revealed' (just like when you discover parts of the map in an RTS). Its pretty awesome.
Lamora Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 19:05:36
So Ed seems to be playing the long game with this setting. He also seems to have planned the whole setting out without corporate influence like what happened with the Forgotten Realms if the specific novel count is to go by. Ed's publishing group has very little cost since these novels all appear to be E-book only which I am alright with though I know not everyone enjoys the Kindle/Nook. So I am hoping this works. My main hope is for a good author to start a long series with a apprentice to master wizard in the same way Salvatore did with Drizzt. I always wanted to see that journey in the Realms, and since that looks like it will never happen, I hope to see it in Stormtalons.
Markustay Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 15:46:40
The number of novels is MUCH greater than that, when you add-in the other settings (some of which - like Hellmaw - may receive as many as Stormtalons).

Of course, you could say that those other novels have nothing to do with the Stormtalons line... and I'd say you'd be... ummm..

Sorry, NDA.

xaeyruudh Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 05:52:37
One... Hundred... and twenty novels?
Markustay Posted - 13 Mar 2017 : 02:37:44
Last I was 'in the loop', there was a game in the works to go with everything. IIRC, Steven Schend (among others) was working on that part of the project.

The goal is to connect all the settings through a single set of rules, much how 2e was all interconnected through PS, SJ, and RL.

I really wish they'd get someone to do some new maps. I gave them permission to use the ones I did (because someone may as well get some use out of them - what a waste, otherwise), but I haven't seen them use them anywhere (not that I can get on their site LOL). I think maps of the setting would get more people interested.

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