7/14/2022 Update
over 2 years ago – Fri, Jul 15, 2022 at 11:01:17 AM

Good day everyone,

This update is to let you know that I've updated the Player's Guide, and am getting ready to order a POD copy of the book.

You'll receive a notification in an email from both DTRPG and Backerkit.   Keep in mind, the notifications are for the same product. You can download it from either site at your convenience.

I'm still working on the Game Master's Guide. All of the current content except the Index is in, though I'm going to need to write 6 pages to ensure the product meets DTRPG's page count requirement for Print on Demand. It's at 356 pages (minus the index) and POD books need to have a total page count divisible by 16, so I need a larger page count. Throwing art at the problem doesn't work, because it can cause issues.

What I'm going to do is write a small chapter dealing with common issues game masters experience running the game; advice for "balancing" the game with regards to power levels, how to challenge characters without setting up situations that kill the entire party, dealing with "murder hobos" and other things.

I'm also going to be looking into ways I can get IZ built for both Foundry and Roll20.

Finally, printing and shipping is still going to take some time. I don't have  a set schedule for this. Just remember that when I'm ready to ship your books, I'll contact you via email and let you know.

Thanks for your time.

May 22, 2022 update
over 2 years ago – Fri, Jun 24, 2022 at 11:33:53 AM

Hi everyone,

Here’s an update on several things I’m doing right now. It’s likely going to be a longer update, but I want to be as comprehensive as possible.

First off, thanks to everyone who joined our discord server! So far, I’m liking this format, as it affords me the opportunity to talk with you and answer any questions you might have in real time. It’s been a blast meeting everyone, so if you haven’t, please head on over! I’d love to talk with you.

 Gun Metal Games Discord Server 

Player’s Guide Revisions

Recently I’ve been made aware of missing tables in the Malmart section of the book, so I’ve had to go back in and add them. While I was at it, I also made minor alterations to the core hacking mechanic.

Pinging a server is now a Free Action.

I also added a new Edge to help hackers deal with high penalties: Macro.
 Macro

Prerequisite: Hacker, Smarts d8, Hacking (Programming) d8

You can program macros; short scripts that collate hacking commands and allow you to use them all at once. At Seasoned Rank, a macro reduces Multi-Action Penalties by 1 for up to two actions. At Heroic rank, a macro reduces multi-action penalties by 2 for up to three actions.

I’ve also added some more artwork, changed the body font for readability, and fixed the problem that made the pdf unreadable in Foxit and Sumatra pdf readers. Now the pdf loads immediately and has layers and bookmarks.

The biggest issue I’m dealing with right now is deciding whether I should update the Print on demand book or not. I’ve already sent copies to backers, and other customers have bought the book. Honestly, aside from the font change and minor rules fixes, the book is essentially the same. I think it would be best to update the book, and add an errata pdf with missing tables, rules changes, etc. It wouldn’t have graphics, so people can just print it out an append it in the back of the book. Let me know what you think.

The game master’s Guide

As with the player’s guide, the body font has been changed in the GM’s guide. I’ve also fixed an issue with the Cyberpunks Plot Point Campaign where sections were missing. I’ve also added the Augment Advance rules I discussed in a previous update. I’m hoping to have the pdf and POD book ready by the end of July.

The Malmart Catalog

Once I’m finished with the revisions, I’ll be able to devote more time to this book. The development team has been doing an excellent job on it. I hope to have the PDF and POD ready by the end of September.

The solar system

Sadly, I haven’t made nearly as much progress on this book as I would have liked. Still. I’m hopeful that it will be released by the end of the year.

The Europe, Asia, UK book

I have been thinking about this book a lot lately and have come to a decision. I’m going to expand it to cover the entire planet. I’ve always wanted to eventually get to (almost) every country but doing it in multiple supplements can be problematic from a writing perspective. I don’t want to constantly be referring to other supplements over the years to ensure everything is consistent. Heck, I already have to refer to both the GM’s Guide and the Player’s Guide to make sure there are no contradictions. Plus, good god, you all have been so patient with me, and I want to give you more content. It'll take longer to write this book, but it’ll be much more cohesive.

The "Dark Pathways/Divergences" Book

No real progress here with writing, but I have nailed down the alternate settings, though.

You’ll see the Fantasy/Punk alternate history setting I call Cybercanum.

I’ll also be doing a “Cthulhupunk” setting. No name Yet.  Originally, I thought it might be fun to have a post-Apocalypse spin (and I may still go that route), but honestly, it might be better served if it were set in 2095 and have a plot point campaign that ends with an apocalypse.

The third is a Post-Apocalyptic Setting reminiscent of games like Horizon Zero Dawn, and Numenera. I call it Northica, and it is set far into the future. Not sure how long, but I’m leaning towards somewhere between 800 and 1000 years. The problem is that I want to avoid tropes dealing with “forbidden tech,” and fallout-style vault dwellers.

Finally, I’m going to be writing a sci-fi setting. Again, no name yet, but the main premise is that sometime in the 21st century, an alien race conquered the solar system, plundered it for all of its natural resources, and then forced the human race into indebted servitude. Basically, they charged the human race for the cost of destroying the system, and now humans must work off a life debt. The setting takes place in their home solar system, primarily in Dyson Swarms that ring their dying sun.

As my writing/planning continues, I’ll keep all of you updated.

So, that’s it for now.

I have other projects planned, but nothing worth talking about.

Thanks for your time.

05/31/2022 update
over 2 years ago – Tue, May 31, 2022 at 10:08:22 PM

Hi everyone, I hope this update finds you all safe and healthy.

I’ve been making some headway on the Game Master’s Guide, but within the past week I’ve been made aware of a major issue with the Player’s Guide. Apparently, it’s missing the Golemmech Table, so I’ve put that back in. As with any change like that, it displaces text, so I’ve had to go in and re-arrange things.

While I was in the InDesign document, I’ve been looking for more criticisms, and more than one person has complained that the body font is incredibly hard to read, so I looked in the Savage Worlds licensee folder and found the body font Pinnacle uses for their books. It seems they made it available to us (and the SWAG licensees), so I’ve gone ahead and replaced the body font with that (Palatino Linotype, in case anyone is wondering). I also adjusted table body fonts for clarity. I used Flexo for that.

I’ve also been wracking my brain to figure out why some people can’t load the PDF in their favorite readers. I talked with the layout person for Pinnacle, and he was able to share the pdf export preset he uses for all savage worlds products me. I’m hopeful that this will fix the issue but I’m not sure it will.

I apologize for the delay in getting you the playtest of the Malmart Catalog. Things have been crazy lately, but I can at least show you the cover. Check the bottom of the update to see it.

Finally, I’m happy to announce that I’ve created the official Discord server for Gun Metal Games! If you are so inclined, head on over and check us out.

GMG

Thanks so much for your time.

5/02/2022 update: Where Wolves Walk
almost 3 years ago – Mon, May 02, 2022 at 10:39:43 PM

Hi everyone,

I've begun sending out complimentary copies of our next Cyber Sheet: Where wolves walk. You should be getting the link for your copy soon.

In the relatively rural community of Kenosha Wisconsin, just outside the Chicago wall, (If the adventurers are not in the Chicago area, choose a rural area near where the team lives) citizens are reporting strange creatures roaming in the night. Several animals have been found brutally torn apart which has prompted some calls to the local sheriff, but now the body of one of the residents was found mauled. 

The first reports from the residents of the town came in in the first days of February but then there was a relative quiet until now, February 30th. The number of reports have dramatically increased ranging from terrifying howls in the night to sightings of large bipedal creatures with canine features killing cattle in the fields and even slaughtering dogs on leashes.

Can the characters stop these creatures before they kill again?

Where Wolves Walk is a Cyber Sheet for Interface Zero 3.0

April 25 update
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Apr 25, 2022 at 11:47:21 PM

Hi everyone, time for an update. This one is going to cover my personal life changes over the past month. I also want to get some feedback from you on the Malmart Catalog.

I haven’t wanted to talk about this very much, because some of you will say I’m just making excuses or giving you a sob story, but I feel like I have a professional responsibility to keep you appropriately notified of my health, as it can drastically affect what I’m able to do.

Back in early January, I did a pre-colonoscopy test. About a week later the results came back indicating that I had a critical-high amount of blood in my fecal matter, so my doctor ordered a colonoscopy. It took a long time to actually get the appointment, but I was finally able to get it done at the end of March. The doctor removed ten polyps, one of which was abnormally large and pre-cancerous. Last Monday I had another one done, and it came back clear.

In mid-March, I also had other tests done, one of which was a full body PET scan, and those are extremely worrisome. Doctors found a variety of issues in my lymph nodes, dark spots on my lungs, and other gastro-intestinal issues. Last Wednesday I had a Hight/low contrast MRI on my chest, and on Friday I’m going to have an endoscopy done on my upper gi-tract. I also have to get a biopsy on my lungs, though nobody has contacted me for an appointment yet. Long story short, it’s been a pretty grim past couple of months, and I still have a lot of tests to do. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaked out about this. It’s put me in a really dark place, and as a consequence I’ve not gotten much work done on the GM’s Guide revisions, though I am starting to get back into it.

I have been sending copies of the Player’s Guide to 2095 to backers, though, and continue to do so. It’s been tedious and I can’t give a full timeline on the completion of delivery. Once I order your copy, I’ll contact you via email to let you know. When to book ships, I’ll contact you again with a Tracking Number. Just an FYI, as of this morning, DTRPG is saying that Hardcover books are taking 2-3 weeks to print.

OK, let’s talk about the malmart catalog.

The writers are doing a fantastic job, but these kinds of books are tough, mainly because of the sheer amount of stuff we need to put into it. Right now, drones, golemmechs, vehicles and weapons are complete and ready for editing/play testing. Each category also has special creation rules. Work on augments has begun, and I’m trying to dial in on other sections of the book that deal with daily life, entertainment, home security, electronics, and things of that nature, but the team needs your help.

We want to ensure this book has stuff you want. It would be very helpful if you could take a little bit of time to respond with idea for things you want to see in the book aside from vehicles, weapons, and other stuff.

Thanks for your time.