Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Sigh. We can't make this shit up. Combined with my utter naivite about business (and a lot of other people's too) we ended up losing a good chunk of the original seed money when Tekumel Games incorporated.

Too bad, really. Live and learn I guess. After getting a really good run down from Asen about the game mechanics and what not, I recently ordered Bethorm. It looks and sounds very promising. I seem to also remember Chirine saying that it was pretty good in some regards, particularly the Spell mechanics. Just waiting for it to arrive. For once, Amazon has disappointed me. Usually they're super fast, but it looks like I won't get it until after the long weekend.
BTW, Happy May Two-Four, for any other Canadians on the thread. This is the official beginning of Summer up here, and the weekend looks lovely in my neck of the woods. I've got a case of beer getting real frosty in the "beer fridge", the BBQ is cleaned and ready to go, the "regular fridge" is loaded up with victuals, the steaks and chops are waiting to be eaten, and I've got a back up of five bottles of wine for dinners and other miscellaneous purposes. Don't need to leave the house all weekend! And, unless I am mistaken, I believe it's Memorial Day down in your neck of the woods Glorious General. Enjoy and have a few cold ones for Bren

Shemek.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

This explains a lot. I've always liked Gardasiyal as a resource, the spell lists are great, but I would never use the rules to actually run a game with. They always felt somehow cobbled together. Now I know why.

Shemek

And it probably didn't help that Neal said that he was about half done with the thing when Phil unilaterally sent the incomplete manuscript off to TOME. The latter had been told that they were getting a complete, ready to go to print set of RPG rules, and not having any experience in the business printed what they got.

The biggest single reason I was so delighted to turn my little DBA over to Tekumel Games was the simple stark fact that the hardest thing about doing Tekumel publishing was Phil's very real lack of patience with the publishing process. He'd gotten so used to the academic publishing process, where one simply turns the manuscript over to the print shop and they do what you tell them to, that he genuinely did not understand the need to edit, proof, and play-test a product. (My particular field of interest was and still are the miniatures, where it was a whole lot easier to simply do the figure - Phil very, very rarely did a 'yea or nay' on any miniatures, as he assumed that I'd be able to get that right the first time.) Phil just could not sit still long enough to really be an effective publisher, and he never had the patience to let an external publisher do their job.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

And, unless I am mistaken, I believe it's Memorial Day down in your neck of the woods Glorious General. Enjoy and have a few cold ones for Bren

It's next weekend, but any weekend is a good weekend for a few cold ones.

Originally Posted by Bren

It's next weekend, but any weekend is a good weekend for a few cold ones.

Oops, my mistake. What the heck, make both weekends long weekends. More beer, and BBQ is always good!

Shemek.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

And it probably didn't help that Neal said that he was about half done with the thing when Phil unilaterally sent the incomplete manuscript off to TOME. The latter had been told that they were getting a complete, ready to go to print set of RPG rules, and not having any experience in the business printed what they got.

The biggest single reason I was so delighted to turn my little DBA over to Tekumel Games was the simple stark fact that the hardest thing about doing Tekumel publishing was Phil's very real lack of patience with the publishing process. He'd gotten so used to the academic publishing process, where one simply turns the manuscript over to the print shop and they do what you tell them to, that he genuinely did not understand the need to edit, proof, and play-test a product. (My particular field of interest was and still are the miniatures, where it was a whole lot easier to simply do the figure - Phil very, very rarely did a 'yea or nay' on any miniatures, as he assumed that I'd be able to get that right the first time.) Phil just could not sit still long enough to really be an effective publisher, and he never had the patience to let an external publisher do their job.

Well, as you know, Academia is a whole other world that caters to some, while ignoring others. If Phil's primary experience with publishing comes from this arena, then I'm not surprised that mistakes were made. It's really too bad because I think the effects are still being felt today when it comes to a wider audience appeal for Tekumel. Hopefully Bethorm will rectify this somewhat.

Shemek.

I may have to let my players discover the Olde Phoenix Inn just so I can easily get them to Tekumel for a while. Perhaps by way of Barsoom, or, if I'm feeling really sadistic, Amtor.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

I may have to let my players discover the Olde Phoenix Inn just so I can easily get them to Tekumel for a while. Perhaps by way of Barsoom, or, if I'm feeling really sadistic, Amtor.

Make sure they bring their bathing suits! For what it's worth if I were in your group I would be endlessly pestering you to take the group to Tekumel, or maybe Blackmoor.

Shemek.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

This explains a lot. I've always liked Gardasiyal as a resource, the spell lists are great, but I would never use the rules to actually run a game with. They always felt somehow cobbled together. Now I know why.

Shemek

Yep. As it stands, it's pretty much where S&G III, the unpublished Referee's Guide, was going. So, it's a very useful reference as you say.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Sigh. We can't make this shit up. Combined with my utter naivite about business (and a lot of other people's too) we ended up losing a good chunk of the original seed money when Tekumel Games incorporated.

Next time you're in town, I'll buy you a beer and fill you in on what was going on behind your back, my General.

Originally Posted by Omega

Its actually a fairly ergonomic shape as it fits in the hand so readily. but in Adventures it described the eye as about, well, eye sized with the stud in back. After some experimentation it seemed easiest to hold it partially between the index and secondary finger and depress the stud with the thumb. At GenCom met someone in a Tekumel costume and they held it in the same manner after experimentation proved that the easiest position after losing a few under the couch to other methods.

But I too would like to know how it was intended to be held.

addendum: and it got answered in the interim. Holding it by the fingertips seems odd as it would make depressing the stud awkward. I'll have to see about working up a illustration or get a photo now.

Agreed. Have a look at this, if I can get it to load...

DSC00107.jpg