So, it's Monday morning and I'm getting my day started amidst the unhappy sounds of a teething child, but I realised that I hadn't updated here for a little while. So, a few quick notes of what's up in Bryan Steele's life:

1> The boy is almost 4 months old now and doing fine; teething...which sucks...but fine. :)

2> Catacombs of Hyboria made it through editing last week and Charlie said good things about the final copy. I can't wait to see what my hand-scrawled maps get turned into by the map artistes. :)

3> After a crazy weekend of science-fiction design and adaptation, I added the last stuff necessary to the Traveller: Central Supply Catalogue. Since most of the "normal" stuff was already covered, it was my job to fill in the wierder holes with stuff that will not likely be used at all within the OTU, but people running their own settings will get some good use out of them. I'm sure some of the items will be recognised from other sci-fi tropes, but from the few emails I have received from fans asking for specific not-to-be-named licenses be touched upon in some way...I think this will be a popular book.

4> Traveller: Agent is well underway and due to be done next week. This will be a great book for you underhanded players, whether or not you have terms in Agent. I have a big love for scoundrel players...I mean player characters...and I think it shows.

5> I have heard through the grapevine that 760 Patrons and Ducks: Guide to the Durulz have made it past the first round of cuts for the Ennie Awards this year, so wish both of these products (and me!) luck that they make it all the way!

Well, back to work for me...

Cheers all,
Bry

Whilst Matthew's busy on the figures game, I've spent the last month working on Judge Dredd: Traveller (and will be spending next month on it too). As the name suggests, its a new RPG using the Traveller engine to bring Mega City One to life.

Character creation takes your 5 year old citizen right through Academy of Law training, through Full Eagle Day, and then out into the streets of the city. The book has full rules for arresting perps, applying the law, rapid firing your Lawgiver, and using special techniques to do all those kewl and wacky stunts Dredd and his fellow judges pull off in the comics.

Mega City One itself will also be detailed, with crazies, fatties, muties and perps in abundance. A sector will be detailed, along with a Rapid Sector Creation section so that you can pull together your own MC1 sector on the fly if necessary.

Prior to Dredd, I've completed RuneQuest: Guilds, Factions and Cults. This book takes a similar approach to RQ Empires but at a lower power level. Societies and cults can be defined with their own characteristics and played at a meta-game level. But, perhaps crucially, there are new rules for showing how these societies direct and control behaviour, give access to magic and myths, and lend support to their members. The book rounds out with over a dozen examples of various guilds, factions and cults, ranging from standard trade and craft guilds, through to the infamous Straw Dogs mercenaries, and then detailed examples of generic, Hawkmoon, Elric and Gloranthan cults.

Right, back to Mega City One!

Over the past couple of days, I have finally been able to find some time to work on the new Judge Dredd miniatures game, and it is already shaping up nicely. When finished, it should be far more dynamic than the original Gangs of Mega-City One, in terms of both what types of game players can create, and what models can actually do on the battlefield.

We are beginnning to playtest the core rules now so, if you are interested, drop down by our Gangs of Mega-City One forum for details on how to take part.

As Lawrence came down to our offices a short while ago to discuss RuneQuest, this week it was the turn of Gareth, to cover the new Paranoia this year. We managed to decide on;

1. The format of the new front covers, and how we would differentiate between Troubleshooters, Int Sec and High Programmer lines.

2. How to handle the interior artwork to put more 'funny' in.

3. What the Limited Edition 25th Anniversary book would look like, and what Bonus Fun material would be included.

4. How to actually produce that free material - there are a lot of A/V elements planned.

5. What rules needed changing. After that 2 minute discussion, we moved on to what would be added.

6. And what would be taken out - Zap and Straight go to appendices. . .

7. Not to change the basic layout of the interior, but to accentuate certain aspects.

In other news, Fighting Ships goes off to print today, Fordy and Aaron continue on their Top Secret project, and we will be joined by some new friends in just over two weeks now!

The saying holds true - you go for so long without rain and now it is pouring. Metaphorically, at least.

We have had four projects green-lit over the past week or so.

First, we have recently added two new employees, Richard Ford and Aaron Dembski-Bowden to act as editor and writer on a new, non-RPG related project (veteran fans will recognise both these names as ex-Mongoosers of old, returning to the fold - there are certainly worse places to work than Mongoose!). Can't (won't!) say too much at the moment, but if you are a fan of 2000AD and Judge Dredd, you are going to be gibbering when you see what these two chaps are up to!

Second, our new web site and mail order service is well and truly under way now. This involves a completely bespoke piece of software being created to do all the funky things we want to make your 'Mongoose Experience' (as our web design guys put it) a sublime thing. We really do have some cracking features on the way, and the mail order side of things will become industry leading (and that is no hyperbole - I believe anyone who currently uses our mail order finds it fast and efficient - now it will be ten times better). As well as a super new appearence (our current design is nearly eight years old, and it shows), you'll enjoy guaranteed 24 hour turnaround on orders, free postage/shipping on many items, and the ability to select couriers and track your items as they make their way to you. Added to all that, there will be some nice surpirses for our very best customers!

Third, we have made an official offer on our new premises. More news on that as it comes.

Finally, we will be getting some new friends joining us here at Mongoose HQ over the next couple of weeks or so. Top secret stuff at the moment, but this will open up all sorts of opportunities for both parties concerned.

One last thing for the Book Watchers among you. Trouble with Drazi and Dream Realms both went to print this week, and Warrior's Companion is not far behind them. Fighting Ships and Look Wolf 10 are merely awaiting approval, and then they will be off too. Powers & Principalities and Psion are both due to be laid out next week.