MTG Prerelease
over 2 years ago – Sat, Aug 14, 2021 at 10:22:17 PM

Hello Espers!

Since our last update, we've been on the final push toward getting the third core book ready for release.

Pre-release Preview

As with our other two books, it looks like we're on track for a summertime release. The pre-release version of the Master's Technician's Guide is going out to all backers and late pledges.

The 220-page preview provides nearly all of the book's contents while we're working through some tweaks and polishing. The full version will include the appendices (enemy ship stat blocks and item lists) and of course, the ever-popular index.

Keep an eye out for a digital download notification from BackerKit to receive the updated file. Please feel free to let us know if you spot any inconsistencies in the file. We would greatly appreciate it!

Release and Preorders

The plan, barring unforeseen circumstances, is to have the digital release version of the MTG out to backers within the next couple of weeks. This also includes anyone who purchased a physical copy of the book. After release, the PDF late pledge will be removed from BackerKit, however, the physical hardcover will still remain as an addon for a limited time.

As always, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Until next time!

The Work Continues
almost 3 years ago – Sun, May 30, 2021 at 07:45:40 PM

Greetings Espers!

We've been shuffling some things around but also moving toward the finish for the MTG. Brian was a wonderful person, friend, and teammate all around. His absence is felt every day and his talents and passion for this project are irreplaceable. That said, we're still here to deliver an awesome game he would be proud to put his name to.

Latest MTG Preview

The newest preview for the MTG is a major update from our last one. The 123 page file covers all of the new 5E game mechanics . These chapters are fully laid out and release-ready, with complete editing done by the talented Ginny Loveday and Shawn Merwin. Backers should be receiving the preview today via BackerKit, so keep an eye out for those emails.

Virtual Tabletop Update

Roll20: The Roll20 charactermancer is delayed but coming soon as of the last update from the Roll20 team. They're working out a few kinks before release. 

Shard Tabletop: Esper Genesis is coming to Shard Tabletop! Shard is a recently released VTT specifically focused on 5E rules and settings.

Shipwright Contest

I haven't forgotten about this. Review of the submissions has been on hold. I'll be contacting the contest winners within the next week or so.

Until next time!

Remembering Brian Dalrymple
about 3 years ago – Mon, Mar 22, 2021 at 08:09:27 PM

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Brian Dalrymple, who passed away last Wednesday night.

Brian was one of the kindest, most generous of people I've ever had the privilege to know, both as an invaluable friend and a dedicated teammate. He was well-known throughout the hobby games industry, for which he spent decades working tirelessly to improve and provide a fun-filled, welcoming atmosphere for all. In addition to volunteering his time for panels, presentations, and events, he served as a long-time board member of the Game Manufacturers Association.

As an owner and manager of the Adventure Game Store, Brian was a pillar of our South Florida gaming community for over 30 years. To this day, the store is a place where any tabletop gamer, new or old, can come to learn, expand their horizons, build friendships, and most importantly, have a great time. It's an unapologetic reflection of Brian's own kindhearted spirit.

No words can describe the positive effect Brian has had upon many through the countless wonderful friendships he's made. He was well-loved, is deeply missed, and will never be forgotten.

Neither this project nor my career as a designer would exist without Brian's encouragement and mentorship. He loved this project and dedicated himself to its vision. Regardless of any obstacles or unforeseen setbacks, he always found that silver lining toward never letting up and continuing to strive forward. It's what we intend to do and keep doing in his honor.

Our thanks to those who have expressed their kind words of support to our team.

Until next time.

Shipwright Contest (Backers Only)
about 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 16, 2021 at 01:00:15 AM

Greetings, Espers!

As mentioned in our last update, we're running a special Shipwright Contest for project backers. Details are as follows:

Prerequisites

• To participate in this contest, you must be either a Kickstarter backer or a late pledge (pre-order) on Backerkit (since our late pledges aren't able to see "backer only" updates, we decided to post this update as public).
• The contest requires the use of the starship contruction rules. These can be found in the section "Building a Starship" in the chapter 4 preview of the Master Technician's Guide. If you haven't received an MTG preview via BackerKit (sent out in late 2020), login to your Backerkit Survey page and check your digital content tab.
• It's recommended you have a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader. These aren't necessary for you to participate in the contest, but it allows you to make easy use of the provided form.

Contest Rules

When you're ready to begin, download the Starship Design Form. It is a form fillable PDF. You can also print it out if you wish to fill it by hand.

Design a new starship using one of the following guidelines:

• Your hull type must be one of the following: Starfighter, Heavy Freighter, Starcruiser, or Battle Cruiser.
• Your ship can have a maximum of five additional options. Out of those five, you can have up to two defense systems.
• You may not use the stats for any existing ships found in the Esper Genesis rulebooks or adventures.
• This should go without saying — please avoid using offensive topics and/or language.
• As a design tip, your ship doesn't need to be a powerhouse of maxed out stats. When building any ship, style can be just as important as substance!

Aside from the above guidelines, feel free to let your imagination run wild. You can use existing EG lore or make your own!

Important Note:  After you fill out the history/background section on the sheet, please enter your name and/or email address at the end of that section. This makes it easier for us to track submissions. 

Send your completed form (or scan) to [email protected]. Submissions must be received by 4/10/2021. Please include your Kickstarter or BackerKit account email address in your submission email for verification.

Contest Prizes

Five contestants will be chosen as winners of the Shipwright Contest. Contest winners will receive the following:

• A 100% off discount code for the Roll20 Core Manual and Threats Database.
• Complimentary PDFs of any three existing Esper Genesis adventures (chosen by the winner).
• If the winner chooses, and with consent of the AAE team, the ship may appear in an upcoming Esper Genesis product or adventure. Their name will be credited in the product.

We're always excited to involve our project supporters as much as possible. That being said, this is our first attempt at something like this, so we'll see how it goes!

If anyone has any questions, feel free to post them below.

Until next time!

MTG Update, the future of EG, and the upcoming contest!
about 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 02, 2021 at 05:55:35 PM

Greetings, Espers!

It has been an extraordinarily long road through development of this project, to which we can finally see that light at the end. But, we still have a little longer to go. And so- this is also a pretty long update.

MTG Final Update

The book has had its share of delays, so I figure I would give an in-depth look as to where we are.

I had written the bare bones for the MTG around the same time that we were releasing the Core Manual. As the game evolved, we listened to what players liked, wanted, and requested, adding and changing more as the system took shape. By the time the Threats Database was out, I realized that the many of the original MTG mechanics not only didn't work anymore with one another, but it didn't stay true to our goal of not rewriting the entirety of 5E to make them work. And so, I started the revisions.

Completed Revisions:

Enhanced items remained mostly the same with some necessary balancing tweaks. Grand scale ships also got some minor tweaks, but starship construction had gone through a complete overhaul. Once that was done, we released it out to backers as part of the preview late last year.

Current Revisions:

I had to rebuild the cybernetics rules from the ground up. Many of them didn't work with the changes implemented for enhanced items. Those changes also greatly affected the rules for SIM devices and matrix combat, which also needed to be reworked. The choice was to either take the time to make these changes or eliminate them from the book entirely. As I still intended to deliver what we promised, I chose the former.

The COVID Factor:

Not long after we sent out the preview, my wife and I fell extremely ill. The next week, right before Thanksgiving, we tested positive for COVID. This put me out for almost a month and I was just short of being hospitalized. Even after it was done, I was deaf in one ear and was in a constant exhaustion for a month after that. I'll tell you now... I don't wish that illness on anyone. As this is all personal business, I've been trying to keep it outside of production discussion, but in light of the delay, it seems to be necessary for me to include it here.

Close to Done:

Beyond all that, I'm in the final stages of putting the written rules together. We recently lost one editor due to a non-competing contract from their employer, so I'm working that out as well. I estimated we would be done by the end of March and have been aiming for that goal. Right now, though, it looks more like I'll get most of the remaining chapters over to Brian for layout close to the end of this month. Whatever we finish by month end, we'll be releasing to backers, even if it's still pre-release text.

I would like to also clarify to non-backers: Late Autumn last year, we sent out a 90-page full-layout preview to backers containing the rules for running a campaign in a sci-fi environment, expanded gear, enhanced and core-forged items, and the advanced starship rules including the finalized starship construction system. Anyone who has backed this project or became a late backer via preorder has access to this preview. This should answer the speculation of whether or not people have already seen a good portion of the book.

The Future is Bright

With a new year in front of us comes some new changes. EG launched on Roll20 in the beginning of this year. The development of the compendium and the sheet are still ongoing with Charactermancer support on the way as well.

Announcements for other VTT projects are coming later this year - one likely by the start of the Summer (but I'm not allowed to give details on that yet...).

With completion of the MTG, we'll be moving many of those updates into the Basic Rules. Once that is done, we'll be able to open the EG universe up to writers who wish to build their own stories and adventures. While it likely won't happen until the MTG is printed and shipped, it is the plan for later this year.

Esper Genesis Shipwright Contest

Next week, we'll be sending out instructions for our Shipwright Contest. The contest is for project backers only, so stay tuned next week for a separate update.

Until next time!