I’ve been reprimanded concerning this blog. The reprimand and the explanation were both in writing, and not terribly clear. On the one hand, it seems that the powers that be object to me saying too much about company projects and progress, and on the other hand it is felt that there is too much personal information included. I have explained that the point of the blog is to let people know what progress is being made and the obstacles, personal and professional, that impede that progress, but apparently I do not exercise sufficient discretion in what I reveal. However, I have also been told that this is not a directive to discontinue the Blogless Lepolt, so as of today I’m feeling my way through what to say.
I will say that despite the many complications this weekend’s Ubercon IX feels, from this point, like the best con I’ve yet done. I ran more players in more games than I can remember, and it created a very positive buzz throughout the convention, as people were talking up the game. Even more encouraging, when events would happen in play which I thought wouldn’t sit well, or I was having trouble juggling so many players in so many worlds, those whom I thought would be uncomfortable spontaneously commented about how fun and exciting it was. Even better, I have what I am presently considering a tentative invitation to Anonycon in Stamford, Connecticut, the third weekend of December–someone I understand to be the principle organizer is eager to play (to continue his game) and have it run at his convention, to the point that I think he’s going to comp my room as well as my badge. I’m eager to do it. Oh, and I sold a fair number of books, too, which will make everyone happy.
In case you hadn’t noticed, before I left I posted the promised review of the book Evil Star. Don’t ask me why I put the time into it; I think it was because it kept nagging at me, so I figured if I got it finished and posted I would stop wondering whether to do it.
So I’m back to the usual Monday stuff, which I won’t detail lest it contain too much personal information or something. I’m too tired to think through it all anyway, so let me turn my attention elsewhere.
–M. J. Young
November 5th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
One of the chief ways to get people enthused about upcoming product is to get them to know how the product is coming along. Lots of gaming and other companies do this.
LOTS. (I had to emphasize that.)
Another way is for people to get involved in your life.
Lastly, this blog does do a good job of explaining why things are so incredibly slow on the production front with all the difficulties you face. Which might be the problem you’re facing. Some people would prefer to avoid sunlight instead of embracing sunlight and changing their ways.
I’ve noticed a streak of secrecy in your operations, and frankly, I don’t like it. Nor do I see a reason for it. Its not like this is military secrets. Nor is is likely that someone is going to ’steal’ your ideas, or some such silliness.
You desperately need a lot of things. More books, more worlds, more….well everything. Hiding is not going to get you there.
November 6th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Eric,
M.J. is referring to concerns that I have expressed.
I encourage M.J. to keep people posted with upcomming products as I want consumers or anyone with interest in the game to see progress we are making.
What I discourage is displaying any information regarding internal discord within the company. There are a few personel issues and we are dealing with them. But making that public knowledge does not instill faith in people’s confidence in the company. I also discourage handing out information regarding other people’s personal information. I don’t think it’s fair to the people mentioned (even if it’s in the vaguest reference), nor do I think it’s any business of our customer base. This blog is supposed to be a marketing tool, not a way to involve people in one’s personal life. PMing someone is a better way to get to know someone personally. Also M.J. has a Myspace to use for more personal reasons such as you suggested. Im not trying to upset anyone, but I think the personal and professional should remain seperate.
It’s not a matter of avoiding or embracing the sunlight, it’s a matter protecting the company’s image, and having common courtesy and respect for other people’s privacy. I know the people referred to in some of these blogs very well. And I know it would cause alot of drama in M.J.’s daily routine if they read some of these blogs. Drama that would slow down his daily workload more than necessary. Therefore, it’s also a matter of saving M.J. hassles he doesn’t need.
As president of Valdron, Inc., I have to make decisions to above all protect the company’s image. I also have to sometimes protect it’s employees from themselves. Our company is not secretive. If you have any questions about our operations, feel free to ask. We are not, nor have we ever been hiding a thing.
We have alot of projects in the works. Due to the monumental undertaking of the rules re-writing, most have been sidelined until that project is done. We are currently a small company with few employess, and a huge workload. However, if you wish to volunteer to help lighten the workload, I’d always be willing to listen to any ideas you have.
Regards,
J. David Walker
President
Valdron, Inc.
November 6th, 2007 at 10:19 am
President Walker,
Thank you for your prompt and courteous attention.
One benefit of this blog has been a much greater understanding of why it is taking so long for projects to advance. Before, I wondered at notions of ill intent, and bad faith. After all, I was able to write a 125,000 words for the Fourth Book of Worlds in five months for the first draft. Now I see more clearly what is going on.
Your concerns about privacy are valid, but unfortunately antique. Way back in the Twentieth Century, John Naisbitt, noted futurist was talking about ‘hi-tech/h-touch’. Getting your customer base involved in your life is Life As It Is Now.
Note: I’m a fairly serious futurist and extrapolator of social effects. (In Multiverser terms 2@2). Privacy of the TwenCen version is exiting stage left as we speak. Welcome to the Transparent Society.
And ‘nice, safe, corporate blogs’ tend to be dead. Press releases do not cut it.
Your company needs openness, and an ability for outside voices to easily interact with inside voices, and it needs a slew of developers who find you easy to work with. It needs to follow the Windows approach of easy for developers instead of the Apple approach of hold tight to everything because of power and greed which nearly bankrupted Apple before they Ipodded their way out of trouble.
The new website is a step in this direction, but a baby step.
As to my helping with the workload…sure. My skills are more in the area of world creation (at which I’m a Freak of Nature), but what do you need? I could edit on the Third Book, or some other project. My skills are not so much toward the Rule System Creation, but I could try, and we’d see how it went.
Note: My critiques are apt to be constructive but blunt. For the Third Book, I can say off the top of my head….Dark Honor needs more detail. Orc Rising needs a territory description. Playground is….problematic. It needs a whole new module because a place where people just exercise is a kewl concept, but its just not enough.
For the questions you wanted: Are you considering printing Third Book electronically? It will speed things up, and save a bunch of cash. And you can do POD for those who want a ‘dead-tree edition’.
Also, I’ve been lobbying MJ for a ‘Gamemaster’s Guide to the Multiverse’ based on the concept of the Dungeonmaster’s Guide to AD&D. I think a huge chunk of short articles on various issues plus a lot of informational charts on world design factors would be very useful to the MV gamemaster. Your opinion, sir?
Cordially,
Eric R. Ashley
November 6th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Just a note concerning my MySpace: it takes me about twenty minutes to read one message posted there. I use it as little as possible, and consider it solely a point of contact for company publicity. The only thing “personal” about it is that it is about me, the author of Multiverser and other books, and so it provides a connection point for people who know the game through me to connect back to the game.
Eric is correct that we are not terribly transparent. Even when I actually knew the total number of books sold I never would tell anyone–because whatever number you give, someone will think that makes you too big and someone else that it makes you too small. The same goes for financial information, how much we pay for what, how much we make on sales. I doubt I would ever be comfortable sharing that information, because no matter what it was I would expect that it would create impressions I could not dispel.
There’s a lot I don’t tell. Some people are bugged by what I don’t tell, and some by what I do tell. There’s an old Aesop’s fable the moral of which is that if you try to please everyone you’ll just end up losing your, er, donkey. I’m doing the best I can.
–M. J. Young
November 7th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Mr. Young,
I think you just shot yourself in the foot with that one.
You wrote:
“Eric is correct that we are not terribly transparent. Even when I actually knew the total number of books sold I never would tell anyone–because whatever number you give, someone will think that makes you too big and someone else that it makes you too small. The same goes for financial information, how much we pay for what, how much we make on sales. I doubt I would ever be comfortable sharing that information, because no matter what it was I would expect that it would create impressions I could not dispel.”
However, you’re also constantly talking about your personal financial problems. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that if the vice president and lead author of the company is in financial trouble, then things probably aren’t going as well for the company as he would like them to be going. Either that or you just have no concept of how to budget millions of dollars and are constantly broke because of it. I think perhaps that is what Mr. Walker was trying to prevent you from doing.
J. David Walker, is that Pharaoh? Pharaoh is John Walker, so it could be. I doubt it though. Just something tells me it’s not Pharaoh.
John “A1nut”
November 7th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
In this modern age, the slant is to be more open than in the previous era. And sometimes you need to suffer the outrage because that is the sunlight that forces growth.
Nowadays, I think closed information is regarded as a sign of weakness.
This is not neccessarily that you try to please everyone as you’re quite correct, that won’t work. However, it is good to try to figure out your customer base, and please them.
These are, of course, sliding scales. No one is ever completely open, or completely closed.
November 8th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Just for edification purposes: AnonyCon
November 9th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Just for curiosity purposes, did “Anonycon” come from contracting “A New York and Connecticut Convention”, or is that just coincidence?
–M. J. Young