Re: (TFT) Compact Warrior/Compact Sorceror

[Guy McLimore <guymc@evansville.net>]

The Hussar of Conflans at hussar@hotmail.com on 4/28/99 8:13 AM said:

>Sorry for being off topic, but my appetite is whetted for the 
>Compacts, bein' as close as they are to the original Melee/Wizard 
>notionally.  Can anyone take a moment to expound on the distribution 
>channels for these products?

I'm in the process of finishing up the final edit on COMPACT WARRIOR and 
COMPACT SORCERER right now, in fact. We're going to press in about a week 
and a half, with release about two weeks following that. We were delayed 
a bit by a format change and a subsequent alteration of the cover design, 
but we're almost ready to go at long last.

Right at first, distribution for the COMPACT games will be direct-order 
via credit card through our web site (or checks/money orders accepted by 
mail) only. We do have a dealer program in the works, but we're waiting 
until the first COMPACT products come out before implementing it, so it 
will be at least a month or two before that's in gear. (The international 
end of that is turning into a real bear to get working, too. I may have 
to delay extending the dealer program to international dealers for 
awhile, doggone it!)

COMPACT WARRIOR includes a 24-page digest-sized rulebook, a much expanded 
set of weapon cards (in a new, larger, trading-card-size format), a LOT 
of Gary Williams' cardboard standups, and an 11 X 17 combat board. It 
will sell for $8.95 (no shipping charges in the US).

COMPACT SORCERER will have a 24-page digest-sized expansion rulebook 
adding combat magic to the COMPACT system, an assortment of 
trading-card-size spell cards, and even more Gary Williams cardboard 
standups for wizardly characters plus an additional 11 X 17 combat board. 
It will also sell for $8.95 (no shipping charges in the US).

There will be those who will be disappointed that we didn't stick with 
the "traditional" Metagaming-style microbook format, but we found that in 
the long run it actually INCREASED the cost without substantially 
improving the product. (A long sigh is appropriate here for those of us 
-- like me -- who occasionally allow nostalgia to get in the way of 
practicality.)

Several more COMPACT products are already in the late production stages. 
In fact, we held back several 3D Adventure Packs (followups on the 
BAR-Barians!-style format) until we had the primary game books released. 
You'll see FOR A FEW BALLOTS MORE and LAST GAS BEFORE Y2K without a lot 
of delay once the main books are shipping, with lots more to follow.

We now have freelancers guidelines in place for the COMPACT system, so 
anyone who is interested in designing/developing products for the system 
should drop me a note and I'll put you on the freelancers list. We want 
the releases to come quickly for this one. We're also going to be needing 
artists to take on some of the expanding chores of creating both cover 
art and character standups.

The big news, however, is the expansion of the PlainLabel Game System (on 
which COMPACT is based) into a roleplaying line and a set of compatible 
miniatures rules as well. That's WAY off topic for this list, so I'll 
simply say this is in the works and we'll be looking for freelancers to 
do World Books that feed all three "lobes" of this unique three-part game 
system.

It's been a LONG pull to get here, and the folks on this list have been 
very supportive. Thanks a bunch! I hope you like what you see when these 
first COMPACT COMBAT products hit the streets!

Guy McLimore / guymc@evansville.net
MicroTactix Games
http://microtactix.gamingoutpost.com
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