About the printed edition...?

Discuss rule quandaries, supplements, or anything else OVA related here.

Moderators: Clay, Jade

Post Reply
Inquisitive Guest

About the printed edition...?

Post by Inquisitive Guest »

Many of these questions seem to have been covered (to some extent or other) on this board, however, as many of the posts are quite old I thought I would re-pose a few choice questions (as well as bring up a few pertinent new ones).

What are the specifications of the printed edition (is it hardcover or soft-cover, black & white or color, perfect-bound binding or glue-bound binding)? If black & white, will a color edition ever be made available (it would seem a shame to lose the luster of some of that gorgeous artwork to the economic prudence of grayscale)

Are Mechs treated at all in the book (does the vehicle ability give an adequate framework upon which to build simple and/or generic Mechs), or are they effectively omitted?

Are weapons (and many other types of equipment for that manner) merely treated as extensions of appropriate abilities or do they have additional distinct effects? I ask as I'm not very clear on this matter even after reading the board and demo PDF.

Is combat orchestrated in turns, or in a more freeform manner?

What do you most like and least like about the game (please include even seemingly petty elements if you feel so inclined- I would especially like a response from the creator in regards to this as a lot can be learned from hearing what the creator likes and dislikes about his own system)?

A few months back I seem to recall seeing a copy of OVA at my local Barnes & Noble, though I had no money at the time to purchase it. Additionally www.barnesnoble.com lists the book but gives no information or availability. Was it once available through them and I simply missed my chance to buy it easily? Is it releasing in the future and I'm simply mistaken about having seen it?

Have you ever considered releasing a stripped down, graphics lite, version of your OVA core mechanics as a free download? I realize it's a potentially risky (and probably less lucrative) business decision, but a better summary of the ability, combat, and drama systems than is provided in the demo would help me considerably in determining whether or not I want to spend my very limited funds on it (perhaps I'm just being far to demanding and stingy).

If all goes well have you thought about later compiling the core, Mecha, fantasy (and any other later supplements) into a 'complete' edition? Have you thought about re-releasing the printed edition in a color, dust jacketed, deluxe edition with an exclusive piece of large Niko Geyer artwork provided as a GM screen? I also wouldn’t be opposed to a digest (manga-sized) color version of the book.
Clay
Dangerously Sane
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:32 pm
Location: Nowhere-land
Contact:

Post by Clay »

Inquisitive Guest wrote:What are the specifications of the printed edition (is it hardcover or soft-cover, black & white or color, perfect-bound binding or glue-bound binding)? If black & white, will a color edition ever be made available (it would seem a shame to lose the luster of some of that gorgeous artwork to the economic prudence of grayscale)
I was under the impression that perfect-binding WAS glue-binding? Either way, it's a softcover book in black and white, with dimensions of 6"x9." I agree, it's a shame to lose the color, but color printing is prohibitively expensive. (Picture printing the same book 4 times in a row.)

It's possible I might print up a few color books to sell locally (And thus bypass distribution fees and whatnot), but it's not monetarily possible for it to be available in color otherwise.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Are Mechs treated at all in the book (does the vehicle ability give an adequate framework upon which to build simple and/or generic Mechs), or are they effectively omitted?
Mecha are created just like characters. The rules are diverse enough to allow this. There are no special rules for them, but what is there is perfectly feasable for creating your own mecha campaign. Though the mecha supplement will have a few extra mecha-specific rules, the process will not change.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Are weapons (and many other types of equipment for that manner) merely treated as extensions of appropriate abilities or do they have additional distinct effects? I ask as I'm not very clear on this matter even after reading the board and demo PDF.
Weapon is just an Ability that increases the character's damage in combat. However, you can apply special "perks" and "flaws" to individualize each weapon. These same perks and flaws can be applied to many other Abilities as well.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Is combat orchestrated in turns, or in a more freeform manner?
Combat is handled in turns, for simplicity's sake. There are no declaration or resolution phases. When it is your turn, you declare your action and your action takes effect immediately. There are certain exceptions detailed in the rules.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:What do you most like and least like about the game (please include even seemingly petty elements if you feel so inclined- I would especially like a response from the creator in regards to this as a lot can be learned from hearing what the creator likes and dislikes about his own system)?
Interesting question! I guess what I like most is that it's so streamlined. You can learn a few basic rules and know how to play the game. It's very easy to teach others, and it is very versatile. Because of this, the rules can become transparent and allow narrative to shine. I also like a lot of the little things that fit anime specifically.

It's a double-edged sword though. Being an old-school gamer, sometimes I miss the "crunch" typical to more complex games. Sometimes I want to go off and create a bunch of intricate rules before I realize it's not appropriate for the game.

I don't think it's an actual "flaw" for the system, just a limitation of my creative energies.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:A few months back I seem to recall seeing a copy of OVA at my local Barnes & Noble, though I had no money at the time to purchase it. Additionally www.barnesnoble.com lists the book but gives no information or availability. Was it once available through them and I simply missed my chance to buy it easily? Is it releasing in the future and I'm simply mistaken about having seen it?
According to RPGnow, it is impossible for Barnes and Noble to even order the book, much less carry it without you asking for it. The only possibility I can think of is someone special-ordered the book but did not pick it up, leaving B&N to put it on the shelf. Again, I doubt this is possible, but the fact B&N lists it on their site is interesting...

However, OVA will be available at your favorite gaming store this February through Alliance Games.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Have you ever considered releasing a stripped down, graphics lite, version of your OVA core mechanics as a free download? I realize it's a potentially risky (and probably less lucrative) business decision, but a better summary of the ability, combat, and drama systems than is provided in the demo would help me considerably in determining whether or not I want to spend my very limited funds on it (perhaps I'm just being far to demanding and stingy).
Considered? Yes. For very long? No. *laughs* OVA is, at heart, a very simple game. If you wish to learn more about how the rules work, visit the Ricochet link at www.wiseturtle.com .
Inquisitive Guest wrote:If all goes well have you thought about later compiling the core, Mecha, fantasy (and any other later supplements) into a 'complete' edition? Have you thought about re-releasing the printed edition in a color, dust jacketed, deluxe edition with an exclusive piece of large Niko Geyer artwork provided as a GM screen? I also wouldn’t be opposed to a digest (manga-sized) color version of the book.
There are no plans to do a compilation of any sort. As I've stressed before, the genre books are NOT tomes of additional rules that will become required for basic gaming. They are merely specific applications of the rules that are already described in the main book.

I have thought about a limited "deluxed" edition release, but it's just not monetarily feasable at this time.

Also, there is really no need for a GM screen. There are basically two kinds of tables used in the OVA game, and a thorough reading should commit both to memory. And even if you don't, the rules are structured so that you can "wing it" without any significant problem.

Although making it manga-size is a cute idea, the scaled down text would become nigh-impossible to read.
Inquisitive Guest

Post by Inquisitive Guest »

Clay wrote: I was under the impression that perfect-binding WAS glue-binding?
Oops! You're right. I guess I was thinking stitched binding.
Clay wrote: I agree, it's a shame to lose the color, but color printing is prohibitively expensive. (Picture printing the same book 4 times in a row.)
It's a shame, but I suppose without big name recognition or the backing of a major publisher it can be difficult to walk that fine line between optimal print quality and affordable pricing.

Now, do I buy a print copy for $20, or buy the PDF for $10 and then spend $30 of ink printing it? :P
Clay wrote: It's possible I might print up a few color books to sell locally (And thus bypass distribution fees and whatnot), but it's not monetarily possible for it to be available in color otherwise.
Unfortunately I doubt I'm anywhere near local :cry: .
Clay wrote: Mecha are created just like characters. The rules are diverse enough to allow this... Weapon is just an Ability that increases the character's damage in combat. However, you can apply special "perks" and "flaws" to individualize each weapon.
Sounds good, and versatile too. The only thing I'm not certain about is how broad or narrow the Weapon ability is (Does it cover all weapons, just those of a specified type, or either depending on what flaws you use?).
Clay wrote: Interesting question! I guess what I like most is that it's so streamlined. You can learn a few basic rules and know how to play the game. It's very easy to teach others, and it is very versatile. Because of this, the rules can become transparent and allow narrative to shine. I also like a lot of the little things that fit anime specifically.

It's a double-edged sword though. Being an old-school gamer, sometimes I miss the "crunch" typical to more complex games. Sometimes I want to go off and create a bunch of intricate rules before I realize it's not appropriate for the game.

I don't think it's an actual "flaw" for the system, just a limitation of my creative energies.
Actually, I rather like rules-lite game engines (so long as they're not so simple that you may as well just play adlib instead). I especially like the fact that you only need write in the aspects that you will use, or that you find useful (to be honest I've liked this mechanical emphasis in nearly every RPG I've seen it in, however, this system sounds like it will serve my purposes far greater than the Risus system... If only I could get a gaming group together again...).

I understand the allure of writing crunch into a system (or in my case various quarter-completed systems and settings that I've never done anything with), but all I need to do is spend 20 minutes trying to design something for the D20 system and the urge suddenly passes :wink: .
Clay wrote: However, OVA will be available at your favorite gaming store this February through Alliance Games.
Do you have a link to Alliance Games' website so I can see what their distribution network is? I only ask as my local game shop carries almost nothing but D20 products (not so coincidentally that's all anyone who frequents there ever plays :( ).
Clay wrote: OVA is, at heart, a very simple game. If you wish to learn more about how the rules work, visit the Ricochet link at www.wiseturtle.com .
:shock: Somehow I looked through the site and completely missed that link... need more sleep...

By the way, why did you name the system Ricochet anyway (aside from it just sounding spiffy)?
Clay wrote: There are no plans to do a compilation of any sort. As I've stressed before, the genre books are NOT tomes of additional rules that will become required for basic gaming. They are merely specific applications of the rules that are already described in the main book.
Still, you've already inferred that there will be some new rules (even if none are essential). It might be nice to someday, down the road, compile it all (IMHO).
Clay wrote: Also, there is really no need for a GM screen. There are basically two kinds of tables used in the OVA game, and a thorough reading should commit both to memory. And even if you don't, the rules are structured so that you can "wing it" without any significant problem.
I've always liked having a nice looking GM screen just for the art and the convenient way it hides die-rolls (keeps players from complaining about fudging).

You could probably list the base charts plus the summarized Abilities & Weaknesses list. Though you're probably right, none of it is necessary (and it would probably be an awkward item to have printed through print-on-demand anyway).


The Ricochet link didn't give me any new information really, but from what i've read and what information you've provided (and the positive reviews/board posts) I think I'll pick up a copy when next I have the money to do so.

Now to decide what format to buy it in and whether or not I should make my own GM screen out of poster-board and print-outs...
Clay
Dangerously Sane
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:32 pm
Location: Nowhere-land
Contact:

Post by Clay »

Inquisitive Guest wrote:Sounds good, and versatile too. The only thing I'm not certain about is how broad or narrow the Weapon ability is (Does it cover all weapons, just those of a specified type, or either depending on what flaws you use?).
Weapon just covers owning one particular weapon (though it can be any weapon, from a sword, to a gun, to a frying pan).

However, there is an Ability called "Human Arsenal" that, among other things, can allow a character to be a veritable Swiss army knife of weaponry.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Do you have a link to Alliance Games' website so I can see what their distribution network is? I only ask as my local game shop carries almost nothing but D20 products (not so coincidentally that's all anyone who frequents there ever plays Sad ).
www.alliance-games.com

From what I understand, they're a division of Diamond Comics, the biggest comic distributor. So they should be available to any comic/gaming shop, regardless of content preference.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:By the way, why did you name the system Ricochet anyway (aside from it just sounding spiffy)?
Mainly because it sounded spiffy. *laughs* But if you want the "logic" behind it, somehow the thought of adding doubles reminded me of ricocheting bullets. When I try to explain it, it makes no sense at all. *laughs* But that was the origin.
Inquisitive Guest wrote:Now to decide what format to buy it in and whether or not I should make my own GM screen out of poster-board and print-outs...
I suppose there's not any harm in making a downloadable screen you can print yourself. I'll put it on my to-do list.

You should register, by the way. I was gonna send you a Private Message or email with some more rules details, but I realized I could not. *laughs*
Inquisitor Melchior
Worthy Tortoise
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 7:21 am

Post by Inquisitor Melchior »

Clay wrote: You should register, by the way.
Just did (I am Inquisitive Guest no longer). Don't send me any e-mails just yet though (my e-mail account is currently down). If you would like to send a PM that would be great.
"Walk three steps and thousands of years may pass. Within the confines of the four pillars, even time is but a brief illusion.”
Hiraku Nishida -Gasaraki
Post Reply