Seems like I promised something earlier…

So now its time to deliver I suppose
In an earlier blog post, I somewhat hinted at something going on behind the scenes here at Chez Kingston. So I guess now’s the time to let the cat out of the bag so to speak But first, I think I should give a little more background.

A while back (late 2005 sounds right I think), I began using a program called Fantasy Grounds. Now what this program does, is allow people to play Pen and Paper RPGs (like D&D), online. The program provides a tabletop on which you can display maps, stories, props, and even roll dice on. All in all, its a REALLY REALLY cool program. So here I was, fiddling around with it, running a little campaign for some friends using d20 Modern, when I noticed a post on the FG boards by a gentleman by the name of Kevin Melka, looking for people to assist him in producing stuff for use in Fantasy Grounds. I didn’t clue in until a little bit later, that Kevin is the owner of a company called Digital Adventures, who produce various rulesets and products geared towards the Fantasy Grounds application.

So on a lark, I emailed Kevin, seeing if he needed any help with the MSRD ruleset he had just produced at the time. Turns out he was looking for some help, so I was brought on board to help translate and create adventures for the MSRD. Well…that never happened as such, since about a month after I began helping out, we were tossing around ideas on something, and I’d mentioned I had hoped we could land a Deadlands licence. Lo and behold shortly after that, I got an email from Kevin saying he’d managed to land the Savage Worlds licence, and was wondering if I wanted to help out with that. I said yes…this all was early 2006 by the time it got shook out (in the meantime I ended up being moved from my job in Calgary to Toronto at the time, and it SUCKING in Toronto…but that’s a tale for another day).

So anyways, things got a little interrupted March of last year, when I made the big move to Denmark from Canada. In the ensuing months, I was looking for work, trying to get settled here…and while I love it here, I ended up sinking into a bit of a depression…which lasted well into November (part of the cause was that I just couldn’t get a job here, in any field. Jobs I would be qualified for back home, required a Masters degree here (which I don’t have)…I couldn’t even land a job as a dishwasher…) Then something twigged in my brain…don’t know what…but another email came across our DA Developers list from Kevin, outlining his plans for the coming year…and I got juiced again. I don’t know what it was exactly that “broke” my depression, but I emailed Kevin outlining my plans, and what I wanted to do, and him being the awesome bloke he is, let me jump head first into it. Essentially - I had the oppurtunity to take what I enjoyed (doing Development work for DA), and turn it into a somewhat more full time capacity.

So anyhow - since all this drama began in 2006, we have released Savage Worlds for FGI (mid-late 2006 I think), and now FGII (Gen Con 2007). We have a couple of cool adventures done (Zombie Run, Noble Deceit), a few more coming soon, as well as the Rippers and Shaintar rulesets in the works. Oh…and Kevin ended up promoting me to be the Project Co-ordinator for all things Savage (we have LOTS more on tap).

So that continued merrily along through November, and December. I got a lot of work done - helped come up with some cool directions we’re going to be heading…when one day I stumbled across an ad on one of the game company websites I frequent. Open call for editors…thinking what the hell, lets give it a shot. I cleared it with Kevin first (I just felt right asking him first), I sent off an email to said company saying I was interested…and well, turns out they were too. This company is Talisman Studios - publishers of Shaintar (my absolute FAVOURITE Savage Worlds setting, authored by a super cool guy name of Sean Patrick Fannon. Do yourselves a favour - if you like fantasy settings - CHECK IT OUT!), as well as a new game system called Suzerain (which looks pretty funky. Kind of a cross genre system, similar in feel to TORG). Anyhow, after a “working interview” of sorts, I got brought on board with Talisman, and things are moving along REALLY well now I’m in the process of editing my first ever RPG book -which, while difficult at times, is an absolute blast! The Talisman Studios crew are wonderful to work with, and they have some of the BEST artwork/settings I’ve seen in the industry.

So that’s about it in a nutshell - things are looking up in the world I’m enjoying my work with Digital Adventures, and my new work with Talisman Studios. I couldn’t be happier!

But I have rambled on enough - so time to end this post
Peace all!

V