[GZG] FMA Quest

8 posts · Sep 12 2007 to Sep 29 2007

From: Ground Zero Games <jon@g...>

Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:48:12 +0100

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

> The TMP has asked, any body have a status report

OK, I've just posted a reply on the TMP thread -  repeated here:
.....................

I suppose I'd better answer this, even if it does open a huge can of
wormsŠ. ;-)
Yes, FMA(S) exists, in various forms. Yes, it's been sort of "under
development" pretty much since I published Stargrunt II, which is just over 10
years ago.
Yes, I do PLAN to finish it (or at least get it to a web-publishable
stage) at some point. No, I don't know when that time will be. There are (as
has been mentioned) various versions of the system posted in various places,
some public and some limited access; most of these versions are fragmentary
and incomplete, some contain ideas which have only seen very limited
playtesting and may or may not work. It is because the game is still in this
very unfinalised state that I've never done a "proper" public beta test
release. The bottom line is that FMAS will only ever be more a labour of love
than a commercial product to me. I WANT to get it finished because I like the
system, I think it works very well and deserves to be used
(and those folks who have tried it - in its various incarnations-
seem to agree).
25/28mm skirmish games are a crowded marketplace at the moment, and
with our (GZG's) current emphasis on the 15mm and Starship ranges I'm afraid
FMAS keeps getting put back onto the "pending" pile; every now and then I drag
it out, add a few new ideas (and sometimes decide they're not as good as what
I had before, so throw them out again), and then it goes on the back burner
again as something more urgent screams for attention. I'd love to be able to
say that it'll be out by Christmas, or next year, or next decadeŠ. but I
can't. It'll happen when and if I get the spare time to do what needs to be
done with it. My apologies to anyone who's emailed to ask about it and not got
a reply; I TRY to reply to most mails, but I don't always manage it with the
volume of mail I have to wade through, and if I don't answer one immediately
it can get buried by the deluge of stuff following
behind it. :-/
Jon (GZG)
........................

> Don't let the fans touch your assets.

From: Ground Zero Games <jon@g...>

Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:54:29 +0100

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

> The TMP has asked, any body have a status report

OK, I've just posted a reply on the TMP thread -  repeated here:
.....................

I suppose I'd better answer this, even if it does open a huge can of
wormsŠ. ;-)
Yes, FMA(S) exists, in various forms. Yes, it's been sort of "under
development" pretty much since I published Stargrunt II, which is just over 10
years ago.
Yes, I do PLAN to finish it (or at least get it to a web-publishable
stage) at some point. No, I don't know when that time will be. There are (as
has been mentioned) various versions of the system posted in various places,
some public and some limited access; most of these versions are fragmentary
and incomplete, some contain ideas which have only seen very limited
playtesting and may or may not work. It is because the game is still in this
very unfinalised state that I've never done a "proper" public beta test
release. The bottom line is that FMAS will only ever be more a labour of love
than a commercial product to me. I WANT to get it finished because I like the
system, I think it works very well and deserves to be used
(and those folks who have tried it - in its various incarnations-
seem to agree).
25/28mm skirmish games are a crowded marketplace at the moment, and
with our (GZG's) current emphasis on the 15mm and Starship ranges I'm afraid
FMAS keeps getting put back onto the "pending" pile; every now and then I drag
it out, add a few new ideas (and sometimes decide they're not as good as what
I had before, so throw them out again), and then it goes on the back burner
again as something more urgent screams for attention. I'd love to be able to
say that it'll be out by Christmas, or next year, or next decadeŠ. but I
can't. It'll happen when and if I get the spare time to do what needs to be
done with it. My apologies to anyone who's emailed to ask about it and not got
a reply; I TRY to reply to most mails, but I don't always manage it with the
volume of mail I have to wade through, and if I don't answer one immediately
it can get buried by the deluge of stuff following
behind it. :-/
Jon (GZG)
........................

> Don't let the fans touch your assets.

From: Ground Zero Games <jon@g...>

Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:25:11 +0100

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

Trying for the third time to post this, so apologies if they all show
up together....  :-/

> The TMP has asked, any body have a status report

OK, I've just posted a reply on the TMP thread -  repeated here:
.....................

I suppose I'd better answer this, even if it does open a huge can of
wormsŠ. ;-)
Yes, FMA(S) exists, in various forms. Yes, it's been sort of "under
development" pretty much since I published Stargrunt II, which is just over 10
years ago.
Yes, I do PLAN to finish it (or at least get it to a web-publishable
stage) at some point. No, I don't know when that time will be. There are (as
has been mentioned) various versions of the system posted in various places,
some public and some limited access; most of these versions are fragmentary
and incomplete, some contain ideas which have only seen very limited
playtesting and may or may not work. It is because the game is still in this
very unfinalised state that I've never done a "proper" public beta test
release. The bottom line is that FMAS will only ever be more a labour of love
than a commercial product to me. I WANT to get it finished because I like the
system, I think it works very well and deserves to be used
(and those folks who have tried it - in its various incarnations-
seem to agree).
25/28mm skirmish games are a crowded marketplace at the moment, and
with our (GZG's) current emphasis on the 15mm and Starship ranges I'm afraid
FMAS keeps getting put back onto the "pending" pile; every now and then I drag
it out, add a few new ideas (and sometimes decide they're not as good as what
I had before, so throw them out again), and then it goes on the back burner
again as something more urgent screams for attention. I'd love to be able to
say that it'll be out by Christmas, or next year, or next decadeŠ. but I
can't. It'll happen when and if I get the spare time to do what needs to be
done with it. My apologies to anyone who's emailed to ask about it and not got
a reply; I TRY to reply to most mails, but I don't always manage it with the
volume of mail I have to wade through, and if I don't answer one immediately
it can get buried by the deluge of stuff following
behind it. :-/
Jon (GZG)
........................

> Don't let the fans touch your assets.

From: Tom McCarthy <tmcarth@f...>

Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:52:14 -0400

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
http://mead.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lI think
I have a newer version of the rules, but haven't done anything with them in
months. We played them, liked 90% of it, and tried kicking around ideas and
brainstorming to see if we had any better ideas for the other 10%. Typical
gamer behaviour.

But the summer activities, vacations, kids out of school, etc. took a bite out
of gaming, and I believe Jon's typical model of "sell minis as
a day job and design games as a hobby/evenings/weekends" changed to
"sell minis as a day job and plan a wedding as a
hobby/evenings/weekends" for a few months there.

From: Andy Hemming <nonsense_factory@h...>

Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:15:37 +0100

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
http://mead.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l
Could I ask - how would I get a copy or join the platest list, I'd like
a go at these and am more than happy to contribute any thoughts..

Andy

nonsense_factory@hotmail.com<html><div></div></html>

Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:52:14 -0400From: Tom.McCarthy@xwave.comTo:
gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDUSubject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

I think I have a newer version of the rules, but haven’t done anything with
them in months. We played them, liked 90% of it, and tried kicking around
ideas and brainstorming to see if we had any better ideas for the other 10%.
Typical gamer behaviour.

But the summer activities, vacations, kids out of school, etc. took a bite out
of gaming, and I believe Jon’s typical model of “sell minis
as a day job and design games as a hobby/evenings/weekends” changed to
“sell minis as a day job and plan a wedding as a
hobby/evenings/weekends” for a few months there.

From: Allan Goodall <agoodall@a...>

Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:54:20 -0500

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

> On 9/13/07, Ground Zero Games <jon@gzg.com> wrote:

Two came through together, but I saw it earlier today as well...

From: Indy Kochte <kochte@s...>

Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:06:18 -0400

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
http://mead.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lIt's
been getting through on this end. :-)

Mk

> On 9/13/07, Ground Zero Games <jon@gzg.com> wrote:

From: chris.peachey <vladvondrak@y...>

Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 04:07:53 +0100

Subject: Re: [GZG] FMA Quest

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
http://mead.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU:1337/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lJon,i
saw the original mail a week or so back so i dunno why TMP havent got it.or is
it just they are so damded inpatient they cant wait for the new version.