Plan for Axel "The Cush" Cushing
by Axel "The Cush" Cushing · 08/01/2004 (6:19 am) · 0 comments
Yes, it's been a long time since I posted. The last couple weeks, I've had a very good excuse. Everything before that, hell, I was just slack and I know it. For those of you who have never had the unique and miserable privilege of trying to orchestrate a move in Phoenix during the summer monsoon, let's just say that you should thank your sweat glands for being as well behaved as they are.
On to more serious business. First off, major thanks and props to Matt Crawford. His hosting deal needs more people. Seriously, guys. $30 for one year of hosting with a fine suite of backend support such as what's being offered, you'd have to be crazy not to take it. I understand he recently had to change a few things, but it's still a good deal. Compared with other hosts, you'd be saving a good $300 easily, if not more. Give him money, get yourself hosted for cheap.
Not too long ago, I had a wild idea just come up and bite me, an idea for a trading card game. Not anything computer oriented, just a regular cardstock TCG. I worked out some rough concepts and rules, refined a couple things, and finally got enough of a general idea that I felt confident enough to submit a query letter to Steve Jackson Games. Why them? One, they have a very simply stated policy about query letters and where to send them. Two, they're smaller than uber-giants like Wizards of The Coast and thus, likely to be more accessible. Three, WoTC didn't have any sort of submission guidelines for new games, certainly not a TCG. Four, I've been a big fan of SJ Games for a long time.
Did I think I would get a reply? Yes. Did I think it would be favorable? No. I fully expected a rejection letter. It expected a good whole three paragraphs about why it was rejected and what could be done to polish it. The entire text of the reply, not counting the repeat of my initial message or the saluatation or signature, is reprinted below. (Italics are mine.)
We simply are not in the market for trading card games at this time. We wish you luck in finding a publisher.
That's it.
Short, brutal, dismissive. Somehow, I think it'd have been better if the guy had put down "get bent." But no, as short and seemingly polite as it is, it makes one think a whole range of possibilities. The guy could be quite serious in wishing me good luck. Or he might have cut and pasted the reply out of Notepad while thinking, "Drop dead, you talentless hack." Or anything in-between. Point is, it bruised the ego a bit, and definitely shook the confidence supports, but I'm still standing, and this game idea simply will not die. It's too appealing. It's different than other TCGs out there. But I'm thinking that instead of trying to get hold of Upper Deck, Decipher, or WoTC, I'll develop the damn thing for the computer. Make it a donationware-type Java game to start, kinda like Adventure Quest is right now. Once it reaches a certain point, it'll become pay-for-play. I know the concept is out there. I know it can be done. And I intend to make it work.
As far as my UT2K4 modelling, I've gotten slack about that. Back to the VTMs for brushup.
On to more serious business. First off, major thanks and props to Matt Crawford. His hosting deal needs more people. Seriously, guys. $30 for one year of hosting with a fine suite of backend support such as what's being offered, you'd have to be crazy not to take it. I understand he recently had to change a few things, but it's still a good deal. Compared with other hosts, you'd be saving a good $300 easily, if not more. Give him money, get yourself hosted for cheap.
Not too long ago, I had a wild idea just come up and bite me, an idea for a trading card game. Not anything computer oriented, just a regular cardstock TCG. I worked out some rough concepts and rules, refined a couple things, and finally got enough of a general idea that I felt confident enough to submit a query letter to Steve Jackson Games. Why them? One, they have a very simply stated policy about query letters and where to send them. Two, they're smaller than uber-giants like Wizards of The Coast and thus, likely to be more accessible. Three, WoTC didn't have any sort of submission guidelines for new games, certainly not a TCG. Four, I've been a big fan of SJ Games for a long time.
Did I think I would get a reply? Yes. Did I think it would be favorable? No. I fully expected a rejection letter. It expected a good whole three paragraphs about why it was rejected and what could be done to polish it. The entire text of the reply, not counting the repeat of my initial message or the saluatation or signature, is reprinted below. (Italics are mine.)
We simply are not in the market for trading card games at this time. We wish you luck in finding a publisher.
That's it.
Short, brutal, dismissive. Somehow, I think it'd have been better if the guy had put down "get bent." But no, as short and seemingly polite as it is, it makes one think a whole range of possibilities. The guy could be quite serious in wishing me good luck. Or he might have cut and pasted the reply out of Notepad while thinking, "Drop dead, you talentless hack." Or anything in-between. Point is, it bruised the ego a bit, and definitely shook the confidence supports, but I'm still standing, and this game idea simply will not die. It's too appealing. It's different than other TCGs out there. But I'm thinking that instead of trying to get hold of Upper Deck, Decipher, or WoTC, I'll develop the damn thing for the computer. Make it a donationware-type Java game to start, kinda like Adventure Quest is right now. Once it reaches a certain point, it'll become pay-for-play. I know the concept is out there. I know it can be done. And I intend to make it work.
As far as my UT2K4 modelling, I've gotten slack about that. Back to the VTMs for brushup.
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