Book Problems

[MongooseMatt]

Hi guys,

First, let me say that we very much appreciate the support everyone has shown for Lone Wolf, and it is good to see our favourite Kai Lord has so many fans.

We acknowledge the issues with the latest printing of Books 3 and 4, and sincerely apologise for them. There are no good excuses - but it happened.

We cannot promise perfection in all things - no one can. If a much larger publisher allowed a few minor errors to creep into the original Lone Wolf books, then it is of course possible that we might make small errors as well. Perfection is something to ever strive for, but will not always be achieved. However, we will work as hard as we can to keep mistakes as small as possible, and it is our fervant wish you will find the books 5 and 6 currently in production to meet your requirements for quality.

In the meantime, Lycanthus came up with what we think is a superb idea in another thread. We would be quite happy to produce a free Lone Wolf bookmark that featured corrections for Books 3 and 4 on the reverse.

How would that sound to everyone?

 

[lonevvolf]

I would be very happy to have something like a bookmark, but hopefully, not as a replacement for an online repository for errata, which can be constantly updated. Such sites are maintained by most publishers, and I don't think it will detract from the quality of the products to make the errors known to the public. A quick Google on "Errata" turns up lots of links from well known universities, groups, and publishers:

MIT
W3C
Dartmouth
WotC

Rather, I think maintaining such a list speaks to the professionalism of a publisher, as well as shows that they care about and maintain their product - not just release and forget.

 

[Ferital]

I think the bookmark is a nice idea, but I also think an errata online page would be great as well, as it can easily be updated.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I think the bookmark is a nice idea, but I also think an errata online page would be great as well, as it can easily be updated.

The online page is already in the works - the bookmark is something extra.

 

[lonevvolf]

I think the bookmark is a nice idea, but I also think an errata online page would be great as well, as it can easily be updated.

The online page is already in the works - the bookmark is something extra.

Ah, then, happy day! I love you guys!

 

[pjagum]

How would that Bookmarkthing work? I couldn`t find a usefull translation in my dictionary. Would it be some kind of gluesticker (like "postits") or maybe complete extrapages to put between the others?

 

[EvilRedEye]

In the meantime, Lycanthus came up with what we think is a superb idea in another thread. We would be quite happy to produce a free Lone Wolf bookmark that featured corrections for Books 3 and 4 on the reverse.

How would that sound to everyone?

Good, although I'd quite like one for each book (just because I like bookmarks!)

But seriously, I imagine almost every volume will have some minor glitches - a huge proportion of gamebooks seem to have a broken link or two, and it's nothing out of the ordinary - so depending on time/cost or whatever, you might want to think about it.

 

[Lycanthus]

That Lycanthus guy is a pretty smart cookie! Maybe you should pay him?

BTW: The online errata is pretty much a necessity now - good to see you're working on it too.

 

[darkadder]

I believe the bookmarks are an excellent idea. Heck, even if you had a variety of Lone Wolf bookmarks without errata, I'd get them! I usually find need for bookmarks I like, and local book stores only seem to have ones that sport kittens or monkeys or affirmational phrases. It would be great to have a Lone Wolf designed one or a few.

 

[BlackCat]

So, what do we have to put in the errata so far?

-The missing section 192 of book 3
-The right link for section 96 of the mini-adventure in book 3 (one choice leads you to section 17, which is clearly not the right section)
-The missing equipment section of book 4

Anything else?

 

[lonevvolf]

Minor things include the pixellated action chart in the bonus adventure in book 4, and IIRC, there was a section towards the end of the adventure in book 1, where the word "that" was repeated, where it should have only appeared once. Don't ask me where it was exactly, I'm sure Mongoose can search the manuscript faster than I can find it again.

 

[pjagum]

A Bookmarker (if it is what Ithink now -some kind of sign, telling you the last page you`ve read, right?) is probably not the right format to handle errors like missing sections and "pixil-thing-happenings" but of those could be taken care in the errata-page, with printable documents.

Just as information: How many orders would Mongoose need to make worth a fourth reprint of #3 & #4 ?

 

[BlackCat]

A Bookmarker (if it is what Ithink now -some kind of sign, telling you the last page you`ve read, right?) is probably not the right format to handle errors like missing sections and "pixil-thing-happenings" but of those could be taken care in the errata-page, with printable documents.

192
If you possess a Glowing Crystal, turn to 267.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 44.

That's the missing section 192 (for real, it's only this), so it can easily be put on the bookmarker. But I agree that things like "The action chart is not supposed to be pixelized" should not be part of the errata but of the things that the printing company should modify themselves. The errata is really for editing errors that prevent a good comprehension of the text (the repetition of the word "that" should be corrected, but it doesn't deserve to be in the errata IMO).

 

[lonevvolf]

But I agree that things like "The action chart is not supposed to be pixelized" should not be part of the errata but of the things that the printing company should modify themselves. The errata is really for editing errors that prevent a good comprehension of the text (the repetition of the word "that" should be corrected, but it doesn't deserve to be in the errata IMO).

Of course, of course - don't misunderstand me. I only meant that in the interest of assembling a truly complete list. The only things that I would put on a bookmark, would be those that impede play. In this case, I only see the missing section 192, the incorrect link in the bonus adventure, and the missing equipment section.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

I think the bookmark is a nice idea, but I also think an errata online page would be great as well, as it can easily be updated.

The online page is already in the works - the bookmark is something extra.

I certainly like the sound of this too.

So, what do we have to put in the errata so far?

-The missing section 192 of book 3
-The right link for section 96 of the mini-adventure in book 3 (one choice leads you to section 17, which is clearly not the right section)
-The missing equipment section of book 4

Anything else?

There's a few errors in book 1 where you have to generate a random number for 3 or 4 results but one of them does not exist.

There were also a few freak american grammar instences where the word "lay" was used instead of "lie" in a grammaticaly incorrect situation (unless you're an american, that is). They were once or twice in book 1 and once in book 4. I've listed the appropriate sections (and sentences) in other threads so I could probably dig up the references given time.

 

[lonevvolf]

Just playing through Book 2 now, and I noticed that in section 299, Rhygar's "ENDURANCE" is mentioned. I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be written in block letters - probably a search/replace mistake.

 

[BlackCat]

Well then, maybe we should make a thread to report typos (or "incorrect" use of American spelling), and another one for errors that really affect the gameplay (like section 192).

Like this, Mongoose will have a list of things to correct for their future prints (like the softbacks), and since it would be made by members of this forum, it wouldn't cost a thing to them. Think about it: free proofreaders! Well, ok, it sucks for those "free proofreaders" reporting errors from the copy they have already purchased...

 

[pjagum]

And again I wonder how this happened, since the imprints proclaim a cooperation between Mongoose and PA, but at PA they allready have erratalists for every lonewolfbook up to far beyond #4 where all these things are listed in - even the little spelling mistakes :?

 

[beowuuf]

And all the old faults are gone, these are new faults due to a) JD updating one of the story links (basically one path made no sense as you lost your men, but then that tweaked it so another path made no sense as you regained your men)

The rest are formatting issues after the fact - pictures placed over text, and text going off the page or gone

PA is not an 'organisation', it is still a core group of people doing what they can in their free time along with volunteers (like us) - they have a list of mistakes and clarifications from the old books, which have carried on to the new. They have rechecked the old source of the current books. But that is not a paid, real time occupation, and so there is a limit to how much they can, or should, be able to check every single generated file to be used my mongoose, especially given the timeframe sadly.

 

[longhairyuppiescum]

Hi all at the Mongoose Publishing Lone Wolf forum!
I would like to see as a downloadable errata for book 4 in addition to the missing Equipment section text a corrected Action Chart for the mini adventure! May it be in bookmark form or not.
My copy contains a wrong Action Chart (the one from book 3).
In general I support the idea of using bookmarks as a means of supplying errata. That's truly a great idea.
Cheers
LHYS

Ed.: Oh, and "For Sommerlund and the Kai!"