Lone Wolf Status Update

[MongooseCharlie]

Hi guys, sorry that everything has been so hectic with Lone Wolf. I am pleased to say that Joe and I have ironed out the kinks in LW4 and LW5 has been completed. This means that all 5 are now back in print. As I am sure you can understand, I had to wait for a bit of lull (no such thing) in my schedule to go back through LW4 and ensure that all of the issues had been solved.

Dragons of Lencia and Glory and Greed are in their final layout stages and I hope to send them off in the next day or so.

I have the text in from Joe for LW6 and am just waiting on the art, which is due in two weeks and so I will begin editing in a week or so.

Hope that this gives you all a better idea of how Lone Wolf is coming along.

 

[elizzar]

cheers charlie for the update,
what does this mean for those customers (mega-deal and not) who already have book 4 with the issues you mention? will we be getting a replacement as we did for book 3 missing section 192 - i can appreciate this costing mongoose a fair bit, but it does seem a little at the mo that us pre-orderers (?) have been proof-reading each book as released, but having put up £300 in advance seems only fair we have the correct books ... ?
anyhow keep up the good work, and here's hoping to book 5 onwards being perfect from the word go
regards!

 

[MongooseCharlie]

Hi, sorry but I can't answer that one. I am one of the artistc brains...not one of the business ones. I think a decision is being made at the moment, as the issue didn't render the books unplayable so it is a different matter than with the section 192 one. Sorry I cannot be more help. I am sure that the powers that be will be making a formal announcement on this matter once we have recieved more copies back from the printers.

On the plus side the schedule has now been jiggled so that LW can get a lot more time devoted to it for playtesting etc so we should not have massive issues with future books.

 

[Tabris]

Charlie, any response to the suggestions that I and others have had to allow some selected "playtesters" a chance to read through the manuscripts for errors before they are printed? I feel like many of the longtime posters and players here could do a very good (and free) job of proofing the manuscripts before some costly mistakes are made.

 

[MongooseCharlie]

As I have said, adjustments have been made to my schedule to give joe and myself the time we need to give these books the attention that they need.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Okay, so should we check about replacement 4's or simply wait for book 5 instead? When I know what to do I'll be willing to do it (I'm happy waiting to find out for now 'though).

It's good to know that stuff's happening 'though. Better than silence .

 

[Sommerswerd]

I think a decision is being made at the moment, as the issue didn't render the books unplayable so it is a different matter than with the section 192 one.

I know that you are not the one to tell us but I really hope that we will get a replacement for a faulty book, it being playable or not.

Thanks for the update!

 

[Clegane]

I know that you are not the one to tell us but I really hope that we will get a replacement for a faulty book, it being playable or not.

Thanks for the update!

I wonder when it became standard practice in the publishing industry for the publisher to provide, gratis and with free shipping, replacement copies of perfectly playable books that just happen to have a few misprints or typographical errors.

Oh wait. IT DIDN'T. *eyeroll* Mongoose has been extremely gracious thus far in catering to the chorus of whining that has followed the release of nearly each and every book in this series. This has apparently caused many people to come to EXPECT that they will be perpetually accommodating beyond the point of financial viability.

Yes, in an ideal world, each and every thing you want would arrive, pristine and shining, at your doorstep mere moments after you pay for it. But this is reality, see. Sometimes mistakes will be made. There haven't been standards of perfection in ANY market since the advent of commerce.

Mongoose already forked over free replacements for the binding issues on Book 1 and the omission in Book 3. I'm sorry to shatter your dreamlike bubble, but trust me, that is a LOT more than you'd be likely to get from most publishers in the world today. Book 4 is in a completely playable state. If its very few, slight 'problems' erode your enjoyment of the book THAT much, then you're obviously a disciplined perfectionist who has, doubtless, been overwhelmingly successful in life. Surely you can afford to toss out the money for a 'pristine' reprint without too much hardship.

Seriously. Mongoose isn't some titanic publishing powerhouse with endless pockets and world-spanning reach of influence. The profit margins in the gaming industry are already precariously slim as it is. Demanding free reprints of books with MINOR errors isn't going to do Mongoose, the industry, or the consumer any favors.

Quitcherbellyachin and be happy that someone is reprinting Lone Wolf as it is. Would you rather go back to hunting down half the books on Ebay for hundreds of dollars?

 

[MongooseCharlie]

Thanks for that level of understanding Clegane. We try to ensure customer satisfaction but this is not always viable when there is little reason. As an editor I am incredibly picky and constantly notice issues in the books that I read outside of work but alas we all know nothing will ever be done about them.

When a decision is made then I am sure you will all be informed straight away so keep an eye on the LW forum and Planet Mongoose

 

[Tabris]

I think distinctions have to be made between books that are unplayable due to missing sections or other "critical errors" and books that have a few minor typographical mistakes. I do expect a replacement for an unplayable book, but almost every book has minor typographical errors.

Now, what happens if The Cauldron of Fear is "unplayable" because no changes were made to Zakhan Kimah and he is still "unbeatable" at the end?

 

[Angantyr]

Would you rather go back to hunting down half the books on Ebay for hundreds of dollars?

That's unthinkable, since those books had a lot more errors in them.

 

[FrostHawk]

My point is only one.
If there are errors, it would be fair to correct them in the reprint.
Someone can say that it's not fair towards the Mega Deal customers, but, "collectionaly" speaking, the first print is always more worthy, even with errors.
That's something I really care, because I'm not native Anglosaxon, nor I own the original books, so, what for many may be an error, could be something difficult to understand.
Really, I would like to have in my hands the books as soon as I can see them available on the Mongoose's site, but I have to wait until it's clear for me that everything is fine.
And, just to not sound picky, the binding of my vol.1 is not perfect and the print of the cover for vol.2 is not well centered, but I don't give a damn because what I read is perfectly in place.
That really counts for me.

 

[elizzar]

hi all,
perfectly understand mongoose can't replace all the little errors with an entire new book ... i'd also quite like my LWs in baby seal leather with gold leaf and a free car with each copy, but, y'know ...
all i will say is a) as far as mega-customers go its cash in the bank to mongoose, which is always good for a company b) personally i sold my collection of new order books (21-28 in pristine condition, one careful owner etc) to mostly fund the mega-deal, and i'm eagerly awaiting the lovely hard bound replacements through to book 32 ..
cheerio! 8)

 

[EvilRedEye]

Someone can say that it's not fair towards the Mega Deal customers, but, "collectionaly" speaking, the first print is always more worthy, even with errors.

There's no printing information or number line on the copyright page so there's nothing to really distinguish later print runs from first editions.

While it'd be lovely if Mongoose managed to print completely perfect copies first time it's... not a realistic demand to make of them. It wouldn't be a realistic demand to make on any publisher, no matter how large. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire had an error that wasn't corrected for ages and imagine how much proof-reading, etc. that must have gone through.

That said, it must be frustrating for those who signed up for the Mega-Deal since they can't wait for these errors to be found and corrected before they order as others can.

I think the important thing is whether the main gamebook part of the book is error free. A missing reference does warrant replacements really, it's not an acceptable mistake. As for an error in the instructions... well Wizard managed to get the instructions wrong in the first runs of most of the Fighting Fantasy books they reprinted and no-one kicked up a fuss.

If I was Mongoose I'd probably be inclined to not issue replacements this time, although... I dunno, I'd at least think about doing it for the Mega-Deal customers.

 

[beowuuf]

Chasm of doom is a stand along episode, one of the few, where you could lend it out to give someone a taste of the LW world.

Well, except for the no equipment section!

 

[WritingWolf]

And the replacement Book 3s weren't "free" as those of us buying on a book-by-book basis are funding the costs of it.

But it sounds like things are going the right way, so that's good for us all.

 

[MiddleAgedFogey]

I wonder when it became standard practice in the publishing industry for the publisher to provide, gratis and with free shipping, replacement copies of perfectly playable books that just happen to have a few misprints or typographical errors.

When the "typographic errors" include text so badly misaligned that lines are cropped off at the bottom of the page (as with sections 213 of the main and 131 of the bonus adventure) then I would say that it is quite reasonable to expect a replacement. While the errors in Book 4 aren't game-breaking as section 192 in Book 3 was (section 213 aside, over half the last line is gone) they do stack up (missing equipment, unreadable map) in my view to make Book 4 a bigger disappointment than 3.

These books aren't being sold at cost and Megadeal customers (who have paid for the entire series up front) most certainly should feel a right to complain if serious flaws are not rectified. Mongoose did the right thing with Book 3 and I do hope they consider this for Book 4. At the very least, customers should be offered the option of a replacement "at cost".

More importantly though, is getting future books right first time and I would agree with Tabris' suggestion of providing previews (PDFs presumably?) to select members prior to publishing.

It is good to have an update however, even though MongooseCharlie's post is dated April 1st...

 

[FrostHawk]

I'm with you.
Someone that could check the pdf would be great.
My pick would be surely Angantyr from Project-Aon, a really serious guy, very passionate and very acknowledged about the series.
I could pick a lot of guys from ToTS as well, but I think that Angantyr IS THE SAFE BET

 

[BlackCat]

But guys, JD and Mongoose have already asked the people at PA to revise the LW books, and that's what they have been doing.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

While the errors in Book 4 aren't game-breaking as section 192 in Book 3 was (section 213 aside, over half the last line is gone) they do stack up (missing equipment, unreadable map) in my view to make Book 4 a bigger disappointment than 3.

Well starting with no equipment's pretty harsh if you haven't played any of the previous books. There is a chance to nab a sword long before you'll get any serious fighting done (and you'll be able to pick up more weapons before giving it up to it's rightful owner).

No equipment at all 'though, that's a tad awkward (luckily I had my old copy of book 4 handy for that instance). I wouldn't call the map unreadable but the maps have so far been a bit on the dark side and could possibly be a bit brighter.