Bruce Heard and the other Game Designers - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Bruce Heard and the other Game Designers

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
havard
Mar 26, 2004 8:34:59 Does anyone know what Bruce Heard and the other Game designers, like Aaron Alston are up to these days? Bruce was quite active in keeping the Mystara community alive both on the mailinglist and on the old message board for several years, but I havent heard (lame pun :P) anything from him lately.

Have the old wizards given up all hope of getting Mystara back in business?

Anyone? With my luck some of these guys might be reading this...

Havard
#2
zombiegleemax
Mar 26, 2004 12:38:30 I would like to know too...

I hadn't paid attention to Mystara after about 1990 or so and recently went and collected all the materials from the early 90's. I've been really impressed with the amount of unrealized potential in the setting, and Bruce and Aron really wehre the workhorses.

A lot of people don't seem to like Wrath of the Immortals, but its the first time I've even seen something that ambitious - moving the entire campaign world forward and creating global changes - and then following it up with PWA. Sure, White Wolf went on to become all about the 'metaplot' - but D&D did it first!

And I recently read all the Voyage of the Princess Ark episodes (and known world grimoires) in the old Dragons. Bruce carried the setting when everyone else was dropping off.

Aaron had a website I saw, and looks to have moved into writing fiction (no games). Didn't find anything about Bruce.
#3
zombiegleemax
Mar 26, 2004 17:50:12 I'm submitting a writing sample to Wizards of the Coast in hopes of writing novels for them. I also am a major Mystara fan and I hope to convince them eventually to let me write a line of books for the Mystara world. I'm on a campaign to revive my favorite world and bring it back to life and maybe take it further into the other unexplored realms of Mystara. There are too many fans of the old worlds to let them just slip away forever.
:invasion:
#4
ranger_reg
Mar 26, 2004 18:37:07 With all due respect, they're kinda busy preparing to launch the new contest-winning Eberron setting, due out in June.

Aaron Allston is currently writing for Hero Games.
#5
zombiegleemax
Mar 26, 2004 19:29:23 I don't think it's impossible to start another line of novels down the road.

EDIT: I believe this new line is Dark Fanatasy also, which is particularly my specialty, so maybe I can get into that while I try to get them into Mystara. To at least give me a chance with it.
#6
havard
Mar 27, 2004 14:25:46 Crash_Bedo wrote:
A lot of people don't seem to like Wrath of the Immortals, but its the first time I've even seen something that ambitious - moving the entire campaign world forward and creating global changes - and then following it up with PWA. Sure, White Wolf went on to become all about the 'metaplot' - but D&D did it first!

D&D did it first, but not Mystara. This was the time when the Time of Troubles ravaged the forgotten realms and Greyhawk rose "From the Ashes". These things were wreacking havoc in all the TSR campaign settings back in those days.

I don't neccesarily dislike all of WotI, but I dont like how all of thes dramatic events happened at once. Okay so WoTI spreads over a 10 year time period, but all of the dramatic stuff happens in the last 5 years of that time period.

I heard Aaron originally intended this to be a novel trilogy. I think that would have worked better. Plus, then we would have had Mystara novels written by a guy who actually knew something about Mystara....

Havard
#7
zombiegleemax
Mar 28, 2004 19:58:14 Why didn't he write the trilogy? That would have been awesome. I'm writing my own trilogy version, regardless of wether or not Wizards publishes it. Of course I won't try without their permission as they do own the rights, but I enjoy Mystara too much not to write novels in the setting.

As far as knowing about Mystara, I've campaigned in this setting since 1988 (or somewhere around there), and no other.
#8
Hugin
Mar 28, 2004 20:20:54 Hey tjedge1, go for it and good luck!
#9
havard
Mar 29, 2004 4:34:17 tjedge1 wrote:
Why didn't [Allston] write the trilogy? That would have been awesome. I'm writing my own trilogy version, regardless of wether or not Wizards publishes it. Of course I won't try without their permission as they do own the rights, but I enjoy Mystara too much not to write novels in the setting.

AFAIK TSR didnt seem interested in a new Mystara trilogy at the time so he put his ideas into the module instead. Its too bad, Im also curious about what those would have been like. Getting to see the dramatic events of WotI through the perspective of various Mystarans would have been cool.

I also wish you luck with your novel project tjedge1! Want to reveal some details? If you find that you cant get them published, you could always post them on web for us to read...

Havard
#10
zombiegleemax
Mar 29, 2004 6:42:54 That is a spectacular idea Havard! If I can't publish it and they won't, I can at least flex my writing muscles and post it on the web for all to read for free. Maybe it would be enough to drag in even more fans. Did I mention that I started a Mystara campaign with some new friends who play DragonLance. After 1/2 an adventure and character creation, they are almost turned completely away from DragonLance. The power of Mystara reigns still!

EDIT: This will get me to write it faster now, since I'm stuck ona scene in the trilogy I was writing of my own fantasy world I designed. I'll just get back to that later and publish it once my name is out there.
#11
havard
Mar 29, 2004 8:19:52 Heh,
Thats the way to do it tjedge1
Good luck with the writing. Let us know if you want to put out some teasers along the way so that we will know what to expect.

Havard
#12
zombiegleemax
Mar 29, 2004 17:32:29 I'll go ahead and design characters and freshen my memory and then work out an outline. I'll throw some teasers out then, but I won't start it yet till later in April, as my Civilization3Conquests mod is taking up too much time and I want to get done and out of the way. Then I'll jump right inot this idea whether I get paid or not. Maybe this way, when I finally send in that writing sample I did for Wizards, they will be less inclined to ignore me.
Not that I'm easy to ignore when I want to be noticed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 havard Mar 26, 2004 8:34:59	Does anyone know what Bruce Heard and the other Game designers, like Aaron Alston are up to these days? Bruce was quite active in keeping the Mystara community alive both on the mailinglist and on the old message board for several years, but I havent heard (lame pun :P) anything from him lately. Have the old wizards given up all hope of getting Mystara back in business? Anyone? With my luck some of these guys might be reading this... Havard
#2 zombiegleemax Mar 26, 2004 12:38:30	I would like to know too... I hadn't paid attention to Mystara after about 1990 or so and recently went and collected all the materials from the early 90's. I've been really impressed with the amount of unrealized potential in the setting, and Bruce and Aron really wehre the workhorses. A lot of people don't seem to like Wrath of the Immortals, but its the first time I've even seen something that ambitious - moving the entire campaign world forward and creating global changes - and then following it up with PWA. Sure, White Wolf went on to become all about the 'metaplot' - but D&D did it first! And I recently read all the Voyage of the Princess Ark episodes (and known world grimoires) in the old Dragons. Bruce carried the setting when everyone else was dropping off. Aaron had a website I saw, and looks to have moved into writing fiction (no games). Didn't find anything about Bruce.
#3 zombiegleemax Mar 26, 2004 17:50:12	I'm submitting a writing sample to Wizards of the Coast in hopes of writing novels for them. I also am a major Mystara fan and I hope to convince them eventually to let me write a line of books for the Mystara world. I'm on a campaign to revive my favorite world and bring it back to life and maybe take it further into the other unexplored realms of Mystara. There are too many fans of the old worlds to let them just slip away forever. :invasion:
#4 ranger_reg Mar 26, 2004 18:37:07	With all due respect, they're kinda busy preparing to launch the new contest-winning Eberron setting, due out in June. Aaron Allston is currently writing for Hero Games.
#5 zombiegleemax Mar 26, 2004 19:29:23	I don't think it's impossible to start another line of novels down the road. EDIT: I believe this new line is Dark Fanatasy also, which is particularly my specialty, so maybe I can get into that while I try to get them into Mystara. To at least give me a chance with it.
#6 havard Mar 27, 2004 14:25:46	Crash_Bedo wrote: A lot of people don't seem to like Wrath of the Immortals, but its the first time I've even seen something that ambitious - moving the entire campaign world forward and creating global changes - and then following it up with PWA. Sure, White Wolf went on to become all about the 'metaplot' - but D&D did it first! D&D did it first, but not Mystara. This was the time when the Time of Troubles ravaged the forgotten realms and Greyhawk rose "From the Ashes". These things were wreacking havoc in all the TSR campaign settings back in those days. I don't neccesarily dislike all of WotI, but I dont like how all of thes dramatic events happened at once. Okay so WoTI spreads over a 10 year time period, but all of the dramatic stuff happens in the last 5 years of that time period. I heard Aaron originally intended this to be a novel trilogy. I think that would have worked better. Plus, then we would have had Mystara novels written by a guy who actually knew something about Mystara.... Havard
#7 zombiegleemax Mar 28, 2004 19:58:14	Why didn't he write the trilogy? That would have been awesome. I'm writing my own trilogy version, regardless of wether or not Wizards publishes it. Of course I won't try without their permission as they do own the rights, but I enjoy Mystara too much not to write novels in the setting. As far as knowing about Mystara, I've campaigned in this setting since 1988 (or somewhere around there), and no other.
#8 Hugin Mar 28, 2004 20:20:54	Hey tjedge1, go for it and good luck!
#9 havard Mar 29, 2004 4:34:17	tjedge1 wrote: Why didn't [Allston] write the trilogy? That would have been awesome. I'm writing my own trilogy version, regardless of wether or not Wizards publishes it. Of course I won't try without their permission as they do own the rights, but I enjoy Mystara too much not to write novels in the setting. AFAIK TSR didnt seem interested in a new Mystara trilogy at the time so he put his ideas into the module instead. Its too bad, Im also curious about what those would have been like. Getting to see the dramatic events of WotI through the perspective of various Mystarans would have been cool. I also wish you luck with your novel project tjedge1! Want to reveal some details? If you find that you cant get them published, you could always post them on web for us to read... Havard
#10 zombiegleemax Mar 29, 2004 6:42:54	That is a spectacular idea Havard! If I can't publish it and they won't, I can at least flex my writing muscles and post it on the web for all to read for free. Maybe it would be enough to drag in even more fans. Did I mention that I started a Mystara campaign with some new friends who play DragonLance. After 1/2 an adventure and character creation, they are almost turned completely away from DragonLance. The power of Mystara reigns still! EDIT: This will get me to write it faster now, since I'm stuck ona scene in the trilogy I was writing of my own fantasy world I designed. I'll just get back to that later and publish it once my name is out there.
#11 havard Mar 29, 2004 8:19:52	Heh, Thats the way to do it tjedge1 Good luck with the writing. Let us know if you want to put out some teasers along the way so that we will know what to expect. Havard
#12 zombiegleemax Mar 29, 2004 17:32:29	I'll go ahead and design characters and freshen my memory and then work out an outline. I'll throw some teasers out then, but I won't start it yet till later in April, as my Civilization3Conquests mod is taking up too much time and I want to get done and out of the way. Then I'll jump right inot this idea whether I get paid or not. Maybe this way, when I finally send in that writing sample I did for Wizards, they will be less inclined to ignore me. Not that I'm easy to ignore when I want to be noticed.