Tales of the Far West
  • Surfmonkey01 +1 -1
    I thought we were supposed to see the fiction anthology this week, but here it is Friday and nuthin. What's the latest? I'd been looking forward to fix diving into it this weekend...
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    I lost some time at work this week, because of having to deal with somebody getting ahold of my debit card number and running up a bunch of fraudulent charges. (The good news is, it's taken care of now, the charges have been reversed, and I'm waiting on a new card.)

    It'll be out in the coming week.
  • Surfmonkey01 +1 -1
    Man, there must have been a lot of debit card fraud in the last week... I heard of at least 3 cases at work this week , too? Was it Chase, offhand?
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    Nope. Paypal, actually. (and before the inevitable litany against Paypal begins -- I've been using them for over a decade, and this is literally the first problem I've ever had.)
  • rexroad33rexroad33 +1 -1
    I love that PayPal. I have been using them for years too.
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1 (+5 / -0 )
    Quick update on this: My editing and layout of TALES is complete, and I passed it off to T.S. (and my wife Laura) last night, for them to give a quick once-over before we release.

    Digital copies should go out to backers no later than this weekend, with print available via Amazon in the coming week.

    There will be an article posted on the website this Friday, with an excerpt from one of the stories, "He Built The Wall To Knock It Down" by Scott Lynch (author of the Gentleman Bastards series of fantasy novels).

    Plus: JadeScorpion, Moonshine, Sixgun_Fu_Jow, rexroad33, Yuutousei

  • Moonshine +1 -1
    Man...how did I miss Scott Lynch was writing a story. That's awesome...I really like the Gentleman Bastards (everyone go get a copy of The Lies of Locke Lamora for a super fun read) and can't wait to see what he does with this setting.
  • jehosephat +1 -1
    Quite, yes.

    Though I'd qualify The Lies of Locke Lamora as a super fun read that kicks you in the teeth a few times.
  • Greatwyrm +1 -1
    Tales this weekend? Rock on!
  • YuutouseiYuutousei +1 -1
    Well, I know what I'm doing durng the Lan party this weekend.
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1 (+1 / -0 )
    Tales of the Far West will be available in digital and print formats in the coming week, via various sales outlets including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Far West webstore. Featuring a dozen tales from critically-acclaimed and award-winning authors from the fantasy, science-fiction, horror and adventure genres, Tales of the Far West kicks off Adamant Entertainment’s line of Far West fiction, which will include novels, further anthologies and more.

    Far West Kickstarter backers have just been sent email detailing how they can download the book in the digital format of their choosing (If you haven’t received this email, please drop me a line.

    In addition, an excerpt from "He Built The Wall To Knock It Down" by Scott Lynch has been posted to the website: http://intothefarwest.com/2012/01/27/tales-of-the-far-west-preview-excerpt-by-scott-lynch/

    Plus: GWilson

  • Azaiah_the_Moon_LionAzaiah_the_Moon_Lion +1 -1
    Keep up the great work, Gareth! Thanks for all of your effort and keeping us updated! :)
  • GWilson +1 -1
    Do Immortals of the Far West get a physical copy as well for free, or does the digital copy fulfill that? I can understand either decision.
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1 (+1 / -0 )
    The Immortals will get physical copies as well, once we have them.

    Plus: Gau

  • Gau +1 -1
    SWEET!! Have my e-copy and about ready to go home (at work now) and settle in on the couch with it.


    (Also...very cool about Immortals and hard copies!)

    Thanks gang for working so hard on this.
  • YuutouseiYuutousei +1 -1
    Grabbed my copy on my phone (that was harder than I thought it would be) and I'll probaly read until my battery runs dry. Looks great so ar!
  • BrasidasBrasidas +1 -1
    I enjoyed the preview snippet, but y'all're cruel people to make me wait until Monday before I can order. :)
  • BenBen +1 -1
    ...
  • TSLuikartTSLuikart +1 -1
    If you guys enjoy the stories, you should definitely look up their respective authors - all of which are not only award winning authors, but gamer-peeps or friends of mine and/or Gareth.

    Chuck Wendig gives out excellent writing advice at his blog TerribleMinds - I just read his first novel, Double Dead, and it was really fun.

    Jason L. Blair is an old friend of ours. Author of Little Fears and the forthcoming (very successfully kickstarted) Streets of Bedlam. He also wrote Prey 2, which looks wicked slick.

    More shout outs when I have the time - correction - when I make the time. I never have free time. ;)
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1 (+1 / -0 )
    Ben--

    The email that was sent out to backers includes the link and the password. Check your spam folder.

    -Gareth

    Plus: rexroad33

  • CoalhadaCoalhada +1 -1
    Downloaded and started reading today, although I've been out and about, so not had much chance to get far.
  • BenBen +1 -1
    GMSkarka said:

    Ben--

    The email that was sent out to backers includes the link and the password. Check your spam folder.

    -Gareth



    Got your e-mail and thank you.

    Might anyone be able to help me find the link to the password page? I seem to have misplaced it... :)


  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    Ben.... the link is in the email that was sent.
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    TALES OF THE FAR WEST has now gone live in the Amazon Kindle store (including the international stores, although the below link is to the US one):

    TALES OF THE FAR WEST -- Kindle Edition


    We're going to ask you guys for more support: After you've read the book, PLEASE leave a review on Amazon. Reviews are how the book places higher in recommendation and search functions. You can review the book even if you didn't purchase it from Amazon, so all of our Kickstarter backers are eligible. We're not asking for shill reviews -- just give your honest assessment. The more reviews we get, the better!

    Thank you so much.
  • BenBen +1 -1
    Thanks. I am a zombie...60+ hour weeks are killer.



  • BenBen +1 -1
    On page 23 and LOVING it! I am recommending this to a few people who I'm sure will love it and I have some friends with Kindles who will appreciate it as a gift. If this small snippet's indicative of the rest, this is some damn fine work! (I should sleep, but...wow!)
  • malicewagonmalicewagon +1 -1
    Figures. I just went out and bought books too.
  • Gau +1 -1
    Ok...most of the way through the first story. This is great stuff. Its has me chomping at the bit for the game....gotta start tinkering in the world.
  • Soless +1 -1
    Did anyone else have problems with the .epub file? I unzipped it and all I got was a bunch of disparate files.
  • lithicbeelithicbee +1 -1
    I have finished the first four stories so far and it has gotten me excited about Far West again. I have blogged about my take on those stories and my travels with Far West so far, so if you are so inclined, check out http://lithicbee.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/my-journey-into-the-far-west/

    Soless, when I unzipped it just now to test it out, it was one epub file and it opened in Calibre.
  • RomanRoman +1 -1
    Finished about 75% of the book so far. Really enjoying it--looking forward to seeing how the game manages to handle all the furious kung fu, firefights, and wondrous inventions.

    (One small significant typo--in "Errant Eagles" by Will Hindmarch, Marsdan's associate's name changes during the course of the story, from "Sailkirk" to "Sankirk".)
  • RomanRoman +1 -1
    Soless said:

    Did anyone else have problems with the .epub file? I unzipped it and all I got was a bunch of disparate files.



    I had the same experience.
  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    Can you give a list of the files?
  • TSLuikartTSLuikart +1 -1
    Lithicbee - this quote from the adventure book is for you. :)

    The Wandering Stars greatly value their neutrality, because it lets them solitarily wander where they will, reasonably confident that they will not run into any trouble they can’t handle. Sooner or later though, their long journeys across the face of the Far West will occasionally lead to a Wandering Star encountering something so vile that they cannot just turn away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual they call "Stilling the Wings" in which they carefully conceal their tattoos under silk wraps before acting according to their consciences. No Wandering Star ever does this lightly, for they know that every time they do so draws them closer to the day when their “neutrality” will no longer be honored.
  • malicewagonmalicewagon +1 -1
    TSLuikart said:

    Lithicbee - this quote from the adventure book is for you. :)

    The Wandering Stars greatly value their neutrality, because it lets them solitarily wander where they will, reasonably confident that they will not run into any trouble they can’t handle. Sooner or later though, their long journeys across the face of the Far West will occasionally lead to a Wandering Star encountering something so vile that they cannot just turn away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual they call "Stilling the Wings" in which they carefully conceal their tattoos under silk wraps before acting according to their consciences. No Wandering Star ever does this lightly, for they know that every time they do so draws them closer to the day when their “neutrality” will no longer be honored.



    And yet again you affirm my desire to play a Wanderer.
  • GobboGobbo +1 -1
    Great stuff so far! Love this set of stories.
  • BenBen +1 -1
    TSLuikart said:

    Lithicbee - this quote from the adventure book is for you. :)

    The Wandering Stars greatly value their neutrality, because it lets them solitarily wander where they will, reasonably confident that they will not run into any trouble they can’t handle. Sooner or later though, their long journeys across the face of the Far West will occasionally lead to a Wandering Star encountering something so vile that they cannot just turn away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual they call "Stilling the Wings" in which they carefully conceal their tattoos under silk wraps before acting according to their consciences. No Wandering Star ever does this lightly, for they know that every time they do so draws them closer to the day when their “neutrality” will no longer be honored.



    Extremely cool.

    BTW, for those with a Kindle, which version is the best for RPG books (all of mine are PDF, if that matters) and that would function well in sunlight? (I work in the desert, so a shadier spot than the inside of a truck isn't always available). Also, I'd like one that's easy to use in gaming sessions (such as "flipping" pages and selecting books), if that's possible. I've read the Amazon reviews, but I figured asking fellow gamers would get me better results.
  • lithicbeelithicbee +1 -1
    Ben said:


    BTW, for those with a Kindle, which version is the best for RPG books (all of mine are PDF, if that matters) and that would function well in sunlight? (I work in the desert, so a shadier spot than the inside of a truck isn't always available). Also, I'd like one that's easy to use in gaming sessions (such as "flipping" pages and selecting books), if that's possible. I've read the Amazon reviews, but I figured asking fellow gamers would get me better results.



    I have a Kindle Keyboard (the one from before the current Touch models) and I would say "no way" to trying to read PDFs on it. It is just too small and it is not quick to navigate to a certain section in a large PDF. I haven't used a Kindle Fire but that might work better. I do have a Toshiba Thrive 10" and that works pretty well for PDFs although I imagine the glare in sunlight might be an issue there, too.

  • BenBen +1 -1
    Thanks. As expensive as they are, it's not like I want to just take a shot and try one. Maybe a good 'ole fashioned laptop would be better.
  • lithicbeelithicbee +1 -1
    Ben said:

    Thanks. As expensive as they are, it's not like I want to just take a shot and try one. Maybe a good 'ole fashioned laptop would be better.



    Ben, check this out (http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/9/2693650/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-a-windows-8-laptop-that-bends-backwards-into-a). I want one of these when they come out; I think it will be perfect for reading PDFs and working as a traditional laptop.

  • BenBen +1 -1
    That's damn neat! Thank you.
  • jehosephat +1 -1
    TSLuikart said:

    Lithicbee - this quote from the adventure book is for you. :)

    The Wandering Stars greatly value their neutrality, because it lets them solitarily wander where they will, reasonably confident that they will not run into any trouble they can’t handle. Sooner or later though, their long journeys across the face of the Far West will occasionally lead to a Wandering Star encountering something so vile that they cannot just turn away. When this happens, they undergo a ritual they call "Stilling the Wings" in which they carefully conceal their tattoos under silk wraps before acting according to their consciences. No Wandering Star ever does this lightly, for they know that every time they do so draws them closer to the day when their “neutrality” will no longer be honored.



    This level of neutrality might make them a bit difficult to play, even with the occasional exception. Being stuck on the sidelines isn't the most fun position for any player. Though I suppose, in some cases, they could be taking indirect action to limit the collateral damage or consequences of a conflict without necessarily compromising their neutrality.

    That said, having someone around whom "everybody knows" to be an impartial party could be valuable. I can see Wandering Stars taking the negotiator role in many groups.
  • BenBen +1 -1
    I see them much as the Jedi should've been in that they only take defined action when it's truly necessary. In that they're sure to gain some enemies, but I'd like to think that since they're known for their neutrality, when they do take action most see it as something that must be done.

    "Did you hear about that Wandering Star who defeated Clack Culmer?!"

    "Yep. Them there scroundrels had it comin'. Don't git their 'tention 'less you done wrong". *spits into a spitoon*

    Something like that. I could be way off.

    BTW, how generally known is the term "Stilling the Wings"? If a knows Star shows up with concealed tattoos are people like, "Oh, hell..."?
  • TSLuikartTSLuikart +1 -1
    Actually, all of the Martial/Secret Clans have drawbacks that make them "difficult to play" in the traditional sense of a "wandering group of adventurers who travel about seeking trouble, excitement, and loot". That's part of the fun.

    The Wandering Stars are one of the most public of the "secret" clans and there are a lot of stories about them in the Far West. While most folk may not know all of the significance of the ritual, or the name "Stilling the Wings" when an individual they know to be a Star shows up with their arms wrapped in silk, they tend to run for cover.
  • BenBen +1 -1 (+1 / -0 )
    I'm not looking for murder-hobos, by any stretch of the imagination. :D I feel that would be a disservice to the setting.

    What would the drawback be for the Rangers? I've assumed it's like being a Jedi or Solar Exalted insofar as they have to be very careful about who they reveal themselves to, for fear of reprisal. For the Jade Family it seems enough to be known as such, but we'll have to see.

    Oh! Are there "dark arts" such as the Five-Venom Fist (I believe that's what it was named) from "True Legend"? That villain was excellent. I'm also very excited for any drunken style(s) and something that affects Chi-flow, whether positively or negatively. I've always loved that scene in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" where Chow Yun-fat's character releases that man from his paralysis. Very cool.

    Plus: hewhowalks

  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    The print edition of TALES OF THE FAR WEST is now available via the official webstore:

    http://intothefarwest.com/store/

    It will be available from Amazon.com next week.

    The 5.5"x8.5" paperback is $14.95.
  • Soless +1 -1
    GMSkarka,

    When I unzip the ePub file, I get the following files: https://skitch.com/soless/g6aw1/talesofthefarwest-2
  • lithicbeelithicbee +1 -1 (+2 / -0 )
    Thanks to all those who visited my blog to read my partial review of TotFW. I finished the book and now my full review is up at http://lithicbee.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/tales-of-the-far-west-full-review/

    Plus: rexroad33, Ben

  • GMSkarkaGMSkarka +1 -1
    Soless-- that's bizarre. I've never seen that before. It's like your system isn't assembling the EPUB (those are the components).
  • CoalhadaCoalhada +1 -1
    lithicbee: 'clamor' is a word, y'know.
    Other than that, good review.

    edit: My Kindle copy didn't have that formatting error you mention. Might be something for GMS to look into if it has been introduced with more recent copies.
  • lithicbeelithicbee +1 -1
    Coalhada, I know clamor and clangor are both words, but in this case, the character is in a closed room but can tell that sounds are coming from a smithy because she hears the "clamor." Since clamor is "a loud and confused noise, esp. that of people shouting vehemently," I am thinking they meant to use the word clangor ("A continuous loud banging or ringing sound,") which would more likely mark the presence of a smithy. I know it is nitpicky but these are the sorts of things I notice when reading, so I shared it. Thanks for the compliment on my review; it's nice to know when people are reading my stuff.
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