Zenith Comics Presents: Supervillains! Vol. 1 - RELEASE DATE

[AslanC]

Hey there folks!

Just a note to let you know that "Zenith Comics Presents: Supervillains! Vol 1" will be releasing next Monday, the 21st of February at our RPGnow and DrivethruRPG stores!

This full colour volume of 11 villains for your BASH UE campaigns will have the special introductory price of $1.99!

More news as we get closer!

Cheers!

[MrJupiter]

Happy birthday to me! I can't wait.

[Samuraidad]

Just 1 more day! Btw, Happy Birthday, Mr. J!

[AslanC]

Uploading the files NOW to RPGNow!

Hope you all enjoy the offerings.. and always thank you for the undying support!

Seriously, if it wasn't for the great folks here at the bashtalk (and the MAN Chris Rutkowsky) this project would have died on the vine... so cheers to you all!

[urbwar]

It's now on RPGnow! I got an advance look at it, and I have to say, it is very well done. A very diverse and interesting set of villains. I hope this does well, as I would like to see more Zenith products in the future!

Get it here now!

[kevperrine]

It's now on RPGnow! I got an advance look at it, and I have to say, it is very well done. A very diverse and interesting set of villains. I hope this does well, as I would like to see more Zenith products in the future!

Get it here now!

I bought my copy!
I'm very impressed AslanC. I was very very happily surprised by the art. I like the character designs and style of most all of them. And (as you know) I'm a harsh critic. But in the constructive criticism way!

Nonetheless.
HUZZAH!
A book that (even I would say) competes with the neat stuff ICONS has been doing (as the closest style competitors to BASH!).


What sort of fun do you think it would be if I write up a review? Where would it be best done at? RPGnet? Where else?
I'd "warn" you, it will be honest. Mostly positive but I have some constructive thoughts at first glance as well. Let me know if you think my voice/review would be helpful.

I'll need to read though both stories and stats, but at first glance I give it a 4 of 5 on the BASH! BUY chart!!


Thanks again!
-kev-

[kevperrine]

My only real question about this PDF is common to many company's PDFs. Why the permission protection?

I'd like to know both as a buyer and a publisher.



As a buyer, one that's familiar with the use and options of PDFs. It's really really frustrating to not be able to grab (for example) "page 24, Jackie Frost & page 30, Skullsmasher" and pop them into my own custom PDF along with characters from 2-3 other books that I want to use in my campaign. Making a CUSTOM mini-PDF for myself. That I can easily open or print "ALL" on game day. Or any other similar type alteration to the product I just BOUGHT.
Or another thing I do (being a designer), I will often import pages from PDFs like this to GET the full 300 dpi Hi-Res image of the super character into Photoshop. I do this many times to make custom counters, etc... I can "get around" this fine by taking a snapshot of the image just as well...... doing the same thing the password STOPS me from being able to import from the PDF, the only difference is it's a lower res image. Which isn't bad really, just annoying.


As a publisher. I'm not understanding the reasons behind password protecting either. I understand watermarking a buyers name, so it's harder to distribute but why else?



Now... to each publisher their own. I'm not denouncing the product due to this. Other companies do this too (strangely it's the small press companies, not larger press such as Green Ronin), so I'm not hateful of it. Just annoyed and confused.

Any solid explanation?
Heck, maybe I'm missing something that I'll do with MY future works!

-kev-

[kevperrine]

My only real question about this PDF is common to many company's PDFs. Why the permission protection?

I'd like to know both as a buyer and a publisher.



As a buyer, one that's familiar with the use and options of PDFs. It's really really frustrating to not be able to grab (for example) "page 24, Jackie Frost & page 30, Skullsmasher" and pop them into my own custom PDF along with characters from 2-3 other books that I want to use in my campaign. Making a CUSTOM mini-PDF for myself. That I can easily open or print "ALL" on game day. Or any other similar type alteration to the product I just BOUGHT.
Or another thing I do (being a designer), I will often import pages from PDFs like this to GET the full 300 dpi Hi-Res image of the super character into Photoshop. I do this many times to make custom counters, etc... I can "get around" this fine by taking a snapshot of the image just as well...... doing the same thing the password STOPS me from being able to import from the PDF, the only difference is it's a lower res image. Which isn't bad really, just annoying.


As a publisher. I'm not understanding the reasons behind password protecting either. I understand watermarking a buyers name, so it's harder to distribute but why else?



Now... to each publisher their own. I'm not denouncing the product due to this. Other companies do this too (strangely it's the small press companies, not larger press such as Green Ronin), so I'm not hateful of it. Just annoyed and confused.

Any solid explanation?
Heck, maybe I'm missing something that I'll do with MY future works!

-kev-

[AslanC]

Thanks for the purchase Kevin, and certainly if you want to give a review, fill your boots man, part of being in the public is accepting their critique.

As for the permissions thing, that is really a question for Walt (who did the layouts and is the co-owner of Zenith) as he was the one who made those decisions.

To be honest I never even thought about it.

Against everyones advice I choose to put the stat blocks on their own pages, with an image, like a character sheet, allowing GMs to print up the characters they needed for a session without having to print extra PDF material they wouldn't need in the heat of battle.

The idea of "frankenstiening" together a PDF just isn't something I have even thought of doing.

Walt?

[kroh]

Hey guys. I am going to throw out a big Thank You to everyone who goes ahead and picks this up.

Kev, You threw out your question so let me answer. Watermarking was done when the PDF was uploaded to the store. As you pointed out. It is easy for some one with the right tools to hack up a PDF for their own use. Or be a total and complete DI** and hacking it for hacking's sake. The watermark is just a way for the publisher to put his stamp of disapproval to anyone who would pirate the work. However, we did not password protect it. If you are seeing a password then that is something the Vendor did; Not us. I downloaded several versions of the files I uploaded to Andrew on several machines and have seen no password-ing on anything.

We'll look into it and if there is something that needs to change then we fix and get it out there.

Aside from the publishing question... what did you think of the product. Like? Not like? Cool art? Neat ideas?

Regards,
Walt

[Samuraidad]

Ok, just bought it. And here's my first impressions:

1. Great production value! Love the way the book's laid out w/description then stats. The book is very attractive. Great art work. Nice that many (if not all?) the villains have an additional illustration showing them in action.
2. A very interesting set of villains with a good variety of powers. You have a ice manipulator, a brick, a darkness controller, a martial artist and more. Btw, all the character character designs are really nice. Who designed their actual looks?
3. I had to chuckle with some geek-joy at seeing the card counters for the villains in the back. It gave we a warm glow of nostalgia of the old V&V modules. Ahhhhhhhhh...

Iow, great book, Aslan! I too hope that the book sells well enough that we see more such releases in the future. Can you say A.S.G.A.R.D? I knew you could!

[drkrash]

I also bought it first thing this morning. Great work!

I thought the production values were solid. I don't want to bring up any old drama, but I can say this: if this is the model for how the future releases will be done, I'm still hesitant at spending a buck for a single guy (though there is a good chance I will anyway). Having said that, I would have paid more for this book than I did. You're getting serious value for 2 bucks.

Can't comment on the characters yet; I've only skimmed the book.

Aslan, who naysayed the idea of giving characters their own page? I'd like to know the reason behind that. In my book, I was NOT planning on doing that, but having seen yours, I kind of like it.

The additional non-character art is an excellent addition. Made me jealous. Something I won't be able to do either - not if the book wants to get done.

The counters are a nice touch. My nostalgia meter almost cost me another 2 bucks to buy the book for V&V just to read it.

[AslanC]

I am happy to see folks are enjoying it!

I'll reply more later when not on a mobile phone in class

Cheers!

[kevperrine]

Thanks for the purchase Kevin, and certainly if you want to give a review, fill your boots man, part of being in the public is accepting their critique.

Welcome!
And absolutely. I'll look to read the book full-full-fully in the next few days. My skimming became scanning and is now headed to reading, hehe.

What sites (in general) do folks think are good to post reviews for this sort of product on?
I've not done so. Expect to see that around Wed-Thur from me.

Against everyones advice I choose to put the stat blocks on their own pages, with an image, like a character sheet,

I'm Confused?
Why would this have been against everyone's advice? Your background-to-character sheet layout is exactly what I would have done. I find it handy as a Narrator to print the Character Sheet and then notes on the double-side.

On that note (sidebar), I would love to hear any details you "learned" from advice from others when asking about creating, publishing, selling, etc... on your product.

I'm vastly curious at the PROCESS. Would you care to note your stages of work and the advice (good, bad, advice you took, advice you discarded) for your fellow hobby publishers?
Maybe you could call it my "thank you" for a review? (still unbiased as I can be)

The idea of "frankenstiening" together a PDF just isn't something I have even thought of doing.

So very very helpful if you know how to do it, and if you have a program to do it with. Easy actually.
I'll cobble (Frankenstien, hehe) a big book like that for myself, especially with a game in which I have multiple books on PDF.

For example: I ran an Iron Kingdoms RPG and with 5+ factions I wanted to go through each book I had and assemble ALL of the options for Warjacks and Troops of each Faction. I made a "book" for each faction, then printed them and bound the book in a spiral bind (which I'll probably do with YOUR book soon!). That way at the game-day table I had ALL the options in one source.


Having the PDF password protected prevents that use as well as some other helpful game prep things. I sort of understand the "want" for security of a product. But for someone that knows how to "get around" that security (even in a less optimal way) it's just a hassle that makes me resent my purchase a tiny bit.

As I said. Right now, I can take a screen "snap shot" of the book and then organize it in Photoshop. But the images are only screen capture resolution, as opposed to the full 300 dpi that IMPORTING the page/image would be. And rather than just pulling over a page to make my custom frankenstien game source (noted above), I can still do that but I have to go through those hoops rather than just drag/drop without password protection.

I don't mean to belabor this tiny point. It's more a question I'm trying to suss out. Honestly, to consider if I'm missing anything that I SHOULD do with my own projects. As is, I would not password protect my publications.


thanks!
again - great work!
-kev-



Make sense?
-kev-

[kroh]

What do you mean by password protected?

Regards,
Walt

P.S. we installed no passwords on it. Do you have to enter a password every time you want to view it?