Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

It's still in production as far as I know.

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

Sorry, but with in production means that has been released?

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

Production means it's getting layout, art, final checks, etc. Believe me, I want to get it to you guys, but there is a proper sequence of things and this is a mostly mechanical book. Those ALWAYS take longer. Pay attention to my blog, I'll likely talk about it there when I get it back in my hands.

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

OK thanks for your work!

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

Thanks. Hopefully it'll be out soon enough and hopefully folks like it. :-)

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

As an outsider to the process (albeit one who has paid attention in the past), I've observed that "in production" means "the author's work is 95% done, Kromm's work is 95% done, and now they're doing the hard part to make the product look like an SJG GURPS product". This includes making sure the tables are laid out properly; aligning the artwork, line quotes, and sideboxes so they don't overlap the text; and making sure the artwork matches the book. It can also mean commissioning of new artwork.

And Christopher has said this is a very crunch-heavy book; I'm expecting several tables and plenty of side-boxes.

This is stuff that takes time by a layout professional to get it looking just right; it's not the same as a self-published fan-book made by exporting a Word doc to PDF. (Also, December is terrible for such things, due to the holidays. Everyone but the bandits slack off the last two weeks of the month, and even the bandits relax between Christmas and New Year.) Be thankful SJG has a very good staff who prize quality over rushing the job; I'm looking forward to the final product, whenever it shows up.

(The last 5% from both the author and Kromm in these cases is usually a final proof of the finished product before it goes out the door, at least from what I can tell.)

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

I have to admit I follow Krom's blog amd every week my.heart sinks a little when I see it's still im production

I guess you just can't rush a good thing lol

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

A thousand manuscripts, only one Kromm.

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

Or in this case, "only one Nikki."

"Development" is shorthand for what our editors do: Handle queries, proposals, questions that arise during writing, draft reviews, questions that arise from playtesting, and editing. It can include the game design and writing itself. All of the hands-on work this implies is done in unformatted text or using Microsoft Word.

"Production" describes what our production artists do: Lay out the text; design the pages, including headers, footers, fills, bleeds, and page numbers; insert art and diagrams; create a title page (and sometimes a cover), table of contents, and index; and finally turn it all into a PDF. Stuff you'd do in, say, InDesign, or QuarkXPress.

"Production" follows "development," with the exception of last-minute changes made when the writer and editor look at the near-final work of the production artist.

Anyway, I handle "development" but Nikki handles "production." Once I start talking about something being "in production," it's totally out of my hands except from a possible last review of the product ("production review") before we upload it for you to buy.

Re: Call for Playtesters: GURPS Realm Management
 

And making more Nikkis is nearly as problematic as making more Kromms, not least because it would really complicate things for the only one Steven Marsh.