Tortured Earth

  One of the persistent requests made of us has been the development of instructional videos detailing the finer points of the game system. Our ability to produces these has been dependent on funds to outsource the project as neither Kevin nor I have any real experience in the process.  Fortunately, we live in an age where tools are being developed that will give independent developers a chance at producing quality videos. Understand, I'm not calling my work quality as of yet. However, with the development of AI voiceovers, we are hoping to transform the videos into something more presentable.  I recognize the fact I can write and visually design the production. However, my accent and annunciation of the English language has room for improvement. We are hoping to get a series of these videos out there with the intent of turning their production over to AI voiceovers. With any luck, we'll be able to modify the videos and improve the sound quality. As far as content, I feel...

  For those of you who write, this writer's block is the impenetrable, merciless wall requiring vast amounts of personal energy to overcome. For a game writer, it can be the undoing of a company. Especially if you are a small company. We must create rules, creatures, and adventures. We correspond with other game creators, artists, and supply companies. Interruptions in those lines of communication can quickly undo the best of organizations. At first, writing was a means to an end. Writing for the game required constant effort. After a while, it became just part of my day. Reflecting on it, it’s evident a routine was established. The trick has become just that, a routine. During the construction of our 2.0 version, I also decided to start a blog to journal the effort required to complete the project. The blog quickly became my free writing time in which I simply poured out my thoughts and feelings for the world to see. As we moved from actual writing to editing (still have cold ...

  In the initial 1.0 phase of Tortured Earth, we approached the project with an idea, enthusiasm, and a shoestring budget. One of my students was working on a comic book project with another friend and, as happens with so many first attempts, it flaked out. He was left with a large amount of artwork that really had no purpose. I was in desperate need of A LOT of artwork. I purchased the images from him and used them throughout the book. Even his concept art and doodles found a place in the book. To make up for the lack of art, we used colorful background images which alluded to the general theme of the core storyline. It was a graphics design tactic suggested to me by a friend who majored in the topic. When the book was released, we immediately underwent criticism for the boldness of the pages, color choices of the text blocking, and lack of illustration. There was no mercy from the critics for our lack of resources. There was no understanding that this was a first print or the...

For those of you following the website, you may note we’ve picked up a new talent – Anthony Kallas. Like so many personalities we meet at conventions, Anthony was an avid gamer. Unlike many, he was also an established author. He expressed a keen interest in the Tortured Earth multiverse and was anxious to contribute to it. Surprisingly, he produced a module in short order. Kevin and I were able to reliably promise to have the module edited and ready for publication by the beginning of March. We put in the hours to edit the module and made sure it conformed the to Tortured Earth universe. I present this background to set the stage for the establishment of realistic expectations. The issue with publishing is this: the publisher. We use Ingram Spark as our printing agency. The company is reliable, produces quality products, and has print houses worldwide. The downside of the company is the process one must undergo to actually see their product in print. Modules and game guides are gra...

I guess I should begin with an explanation as to why I’ve been so silent lately. In short, we’ve been VERY busy. Tortured Earth moved from roughly 25 conventions per year to 38 per year. The past two years have been madness, to say the least.   In all of this, I was involved in a project to open a new school. Tortured Earth’s convention presence skyrocketed. I reached a threshold at which I was able to completely retire from education and move forward with the game’s development. We managed to pick up a new writer, started writing a whole lot more ourselves, and are releasing new modules this year.   I hired a full-time employee, had to let him go, and learned a lot in the process. (This will be discussed in a later blog post.)   So many things have changed in the industry. We’ve seen the emergence of AI for nearly all aspects of creation. (Again, discussed in a later post.) Fortunately, between Kevin and myself, we’ve got enough nightmares running around in o...

I have to begin this article with an apology. It's been a rough few months since my last entry. To begin with, the books are published. We've turned out the next three books in the series: Tortured Earth Core Rule Book, The Travel Journal of Mica Greer (Supplement), and The Unofficial Account of Gavin Harris (Supplement). In addition, we've produced a line of modules designed to get people playing the game. Each is a one-shot ending with a transition into another reality. In all, we've managed to produce four mini-modules with a fifth in editing at this point. Kevin is currently working on his first module and I'm outlining more creatures for the next two supplements. On top of all the writing, we've decided to take a leap of faith and make our works available in PDF format. As of now, we have the GM guide and both supplements on DriveThruRPG.com. We've even made a few sales.  The main hesitation with releasing PDFs has been security. After speaking with oth...

Over the past few weeks, Kevin and I have been working to add stories to the Tortured Earth collection. At the moment, we are converting some of the convention modules into boxed sets - each set containing a Rules Lite GM Guide, Rules Lite Player's Guide, Story booklet, Fold-out maps, Character sheets for 10 people, and two sets of dice.  The current design of the Rules Lite set allows players to run the boxed scenario but also opens the doors for a broader storyboard if a GM is creative and wants to get a little extra mileage out of the set. Each boxed set is designed to serve as a story starter for a larger campaign and can be used by GMs as a means of introducing players to more advanced game mechanics. With all that said, allow me to inform you of the reality of a small game company producing said boxed sets. Due to the uncertainty of customer interest in the boxed set, we have been producing the sets ourselves. This means we have a spiral binding machine and assemble the sets ...

With the publication of Tortured Earth 2.0, production of minimodules, and the dreadful editing of our upcoming modules, Mountains of Mists and Mystery is now available as a download to fill the span between releases. For those wishing to launch into a post-apocalyptic campaign, please enjoy the story. As always, Tortured Earth is looking for module writers willing to contribute to the mad multiverse we propose. The current phase has Kevin and I converting the game demos into minimodules for our Game Night in a Box line. We are also writing and editing our own projects. We are also gearing up for a busy convention cycle, having been admitted into Origins in Columbus, OH and PAX - Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA. It's difficult to contain the excitement of being able to present at such large conventions.  After speaking with our caster, we are told the first line of miniatures is still a few weeks away. The ultimate goal is to have modules, books, and minis ready for Origins and pres...