'When is the final Vulcanverse book coming out?'
That's the question I get asked most these days, and fair enough too. We thought it would be published a year ago. At this point I'm well into George R R Martin territory.
The truth is that it proved to be a much bigger job than the first four books. There's the same open-world structure as you explore Vulcan City, but that's only half of this book. There's also the endgame in which the quest that has developed through the rest of the series reaches a climax. And that involves choices that you have made in all five books, as well as having to allow for freedom of choice as to which of the various warring powers you want to align yourself with.
At the time of writing the book is approaching 1600 sections. And it's around 220,000 words, which is more than twice as long as The Houses of the Dead. All of that requires a lot of careful checking to make sure everything works. I want to get it right, and I have a couple of very capable volunteers who are helping with that. It's coming together and I'm hoping we'll be able to put it on sale within a month or two.
You can get the earlier books here. Alternatively, hang on just a bit longer and you can start your adventures in book 5, Workshop of the Gods. And thank you for your patience.
Also, do you know when is Jewelspider coming out?
ReplyDeleteBy coincidence I talk about that in my latest Jewelspider Patreon post. As soon as Workshop of the Gods is finished, Jewelspider is my next priority. The PDF should be available to Patreon backers by spring or early summer, with the color hardback on sale a few months later. There'll be a black & white paperback edition too, but that might not be before the end of the year.
DeleteYou still recommend starting on Book 5 instead of the other books? ("Completed" Houses of the Dead main quests, but, thinking on starting over once Book 5 is released)
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, if you have any interest for this or future releases, I can create Gamebook trailers - https://youtu.be/SW_2UnrVbTQ?si=fDsJaxRu-AkV9K5Y
I think Book 5 is the best place to start because you begin as a native of the city, which gives you options not available to characters who start in other books. Also you have a family home, which means you have a base in the city right from the start. But the saga is designed so that you can start in any book and still complete the whole thing.
DeleteI'll keep the trailers in mind. Probably not for Vulcanverse (which isn't me own world, after all) but maybe for one of my upcoming projects like Shadow King or Abraxas.
It will be the first Open World Saga finished in Gamebook history
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of that -- although each Steam Highwayman book is self-contained, so although that series may go on indefinitely (as indeed I hope it does) it's never "incomplete". Still, when Workshop of the Gods is released I guess it will be the first time an open-world series has run all the way through to the end.
DeleteI have a question. Did you write the legendary kingdoms gamebooks?, I can't find out who wrote them but they are good enough to have been wrote by you so I'm hoping they were wrote by you
ReplyDeleteI didn't wrote them. Google says Oliver Hulme did. I have had a look at the LK books and they are interesting. If you like those, try the Steam Highwayman series by Martin Noutch.
DeleteThanks, somehow I couldn't found out who wrote them
DeleteNo offence to Oliver Hulme but The Legendary Kingdoms Gamebooks are as good that I knew it was possible that you wrote them so I was hoping you had
I googled "who wrote the legendary kingdoms books?" One of the links that came up was to this interview in which Oliver Hulme talks about the books that inspired him.
DeleteMartin Noutch is writing a new open world gamebook series called Saga, set in the time of the Vikings. I think Vulcanverse will still get to be the first such series that's actually completed, though.
DeleteI've decided to list what in my opinion are the top 7 Gamebooks that weren't written by you that are so good that if I didn't know better I would have assumed that
Deleteyou wrote them
Legendary Kingdoms Gamebook 1
Legendary Kingdoms Gamebook 2
Carwars Gamebook 1
Lost Jedi Gamebook 1
Golem of Brick Lane
Asterix to The Rescue
Fabled Lands Book 7
That's an interesting list. I've only read Fabled Lands book 7 but I like that The Golem of Brick Lane sounds like it's set in real Victorian times rather than a fantasy version.
DeleteHere's the list of what I believe are the top 5 Gamebooks and the best RPG Scenario that was written by either you or Jamie or you and James that I believe could easily be converted into A Fabled Lands adventure and what I think would be the best way to integrate them into the world of The Fabled Lands
ReplyDeleteThe 1st of the 2 adventures from Dragon Warriors Gamebook 1. Set it in a part of Golnir that we pass through between paragraphs and have the traitors be plotting against Baroness Vanna
Down Among The Deadmen. After saving Queen Titania your character chooses to become a adventurer and chooses to start his career in The Fabled Lands
Talismen of Death. Your summoned to Orb from The World of Fabled Lands and before you go back to The World of Fabled Lands The Gods make you hand over The Talismen of Death
Sword of The Samurai. Base it on a gigantic island that's close enough to Akutsurai that The culture, fashion, trends and religions influence those of but its also far enough from Akutsurai that it isn't classed as part of Akutsurai
Blood Sword Book 2. Change it to A solo adventure, have it based just off the north western edge of the map but its still part of the country that Book 11 takes place in and your hired to kill The Warlock King before he can use his Undead Legions to take over the world
Duel Masters Book 2 -Valley of Death. Base it somewhere that's just off the far south eastern tip of the map but it still takes place in that you visit in Book 11
The Duel Masters series are my favourite gamebooks. I wish Jamie and Mark would republish them. Book 2 (which was published in Britain as Blood Valley) is a good one, but I think the archveult character is too personally powerful for game balance. He or she should benefit from all the traps that can be set, while the barbarian should be tougher in a fight. (Also I'd rather Jamie & Mark hadn't just ripped off a Jack Vance character type as the name of their lizard men, but if it was ever republished they could correct that.)
DeleteWhat do you think of the changes I suggested for adapting them to The Fabled Lands" and ways to integrate them into The World of The Fabled Lands?
DeleteBlood Sword and Dragon Warriors are set in the world of Legend, which is a very different kind of fantasy from the Fabled Lands. And the snag with using Orb is that it is owned by Mark Smith, who has his own plans for novels and RPGs set in that world.
DeleteHowever, the good news is that Paul Gresty has adapted my Golden Dragon gamebook, The Castle of Lost Souls, into a Fabled Lands Quest set in Golnir. As soon as he's finished checking it, we hope to publish that one.
What do you think of my suggestion for incorporating Down Among The Deadmen into The Fabled Lands?. It was that after saving Queen Titania your character chooses to become a adventurer and he or chooses to start his career in The Fabled Lands
ReplyDeleteI guess the big question is which countries stand in for Glorianne and Sidonia (explicitly identified as England and Spain in the Inkle version)? So there might need to be a way to hop between universes. In the final Vulcanverse book you may have an opportunity to do exactly that -- but I mustn't say any more in case of spoilers!
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