Working on the Text

          With only four days left until the release of the Monarch Courier, It's crunch time. 

          Today I hope to get the entire text for the PDF finished.  Yesterday was pretty much a wash, so I'm kind of behind.  Still, I'm enjoying what I do, so I can't complain too much, can I?

          One of the stumbling blocks to writing the text on this project is it's purpose.  By that I mean, since the Monarch is meant to be a Star Wars deck plan, I'm having to write a history that fits in with that universe without using any of the information, events or names from that universe.  It's an interesting challenge; Lucasfilm Ltd's franchise is one of the most valuable Intellectual Properties in the entertainment industry, and I absolutely cannot use any of that IP in my third-party products.  So the write-up for the Monarch is deliberately vague.  Mostly, this is no problem; after all, I've been GM-ing Star Wars campaigns since 1992 and have been designing planets, people, and of course spacecraft for the galaxy far, far away just as long.  For example, the holo-star Vega Rialtair, who is featured in the Monarch PDF, is actually older than all of my kids put together. 
           Where the conflict arises is in the "For the GM" section I usually include in my PDFs.  Most of that info is going to have to be generic, and I can't help that.  That being said, there is nothing at all stopping me from releasing Star Wars-specific information on the blog here for free.  So, in addition to Saga-edition stats for my Starships of the Galaxy, there will also be a free "For the Star Wars GM" section posted within a couple of days of the PDF's release as well.  I'm also planning on releasing stats for specific ships of that month's class and maybe an NPC as well.  These will be released in both D6 and Saga-edition rules, so you can pick your flavor without screwing around with conversion charts and such. 

         When I first started marketing deck plans, I had intended to release a free PDF every month as well.  That plan kind of fell by the wayside, as my health and related work flow issues during the holiday season made demands on my time.  So consider these free Star Wars supplements my apology for that.  You're Welcome.

          Anyway RocketFans, I hope you are looking forward to the Monarch's release as much as I am.  I'll see you Monday!

Monarch Graphics Done!

          I managed to get the cover and both maps for the Monarch project finished yesterday.  Unfortunately, I was up late making sure my lovely wife had work clothes and have been cleaning house all day.  So, rather than giving you some pithy commentary on our latest ship's progress, I'll give you a couple a thousand words worth of pictures instead.  Enjoy, RocketFans!

That 70's Space-Opera Chic

          One of the things that I've discovered really makes or breaks a set of deck plans is details. For my Black Desert plans, I've developed an entire library of scratch-made interior detail pieces that I use (sometimes with color changes) over and over again in my designs.  This makes sense within the context of The Back Desert; different governments and countries in the present-day use similar technology, so they probably will in the future.  For the new Starships of the Galaxy series, I'm having to make new consoles and stuff to reflect the purpose of the plans.  These new ships are meant to be dropped as-is into a Star Wars game; therefore, the interiors reflect that 70's Space Opera chic.

           Star Wars computers have a definite design ethic that has been preserved and re used across the saga (Star Destroyer bridges come to mind).  These computers are long on the flashing lights and short on anything resembling a reasonable user interface.  Whatever we may personally think about these red- and-black monstrosities, they serve as an instantly recognizable detail of a Star Wars spacecraft.  The map pieces made by Wizards of the Coast for the Star Wars: Miniatures game are an excellent example.  If you want to make your own Star Wars maps, you can download these map elements and make your very own locations from a galaxy far, far away.

For example...Download this and other tiles at http://www.the-holocron.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=36&func=fileinfo&id=39

          Not that this helps me very much.

          Those handy dandy map elements are not only under the WotC copyright, They are under the Lucasfilm Ltd. License, which means I will never in a million years think of using them for any of my Blue Max Studios products.  But I remain undeterred; after all, I have a Wacom tablet, GIMP, and enough imagination to invoke that 70's Space Opera Chic without stealing it.  So here is a look at one of the interior consoles for the Monarch project that I custom designed my very own self:

Enjoy, RocketFans, and I'll see you tomorrow!