I got to talk with David Trotti, the author of Japan: Empire of Shadows, a comprehensively researched megatome of a supplement for CoC set in 1930s Japan. He answered some burning questions.
Dave, I wanted to compliment you on this fascinating and deep interview. Great work, as always! David Trotti is fascinating and I hope all his creative efforts bear fruit. Empire of Shadows looks tremendous.
But the interview also highlights the tragedy of RPG writing and design: there is no money in it. Absolutely no way to support a middle-class family unless you're one of the very, very few whose name attached to a project ensures success (RDL, Ken Hite, Gaska, for example). Empire of Shadows (400 pages, color, art) represents years of work by <checks DriveThru> ONE (!) person and sells for $15 bucks. And even at that price, people will quibble. It's tragic that so much brilliance gets little more than appreciation in return.
Do you think that game designers (goes for video games too) will ever get the recognition they deserve on par with authors or film directors for bringing so much goodness to human culture?
Such a tragic truth. I feel quite lucky to have discovered Trotti's Japan Empire of Shadows book at all. Almost completely by chance.
So much of the success of any publishing endeavor hinges upon marketing and cultivating reach. And that's a whole can of worms most creators don't want to open!
Dave, I wanted to compliment you on this fascinating and deep interview. Great work, as always! David Trotti is fascinating and I hope all his creative efforts bear fruit. Empire of Shadows looks tremendous.
But the interview also highlights the tragedy of RPG writing and design: there is no money in it. Absolutely no way to support a middle-class family unless you're one of the very, very few whose name attached to a project ensures success (RDL, Ken Hite, Gaska, for example). Empire of Shadows (400 pages, color, art) represents years of work by <checks DriveThru> ONE (!) person and sells for $15 bucks. And even at that price, people will quibble. It's tragic that so much brilliance gets little more than appreciation in return.
Do you think that game designers (goes for video games too) will ever get the recognition they deserve on par with authors or film directors for bringing so much goodness to human culture?
Such a tragic truth. I feel quite lucky to have discovered Trotti's Japan Empire of Shadows book at all. Almost completely by chance.
So much of the success of any publishing endeavor hinges upon marketing and cultivating reach. And that's a whole can of worms most creators don't want to open!