Before I go back to writing it, I’d thought I’d give a little update to the status of the current version. What I’m currently working on is a version I’m planning to make available free online and has the version number 0.19. And yes 0.19 means that there was 19 previous versions, but none that I released publicly except to a few friends for review and playtesting. This version is an evolution from v0.18 and is a revised vision of the Lost Heroes as a roleplaying game.

Additionally with this version, I’ve stripped out and dropped all fiction and anything that could be called “GM advice” and I’ve purposely split the setting from the system. The reason I pulled the fiction out is that I wanted to make the game available for reading on a computer screen and for me, I find it difficult to read descriptive fiction on a screen but easy to read technical or non-descriptive fiction, though I do think good provocative fiction is a fundamental part of any good RPG book. I do have small pieces written from previous versions that I will probably post here over time and future versions of the game will indeed include fiction.

I also wanted to concentrate on the vision and consistency of the game and world. My previous versions I mixed design with writing, using both rules and narrative to flesh out a setting. I want the setting to stand complete as it is and to have the rules drop out of it and help to clarify the setting. I’m finding that since I’m only working on the setting right now, that I’m much more elaborate and detailed than previous versions where I’d also use the rules to describe the setting. Also the system design becomes much clearer for me when distinctly separated from the setting. However I’m painfully aware that it will probably cause some frustration to usual roleplayers when reading it.

All that said, I’m about 75% through the setting (and it’s exploded in word count since previous versions). The Tuatha De Dannaa, Fomorii, Angels and Demons sections are done. I’m currently working through the Gods in the Olympian section and then all I’ll have left will be the Aesir (Norse) pantheon, some words on the different “worlds” in Lost Heroes and a look at the magic and powers from the setting perspective.

I think then I’ll make the setting available here and start work on the Character Creation and Traits chapter, followed by the System chapter.

Of course I also now have the website up and running. For the moment it’s just a platform for making releases and news. In the future, I’ll see what else it need.

Now back to writing!