Enemy in Shadows: Thoughts and reactions
Glad to see I'm not the only one bothered by the lack of start date, even if it is a minor detail. If I'm feeling generous I assume it's to allow groups to slot the start of EiS onto their existing campaign without being beholden to a certain date. But then it's clear from other parts that certain events take place at specific times of the year, which makes it seem like an oversight. Maybe it'll be mentioned in the Companion.
- Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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LOL. Enemy In Shadows Companion... Don't start your campaign without it!
- Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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BTW all, i did let Cubicle 7 know about an error in the PDF and the did write back to say it would be rectified, so if you do spot any errors or omissions i think it would be worth letting them know.
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It will be more important as the campaign goes on, too. Death on the Reik is a sprawling monster (well, campaign in it's own right) and the final 3 parts need quite a bit of timing.
All it really takes is a recommended start date that can fit into the existing material as the default of the setting.
Could be worth mentioning on drivethrurpg in the discussion section. I note that there is mention of travelling cost for starter characters already on there.
All it really takes is a recommended start date that can fit into the existing material as the default of the setting.
Could be worth mentioning on drivethrurpg in the discussion section. I note that there is mention of travelling cost for starter characters already on there.
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I followed the posted link to an errata page that I've used a couple of times. What method did you use?totsuzenheni wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 6:30 am BTW all, i did let Cubicle 7 know about an error in the PDF and the did write back to say it would be rectified, so if you do spot any errors or omissions i think it would be worth letting them know.
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I emailed them.FasterThanJesus wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 6:33 amI followed the posted link to an errata page that I've used a couple of times. What method did you use?totsuzenheni wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 6:30 am BTW all, i did let Cubicle 7 know about an error in the PDF and the did write back to say it would be rectified, so if you do spot any errors or omissions i think it would be worth letting them know.
I emailed them again today and they asked if i could put it on the google document (which i wasn't aware of previously). I guess that's what you're referring to @FasterThanJesus. It is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... g/viewform .
Ok, that form isn't perfect for omissions (as opposed to typos or errors), but I have submitted a suggestion for a start date to be provided in the "Starting the Adventure" paragraph on page 11. That seemed like the most sensible place for it.
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Yes, that's the one.totsuzenheni wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 6:37 am I emailed them.
I emailed them again today and they asked if i could put it on the google document (which i wasn't aware of previously). I guess that's what you're referring to @FasterThanJesus. It is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... g/viewform .
I think I'll join you and add my voice.
The more the merrier! And who knows, they might actually listen...
- Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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I don't think that's a problem @macd21. Having a start date given in the campaign doesn't prevent a GM from moving it and gives the GM something to work with.
But what would be the point? I don’t see what it adds to the campaign, other than an irritant for all the GMs who have to change the date? If I was writing the campaign, I’d specifically avoid mentioning dates. If I was editing it, I’d be sure to remove them.
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The point is to give the GM a structure which they can use and adjust. Why would it irritate a GM if they need to change the date any more than it would it they needed to figure it out and deduce it from the handouts?
I think that a start date is pretty important for GM´s since seasons change and that can affect things like travel (which is a big factor in TEW as far as I remember). So at least you would be aware that if you place the campaign in a different season then you might have to adjust timelines etc. later in the campaign.
The problem is that there are dates mentioned. The handouts refer to Jahrdrung amd Mitterfruhl, and they only work with the adventure as written if you use a start date of 24 Jahrdrung.
If all dates are removed, there is no problem. Removing some of them while keeping others creates the problem.
If you're slotting in other adventures (even if that's recommended in the books), you're already not running the campaign as written. Some campaigns lend themselves easier to being vague about specific timeframes (or being set at any time of year. Others, especially long ones like TEW, can benefit from having these things clarified at the outset. Even if no further dates are provided in the rest of the campaign, at least the GM can track time consistently.
I don't know, for me personally I feel like a start date is easier to ignore if it's provided than figure out if it's not. And this discussion stems from the fact that they included a calendar for the express purpose of tracking the days but gave no starting point to track from - not even a year (unless I missed it), which they were conversely very explicit about in the Guide to Ubersreik, which is supposed to tie into the events of TEW.
Admittedly, it's an optional extra in the appendix. So maybe a better idea than giving the start date in the main body of the campaign would be adding it to where the calendar is, with something like "For groups wanting to track the days, the campaign is intended to start on [Day] [Month] [Year]. GMs may wish to change this date to suit their own ongoing campaigns, or ignore it entirely."
Yeah, that is a problem.Gideon wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:29 amThe problem is that there are dates mentioned. The handouts refer to Jahrdrung amd Mitterfruhl, and they only work with the adventure as written if you use a start date of 24 Jahrdrung.
If all dates are removed, there is no problem. Removing some of them while keeping others creates the problem.
- Totsuzenheni Yukimi
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You could argue that specific dates aren't required, but Enemy In Shadows, especially the Shadows part, does have a schedule. You're not arguing that an explicit schedule / timetable wouldn't be useful are you? I take it you're arguing that the schedule doesn't need to be tied to specific dates. In any case i agree with @Karanthir when they wrote:
This:
And this of course:Karanthir wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:35 amAnd this discussion stems from the fact that they included a calendar for the express purpose of tracking the days but gave no starting point to track from - not even a year (unless I missed it), which they were conversely very explicit about in the Guide to Ubersreik, which is supposed to tie into the events of TEW.
Admittedly, it's an optional extra in the appendix. So maybe a better idea than giving the start date in the main body of the campaign would be adding it to where the calendar is, with something like "For groups wanting to track the days, the campaign is intended to start on [Day] [Month] [Year]. GMs may wish to change this date to suit their own ongoing campaigns, or ignore it entirely."