Is the Rifts: Chaos Earth Line Dead?

[Dr. Doom III]

All release dates are in "Palladium Time".

[Warwolf]

Rifter #29 (from the beginning of this year) listed the Nema Mission Book and low and behold Psionic Storm. They were both due out by the end of the year (meaning whenever Palladium gets around to it).

[Dustin Fireblade]

Well I know of a couple of people that had or have plans to do some stuff for CE after current projects are finished.

[Tinker Dragoon]

I’m a huge fan of the Rifts: Chaos Earth line, but I’m starting to think its dead. The only new CE book in the pipe is the Nema Mission book, but it’s been “in progress” since it was first announced in Sept. 2003. They’ve even stopped giving it new release dates in the press releases, and it was completely missing from the two latest press releases.

Who else thinks it’s a great game line that shouldn’t be put out to pasture?!?!?

I think it's a slightly subpar game (or an okay Rifts sourcebook, depending on how you look at it) which will hopefully get better with future supplements.

As it stands the announced sourcebooks -- Psychic Storm and NEMA Mission Book 1 -- have apparently lapsed into developmental hiatus, and must compete with several other books for their authors' attention, such as Ultimate Rifts and BTS2.

[maasenstodt]

I'd be shocked to see any CE releases this year, press releases and summer catalogs notwithstanding. Right now, there's so much promised by year's end that it would require nothing short of a miracle for it all to see completion. Asides from the two mentioned CE sourcebooks, there's a Splicers sourcebook, Powers Unlimited 3, the two BtS2 sourcebooks, and at least three Rifts books all up to bat, and none of those gets underway until Ultimate Rifts is finished.

Given that at least six of those books will require writing on Kevin's part, and that I can't remember any time in Palladium's history where Kevin authored a book per month for six straight months, much less when he was dealing with content licensing issues and the editing and publication of other people's work, the current release schedule is as big of a joke as any I've seen.

I haven't been particularly optimistic about Kevin's scheduling for quite a while, but when I read my newly arrived copy of Palladium's summer catalog today, I was simply slack-jawed. I haven't seen such an attempt at comedy coming out of Taylor since Rifter 9 1/2. Is it so hard interject even a little reality into the schedule? Seesh!

[Gomen_Nagai]

most of those books were already written up, Just not being able to layout and finish because of the ultimate Rifts project.

[Jason Richards]

most of those books were already written up, Just not being able to layout and finish because of the ultimate Rifts project.

I haven't heard that. It could be true, but I don't know that any CE books are waiting to be laid out. UR is the #1 priority in the office, however, from what I have been told.

If you're talking about all of these books, I might know more:

there's a Splicers sourcebook, Powers Unlimited 3, the two BtS2 sourcebooks, and at least three Rifts books all up to bat, and none of those gets underway until Ultimate Rifts is finished.

I know that several of these books are, in fact, ready to go... or at least have manuscripts on Kevin's desk. I can only speak definitively about Rifts Arzno, the manuscript of which I will have back on my desk from my peer editor today or tomorrow, and it should be in the mail to Kevin in the next week or two after that.

I do have reason to believe that Chaos Earth is NOT dead. Here's a deal... I'll see what I can find out and report back in a week or two. Sound good to our local skeptic, maasenstodt?

[maasenstodt]

Here's a deal... I'll see what I can find out and report back in a week or two. Sound good to our local skeptic, maasenstodt?

Jason, I'm always game for word from the top. Unfortunately, that skepticism you mention has been hard earned for this Palladium fan of about two decades. I've been disappointed more often than I should have been in recent years and the only way my opinions will get back to what they were is for Palladium to deliver the goods consistently for a period of time.

Believe me when I say that I'd love to see Ultimate Rifts and SB1 revitalize that line, for the other Rifts books to all provide lots of gritty, usable content, for the Splicers sourcebook to make a good game even better, for the BtS2 books to make Kevin look like a genius and not make people ask, "we've waited a year for this?", for Powers Unlimited 3 to be at least as good as the first two in that series, and for the two Chaos Earth books to give me reason to think that this game is neither beyond salvaging nor an ongoing scam -- and for ALL of that to occur by year's end.

Is that asking too much? Perhaps. If they're already on Kevin's desk, perhaps not. Either way, what is most certainly not unreasonable is to ask for release dates based in reality. We'll know in just over 6 months how reasonable the current schedule is.

[Sentinel]

I think it's just on the backburner (like a lot of Palladium projects) until Ultimate Rifts is released. We'll see the supplements of the BTS Line, THEN we can hope for more Chaos Earth stuff.

Gee, maybe if the other games got the attention Rifts got, then maybe maybe they would also be heavy-duty money makers. Perhaps the fact that the other book/game settings don't get the massive support is precisely why Rifts is the cash cow.

[Sureshot]

Gee, maybe if the other games got the attention Rifts got, then maybe maybe they would also be heavy-duty money makers. Perhaps the fact that the other book/game settings don't get the massive support is precisely why Rifts is the cash cow.

I agree. If the other lines got more attention they would make more money imo. As it stands the only books I have picked up so far have been Rifts because I know it will be supported.

The problem with this is that they need to get more staff. Whenever that is brought up we always are told "it's hard to find people we can trust" or " we can't afford it". Which I understand. The problem is that as time goes on Palladium is sinking deeper and deeper into their own catch-22 of their own creation. Which is too bad actually.

[Sentinel]

Gee, maybe if the other games got the attention Rifts got, then maybe maybe they would also be heavy-duty money makers. Perhaps the fact that the other book/game settings don't get the massive support is precisely why Rifts is the cash cow.

I agree. If the other lines got more attention they would make more money imo. As it stands the only books I have picked up so far have been Rifts because I know it will be supported.

The problem with this is that they need to get more staff. Whenever that is brought up we always are told "it's hard to find people we can trust" or " we can't afford it". Which I understand. The problem is that as time goes on Palladium is sinking deeper and deeper into their own catch-22 of their own creation. Which is too bad actually.

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

[Sureshot]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

If only they would. It would get more books released on time imo. I can't really see that happening though.

[Sentinel]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

If only they would. It would get more books released on time imo. I can't really see that happening though.

Try drugs: it makes the hallucenation more clear.

(just kidding folks: avoid drug use.)

[Drakenred®™©]

Especialy since Marryann is not their to prod KS into getting specific projects finished.

[Jason Richards]

As a game that is set in the past of a well established game like Rifts, CE is more difficult to write because anything that is added to CE is automaticly added to Rifts. That just makes continuity errors all the more glaring, and every bit of info they fill in is less a game group can use their imagination on. I am very happy with CE in its current state, and used it as a great supplement to my Rifts game. When you think about it, any CE campaign is just a Rifts campaign set in another time.

SR

I sort of disagree here. Rifts was originally written,and still is to a large degree, like a traditional fantasy RPG, if a bit grittier and darker. Players played good characters in an adventuring party, roaming the wilderness.

Chaos Earth is much more written toward a game of survival and a fight to exert dominance, in many ways like Systems Failure or BTS2. The focus of the game is definitely more on "making it through" than packing up in your ATV and going out looking for adventure.

[Sentinel]

Rifts was originally written,and still is to a large degree, like a traditional fantasy RPG, if a bit grittier and darker. Players played good characters in an adventuring party, roaming the wilderness.

The biggest difference with Chaos Earth would be (A) less diversity in OCCs, and (B) the need to guide refugees to safety (in the mistaken belief that there is "safety"). The players are still largely good people, brave and resourceful, travelling through the new 'wilderness' of cataclysm-devastated cities.

[Swift-13]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

Yeah, really...I'd sign onto the Palladium staff for *free* if they'd let me.

[Sentinel]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

Yeah, really...I'd sign onto the Palladium staff for *free* if they'd let me.

I would love to work for Palladium, but I would not ever work for free.

[Swift-13]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

Yeah, really...I'd sign onto the Palladium staff for *free* if they'd let me.

I would love to work for Palladium, but I would not ever work for free.

I look at two-fold benefits:
1. Recognition for my work in the gaming industry.
2. If it gets the job done...

[Sentinel]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

Yeah, really...I'd sign onto the Palladium staff for *free* if they'd let me.

I would love to work for Palladium, but I would not ever work for free.

I look at two-fold benefits:
1. Recognition for my work in the gaming industry.
2. If it gets the job done...

If you do work, you should get compensated.
"You get what you pay for."
I also believe, you can pay for what you get.

[Tinker Dragoon]

Sure, rub it in

<-- volunteer moderator

[Swift-13]

Well, Sentinel, I believe in putting pride into my work.

[Sentinel]

Science Fiction writers Harlan Ellison and Robert Asprin (who i have met) and Ben Bova (who I have not) all say the same thing: "Never Work for Free".

[RockJock]

The other issue is that if you are working for free you don't expect as much from yourself. There is less commitment involved. I'm no writer, but I have done field surveys for family friends. The ones that pay, even if it is a pittance get the job done quicker.

[Kagashi]

All release dates are in "Palladium Time".

I have no idea why they even give us projected dates. They never meet them and it only leaves the possiblity of failure and frustration for the fans.

I wish they would just say if they were working on it or not.

[Kagashi]

Maybe they should use this board as a recruiting ground.

Yeah, really...I'd sign onto the Palladium staff for *free* if they'd let me.

I could use some help around the house....

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

All release dates are in "Palladium Time".

I have no idea why they even give us projected dates. They never meet them and it only leaves the possiblity of failure and frustration for the fans.

I wish they would just say if they were working on it or not.

They've met dates, many times.

Yes they are sloppy in this area, but name a book company that isn't?

[Jason Richards]

To revisit the original post,

Who else thinks it’s a great game line that shouldn’t be put out to pasture?!?!?

Me, and it's not.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

Ditto to the above post.