The month has flown by, and we are all but technically done delivering the Blue Planet core books! Woohoo! The whole project has been more of an ordeal than The Abandonment, and almost as long, but I am deeply satisfied (and relieved) that the books are finally in the hands of backers. Thank you for your unwavering patience and unflagging support throughout.
Final Fulfilment
Alan has a few words about batting clean up on fulfillment:
“We're sorting out the half dozen lingering issues. We are pleased with how the fulfillment process went - less than a 1% damage/misprint rate, and only a dozen or so address issues. There have been some extra challenges with overseas fulfillment, but in the end we are satisfied with that as well. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.
For those who missed out on the original campaign or maybe want to buy extra copies, sales of Blue Planet: Recontact PDFs, print-on-demand editions, and the super-slick, offset books will go live on DriveThruRPG and https://shop.gallantknightgames.com, on February 3rd around noon Central Time.
Please note - if you order offset books from the GKG webstore, they will ship from the US, so please be prepared for commensurate shipping costs if you live outside the US. We are working with our overseas fulfillment partners to offer lower shipping options for the EU/UK/ROW. We hope to go live with those soon, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience.”
OrcaCon After-Action Report
I ran a Blue Planet: Recontact scenario at OrcaCon last month. It’s called “Where the Wild Things Are” and is an oldie-but-a-goodie - probably the best I have written. I have run this scenario dozens of times at conventions, but this was the hottest session yet: the smoothest, slickest, most engaging representation of the Blue Planet setting I have ever been able to pull off at a show.
For four hours, we were really there on Poseidon, experiencing a new world, solving a deep sea mystery and fighting the good fight. Everyone was 100% on point and engaged, and they nailed the vibe, the roleplaying and the story beats. It was one of those sessions where everyone was hyper-focused on the story, and the players rarely came out of character. I didn’t think it could have been any cooler until two of the players pulled out their shiny new Recontact edition books to share with the others. It was awesome!
Resist
For as long as it’s been a genre, science fiction has served as a mirror for examining ourselves with new eyes. It has been a medium for expressing hope and for challenging ourselves to do better. Anyone who has read any of the editions of Blue Planet knows that we have tried to uphold that tradition.
Accordingly, I am compelled to add my tiny voice to the chorus of those calling out the current US administration for sending mask-wearing secret police against its own people. The abduction of children and the murder of protestors is objectively wrong. This is not a political issue. This is not a difference of opinion or the impartial enforcement of the law. Our government is failing in its primary duty to protect its people and must be held accountable. Action is necessary for the common welfare. Please engage in ways that are safe for you, but please engage.
