Well, I came in today (Saturday) mainly to read the response to my news and
I wasn't disappointed. Again, I can only say I'm sorry we won't have BR
product this year but that I do believe Bill and the rest of us only have
the best in mind for BIRTHRIGHT in the long run when this decision was made.

In response to some of your suggestions:

I will see what I can do about the BOOK OF REGENCY. I'd like to see it
published, especially since I finished writing it, and Carrie finished
editing it, well over a year ago.

The BR Boxed Set WILL be reprinted yet again. I think that's an
unprecedented commitment on Bill S.'s part--he so wants to make the
relaunch of the game go over well (next year) that he's committing to
reprinting a boxed set that is very expensive to reproduce. There will be a
basic set for any new players who see the support material in DRAGON,
DUNGEON, POLYHEDRON, or online.

I understand your feelings. This isn't the first time I've had a line I've
worked on and cared about shifted around (someone mentioned SHATTERZONE,
from my West End Games days) but, unlike SZ, BIRTHRIGHT will continue. I
fully believe that Bill, Thomas Reid, Harold Johnson, and the rest of the
people involved in this decision are fully committed to making sure BR
comes back strong. The reason I know this is that Bill and Thomas and
Harold and most of the rest of the people who really count in this decision
are, or have been recently, designers and editors who've been in my
position--and in yours. They know what it's like to have a favorite line
struggle and they've heard management say "well, we'll put it on hiatus
..." only to know that USED TO mean "cancelled." Bill isn't going to play
those games. He fully intends to bring BR back. If something happens to
change that, he'll tell me and I'll tell you.

Whoops. Went on a little long there, didn't I? Sorry about that. I wanted
to deal with one more subject: The Shadow World.

Some of you have said you would've liked the SW material right after the
boxed set and maybe we should use that material when we relaunch the game.
I honestly think it might be too radical, too rigid a storyline for
beginning BR players, but I'm certainly willing to listen to your opinions.
The best material I've written for BR is stuff I've gotten from listening
to you.

For that reason, I'm sticking with the BR mailing list. My design
responsibilities are--currently--taking me over into ALTERNITY (where I am
now Jim Butler's assistant and a designer on the ALTERNITY/STAR*DRIVE
team), but I'm going to keep up with the BR list and I've been told to stay
involved with the revision and relaunch. Hopefully, however, some more new
blood will be coming into BR on the design side, and I'll be pointing them
in your direction.

Not the last word ...


Ed Stark
Game Designer, Wizards of the Coast/TSR Division
Asst. Brand Manager
TSR Website: http://www.tsrinc.com
also: http://www.tsr.com