Layout sample for my BoL expansion book...

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:41 pm

I'm finishing up the Barbarians of the Aftermath expansion for Barbarians of Lemuria and I thought I'd post my layout sample for you lot to critique.

There is a glitch I need to fix and the graphics will probably get another tweak before I'm done, but this is pretty much the look I'm going for. This is the POD version of the layout. The PDF will also come with a printer firendly version as well (no fancy borders, less images, etc.).

So any ideas on improving the book for readability, art quality, etc...?
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:59 pm

It is a little busy for me.
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moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:10 pm

It's nice... but while I do like the graphics used for the borders framing the pages, I think I might reduce or minimize them just a tad.

For example... on the left hand page, I'd have the building and the lower corner take up less space into the page. I think they are great and add character but, it might work better if they took up to maybe a third less space.

The same can be said for the graphics on the right hand page and, in the interests of working this in better, the survivors could probably just be 'gone' if there is no other way to get it done.

The page numbers and masks are a great touch but ... I do think they are a bit big as well.

That said, I really like the colors and fonts used and I think the faded / watermark image of the earth is fantastic.

M
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:02 pm

Well, he did say he was going to include a less "busy" version in the final purchase, that sample was the "fancy" version, as I like to call it.

My only beef, and it's a beef with many a sample/preview, is that there is no information on the system. I usually won't buy a pdf if I can't preview the system, even a little.
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Luther · Post by **Luther** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:39 pm

Well, everyone on this board and over at RPG.net seems to agree that the borders take up too much room on the sides (as do I after a nights rest and a re-evaluation based on comments this morning). So Monday I'll reduce the size of everything by a third, as Moriarty suggested. Also, Charliebananas suggested placing some sort of roundel behind the gasmasks, which is so obvious I can't believe I didn't think of it before (but that's why I put these things up for critiquing in the first place).

Lord Dynel, there will be a PDF preview after the book is finished. It is an expansion on the Barbarians of Lemuria game, however, and uses those rules as the base, with BotA adding PA careers, heroic backgrounds and equipment along with optional genre rules to add on to the base game seamlessly. It adds a little bit of additional complexity, but it is completely modular so you can use what you like.

However, I can preview Chapter 1 here if you like. Starting Monday I'll open up a thread for anyone interested in taking the random setting generation system for a spin. I did this on the RPG.net forums and it was a lot of fun. The first poster, Wallop, went through the system one section per post rolling randomly for everything but one bit, I filled in the details as he went and Wallop World was born...
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:01 pm

Luther wrote:
Lord Dynel, there will be a PDF preview after the book is finished. It is an expansion on the Barbarians of Lemuria game, however, and uses those rules as the base, with BotA adding PA careers, heroic backgrounds and equipment along with optional genre rules to add on to the base game seamlessly. It adds a little bit of additional complexity, but it is completely modular so you can use what you like.

Cool. That's one of my biggest complaints when they have "Previews" on RPGNow or someplace like that, and I look at it and it's the ToC.
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Luther · Post by **Luther** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:22 pm

Alrighty, I've reduced the size of the borders.
Update

How's that look, then? Now if I can only figure out why I'm getting those hairline stiches in the background...
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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:45 pm

I like the looks of it. I hope you are doing a B/W version like it seems. Color mulitplies the final price on POD sites.
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Post by **Breakdaddy** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:12 pm

Welcome to Earf!

PS- I like it!

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:24 pm

Looks good to me hoss!
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.