Joe Dever just sent me a photograph of a poster for the new Lone Wolf computer game. He said:
I thought you would like to see this – it’s a poster for the forthcoming (early Sept 07) Asian Games Show to be held in Singapore. Ksatria will have a trade stand at the event and this is one of the posters that will be on display, announcing the LW game. The pic was taken recently in the Ksatria Gameworks studio in Singapore.
We’re entering the final phases for approval of the reviewed edition of Shadow on the Sand. If you’re wondering why we’re not working feverishly on Dawn of the Dragons, it’s because we’re assisting Mongoose by providing them with electronic texts which they’re using to republish the books.
We’re also developing a new game statistics management software that helps you track your character’s inventory and so on. You can help us test out the new system (and read the revised version of Shadow on the Sand) before we put it on the main site (if you’re into that kind of thing).
Today is the day that Mongoose ships the collector’s edition of Flight from the Dark. See our announcement on the main page.
This is one part of the new Flight from the Dark that I hadn’t seen yet: the new map of the Lastlands.
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to help Joe Dever with the upcoming republication of Flight from the Dark. This means that I can already offer you, the Project Aon faithful, a review.
First things first. This isn’t the same, beloved Flight from the Dark that you grew up with. I know many of us feel like the new version threatens the first version’s cherished place in our hearts. We worry that it will spoil the memory of the good times we had with Flight from the Dark. We wonder how the new could improve on the original.
When Mongoose informed fans that Lone Wolf would take a more active role in the ill-fated siege of the Kai Monastery, many of us mourned. We enjoyed seeing Silent Wolf grow from an inattentive problem child to Sommerlund’s greatest son. This gave many of us hope that we would amount to something despite our own inadequacies. It affirmed that we, too, could grow into something greater. We worried that something important would be lost if Silent Wolf’s journey started so heroically.
Some of us, myself included, love to absorb all the little facts about Lone Wolf’s world. If you need proof of my devotion to the scholarly path, I even started an encyclopedia! Little contradictions or inconsistencies in the story irritated us. It spoiled our immersion in the world. Two different versions of one book threatens the narrative consistency of Magnamund. The scholars among us worry that two books will make the story less believable and therefore less enjoyable.
I empathize with these concerns, but I found a lot of things to enjoy in the new version, enough to overcome those concerns. I think if we allow the new Flight from the Dark to be great in its own right, we can make a place in our hearts for both versions of the book.
The adventure is greatly expanded over the first telling. With 550 sections, it is the longest Lone Wolf adventure ever published. I mapped out every last section of this complex book, but I’ve already forgotten enough that I will enjoy playing through my copy when it comes in the mail. The book offers many paths to choose from, too many for me to remember.
You’ll recognize the general outline of the adventure, but you’re in for some surprises. I don’t want to say too much. All I’ll say is don’t expect to walk through the book the same way you’ve been doing it for years. There are new twists and new adventures to be had.
I enjoyed getting to know some of the Kai who died that fateful day. They had always been nameless victims. This telling of the story allowed me to meet flesh-and-blood people who sacrificed everything for their people. Lone Wolf and all of the main characters are made more human and three-dimensional. I feel like I know them better now.
The writing for the new version is more polished. Joe Dever has gained a lot of experience since he first wrote Flight from the Dark and it shows. The author has become a better storyteller in the intervening 23 years.
The new artwork is more adult than the original. Gary Chalk’s artwork seemed aimed at a younger audience than this new artwork. They aren’t as polished as Brian Williams’ illustrations for later books, but as an adult, I enjoyed their grittier feel.
This new retelling of Silent Wolf’s first adventure hasn’t had time to become one of my old friends, but it may someday become one of my favorite Lone Wolf books. I had a lot of fun reading it. I even like it better than the original (if you’ll forgive my heresy). Time will tell how readers will receive it, but I think it will gain a place in the hearts of those who give it a chance.
After a long time on break, we’re resurrecting the Kai Grand Sentinel (previously our quarterly newsletter) as one of those new-fangled blog things. We hope that this will encourage us to post useful info more often and keep you, our beloved readers, up-to-date with all the juicy details about Project Aon developments. We plan to post more information here than to our mailing list, preserving that as a low traffic outlet for big news items.
If you’re looking for the old newsletters, they’re still around in all their PDF goodness:
For Sommerlund and the Kai!
Greetings,
We have just published revisions of Lone Wolf books 1-4 (i.e. Flight
from the Dark, Fire on the Water, The Caverns of Kalte, and The Chasm
of Doom). This publication includes:
* Updated higher-quality illustrations
* Single-page, simplified alternate versions: one single file, no
images, no scripting, no styling
* Lots of little corrections to the books that have been building up
on our To Do list ever since we last published them
We hope you enjoy the newly polished books and the highly requested
single page version.
I bet I know what you’re thinking: “What about Dawn of the Dragons?!”
Grand Master Dever has asked for Project Aon to help in some of his
future plans that you’ve probably heard about recently (you’ll hear
more from us later). So for now, revising the already published Lone
Wolf books has our priority. We apologize for the delay, and hope you
understand why we feel this is important.
For Sommerlund and the Kai!
Jonathan Blake
Project Aon
Beware the Black Baron!
To celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of their original publication date, Project Aon presents two more PDF releases–Combat Heroes 1: Black Baron and White Warlord. These books by Joe Dever each contain a solo game and a two-player game. Both books are required for the two-player game.
Solo adventure
You are imprisoned in the castle dungeons of your arch-enemy. You must use all your cunning to survive. Beware his deadly tricks, solve his mind-boggling riddles, seek out his treasures. You may yet live to avenge your honour!
Dual adventure
You need: Black Baron, White Warlord, and a friend!
Your feud is legendary. Now the Maze-master of Xenda has challenged you both to fight it out in his combat maze. Sudden death lurks in every shadowy corner of the underground tunnels and you never know when you may come face to face with your opponent. Sharpen your senses and tighten your bow: you must outwit, out-shoot, and out-fight your enemy once and for all. Remember, every successful bout can help you achieve the highest warrior rank of Combat Hero.
http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/BlackBaron
http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/WhiteWarlord
Escaping from your opponent’s deadly dungeon will not be easy, nor will fighting him in the Maze of Xenda. Only your own skills and quick wits can lead to your success.
For Sommerlund and the Kai! (And for the Maze of Xenda too!)
—
Simon Osborne
Project Aon
Greetings,
We have a bit of special news. Gary Chalk forwarded some great new Lone Wolf artwork that he has created for the Lone Wolf RPG project at Le Grimoire. They have a new 300 page book illustrated by Mr. Chalk, due out next month, in French.
http://www.legrimoire.net/lone-wolf-loup-solitaire-RPG.htm (English)
http://www.legrimoire.net/lone-wolf-loup-solitaire.htm (French)
You can view the samples here:
http://www.projectaon.org/staff/jonathan/gary-chalk/
Here’s hoping you did well in votre classe française. (I hope that’s really how you say it…)
For Sommerlund and the Kai!
Jonathan Blake
Project Aon
Attention all Lone Wolf fans: The Readers’ Handbook is finally here!
After much work, editing, and behind-the -scenes deliberation, Project Aon is proud to announce the official release of the Readers’ Handbook. This area of the site is devoted to the many and varied rules for Lone Wolf, Grey Star, and Freeway Warrior.
Designed to replace the now-defunct Rules Handbook, the Readers’ Handbook is divided up into sections, each of which explains the rules for one particular series: Kai, Magnakai, Grand Master, New Order, Grey Star, Freeway Warrior. These annotated rules sections are designed to help newer fans, as well as old hands, understand the rules more clearly.
Also of interest is the extensive Topical Guide, an interlinked A-Z listing that helps explain special rules for each particular item or skill, how they apply to the game, and how they affect other rules. This Topical Guide should make the rules clearer to all Lone Wolf fans new and old alike. Be aware that the Topical Guide may contain mild spoilers for the later books, so be sure to read only those headings
that you intend to.
Enter the Readers’ Handbook through the following portal, which is also linked from the Books page of our site:
http://www.projectaon.org/en
We have a little more work planned for the Readers’ Handbook, such as adding the complete New Order rules set, and expanding the Freeway Warrior sections. However, these are quite a low priority right now, so release of the Readers’ Handbook has been brought forward to free up resources for other projects.
We hope the Readers’ Handbook will help to answer the many questions about the Lone Wolf game that are regularly posed without fans having to wait for us to reply.
For Sommerlund and the Kai! (And for annotated rules instructions, too!)
—
Simon Osborne
Project Aon