Rynaga.com Launches

It's been a long time coming right? Right. Well, the day has come. We have an official website. Now the real work begins: populating the site with valuable content!

Here are some things you'll notice about our new site:

We Have Our Own Shop

We plan to keep our Etsy site running as well, but there's nothing like having your own custom shopping cart solution.

We will no longer be offering Iconica card singles on our shop, as most people prefer to buy Iconica sets. Single card sales where a option we offered early in Iconica's history while we were producing cards a few at a time. We no longer need to do this.

Note: Please know that if you need to purchase individual cards you can contact us and we'll take care of you!

Iconica Rules Have Been Upgraded

Version 5.0 of the Iconica Rules are our best effort yet.

1. Content has been streamlined, but still remains descriptive.
2. We've added more strategy with a new standard rule for Action Rolls. This is a big change that's easy to understand and makes a great game even better. (Testing was very well-received!)
3. Clarifications have been made to answer common questions before they're asked!

Rynagapedia

We're building an encyclopedia for RPG gamers, Iconica players and avid visitors of Rynaga. It's no Websters, but over time it will grow into a very comprehensive collection of lore and interesting facts. Hey, to get where we want to go, we need to capture this kind of information!

Other features of the site include a Resources section which will house general reference material for Iconica and other content for download. You can read about how Rynaga came to be and where we are going in the About section. And our News category will keep you up to date on coming events.

Thanks to all of you for your patience and support over the past months. We hope you're as excited about this milestone in our small history as we are.

-Eric

Iconica Players Guild Update

We wanted to give you an update on our progress with IPG (Iconica Players Guild). In short, it's gonna be awesome. Since it's start in 2009, Iconica has gained the support of the indie gaming community and received critical acclaim for it's unique art style.

Our approach to table top card gaming has taken many by surprise. Iconica is like nothing many have played. The game is growing methodically, one expansion at a time. Each expansion adds new elements of strategy to the overall experience. We think Iconica has tons of potential due to one main fact: it's different.

If Iconica is different, why create a "fan club" when we can create a guild with purpose. Here are some things we think this guild should accomplish. Feel free to add your voice through comments.

1) IPG should be meaningful - We should have a mission. Guildmates should be part of a movement.

2) IPG should reward members - This means being part of IPG will give guildmates access to exclusive content, opportunities to collaborate on new Iconica characters and chances to increase their rank and priviledges within the guild by completing specific achievements.

3) IPG should not be free - "Free" carries the perception of "low value." Our supporters want great value. This means guild membership will mean an entry fee which will be used towards yearly tournament prizes and awards, guild patches and wearables, exclusive guild cards and other game expanding content.

These are just some of the things we've decided should be part of building a meaningful, active and desirable guild. Launch of IPG is scheduled for Q1 2012.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share them.

-Iconica Development Team

Phoenix Comicon 2011

This year's Phoenix Comicon was the best show we've ever had. We worked hard, laughed a lot, played Iconica, met new friends and talked with other indie artists such as Daniel Davis and David Petersen.

Our Booth Setup

Each year, my wife Larissa is such a huge help to me. We've been married for 15 years and I'm so proud to be her husband. I want everyone to know that without her support, guidance and critiques, I'd be lost on the high seas of my own fiction with no direction.

Here's a few quick thoughts, images and highlights of our show. (Next year, I promise to have a dedicated photographer taking more pictures! It's something I always forget about as the days fly by.)

Releasing Iconica Series 2

During the four days of the con we held demos of Iconica right at our booth and showed newcomers how to play. With the help of several Iconica development team members (thanks Adrian, Ryan, Josh, Kevin and Kirk), we organized games in the Phoenix Comicon Game Room at the Hyatt for newcomers and pros as well.

Iconica Box Sets

We had in reserve several Iconica Series 1 box sets for in-person sales and we brought lots of Iconica starter sets for newcomers. Yet we were not prepared for how well Iconica Series 2 would do. Things went so well with the Iconica Series 2 release, we sold out of our initial stock by Sunday mid-afternoon.

We're so encouraged by the diversity of people who have embraced Iconica's story elements, iconic imagery and gameplay style – children and tweens, Dads and Moms, young couples and yes, even hip grandparents.

Iconica supporters include scientists and military personal, as well as stay-at-home Dads and yoga instructors. We had a great time talking to gamers of all kinds from all different parts of the country!

Meeting David Petersen

For years, I've enjoyed David Petersen's work on MouseGuard, so it was such a pleasure to meet him and his wife Julia. Larissa and I went over to his table on Saturday to get his new book Legends of the Guard (and have him sign my existing collection of his books) and David was kind enough to talk with us for a while and even take a picture with me.

Eric Torres (left) and David Petersen (right)

While David is very proud of his work, he's a really cool, down to earth person. I have a lot of respect for artists and authors who remain approachable and wear their success lightly. I'm sure you've met people you feel the same way about too.

So What's Next?

Well, our Iconica vendor has promised to deliver a new shipment of Iconica Series 2 cards by this week. As soon as we receive it, we'll be releasing it online! Thanks for your patience on this. Hey, I guess this is what happens when you're working with small print runs and fresh content right?

After Iconica Series 2 is released online we'll focus our attention on completing rynaga.com and finalizing our custom shopping cart system. Even after we finish our own shopping cart, we'll still use Etsy. But we think having multiple ways to find our merchandise is probably a good thing!

As a heads up, you might be excited to know more about our next big project, which is a narrated book due for release this winter! Look for a more detailed update on this project within the next couple weeks.

Thanks to everyone who made Phoenix Comicon such a huge success for us! We're so grateful to have your support.

-Safe travels!

Iconica Series 2 Online Sales

Due to limited quantities (we make the game in small batches) and demand at Phoenix Comicon we're delaying the release of Iconica S2 online by several days while we order more stock. We just need to be sure we have enough stock on hand for in-person sales and commitments to local vendors as well.

One of the things we've learned by releasing a new Iconica series all at once (23 new characters) as opposed to two or three cards each month is we need to invest a bit more money/time once we go to press to prepare for all channels of distribution. As an indie publisher, these are some of the things you're just bound to learn as you go!

Thanks for your patience everyone. Series 2 is off to a good start and we're expecting record sales at Phoenix Comicon! If you have thoughts/questions please share.

-Eric

World of Rynaga - Explorer's Map

It's done! And it's just the beginning.

After 5 years, the first continent on Rynaga has been surveyed and captured in this 24x36 print.

Creating the Map

Writing, planning, drawing, more planning - this map has been a study in calculated refinement. It's great to be done, but knowing how we've set ourselves up for telling a meaningful story over the coming years feels just as good.

During it's creation, the Explorer's Map weathered two failed computer systems, survived its own journey on a misplaced USB drive and pushed my new computer to the limits of its processing power.

I can tell you this though: no single part of this project has been more meaningful to accomplish for me. This finished map is now a powerful symbol of our commitment to the Rynaga project and the stories which are yet to come.

Features of the Map

The first thing you will notice is detail, tons of detail. The map references 393 different locales and incorporates hundreds of individually placed icons which represent landmarks such as forests, deserts and ruined cities.

There's more. Beyond exploring the locations and iconography, traveler’s will learn more about Rynaga’s powerful sources of energy, amazing forms of wildlife and legendary modes of travel.

Throughout the map are hidden details, such as references to Iconica characters and cards, poetry, cryptic messages and even an all encompassing riddle. The bottom line: this map is a journey in of itself!

Start Exploring

In order for Rynaga to be real to our supporters, it must be real to us. This starts by creating a landscape worthy of great quests, like those of Lewis and Clark, Leif Ericson and Ernest Shackleton.

We hope this map will inspire hours of travel-by-imagination! Thanks for your support.

-Safe travels!

The Month of May

It's our favorite month of the year. May means Phoenix Comicon!

Please make plans to visit our booth, which is #613. We plan to have brand new Iconica Series II boxed sets on hand, Iconica Series II Starters, the World of Rynaga Explorer's Map (limited quantities), Prelude books and other goodies.

We've been away from much blogging as we're working away on the new version of rynaga.com, due to launch this month. More details to come.

-Safe travels!

Iconica Series Two - Updated Character List

On February 11th we released the initial take on the Iconica Series Two lineup. It's changed a bit. Here's the updated list:

#023 - Sanctum Haladron - (Variant 1)

#024 - Marconian Bard

#025 - Karmethian Nervapath

#026 - Sanctum Curic

#027 - Acasian Arc Warden

#028 - Tanglefern Dead Eye

#029 - Sanctum Haladron - (Variant 2)

#030 - Pykonian Dark Trader

#031 - Farpoint Mercenary

#032 - Dragathan Aeronaut

#033 - Sanctum Ranger

#034 - Tanglefern Venomist

#035 - Karkalan Nightstalker

#036 - Sunhold Mercenary

#037 - Acasian Arc Adept

#038 - Varthan Radia Hunter

#039 - Sanctum Lancer

#040 - Algadoni Mercenary

#041 - Sanctum Savant

#042 - Thorvald Anchor

#043 - Galaeon Spicer

#044 - Inkwater Mimic

Numbering System
This Iconica series will continue where it left off with card numbers 23 through 44. The mysterious Iconica X-Cards will be numbered in sequence as well, but will not be part of series two. They will be part of an ongoing "X-Series." (Hey, that makes sense.)

Character Names
Remember, the first name in a character name is where they hail from within the world. It may be little wordy but hey, these characters just want you to know where they're from. Our giant traveling map will help visualize their homelands even further. Be sure to get one when they're released in May.

Phoenix Comicon 2011
Iconica Series Two will be launched at this years Phoenix Comicon. Our booth is # 613. Come say hi. We can't wait to see all of you!

-Safe travels!

Mapping the Land of Veratar

Rynaga is a planet ten times the size of Earth. Yeah, pretty big right? So, you can imagine how mapping an entire continent of this world is a big challenge. Well, after a five year expedition sailing the skies above Veratar, we've almost completed a map of the entire continent!

Prints of the complete map of Veratar are planned for release this May. Each map is made up of hundreds of icons and symbols which represent the landmarks, city states, towns and popular destinations - some fun, some mysterious.

This map is a very important part of upcoming storyline and game content. Throughout it's creation, we've really tried to understand the landscape and it's peoples, their struggles, their cultures and their everyday lives.

We know it's taken a while to complete, but it will be worth it!

-Safe travels!

Iconica X-Series

To celebrate the launch of the new World of Rynaga Facebook Page, the first 25 people to "Like" us won a unique Iconica X-Series Character Card today.

What's the Iconica X-Series you ask?

Iconica X-Series Characters (or X-Cards for short) are unique characters which cannot be purchased. They are only made available as part of specific promotions and are not part of boxed sets.

Want the best chance to win an X-Card in the coming weeks? Follow @rynaga and @erictorres on Twitter to be kept up to date on future promotions.

-Game on!

Iconica Series Two - UPDATE

Over the past several months we've changed some of the direction we're taking for Iconica Series Two, so this post is an update to previous information I've posted here back in May of 2010.

Iconica Series Two - Sanctum

The first Iconica set was named Prelude, after my first book. As announced in May of 2010, the next Iconica series will indeed be named Sanctum.

Those of you familiar with the stories set within Rynaga may be wondering: "Why is this series named Sanctum?" Well, here's some general backstory for you.

After realizing the dangerous course of action taken by the Sarion government against the native peoples of Rynaga, a large group of Sarion citizens separate themselves from their ruling parties and the Legion agenda. In doing so these rebels are banished and put under penalty of death should they be found roaming Sarion lands.

While resolute in their decision to abandon their governments ideals, the exiles face much hardship. Families are separated, Sarion townships are thrown into chaos and city states suffer economically. As a show of solidarity and rebirth, these former Sarion citizens - made up of farmers, merchants, freelancers, soldiers and even ruling officials - rename themselves Saraja, which loosely translates to "a people remade" in the ancient Dahrian language.

After some time existing as a nomadic people, the Saraja settle within a region of Veratar they come to refer to as Sanctum. Here they cultivate good relationships with the native peoples and gain the trust of their neighbors. Eventually, the lands of Sanctum commit themselves to an alliance with the Protectorate states, putting them on a collision course with the ideals of their former kinsmen.

Development Updates for Series Two

Previously, it was thought that the archetypical Saraja protector might be called a Knight. Yet, after further consideration this approach seemed too plain and too predictable. Where possible, we want to infuse unique sounding characters into our stories. So based on the world lore and back story content, we've decided to create a new archetype called the Haladron.

Haladron are armored fighters which patrol the lands of Sanctum. There are several different types of Haladron and they're comprised of both men and women. While it is possible for anyone to become part of a Haladron fellowship, admittance is granted only after candidates complete three quests. (More about this another time.)

Back in May 2010, I had announced that Sanctum would be a new Faction. This direction has also changed. Sanctum affiliated characters will be part of the Protectorate Faction. This is more in line with the world lore and helps maintain a good balance between factions as the game grows.

Release Information

Iconica Series Two is more than halfway done in terms of content creation and I plan to have all of the cards done by the end of Winter. 

I plan to release the complete Iconica Series Two at this years Phoenix Comicon in May. Here are the different ways you'll be able to aquire the new characters:

New Iconica Starter Set - A new Iconica Starter Set with six new cards from the Sanctum series will be released. This will give newcomers to the game an opportunity to experience the game on a smaller scale, just like the Prelude Starter did. (The six character cards in the previous Prelude Starter Set will be available for individual purchase once series two is released.)

New Iconica Series Two Boxed Set - A new boxed set for Iconica Series Two will be released. There will be a price break over buying each card individually.

Individual Iconica Cards - Each card in series one and series two will be available for individual purchase. In addition, there will be other cards released which are not part of boxed sets. In fact, they are not numbered as part of a series and are released randomly.

Let me know if you have any questions. Check back again this week for the lineup of series two characters! If you have not yet, consider following Rynaga on Twitter. I send out alerts via Twitter letting followers know when new information is released.

As always, thanks so much for your support!

-Safe travels!

"Earth to Eric, Are You Out There?"

I am and I'm back to this business of blogging.

After a few months of organizing myself and starting some very big projects I'm turning my attention back to sending transmissions about the project. Admittedly, I should keep this going all the time, so I'll be giving this renewed attention from here out. Facebook and Twitter will be very important channels for me in the coming months.

Announcements

World of Rynaga Website - This is in the final stages of development and I'm really excited about what's to come! The web developer I'm working with is both thoughtful and skilled and is assisting me with building a framework for the website that not only works great now, but has room to grow into.

The site will launch with a new shop, a personal journal of my travels and a great resource for those of you who are creating RPG's set within Rynaga! Can't wait to share this.

Iconica - Series Two - I'll be announcing the new card lineup this week! Series Two is coming along great and we've spent the last few months improving upon actions, exploring new possibilities for characters and getting feedback from players. It's been valuable time spent. Watch for an update this week on Iconica!

My New Book - I'm going to be announcing more about this as well (title art, premise, more) and taking pre-orders! Stay tuned.

What You Can Do

Many have asked what they can do to help me and I'm very grateful for the support. Here's how to help for now: Tell one person about this project! This helps tremendously. Your friends value your opinion.

If you have not yet, please consider following my Rynaga Twitter profile, which is: @rynaga.

Thanks.

-Safe travels!

What's Going On?

I've been quiet on my blog lately. I know. Well, there's tons going on.

I'm working with a developer on the new rynaga.com website. (Coming in January 2011) We're finishing concepts for the next series of Iconica game cards. I'm also putting the finishing touches on some pre-order packages we're getting ready for 2011.

We want Phoenix Comicon to be our big event for releasing new content each year. In fact, we've secured a larger booth for 2011 to ensure we have enough space for what's to come!

Also, I'm still working on Iconica Scenario cards, which will be free to download. The balancing on these cards is pretty tough to get down, but it's coming together. I hope to have more news on this very soon.

So, I'm still around. I'm just spending a ton of time on big picture projects and with the holidays coming, travel will be involved too. Ok, back to work.

-Safe travels!

RinCon 2010

I want to thank everyone who came out to support our demos, tournaments and products at this years RinCon gaming event in Tucson. We had a wonderful time demoing games, talking about the world of Rynaga and most importantly, getting to know all of you a bit better.

Congrats to Melissa who was the winner of our first ever Iconica tournament. She was undefeated during demo play and went on to win three straight matches to be our tourney champion on Saturday!

Sunday was equally exciting when a challenger named Mark, new to Iconica, entered Sunday's tournament and won a close victory against runner up Scott. Their battle was one to remember.

A couple of comments we received really reinforced our belief that Iconica is something special in the gaming world:

"I've been gaming for 15 years and I can say Iconica is game that is not only different, but fun." -Chris

"You guys have created a game with so much potential. Keep doing what you're doing." -Ed

"The art style drew me in, the gameplay kept me playing." -Chrissy

Thanks again everyone! We're excited about what's coming and look for information on Iconica Scenario cards very soon.

-Safe travels!

What We're Working On

I want to give some updates for different projects we're (Specimen) working on around here. A big THANK YOU to everyone who is supporting this project with resources, time and as patrons. I don't take it for granted.

Iconica

Rather than releasing individual cards for Iconica Series Two, I plan to release this as a complete set, all at once during Q1 of 2011. We decided to go this route partly based on feedback from gamers and collectors as well as some research we gathered on buying patterns and merchandising. Shipping costs add up for individual sale items, especially for our overseas friends.

The main driver for this however is that will give us the chance to craft additional content and even reduce paper usage and waste. It's important to me to make sure we're doing what we can to be sustainable.

Does this mean there will be no new Iconica coming up? No! I'll be releasing a set of Iconica Scenario cards as free PDF downloads. Scenario's will be a great way to experience Iconica in an RPG-like setting. More info soon.

The Lost Lamp - Book One

As some of you may know and as mentioned in this Weekly Offworlder post, the main character (Solan) in our first book Prelude, has been missing for some time now. I'm working away on a series of books that will not only solve the mystery of Solan's disappearance, but ultimately set the stage for something grand.

I'll have more information on this project in the coming weeks.

It's important to me for people to know what we're working on, but more importantly how we do it. This project is completely self-funded, so development times will be stretched occasionally. However, having said that, it's full steam ahead.

-Safe travels!

RinCon AZ

This weekend we'll be in Tucson for RinCon!

The plan is to be running Iconica demos every hour on the hour and to also hold two small tournaments - one on Saturday and one Sunday morning. We'll also be testing some new elements of Iconica as well!

You can learn more about RinCon here. Hope to see you there.

-Safe travels!

Iconica Series One Box Set Goes to the Vault

Heads up!

I have a total of 6 Iconica Series One Box Sets left at my Etsy Shop. That's it. Once these six are sold (or November 3, 2010 rolls around), this item will not be available for sale.

If any sets are left on November 3, they'll be transferred to a stone vault hidden in the Superstition Mountains, along with other treasured relics of my past: the Lost Dutchman's gold, a radio-flyer wagon, beat-up crime-fighting suit and a giant ball of foil I made one summer.

Oh, and a ray gun I found in Sedona. Trust me, that thing should never fall into the wrong hands.

UPDATE

Iconica Series One Box Sets are sold out online. I will, on occasion, release small quantities of these sets in person and online, so check back.

-Safe Travels!

What's Going On?

Yup, that's the question I've been getting from you guys and I'm here to say: lots!

The thing is, I have several projects in the works currently for Rynaga. Here they are in no particular order:

A New Book - While I have no release date yet, progress on a series of books is going nicely. I'll have a preview soon.

Iconica Series Two - Anyone who knows me, knows I use the Arizona summers for development time, mostly cause it's hot outside and that's about the only reason I need to stay indoors and work on stuff! Anyhoo, the next series of Iconica cards is simmering away. Look for a late fall release.

Other Surprises - I'm not ready to announce three other projects I have in the works quite yet, but let's just say I'm in talks with a software developer, web content strategist and a musician. Hmmmmmm.

-Safe Travels!

Iconica Series Two Update

Work on Iconica series two continues and is coming along well. Initially, there were questions around whether or not to offer a new starter set and how this would impact the current card releases. We've answered these questions and I think we're on track now.

We're also working on increasing the RPG factor with this next series by introducing Scenario Cards. These cards will provide specific rules for an engagement and will activate new elements of the game.

Are you interested in an Iconica tournament? Well, we're continuing plans to start an annual tournament. However, we're trying to gauge interest and get feedback from players. Email me with any input or feel free to comment here.

I'll have more updates on this as we near our late summer / early fall release date. Thanks for your support!

-Safe travels!

Thanks Everyone!

I want to sincerely thank everyone who came out and visited our booth at Phoenix Comicon. My wife and I had a great time meeting everyone. (Thanks Matt and Teresa!)

I absolutely could not have pulled off everything without the help of Adrian, Kirk, Jenny and Larissa. Thanks so much you guys, can't wait till next year!

We received a bunch of questions at the con this year and I thought I would address a few general ones here.

When will the Iconica Boxed Set be released?

The plan is to release the boxed set at Red Hot Robot on June 19th. So far, everything is going according to plan! The boxed set will feature the complete Prelude Series. Each card in the series will still be available individually.

When will I be able to purchase the Cipher and Paragon on your Etsy Shop?

I'll offer these on my Etsy Shop sometime during the week of June 1st. (I thought I would have those posted today, but I need a little down time from the Con with my family.)

Will you be selling prints on your Etsy Shop?

Yes. I'll be adding prints to my Etsy site shortly, as in the next several days.

As for the next few days, I have unpacking from the Con to do, Etsy orders to ship and organizing to do for our upcoming show on Saturday the 19th.

-Safe travels!

Announcing Iconica Series Two

I wanted to take a few moments to outline my plans for Iconica Series Two, which will be called the Sanctum Series. 

Wrapping up the Prelude Series

The first series of Iconica game cards was named after my first book, Prelude. This is because several of the characters in this series are referred to in my book. The book also served as an introduction to the World of Rynaga, while Iconica was created to be a way for players to experience the people and places of this world while having a social experience.

The Iconica Prelude Series is due to wrap up this summer with a new Sentinel and two Special character types: the Brew Master and a mystery character that's not being announced just yet.

In the end this series will have 22 cards in all. It's completion will mark a milestone in the Rynaga project and I'll be celebrating by offering a boxed set which will include ALL of the cards in series one. Heck, I'll probably raise a pint or two in celebration as well!

Setting the stage for Series Two

As is outlined in the rules for Iconica, the Sarion are an antagonist race on Rynaga. They're busy working on a project they call Legion. The details of this project are not fully known, however, evidence concerning the purpose of the Legion initiative points to a sinister plot.

In view of this, a large group of Sarion citizens turn against their own government. They forfeit their citizenship and vow never to support Sarion tyranny. Led by a group of courageous leaders, a mass exodus takes place and thousands of rebels leave Sarion held lands, seeking asylum with the Protectorate. 

At first, the members of the Protectorate hesitate to welcome these rebel Sarion. They do not fully trust their motives. As a show of solidarity and rebirth as a people, the Sarion rebels name themselves Saraja, which means "a people remade." The Saraja eventually gain not only the support of the Protectorate peoples, but their respect as well.

After a long journey, the Saraja settle themselves and begin work on their first city, called Sanctum. From here, they begin living in harmony with the native races of Rynaga while defending those in need of protection, healing and respite from oppression.

Iconica Sanctum Series

Series Two will be characterized by several Sanctum characters and thus will be referred to as the Sanctum Series.

Some of the characters in this collection will include Knights, Dyads (not Dryads), Haladrons and Apothecarys. I'll have more information on these new characters later. 

The important thing to note is this: Sanctum will be a new Faction. Yup. Instead of three factions, Protectorate, Legion and Independent, there will now be four. The Sanctum faction may be partnered with Protectorate or Independent characters, but not Legion characters. Again, more information will follow.

Full speed ahead

By Phoenix Comicon 2011, I'd like to be finishing the Sanctum series and preparing to start the third. I'm so thankful for all the support Iconica has received so far. My goal is to continue creating an enjoyable fantasy-themed, indie-gaming experience that exists in it's own category, set apart from the norm yet approachable.

As for the future, I've raised the anchor, opened the sails and I've got my hands on the helm. Iconica is sailing full speed ahead on open waters with a clear direction. I hope you'll continue the journey with me. 

-Safe travels!