The Summer Solstice Update

I know I’m a little late, but I wanted to give you an update on the different projects I am working on at Zotiquest Games. Just a heads-up, though: Everything I’m going to tell you is still in the draft or concept stage, so I can’t give you a specific release date.

Loner

Loner is getting a lot of attention lately, mostly because of a few videos on YouTube that talk about it. If you missed them, you can find them here:

Just wanted to give you a heads-up on the latest releases:

• Cog & Compass is “Loner Steampunk,” a world where steam and analytical engines work wonders: giant airships, automatons, crawlers, and clockwork pets. I’ve added everything I like about this genre, leaving out fantasy and magic.

• Mech: Requiem was created because I wanted to play a “Battletech-style ruleset” with zero crunch. If you’re looking for a way to pilot a mech without worrying about too many rules, this manual should be a helpful resource for you.

Just to let you know, I’m no longer using the “Adventure Pack” label. Now I’m using “Geared Towards Loner” for two reasons:

• The old Adventure Packs in Loner Complete were pretty basic and limited to 20 pages. These new rules are standalone manuals that can be used even if you don’t have Loner Core. The Core Rules go into more detail, but this approach provides lots of useful information to make it easier to play.

• Loner has always been published under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license, but there hasn’t been anyone who’s created their own Adventure Pack yet. I’ll put everything together in a format that can be easily compiled and packaged in a “Creators Kit.” I’ll be launching a jam on itch.io in the fall.

Just wanted to give you a heads-up on the upcoming Loner releases:

• Legends of Camelot will be released this summer. It’s what you expect from the title.

• Arabian Nights Adventures will be released in late summer/early fall.

I’m still putting the finishing touches on these:

• Parallel Dreams is an isekai (portal fantasy) game.

• Creataceous Crisis is a cross between Jurassic Park and Dino Crisis.

Finally, I am still in the early concept stage for: Pulp, Mythological Greece, Ancient Egypt, Sword & Sorcery, Wuxia, and “Metal Gear”

24XX

I’m making games for Jason Tocci’s 24XX SRD for a while now. I agree with its way of playing, and I enjoy making settings for it.

The latest releases are:

• 202X Special Ops: It’s Metal Gear Solid! It’s special forces with paranormal powers, giant mechas, and stealth missions!

• 2019 Angel City Blues: Blade Runner without the serial numbers.

• 198X Midnight Misfits: A group of ’80s kids face paranormal mysteries. It’s an obvious homage to E.T., IT, and The Goonies.

• Sol: Beyond Earth: In 2090, the space race never ended. Earth’s orbit is now home to colonies of habitats and space stations.

What about the upcoming titles?

• I have two adventures for Special Ops and one for Midnight Misfits ready and playtested. I just need to find the motivation to lay them out!

• I wrote an expansion for Special Ops that lets you manage a base. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker inspired this! I’m happy with how it turned out and hope to publish it soon.

• Frontier: Beyond Sol is the sequel to Sol: Beyond Earth, inspired by the Terran Trade Authority and J.C. Cherryh’s Alliance-Union Universe. The full game text is here.

• 24XX: Echoes of Awakening is a solarpunk game set in the distant future after an ecological catastrophe. People have learned to live with nature, but some places are still ruined.

• Legends of Kairon is based on Worlds of Ultima. The Savage Empire. On the island of Kairon, tribes fight and make alliances in a jungle with prehistoric animals.

Other Games

I’m also working on some new projects.

• A Week in Life: I’m really passionate about this game, the reincarnation of SoLAR. I scrapped a revision (tentatively called Sonata Synchronicity). I decided to make it a solo journaling RPG. I took the good parts of Sonata Synchronicity and tried to make it as close to Japanese slice of life as possible. Was I able to achieve this goal? I’m not sure. I’ve got the text ready to go. Next step is to translate it and lay it out. There’s no set publication date, but it will be published.

• Savage Sands of Zalanthar is a Cairn hack for my sword & planet setting, Zalanthar. You can read the draft here. I finished it because I’m determined to see it through. Zalanthar was a project that didn’t quite come together. I put a lot of energy into it, but it didn’t meet the needs of anyone other than me. And I hate leaving things unfinished.

• Wolfpack is the follow-up to Wolfsoul, a solo game I recently released for free. It’s still being developed, and it’s about wolves. The game is set during the Ice Age and puts you in the role of a wolf pack struggling to survive. It’s challenging because it doesn’t allow for the kind of characters or animals that you might find in a Disney production. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

That’s it for this update.

Happy Gaming!