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Wither Hunter and QuikLink Interactive

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castlebravo

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Does Hunter and QuikLink Interactive remain in business?

It looks as if Hunter was last here in mid-April 2008. At about the same time we saw (strangely) a message about unpaid royalties--apparently going back months. Later, reports surfaced of a hard drive problem and then a computer malfunction. As someone else already pointed out, internet accessible computers that run basic applications like ms office are only $500 total. They are available directly from stores or within a couple of weeks from places like Dell. If QuikLink Interactive is an operating business, this story--as it stands--defies credulity.

Since the sales pages appear to remain active, does anyone have any news?
 
Only that people appear to still be placing orders with QLI through the active payment portion of the site - but they are not receiving the ordered items.
 
You're not going to get a useful answer. The only person who can tell you what Hunter is doing is Hunter himself, and he's been out of contact for months. Again.

It looks remarkably like the QLI ship has been left to drift. Again.

As to the sales thing, I assume that download orders still work even if physical stuff doesn't ship. Even so, I find it... questionable... that the sales pages be left for the unwary to wander into. Folks ordering stuff and not getting it hurts the Traveller brand. I've had people mailing me at an entirely separate company complaining about missing orders from QLI. This is presumably because I was once associated with QLI and some people can't tell the difference. Still.

If Traveller ceases to be 'that game where you can die in character generation' and becomes 'that game where you don't get your stuff you ordered' then that's bad for those of us still actively in the business.

I also have a more personal stake in this one. I stopped getting royalties on the T20 players book some months ago (and before that I was having to chase them, which should not be necessary). Yet my work is on sale and is making money for SOMEONE who's not passing on what I'm owed.

Hunter stopped responding to my attempts to obtain what I'm owed some time back, and as I already said before that it was a struggle for some time.

It would be a damn shame to see QLI go under, not least because back in the day I put a lot of work into the product line and it will all fade away - and there's the non-trivial fact that while QLI is in business I get my royalties. Only I don't, it seems, so that's academic.


Has QLI 'gone'? The only person who can answer that one has been missing for some months. It doesn't bode well for the future though. Loss of confidence in the ordering situation will kill sales. And where's the new product coming from? Since I left in 2005 QLI has released four products - a PDF adventure, a PDF release of the rulebook, an unfinished version of Colin's 2320 and a book I wrote before I left. Before I left, the schedule was a little more... energetic. There are conclusions to be drawn from this. I'll go with 'QLI needs outside contributors, and would benefit from working with me.'

Speaking of which, I'm sitting on two manuscripts that could be published by QLI tomorrow, and at one point I considered putting them out. The T20 book was an experiment in that direction, and that has turned out to be a glittering rainbow of fail. So I'll find something else to do with my manuscripts and QLI can get product elsewhere. Only by the look of it... they can't.

If Hunter sorts out his obligations and addresses some of the concerns raised by recent events, then it might be possible to turn this around, but the longer this goes on for the harder it will be. From my point of view, it will take a lot to convince me that it's worth releasing more work to QLI. I have to make a living and a book that makes money for someone else but not for me isn't just a null result, it's a major annoyance.

Hunter has a contractual obligation to me. I'm owed royalties and I'm not getting them. I would expect that the first indication of a return would be an explanation and payment of what I'm owed, and that's showing no signs of happening.

Make of that what you will.
 
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T20 never had many fans where I live, but now I hear and read more and
more often sentences like "Forget about that T20, T20 is dead ...".

While I do not like T20 very much, and do not play it myself, it really would
be bad for Traveller to let the line disappear, especially because it is a con-
nection between Traveller and the still very active d20 community.

I have no idea what is going on in the background, but whatever it is, and
for whatever reasons it happens, it is extremely bad for Traveller, and some-
thing has to happen soon, or T20 will really "go belly up". :(
 
Actually, I found the electronic downloads also failing...as I wanted to pick up Relevation Station for a friend hence not using my elibrary account...I was charged but no download ever came. I was "forced" to use my elibrary account for the item.

In the meantime, I suppose we should be grateful that we have this site still running. For as much as other boards are open to other versions of Traveller...I have found this one to be the most popular and broad based church rather than focusing on the edition that Company X is producing. So hopefully, Hunter will turn the whole thing over to Marc when he releases SFRPG20 or SFRPG4e (although I don't see that project really materializing unless it is simply a book of rules).

Soon however, the number of posts that I make will surpass Hunter and I guess that says something.
 
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So electronic ordering is also bust? That's a bad thing. It drives customers away from the whole Traveller brand and that's bad for everyone.

As to SF20... Even as just a book of rules I think it would need outside assistance. I edited the original T20 rules from the original text fairly vigorously. Hunter's going to need someone to do that for him - assuming SF20 ever reaches the point where that's useful.
 
And the only people with the access to do anything about it are Hunter and Bruce.
 
It really is in Hunter's interest to either sort out the ordering thing or shut it down. At present its just damaging his reputation (and the brand) but there are also legal issues to consider.
 
rust said:
T20 never had many fans where I live, but now I hear and read more and
more often sentences like "Forget about that T20, T20 is dead ...".

While I do not like T20 very much, and do not play it myself, it really would
be bad for Traveller to let the line disappear, especially because it is a con-
nection between Traveller and the still very active d20 community.

I have no idea what is going on in the background, but whatever it is, and
for whatever reasons it happens, it is extremely bad for Traveller, and some-
thing has to happen soon, or T20 will really "go belly up". :(
Click to expand...

While I agree that T20 (the system) has few fans in Germany the Support Material and Adventures for it are a totally different thing. I.e I don't play the system (anymore) sind "oh, that's D20, I don't do D20" was a reaction of potential players once too often. But I DO use the background and adventures a lot.
 
mbrinkhues said:
But I DO use the background and adventures a lot.
Click to expand...

So do I, especially the Traveller's Aide series proved to be very useful for my
setting.
I just wish the T20 material line would continue, but unfortunately I do not
really believe in resurrections, and this patient seems very close to death ... :(
 
Avery/Marc was never part of QLI. COTI has hosted some of Marc's projects (T5) but FFE is Marc's company and it's a separate entity. I can't at this juncture resist pointing out the similarities in some practices (big announcements with release dates, followed by total failure to deliver on that date or any other; that said Marc has now stopped doing that) but these are separate entities and any issues with ordering from QLI do not affect FFE. Or Comstar, or Mongoose, or SJG.

Marc's involvement with QLI was never great. Hunter talked to him a lot and cites him as friend and mentor, but actual involvement was very slight.
 
I think it's a shame. I like T20 and was really looking forward to the Solomani Ships books. I would have loved to see more Gateway material but since the spat between Hunter and MJD. Avenger can't put anymore out. I'm not trying to start a flame war just stating things as I see it.

Mike
 
Hardly a spat. In fact nothing from Hunter's end. If he'd just talk to me/pay me what I'm owed there would be no problem.
 
MJD said:
Avery/Marc was never part of QLI. COTI has hosted some of Marc's projects (T5) but FFE is Marc's company and it's a separate entity. I can't at this juncture resist pointing out the similarities in some practices (big announcements with release dates, followed by total failure to deliver on that date or any other; that said Marc has now stopped doing that) but these are separate entities and any issues with ordering from QLI do not affect FFE. Or Comstar, or Mongoose, or SJG.

Marc's involvement with QLI was never great. Hunter talked to him a lot and cites him as friend and mentor, but actual involvement was very slight.
Click to expand...

Okay, thanks. I really didn't know. I tend to know very little about the game and publishing industries, only that I like writing and adding my immagination to what's already there.

Having said that ... *sigh* ... this sounds like another bump in the road as far as this game system goes. I think I'll stick to what I know; media, and leave games off my plate for the time being.

Does FFE have an official forum? I know there's one for T5 (I haven't visited it in ages), but I've never seen a forum on Avery's FFE site.
 
Blue Ghost said:
Does FFE have an official forum? I know there's one for T5 (I haven't visited it in ages), but I've never seen a forum on Avery's FFE site.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the T5 forum has been down for years. FFE doesn't have its own forums, and never will - MWM doesn't seem to be too taken with this whole web-site thing ... :p
 
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