Onyx Path Kicked to the Curb?

[PopeVlad]

There's been a lot of news today. V5 seems to be going in the right direction, with books finally being released after a year where all we got was Fall of London(discounting all the Onyx Path products). Tzimisce, Ravnos, and Salubri are getting added, finally, bringing the total to 14 clans(?!). What I heard that bothered me the most though, and I can't be as excited by all the other great news, is that World of Darkness is doing the core books themselves "in-house" and Renegade is "developing and producing" all supplements. As of now, according to Ian A.A. Watson, Onyx Path is in talks with Paradox about their involvement.

I want to express how absolutely disappointing this part of the announcement is. We don't know who these Renegade people are just like we didn't really know who Modiphius was, at least in regard to what they're going to give us in terms of quality books for the World of Darkness. Onyx Path has put out Chicago by Night and is in the process of putting out Cult of the Blood Gods. When all is said and done, they'll have put out 7 books altogether compared to the one book put out by any other V5 publisher over the last 2 years. In my personal opinion the stuff we've gotten from Onyx Path exceeds what we've gotten from anyone else. The writing is better, the organization is better, and it seems like the knowledge of the source material is better. Modiphius wasn't going to bring back the Nagaraja.

I just really hope that Onyx Path is able to do X5(Vampire, Werewolf, Mage maybe?) going forward. They're the best at it from what we've seen. With Justin Achilli back, maybe that will change, but we won't know until they come out with a book under his watch. Camarilla, Anarch, and Fall of London were lackluster compared to Onyx Path's products.

2019 and 2020 were the years that Onyx Path held the V5 brand together while we were seeing controversy with the Camarilla book, basically nothing from Modiphius, and then the disappointment and delays with Bloodlines 2. OPP needs to stop having to plead their case every time there's an internal change in White Wolf, World of Darkness, or whatever they're wanting to call themselves at the moment. Their body of work really should speak for itself.

[CTPhipps]

Allow me to clarify the news that has been posted elsewhere in Onyx Path's Facebook page:

"Things are still being discussed."

As such, doomsaying is premature.

[PopeVlad]

I honestly think that Onyx Path gets the right to make more books. To me, it's just frustrating that they keep having to fight for their case to make them. They're the best at it, they carried the brand since V20 came out. And I think it's important to make a stink about it if it helps their cause. Onyx Path shouldn't be at risk of being on the chopping block because Modiphius fucked up.

[RadioFreeDeath]

In the Q and A Justin Achille explicitly said he would be working with other companies to produce books. One of those companies could be onyx path.

[Quatar]

In the Q and A Justin Achille explicitly said he would be working with other companies to produce books. One of those companies could be onyx path.

That does sound promising. Let's hope for the best.

[MyWifeIsScary]

V5 seems to be going in A direction, rather than standing still, . Time will tell if it is the right direction.

OP books have made some great books, but their earlier stuff is generally more solid than later stuff. LotC was a mostly a great book, LotB was mostly bad. V20 was a safe, good book with few problems, DAV20 is all over the place with -The-best-Ideas-ever combined with the -worst-ideas-ever. W20 set quite an optimistic tone in comparison to prior editions, but was mostly a good book. M20 was indisputably a hot mess (The degree to which is disputable). C20 is by most accounts I've heard very good, but it's a bit of an outlier.

I don't know what's going through the heads of Paradox. Are they making unreasonable demands, or are they just being let down at every turn?

[Shakanaka]

I'm reading C20 now and its really the best 20 book out of the series.

[Aleph]

M20 was indisputably a hot mess (The degree to which is disputable).

XD

I think the same could be said of all Mage editions - except maybe the 2nd.

[MyWifeIsScary]

XD

I think the same could be said of all Mage editions - except maybe the 2nd.

M20 has editing that could only be described as objectively bad. Like what where they thinking bad. That is, if we even consider M20 to have editing.

But, yeah, I feel there was a general downward trend with 20th. I did not like the direction they were going. I suppose changeling was spared because it's a more esoteric title. (But Wraith wasn't spared? I didn't read it, but it sounds like they took liberties) Maybe it's a stretch goal weakness.

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Onyx Path kicked to the curb?

(runs around screaming hysterically and waving my arms)

[Heavy Arms]

I honestly think that Onyx Path gets the right to make more books. To me, it's just frustrating that they keep having to fight for their case to make them. They're the best at it, they carried the brand since V20 came out. And I think it's important to make a stink about it if it helps their cause. Onyx Path shouldn't be at risk of being on the chopping block because Modiphius fucked up.

It is entirely possible that Onyx Path doesn't want to be in charge of WoD 5e.

They're still handling Exalted and CofD. They've got a ton of smaller licensed products. They've got their own in-house games.

The amount of stuff in the Onyx Path pipeline, given the actual size of the company, is huge.

It made sense for them to fight when they were the only WoD game in town. But once nWW decided that the WoD 5e books would not be exclusive to one development company, there really isn't any reason for Onyx Path to fight to be the lead instead of taking some supplements here and there to stay part of the brand and get recognition as Paradox tries to revive it to a wider audience.

[elmerg]

It is entirely possible that Onyx Path doesn't want to be in charge of WoD 5e.

It made sense for them to fight when they were the only WoD game in town. But once nWW decided that the WoD 5e books would not be exclusive to one development company, there really isn't any reason for Onyx Path to fight to be the lead instead of taking some supplements here and there to stay part of the brand and get recognition as Paradox tries to revive it to a wider audience.

The other issue is resources. Onyx Path doesn't historically have the distribution levels necessary to do what Paradox wants with the books and having them out there in stores in the public eye, which is why they originally partnered with Modiphius (who obviously couldn't keep up their end of the bargain), but Renegade has a good track record with their board game distribution.

[PopeVlad]

They're still handling Exalted and CofD.

Do we know this for a fact? I wasn't suggesting that Onyx Path needs to be the main supplement maker. I just think they need to be allowed to continue doing what they're doing. At minimum, they ought to at least be allowed to keep doing CofD and Exalted, but I really liked their V5 products so I very selfishly also want more of those if possible. It just seems to be that the situation is more serious than "World of Darkness forgot to mention Onyx Path gets to keep using our licenses and things go on as they always have" and less serious than "we're completely done with EVERYONE because Modiphius made us angry." Where they're at is frustrating because we don't know and it casts a pall on what was overall pretty great news. I think I'll join Grumpy and flail around like an inflatable man in front of a car dealership.

[Damian May]

Yeah....this is kinda looking like Paradox had in mind to do this for some time so just kept fucking Modiphius over with bullshit excuses to push the PG back further and further until they were ready to just dump them, Hunters W5 team has been disbanded and looks like they have had to play along under NDAs which is why they've been essentially incommunicado for the past 6 months. I mean if I didn't already have a laundry list of shitty behaviour from Parawolf this would be surprising....but its really just more of the same.

[PopeVlad]

The nightmare is over! World of Darkness's relationship with OPP remains UNCHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Elmerg!