(Message ryand:230)
Date:    Thu, 01 Oct 1998 09:56:13 PDT
To:      <frpginfo@frpg.com>
cc:      <battletech-l@oracle.wizards.com>
From:    "Ryan S. Dancey" <RyanD@frpg.com>
Subject: Endings and Beginnings...

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Dear Customers,

Yesterday, I was promoted to the position of Brand Manager, TSR as a part of
a sweeping reorganization at Wizards of the Coast.  To make that change
possible, I am relinquishing my position as Brand Manager, FRPG.

Over the next several months we will go through a transition where I will be
disentangling myself from the business and the day to day operation of the
FRPG brands.  I am also going to leave the Design Teams, as I won't be able
to keep up with the day to day twists and turns that participation at that
level demands.

I'm probably going to turn the reigns of the list servers over to Luke
Peterschmidt (lukeout@frpg.com) or to Ed Bolme (edb@frpg.com) as the
transition progresses.  The web redesign work currently underway by Puck at
Holycow.com will continue as planned.

I leave the FRPG brand with high hopes for the future, but heavy heart for
the past - the things that we have accomplished in the past four years
represent the best elements of my life and leaving them behind will be a
challenge.

In the next few days, you'll be hearing from me and the Brand Managers about
the changes that are happening to the schedules.  Two months ago, production
of Urza's Saga (Japanese) was moved to Yaquinto.  The Magic market in Japan
is undergoing the same type of explosive growth that it did in the US in
1994, and demand for Japanese Magic is overwhelming.  As a result, we had
several products that were bumped from the production cycle.  Once that
happened, Luke, Ed and I put our heads together to take a hard look at the
business itself, and we're making some changes.

I can tell you that there will be no Doomtown in October - the October
release of Episode 7 will shift to November, 8 to December, and 9 to
January.

Episodes 7-9 of The Hidden Emperor are going to be combined into one
mega-release, the Hidden Emperor Conclusion Set:  Dark Journey Home.  This
150 card set, with three new factions and three levels of rarity will appear
in deck and booster displays in February '99.

Episode #2 of Legend of the Burning Sands, Secrets & Lies, will be about two
weeks late - you'll see it on store shelves in the middle of October.

Once we finish redrafting all our schedules, we'll create a complete list of
who, what, when and where and post it to this list.

Again, let me express my heartfelt thanks for all your support.

Ryan