MMP version of the LFT Rat Pocket Charts in the pipeline?

JoeArthur

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So,

I was chatting to a games supplier and apparently MMP are going to produce their own version of the LFT Rat Pocket Charts. Obviously going to take a while though............

Anyone know anything?
 

Honza

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The pocket charts. I heard it was happening.
 

TopT

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If they are about to produce their own why go out and buy the new LFT product?
One is done and is pretty complete, the other is 'being worked on'.

Spend your money on what you choose. I just think it is a waste of time management.
 

The Magnus

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So,

I was chatting to a games supplier and apparently MMP are going to produce their own version of the LFT Rat Pocket Charts. Obviously going to take a while though............

Anyone know anything?
Joe, I got my LFT one the other day. I definitely recommend it in the more expensive laminated version. Also a must if you play Korea or - surprise maybe - beach landings (I have been playing beach landings for a couple of months now). Plus other previously ignored Auxiliary tables. Definitely worth the money.

As for MMP: my LFT charts - laminated or not - will probably be worn out by the time the MMP one hits the market (and Europe).

lf the rumor is true, I do have to say that I do not understand the business logic of this. Why spend rare development, proofreading and marketing resources to bring out a competing product when there are so many unfulfilled needs with buyers standing in line (such as a new edition of the Italian/desert module, or just keeping all core modules in print at all times). personally I fail to see how a MMP pocket chart can bring enough improvements to warrant a switch from a product where I already know where all the charts are.

A smarter business move could be for MMP to buy the publication rights to the LFP charts and take it from there...
 

Michael R

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I doubt MMP would need to "buy" anything. It is MMP intellectual material that appears in the LFT charts.

So far, I have had no interest in buying these smaller charts for the same reason I have interest in the pocket RB: small print.
 

Scott_Blanton

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MMP is making a pocket version of the ASL charts/dividers to go along with our pocket ASLRB and pocket Chapter H. As far as it being worked on, I've been using one for playtests and we are just about done with final edits. I would expect to see this released with the other two pocket products sometime in October.
 

The Magnus

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I doubt MMP would need to "buy" anything. It is MMP intellectual material that appears in the LFT charts.
Yes and no. Indeed, that could be an interesting legal fight, couldn't it. On the one hand MMP, or Hasbro, could sue LFT, FrF, BFP, BGD, Canuck and so on for copyright infringement. I am not a lawyer, but they could probably succeed. Succeed in bringing down their own business due to badwill and accelerate the decline of the hobby as the result of a much smaller number of interesting products.

As for the LFT charts, MMP could of course make a photographic replica of them and sell them. An even more interesting court case could ensue. MMP making illegal copies of a product owned by another company, but that product in turn being based on Hasbro intellectual property.

Or - which was the reason I wrote as I did - they could BUY the electronic files constituting the LFT charts and have a - maybe inexpensive - base for a future popular MMP product. They could even sell a bundle consisting of a Chart and Reading Glasses, popular in Montreal :):).

That MMP would spend development time to create an alternative Pocket Chart from scratch does not make sense to me.
 

The Magnus

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MMP is making a pocket version of the ASL charts/dividers to go along with our pocket ASLRB and pocket Chapter H. As far as it being worked on, I've been using one for playtests and we are just about done with final edits. I would expect to see this released with the other two pocket products sometime in October.
I stand corrected.
 

Jazz

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Yes and no. Indeed, that could be an interesting legal fight, couldn't it. On the one hand MMP, or Hasbro, could sue LFT, FrF, BFP, BGD, Canuck and so on for copyright infringement. I am not a lawyer, but they could probably succeed. Succeed in bringing down their own business due to badwill and accelerate the decline of the hobby as the result of a much smaller number of interesting products.
A very good point. I would also add that most (all?) of these TPP are essentially suit-proof due to having few/no real assets to pursue legaqlly. All that a suit would achieve (beyond the very real bad will) is stopping the publishing of this material, much of which is not on the MMP road map.

The ASL community has already gone through that once before with Ray Tapio and CH, and not much seems to have been resolved.

An interesting side question is what role does MMP play in enforcing ASL IP rights? I seem to recall hearing somewhere that this ball is in Hasbro's court, and the TPP in question are way too small fish for Hasbro to be going after.
 

M.Koch

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MMP is making a pocket version of the ASL charts/dividers to go along with our pocket ASLRB and pocket Chapter H. As far as it being worked on, I've been using one for playtests and we are just about done with final edits. I would expect to see this released with the other two pocket products sometime in October.
Sounds logical to complete the package....
 

Spencer Armstrong

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MMP is making a pocket version of the ASL charts/dividers to go along with our pocket ASLRB and pocket Chapter H. As far as it being worked on, I've been using one for playtests and we are just about done with final edits. I would expect to see this released with the other two pocket products sometime in October.
Oh...October gonna be ASL-spendy.

LFT's have always been ethically and legally borderline. I have them because they're just so handy, but there's no way I can in good conscience not buy the official version.
 

The Magnus

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LFT's have always been ethically and legally borderline. I have them because they're just so handy, but there's no way I can in good conscience not buy the official version.
Let the best chart win :p
 

klasmalmstrom

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That MMP would spend development time to create an alternative Pocket Chart from scratch does not make sense to me.
But they are not really doing that - creating it from scratch - they are using the existing Dividers/electronic-files and spiral-binding them. So the brunt of the work should be pretty much already done I think.
 

Mister T

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In a strange inversion of values, it is a bit weird to ridicule or criticize those who merely try to reclaim their legitimate property rights. If anything, it comes a bit late for sure. But it would buy it along with Chapter H pocket rules.
 

Jazz

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MMP is making a pocket version of the ASL charts/dividers to go along with our pocket ASLRB and pocket Chapter H. As far as it being worked on, I've been using one for playtests and we are just about done with final edits. I would expect to see this released with the other two pocket products sometime in October.
Good to see.

My question: Will the various errata and questions that arose around the previously published charts/dividers be corrected? To me this would be a very prominent selling point for the "Official" chart booklet.
 

Scott_Blanton

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Jazz, to be honest, I don't know what changes (if any) were made to these charts. I know they are based on the charts that were printed earlier this year. I will see if I can find out.
 

Whiskers1123

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I bought the original LFT one. So tell me, how many times has it been redone, 4, 5 times and people buy all the new ones. That's nuts. I'll wait for the mmp one.
 
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