The "Shaintar Consortium" got some very nice kudos from mickbradley and his bud on the Canon Puncture podcast. It's about 2/3 the way through (though he gives a very nice shout-out to Shaintar well before then).

He identified what we are trying to do as something pretty unique in the RPG world.

And, honestly, I think he is right. I am just waiting for that tipping point, when folks realize that creators and fans can work together to craft truly compelling shared experiences that go way beyond a passive "deliver/consume" model.

Of course, I am more than thrilled to reap the rewards of being one of the first to other side on this one.

I am also waiting for the tiny rocks to start moving the larger stones; I am waiting for that avalanche when all of my friends and fans, supporters and colleagues, jump in with both feet and a hand or three and start slinging sand and plastic shovels around in the sandbox.

After the bit of wrangling I went through when Martin put my feet to the fire, a new epiphany has taken hold in my conscience. It had design, but not form, when I first posited all this Project `77 mess. I had constructed the concept, but I had not allowed the seeds of my own engineering to take root in my deeper self to do the work needed to get me over the very edge I was asking others to jump from.

This is no longer the case. I've come to the conclusion that enough of Shaintar exists, in book and online, and it was high time I unwrap my arms from around it and let others see, touch, and play with it fully.

Now we are only just beginning to see the barest scratches at the surface of this thing. In the days to come, I think we're going to see something truly extraordinary. A world shared like no other has been before. A literal universe of potential unbound from the stone by dozens, perhaps hundreds of carvers' hands.

I do not need to micromanage this; I've given voice to my vision, and those who wish to share do so out of respect for the vision, and a sincere desire to add their music to the harmonious and complex symphony. There are leaders in the orchestra and in the choir, capable of directing the multitude of notes and voices into the various parts that are at work.

And when I need to, they do not mind if I tap my baton on the stand, stop things for just a bit, scratch a new set of notes on the music sheets, and then let the music start up again.

Cooperative trust will accomplish what dominant, single-minded desire to control cannot.

There are more adventures to experience in Shaintar than I could ever construct. More stories to tell than I will ever know. More characters to encounter, more treasures to find, and more emotions to experience than can ever be delivered by my hands alone.

And that's just one continent we're talking about.

There's a whole planet yet to be discovered and defined. After that, a universe beyond...

The creative process is engaged. Next to be needed are the tools to manage shared storytelling. Tools to facilitate the coordination of independent campaigns with event-based games and online participation. Time and money will be needed to accomplish these things, but I truly feel they are closer at hand than they ever were before.

I've been telling folks on podcasts, at cons, and elsewhere that it used to be a would-be creator who wanted to work in RPGs would have to cast about with their hopes, their dreams, and effective presentations of ideas in search of a publisher willing to risk time and resources on them. They'd have to prove themselves to some degree, write a few things here and there, and hope more work came there way before the coffers dried up.

Those days are gone.

Now, all it takes is the willingness to actually do what it is you say you want to do. Yes, some talent for putting words to your ideas doesn't hurt (or the capacity to contribute in other ways - art, graphic design, software development, editing, etc.).

If you want to be a part of something "real," your opportunity lies before you. Right here. Right now.

Just do me a favor.

Don't ask.

Don't ask the question "What do you want me to do?"

Read what's been posted. The answers are there in great multitude.

Dive in. Ask specific questions about the areas, ideas, concepts, or whatever that might apply to what you are working on. But just... write. Create. Post ideas. Design stuff.

I've opened the toolbox and poured tons of sand on the ground.

Start playing!