Last week, we launched a pre-order for a full-color, softcover edition of the Gaming in the ‘Verse: GenCon 2013 Exclusive in the Margaret Weis Productions online store. Today, we also offered a digital pre-order on DriveThruRPG.com.

This Exclusive will have playable material in the book and give you a good idea of the basic approach we’re using for the game. It will not be available in retail stores. Be sure to read the product description for more information! You can also drop by GeekNative for Andrew’s take on what we’re doing.

Gaming in the ‘Verse: GenCon 2013 Exclusive will include:

* Sample Art and Full-Color Map Previews
* Select Chapter Previews
* “Wedding Planners” a playable Echoes of War adventure written by Margaret Weis
* “Shooting Fish” a playable Echoes of War adventure written by Andrew Peregrine
* “Serenity Crew” a collection of stand-alone characters compatible with the Echoes of War line
* Chinese pronunciation guide
* …and more!

Here are some frequently asked questions and insights that have come up.

What’s your release schedule look like?

The Echoes of War line will be a series of stand-alone PDF adventures that *will* be fully playable. The Serenity Crew release, which is compatible with these adventures, will have stats for the main crew and [redacted] as well. Margaret’s adventure, “Wedding Planners,” and the “Serenity Crew” will be released in two systems: Cortex Classic and Cortex Plus. We are doing that to help older fans get acclimated to the new system. Nothing else is planned for a dual release; we have an introductory letter going into both products so you can see our approach.

The GenCon Exclusive, which will feature Margaret’s adventure as a Cortex Plus debut and Andrew’s, is available in print/PDF through the MWP website and as a PDF in digital. It will also clearly highlight the basic approach we’re taking with the line and offer lots of other easter eggs for fans.

After that? The corebook. My team doesn’t even know what’s debuting after the fact right now. We’re focused on launching Echoes of War and getting the Exclusive done. Then, we’ll hyper-focus on the corebook.

Who are some of the artists you’re hiring?

Daniel Solis, our Art Director, has dropped a few names on his blog when he talked about the pre-order. I am *giddy.*

Why Winter 2013?

We can’t set a target date because even when *our* portion is done, we still have to submit for Fox approval, and make changes after the fact. Q4 is our likely target for the game’s release. What’s more? This is not Serenity 2.0. This is a brand new game — NOT — an update.

How has the pipeline news (Marvel) affected Firefly?

Short answer? It hasn’t. I’ve been a consultant for Firefly since past November and, when the license was officially announced, I was already working behind-the-scenes to get fans playing in the ‘verse. The reason why I was hired was because the company’s goals shifted to ensure that releases came out in a more timely manner. I don’t know the history of the company and I don’t know the people very well. This is my first project with many of them and they’re getting used to my management style. We’ve all been nose-to-grindstone and I typically operate about six, eight months ahead of everybody else.

It’s an unhappy coincidence that fans are associating what happened with Marvel with this license. I understand what’s happening and there’s nothing I can do to change people’s minds. What’s more, Marvel has nothing to do with me at all. I can’t comment, because it’s not my line.

The only thing I can do is this: under-promise. Over-deliver.

Where can I find more info and keep up-to-date?

We are taking a more transparent approach with the line and I am available for questions. Once we get through this crunch period, I can open up the floor to other members of my team, too.

Follow my Margaret Weis Productions blog to stay up-to-date.