While I am most-often credited as “Editor,” my responsibilities tend to be much more fluid and far-reaching, as evidenced by other examples on this page.
As the bridge between game designer, graphic designer, and publisher, I have a holistic view of the production process. This big-picture perspective allows me to see gaps and liabilities in the process and delegate tasks as issues become apparent. In the end, a game won’t go to print until I’ve signed off on every one of its printed materials.
My work on Petersen Games‘ Cthulhu Wars Onslaught 3 illustrates my points:
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Cthulhu Wars is Petersen’s flagship product, and their Onslaught 3 edition featured nearly 400 pages of printed materials, all of which fell under my responsibility.
Beyond essential editing, I reconciled errata, negotiated rules changes, and directed several graphic designers on necessary layout changes. As a subject matter expert, I had to learn the details of more than 40 different modules and find ways to make them “bulletproof.” That is to say, unambiguous and unbreakable in any combination.
I negotiated numerous rules changes with the designer, instituted new workflow procedures, and made executive decisions with regard to the suggestions of our team of volunteer proofreaders. Frequent changes by the design team required constant vigilance, as each adjustment had the potential to cause a cascade of unforeseen problems; it fell to me to communicate these changes to other members of the team and make sure that everyone was aware of and working on the latest version(s).
With final editorial approval on all printed materials, it was only with my sign-off that the game’s thousand-plus discrete elements were authorized to go to print; I am proud to say that despite these challenges, the final result was a flawlessly gorgeous luxury product.