Information on MSD
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Mystic Station Designs, LLC
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Company Overview
Mystic Station Designs, LLC, is a company of storytellers that love to play games. Building on their love for storytelling and playing games to support Players and Game Masters. In truth, that is not unique amongst the industry, though at times it can be rare. But just as every individual in the world is different and valuable, so too MSD is different in our own ways as well, and it is our sincere hope that our differences make our company and our products valuable to our customers, pleasing those who are already our customers and meeting the needs of others such that they will become our customers in the future.
How is Mystic Station Designs, LLC different?
One could say that the diversity of products makes Mystic Station Designs, LLC different from other gaming publishers. Or that our approach in listening to and acting upon our customers' needs and wants makes MSD different. And both of those reasons are very true. MSD has made listening to the needs and wants of our customers and meeting those needs a primary goal of everything that we do, and this has led to an amazing diversity in our products and our personnel.
Mystic Station Designs, LLC approaches the industry from a standpoint summed up within two statements: "What does the Player or Game Master Need to enhance their games and their gaming experience? Additionally what would make their lives easier preparing and running games??
In addition, Mystic Station Designs, LLC understands and values the potential of games to assist in education. Games have been used since before recorded history to teach important tasks and values in every culture on earth. Games are supposed to be fun and using games to teach allows learning to be fun. To this end, our approach is from the viewpoint that learning should be fun and that the products should foster one's thirst for knowledge and expand one's creativity and imagination.
The above statements help navigate the types of products that Mystic Station Designs, LLC Researches, Designs, and Creates. The Crew of Mystic Station Designs, LLC continues to research, design, and create products for the enjoyment of playing and to assist those playing and running the games.
However, what really makes Mystic Station Designs, LLC different is one word: Crew. In most companies you have employees, associates, executives, etc. The people who work with and for MSD are known as crew. If you look up the word crew in a dictionary you will see many definitions. The one that best applies to MSD is "a group of people working together as a team, who depend on one another to survive and be successful." That is how all of us at MSD view each other and our work together.
There are certain rules that we at MSD follow in our work together. It is our belief that staying true to the letter and more importantly the spirit of these rules will make of us, the company, and the products the best that can be. The rules of Mystic Station Designs, LLC are as follows:
- Quality products
- Never Again
- Communicate
- We are all Crew
- Be on time and be prepared
- Have a Good Time
1. Quality Products:
It is the Desire of MSD to create and produce quality products. Mistakes will happen, and that is why we have an errata section on our website. However the crewmembers of MSD have also been customers and have personally experienced purchasing a product that did not live up to its description or was not what they needed or wanted. Thus MSD has begun the process of creating products by asking game masters and gamers questions, such as "What would make your life easier in creating a campaign?" That question was asked to over 4,000 game masters at conventions, on-line and at gaming stores over a 5-year time frame. The result of those answers is the Game Master's Utilities product line. That same dedication to quality products that meet the needs and desires of our customers shall remain a central focus of all that MSD does.
2. Never Again:
The Founding members of MSD have been published together in the past, prior to the formation of Mystic Station Designs, LLC. The experience was a nightmare to be polite. The publisher almost ruined their friendship and tried to manipulate them against each other, lying about everything. Note this is not typical of game publishers; most game publishers are decent human beings. This one was not and caused severe damage to everyone he touched. Thus the comment and commitment was born: Never Again. MSD will not tolerate any inappropriate treatment of its crewmembers or people working with MSD. This statement has been used in other cases since then. As an example: 17 adults in three hotel rooms at a convention. NEVER AGAIN! This expression is the commitment MSD will keep after having any learning experience.
3. Communicate:
Communications is a very important part of any organization. It is an essential part of Mystic Station Designs, LLC. If there is a problem or a possibility that a deadline might or will be missed, we communicate with the Crew and when necessary we communicate with our customers or other groups with whom we are working on that project. And our dedication to communication does not stop with business concerns: in working together, we are colleagues and friends as well as business associates. Our teamwork as such includes personal issues, such as if there has been a family emergency and one of the crewmembers needs assistance.
4. We are all Crew:
All members of Mystic Station Designs, LLC are crew. We work with each other and watch each other's back. We will survive and succeed together. We are all answerable to each other equally. As the traditional statement says, "There is no I in TEAM."
5. Be on Time and Be Prepared:
It is a dishonor to Mystic Station Designs, LLC, and to one's own reputation when one cannot arrive at an event on time or if one is not prepared. It is also showing disrespect to those for whom one is running an event. If a delay cannot be helped then go to rule #3: communicate that there is an issue, and then allow rule #4 to supply the answers and solutions to the problem.
6. Have a Good Time:
Crewmembers of Mystic Station Designs, LLC work very hard on their projects and at conventions. It is the desire of MSD to balance work with having fun.
Mystic Station Designs, LLC
The History of the Company
The company was started by Kory M. Kaese and Allison E. Kaese in August of 1999 as a distributor for Chivalry & SorceryTM. The company soon expanded its line to include BITS (British Isles Traveller Support) Traveller supplements. Mystic Station Designs, LLC began advertising through the time honored method of attending science-fiction and fantasy conventions as well as the traditional means of advertising.
The first convention that MSD attended as a company was Evecon 1999 in Frederick, Maryland. MSD ran games and a dealers table. Mystic Station Designs, LLC began to grow in content and product. By I-CON 2000, Mystic Station Designs, LLC produced its first product called the Game Master's Utilities volume one.
In August of 2000 Mystic Station Designs, LLC attended its first GENCON with a crew of five (Never Again, need more crew). The convention was awe inspiring which left each crew member with a good memory and pure exhaustion. Mystic Station Designs, LLC returned and began to expand its product line. The rest, as they say, is history.