Update - 16/02/2026
Hello, and welcome to another weekly update! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty busy, so I can't complain! I was out both Saturday and Sunday, which is something I never do, so it was good. I must force myself to disconnect now and then because working day and night for weeks on end is the perfect recipe for burnout, even if I love what I do. I must admit that I'm starting to feel the need for a vacation (I haven't exited my city since 2018... or even taken more than a single free day, and that was because I was sick), but I'm afraid to lose momentum. It's hard to be in a competitive business like this one, and having all the responsibility! I feel like I'm one mistake away from disaster. Well, maybe not one, since for example Apocrypha (the Choir of Flesh expansion) was clearly a mistake; I should have kept it as a Kickstarter PDF reward and that's it... I spent way too much on it, and I don't see how I'm ever going to recover it, considering I've sold 40 copies so far.
In any case, I persevere! These last days I've been focused on getting The Arenmist Forest expansion for Riftbreakers ready. All the writing and preliminary editing is done, so I am now working on the layout. There's still a lot to do, but I'm confident I'll have it ready for you guys this month!
I'm also hoping I'll be able to have some other stuff, either more Empire Undying pages, or more Into the Warp & Ruin. Those two projects are going very slow, since I'm totally focused on supporting the games that work (Ker Nethalas and Riftbreakers) right now. And I MUST finish Across a Thousand Hollow Vaults, since people don't stop asking me about it (which I love) and it's just embarrassing at this point.
For those of you who are Grand Master Patreon members, you have the little live talk I'm planning this coming Sunday! Remember, I'll start streaming here on Patreon at 6:00 pm CET. All you need to do is login to Patreon and you'll be able to participate in the chat. For what I've seen, it looks a bit like Twitch, if you're familiar with that. I'll discuss what I'm working on lately, and maybe talk about my latest purchases, and you guys can tell me about what's on your table now.
And speaking of Grand Master members, the first quarterly drop is done! It will be a new Ker Nethalas Domain, I'm just waiting for the art! I hope I'll have it ready for you guys next month.
So this week I'll just keep working on the same stuff I've been doing these last weeks; I'm not sure I'll finish the layout this week, but if not, I'll be almost done for sure.
So that's it for this week, have a great one!
Comments (13)
I read a quote from Oleksandyr Usyk the other day: “People often wait for motivation to start – but motivation is unstable. Some days it’s there, some days it’s gone. Discipline is different. Discipline is a decision you make every day, even when you don’t feel like it.” I think if you’re a pro in whatever you do, you make plans for longevity. I’ve noticed some of my favorite musicians eat really clean, make sure they get sleep, etc. athletes have to allow for proper recovery, gotta stay on weight, that sort of thing. It’s a view of the full picture. I would just consider, longevity is the goal. Some people can work nonstop, some people need balance to keep going. The greats, the legends, come from both camps. Just keep paying attention to how you feel and you will continue to kick ass, no matter what.
Yes, that is absolutely right. I need to learn to find a better balance, thank you for the sound advice!
Understood
Really hope you can find a good balance,...not always easy, I know this in my job and life.Wish you a little rest and still satisfaction in your projects and creations. Keep following you, like all the other people amazed for what you bring
Thank you! I don't have any intention of slowing down for the time being, I don't really have the opportunity to properly disconnect so I'll keep going. What I do need to do is find time to play the many games I own, instead of just letting them pile up...
You go take a vacation, and I recommend it because of two things: 1) it avoids burnout and recharges creativity, as getting exposed to new things gives more ideas. 2) your subconscious will keep firing ideas even when you are on vacation and when you are more relaxed. Take a notebook, jot down the single idea, don't develop it, and continue the vacation.
Yeah I would really love to take a vacation, but due to my family circumstances, I'm unable to. My mother in law can't move from home, and we can't leave her alone for several days... So for now I'm stuck here, I'm afraid. Thanks for the advice, though, I really hope I can follow it soon.
Take care of yourself. Burning bright ist good. Burning Out is not. Don't t know how much you make from places Like drivetrurpg but i got my PDF of choir and apocrypha from there and now just waiting for the physical books
Yeah, it's a delicate balance! If this were any other job I'd have burned out years ago, but fortunately I love what I do. What helps is jumping from one project to another, but that unfortunately results in me having 5 WIP games, which sucks, haha. I make the most from my own website when it comes to PDFs, but if you want physical then yes, the best option is DTRPG, I get 60% of sales from there (after printing costs, of course).
I'm having a hard time not buying that CoF black ed in your shop. I eye it every day. I hope someone buys them soon to save me from it. I already have my physicals CoF and Apoc perk ordered... but that black ed in your shop looks incredible. I hope you get restful time off! I'm excited for everything mentioned. Just cheering you on I suppose. Thanks for all the hard work!
Thank you for your support! I did rest from work this weekend, but now I'm recovering from the rest, haha. Standing for 7 hours on a concert is not something I'm used to anymore, and my back is busted.
It is time you take a nice vacation! Time away is good for your mental health and work. It clears your mind and declutters your mind and makes it so you are able to generate new ideas. You will start fresh and probably aid you in generate new ideas for current projects. We don't want you to burn out.
I would really love to, but without the possibility of physically going away due to family reasons, my "vacation" would just me deciding not to do any work, while still being home. And I don't think I would be able to do that, haha. Besides, I really don't lack ideas, on the contrary, I have too many! It's actually one oft he things that is stressing me the most, I want to do all these things, but I don't have the time or means to do it. I really hope I can hire someone soon (aside from the occasional hiring of Richard to write stuff for me...).