Update - 13/12/2021
Hello, everyone! I'm very happy to announce that we have two new Order members: Retsnimel and Riley! Thanks for joining us!
This last week was a great one for Across a Thousand Dead Worlds' development: not only did I finish the GM chapter (chapter 5), Phil managed to add it to the playtest document as well, and we opened the playtest to the general public! I've already received a ton of really valuable feedback, and fixed/added/removed things left and right. I'm very excited to see the game taken on its final shape! I've also done some really nice progress on the last missing chapter, the one dedicated to Karum Station. I'm done with the lore aspect of it, and now I must introduce the station's layout, daily life, and activities. I'll let you know how things progress, but we're so close!
I feel I need to comment on the recent Kickstarter controversy. As most of you know, we have been planning to bring ATDW to you via Kickstarter almost since the very beginning; as a matter of fact, one of the reasons why I decided to incorporate Leo from LF OSR to the team was to help with all the Kickstarter details and general marketing. Kickstarter's recent shift towards blockchain technology has the indie RPG scene up in arms; I must admit I know next to nothing about blockchain technology, aside from the fact that it's not really environmentally friendly. It's not really clear what exactly (or even when) KS is planning to do though, and combined with the fact that being based in Spain doesn't give me that many crowdfunding options (unless I use a Spanish platform, which quite frankly, I don't even consider as an option for a game targeted mostly to the US market), I think that we are going to stick with KS for the time being. This might change if they come out with something that I as an individual feel goes against my personal ethics in a way I cannot ignore (because let's face it, we all act against our own values on a daily basis, and do our best not to confront that reality), but right now looking for an alternative for this project would delay it indefinitely, and I've spent a lot of time and money on it to get it out. Not only that, I'm truly excited to have the game out in the world as soon as possible, and the idea of having to change gears at this stage of the project's development is terrifying. I honestly considered very seriously just releasing it myself directly and try to pay for it via pre-orders, but I don't think I could make that work. I need to be able to pay the team that's helping me bring this to life, not only the production costs; aside from the fact that I honestly don't think the game should be published as it is right now, because it really needs professional editing and more art. All in all, my best option right now is to stick with KS, and we'll see how things develop.
But what do you guys think I should do? Should I make a poll about this? Am I doing the wrong thing?
So this starting week I'll focus on getting the last chapter of ATDW done, and that's basically it; I don't want to be distracted by anything else, not when we're this close! So that's it for this week, hope you all have a great one!
Comments (8)
Can you include the updated PDF's of the playtest document when they are announced in updates? The last one I have is Volume 2 from way back in the summer.
Apologies! I think I'll just edit the post and link to the Google Doc folder, that way you guys who aren't on the Discord will have access to all the current changes. We're pushing a new update very soon though, with the new Zone based combat, and tons of other fixes and additions!
The Long term implications of a change in Kickstarters policy is one thing. The imminent start of a crowd funder you’ve been working on for ages is another. I certainly wont be sweating if you let this slide for the sake of your sanity and everyone else involved! But I am impressed that you considered dropping them. I try to be ethical in my consumption too.
Thanks! It's a messy, complex situation so I guess we'll have to see how it evolves...
From what I've learned about Kickstarter switching to block-chain, they say they plan on using a very environmentally friendly process. The way bitcoin and that stuff works is terrible for the environment, but with some newer technology and new ways of processing transactions, these new block-chain ways of handling it are actually far better than what they used to be. It's also much more secure than the standard way things are done right now. I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. The people behind bitcoin have actually said they plan on switching to the new way of processing transactions, which uses only a fraction of the power
Yeah I've read a bit about it, being based on that Celo technology, but since I honestly do not have a clue about any of it, I don't feel ready to make judgements one way or the other. I'm just scared because I already saw a lot of people saying they'll not back anything on KS... We'll see what happens!
No worries Alex I think the bigger indie RPG community understands those who have been planning and working to get a KS out before this announcement. Won't hurt my feelings either way to back this one on KS. For what it is worth I know Tony V knows more but he used Gamefound for Down We Go and was pretty successful. So might be worth looking into for future projects.
Yes, as I said I've looked into alternatives, such as Gamefound or Indiegogo. Gamefound is invite-only, and I'm not sure about the popularity of Indiegogo among the RPG community, as I personally haven't backed a single thing there, and can't remember seeing one. You also have itch funding, but it looks like a real mess... I'm sure we could find an alternative platform, but the project would be immensely less successful. Like some other designer commented on Twitter the other day, the most likely outcome of all this is an initial wave of games being funded through a dozen different crowdfunding systems due to the community's incapability to agree on which platform to use, followed by a few months of confusion, and the eventual return to Kickstarter for a lack of a better actual alternative.