Punchdrunk on Kickstarter Juice

Monday Meeting

Although in this art from V20 Rites of Blood, the Advance PDF of which is coming this week to DTRPG, I have a hunch the liquid being served isn’t punch.

Last week, I mentioned that I’d like to talk more about some of the principles I’d like Onyx Path to hold to, but with all the hoopla and commentary being fired back and forth because of text included in the D&D5th Basic Rules, I think I’ll save talking about inclusion until a later blog.

Because Kickstarter has become a very visible part of our business model, but was never part of my initial plans for Onyx, it has had a huge impact on how we’re perceived now after 11 successful Kickstarter pledge drives. We’ve certainly had our ups and downs with it, and a lot of growing pains, but I’m pleased to see everybody here learning and improving with each KS we do. But because of the extended time frames, both intended and some we didn’t expect, and the ways our KSs have overlapped, the better processes and understanding of what we are doing can get lost in the upset and frustration of backers several KSs back. So we improve, but an upset backer is already gone- which we really regret. On the other hand, folks who stuck with us, and there are a satisfyingly large number of them, are reaping the benefits of our upward learning curve.

So here are a few things we’ve learned from each KS and how we’ve tried to implement changes based on that learning:

1- V20 Companion: some backers were upset that the book was the 80ish page count we always intended it to be, but hadn’t specifically written into the KS project description because both Justin and I had always based it on the classic companion books with the screens, which were that size. This was a mistake. Now every KS has an expected page count included, and I try and describe as fully as possible the overall look we’re trying for.

2- V20 Children of the Revolution: our first Stretch Goal project was added to this, and that project, the V20 Red List, is still being worked on. That’s because the project was added during the KS, and was pitched as a labor of love to be done in the writer’s spare time. Now all extra projects are confirmed as something that will be part of the line and time allotted to them like any other of our books. This realization was too late for the next KS, though.

3- W20: Hoo, boy. Multiple lessons here. Overstate the difficulties of doing new processes, like the die-cut through the leather and especially the Heavy Metal cover. Quadruple the estimated time until release. Don’t add a Stretch Goal that’s new and just getting started like the dice-roller. Go with the worse-case shipping numbers because those will be a lot closer to the real costs once this big book ships. Oh, and 400+ page books cost a ton more to ship than the smaller 120 page books did previously. Most of all, use a shipper who specializes in shipping and knows little of RPGs, as opposed to an RPG shipper.

4- Mummy: the Curse: This was the first new game core book we KS’d, and there were issues with the info we put into the KS not having enough actual details on what the game was about and played. When we did the Demon: the Descent KS we included a link to the almost complete actual text itself, as we’ve done with the supplement KSs as well.

5- V20 Hunters Hunted 2: Here is where we first learned that supplements fund more slowly, and so we tried adding in some changes to the text itself as Stretch Goals to stimulate the process. Boy did that work, and it also delayed the book getting finished as the extra material had to be added. We now plan for the extra Stretch Goal text to the book itself taking more time than originally assumed. We also learned we could create a cool looking Deluxe book that didn’t have to match V20.

6- Exalted 3rd Edition: This is one of those projects that are so big that we haven’t yet figured out everything we’re learning from it. I will say that I think I’d rather have folks getting frustrated over a KS taking a long time to start than over the project getting finished. So, although they are not KSs yet, we’re not announcing either a Trinity Continuum, or a Scion 2nd Edition KS until the text is actually near complete and not likely to get changed by system tinkering. For a similar project, Mage 20th, I pushed out the expected delivery date even though I had text in hand that was already close to completion.

7- W20 Changing Breeds: This is the book that reminded us that while we were starting to think there were only core books and supplements, that a book could have such interest and such an exciting KS that it would surprise us and require a bit of flexibility in thinking. It suffered a bit from the same extra Stretch Goal material issues as HH2, but Stew Wilson was ready for that and got writers working even as the KS wound down- the real issue was the extra art and added page count. That extra page count caused a bunch of trouble with the printer including more material like the cover leatherette needing to be bought. And I was finally made aware that standard page gilding adds a solid month to the manufacturing process. So subsequent KSs have been planned with an eye towards how much larger the books might go, and what we need to do to cover those costs and any extra time the printing might take.

8- Demon: The Descent: A lot of the learning experiences from previous KSs paid off here, but we did get some comments about how backers could use a PoD book to play with until the KS version is printed and shipped, and we should have included one in the Reward Tiers. Now, I had deliberately stayed away from including PoD rewards after our first KS and the PoD aspects not meshing with the Deluxe shipping. But, with the help of DTRPG’s Matt McElroy, we found a way to discount PoDs for backers in later KSs.

9- V20 Anarchs Unbound: This book was confirmation that supplements really need small Stretch Goals that enable additional text, and must be planned with that in mind. It also confirmed a sneaking suspicion I was getting that we wouldn’t be able to keep offering every X20 supplement as Deluxes, because while we funded this, it was hard to get the KS arranged in the schedule. We’ll be picking and choosing which X20 supplements get KSs from here on, and as Wyrm showed, they will have Stretch Goals that add to the book itself.

10- Mage 20th: Another biggie that was designed based on the previous big KSs, and is going well so far. We will be reviewing it as the projects go through their stages.

11- W20 Book of the Wyrm: We used the ideas garnered from other supplements, and also added the Pentex Board Meeting election to see how voting might shake up the KS. Still looking at what worked, and didn’t.

Just to say, these aren’t all the lessons we’ve learned- there are nitty-gritty artist or scheduling or printer aspects that we’ve also been fine-tuning. But they show the cumulative effect of two years of KSing.

In talking with Eddy today, he relayed that CCP is effectively on summer holiday, and I made the call to bring Eddy out to Gen Con with the rest of our Onyx Path cadre (poor fool will probably be rooming with me). So the Rich and Eddy “What’s Up With…?” road-show of panels continues into its fourth or fifth straight year. This is good news.

Here, Drink in These Projects:

– Book of the Deceived (MtC): In Editing.

– Sothis Ascends (MtC): Some text was re-distributed and needs further writing, otherwise in redlines.

– Cursed Necropolis: Rio (MtC): First drafts heading into redlines.

– Exalted 3rd Edition: From Holden: “Illness made the last week less productive than hoped. Work on the book largely consisted of a lot of playtest-based tweaks to Charms and social systems this week. Introduction is finished and heading off to editing today. Evocation work resumed, moving now into the home stretch.” Still need art notes- which are the descriptions of what needs to be illustrated created by the devs as guidance and inspiration for the artists.

Both EX3 novels are being worked on, and notes went back on Matt Forbeck’s synopsis. The EX3 Music Suites are at a standstill right now until our composer gets through his full time job commitments.

– V20 Anarchs Unbound: It is live on DTRPG in PDF, ePub, PoD and PDF/PoD combos. http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/127247/Anarchs-Unbound Meeting with Mirthful Mike about getting printer quotes finalized for Deluxe version on Tuesday.

– V20 Rites of the Blood: Advance PDF on sale at DTRPG this week. (Advance PDF designates a full PDF release, but one where we will take purchasers’ comments and fixes and tweak the files before the PDF and PoD are on sale together. Advance PDF purchasers get a discount link for purchasing the PoD version based on the cost of the PDF/PoD combo price.) And as pointed out above, our art piece this week is a full-page piece by Michael Gaydos from the book.

– V20 Dark Ages: Almost entirely in post-writing Development. David Hill has delivered some art notes. Full page art notes going out to artist.

– V20: Ghouls: In 2nd drafts.

– V20 Red List: In final draft stage.

– The Making of the Art of Children of the Revolution: Creating PoD files to go with PDF for sale on DTRPG.

– V20 Lore of the Clans: Was Blood Diaries. Writing.

– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: I’m told the very last missing W20s and W20 Screens in Europe are going out this week. Mike Lee has delivered several new chapters this week of the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel for Bill to review. The White Howlers Tribe Book is in layout approval, and the comic was being scripted by Bill Bridges and John Bridges has started on the art.

– W20 Changing Breeds: Deluxes and Screens should be at the fulfillment shipper Tuesday (tomorrow) as the 4th of July holiday screwed up trucking and receiving of the books.

– W20 Book of the Wyrm- And done! It was a delightful KS, see above, and Stew is getting the new text an sections assigned. We’ll be moving very fast to get the Surveys out with the ballots for the Pentex Board seats on them right after Amazon Payments finalizes everyone’s pledges. Then after all that, work needs to begin on the Pentex Employee Indoctrination Manual Stretch Goal project.

– W20: The Umbra: In post-second draft development.

– Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition- Satyr Phil has handed all the text off to Bill. Bill has started his “second set of eyes” developer’s pass. The Character Pack book and the “How Do You DO That?” book would be next on our agenda. The M20 Quick Start PDF/PoD will go on sale as soon as we confirm with a new PoD proof that the binding is as we specified (the last proof was not what we’d asked for).

– Trinity Continuum: System Doc being assembled by Joltin’ Joe Carriker. He says system development is really hard and apologizes for the delay. The first new piece of art in YEARS has been commissioned. We’re doing some Gen Con things with that. Jumpin’ John Snead had to replace a writer for the Aeon core book, but says things are still coming together nicely.

– Scion: Sketch for Scion: Origins came in and WOW! Expect to see it and the new character’s art at Gen Con.

– Demon: the Descent Prestige Edition: at press.

– Demon: The Descent: Demon Seed Collection is in post-writing development- just need to get in all the city-based fact checking notes. DtD Seattle is in layout and art directed. Heirs to Hell backers’ PDF went out to KS backers last week- we’ll be assembling the errata and getting the PDF and PoD versions ready to go on sale. Demon Translation Guide is being written. The Demon Fiction Anthology + Interfaces is in post-writing development.

– DtD Players Guide: Flowers Of Hell: PDF is available now: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/131419/Flowers-of-Hell-The-Demon-Players-Guide. We’ll be assembling the errata this week to prepare the PDF and PoD on sale versions.

– nWoD: Dark Eras: The VtR section is benefiting from a focused dev pass, while the rest of the Eras are in editing.

– WtF: The Idigam Chronicle: In 2nd drafts. Stew Wilson is doing a remarkably regular Friday blog that focuses on specific topics for the book- lots of good discussion happening right now: http://theonyxpath.com/category/projects/werewolftheforsaken/

– GtSE: Geist Ready Made Characters: In redlines.

Reason to Drink: Humidity. Ugh.