I'm starting a kickstarter for the Phaeselis campaign because I feel its the only way I can get money to pay for the Concept Artist(s) I need in order to make the world a reality. It's gotten to the point that I have to ask for money to kickstart my business.
Well, I did that on Patreon, really. But I need to get stronger attention from the Pathfinder/D&D community saying, "This is a great thing, honestly it is, it's gone beyond my ability to illustrate how good it is without help."
So far, I got my story, I just need to do a video and figure out rewards that I can really make good on.
- I'd love to give my biggest supporter a copy of the Alexander the Great DVD set and a set of fancy costumes for him and his wife. Mostly as a way of saying thanks.
- I'd love to get Wayne Reynolds or Ben Wotten to do a cover for the Campaign book.
- I'd love to find a 3-D modeler that is willing to alter both Genesis 2 models into Dragonborn/Dragonids (so all the clothes would fit them) without WotC breathing down my neck. It would save a lot of money, actually.
- I'd also love to get Yama Orce to illustrate most of the characters in the Campaign Book.
- I'd like to get a City Cartographer to do a professional map.
However, I am willing to take suggestions as to awards I can frankly give.
--EltonJ (talk) 03:09, February 11, 2015 (UTC)
Official Forum[]
There is an official forum open and ready to be used by you guys to discuss this very thing.
EltonJ (talk) 20:23, February 11, 2015 (UTC)
Feedback from the Kickstarter project page[]
Vectorius says:[]
| “ | I would clean up the English a bit, as it gives a bad impression of the product. | ” |
I intend to. But with the help of an editor, see below.
| “ | "The campaign setting is unique from Paizo's Golarion, and WotC's Dark Sun and Eberron because of several reasons"
would be better as "The campaign setting is different from Paizo's Golarion, WotC's Dark Sun and Eberron for several reasons" You cannot be unique from something else - you can only be unique. |
” |
Well, you are right. It does look better that way. ;)
| “ | Does not read quite right:
"...the Phaeselis Campaign has had blood, sweat, and tears poured into it." is better |
” |
Yes, it is!
| “ | I think you need an editor to catch these, so I would budget for one in your kickstarter budget | ” |
Yes, I do need an editor.
LMPjr007 writes[]
| “ | OK here is somethings I noticed right off the bat when I read it:
1) You never tell me if you are using Dreamscarred Press psionic rules or you are building on from the ground up? 2) You mention your artist Yama Orce (who I know and have worked with) but you don't link to his deviantart page to help promote his reward level or to show off his work. 3) I found it kind of odd that you had never actually backed a kickstarter, especially since you are doing a kickstarter. Hope this helps. |
” |
Yes, it is odd that I've never actually backed a kickstarter project. But I've not traded my time and talents for money for a very long while, LMPjr007. So I couldn't. If I could back a kickstarter project, I would! Believe me, I would! I'd give all that I have until my bank account turns into a dried turnip. it's pretty much a dried turnip now.
And yes, I am going to link to his deviantArt page.
Oceanshieldwolf writes[]
(I'm going to edit his thoughts, just so you know. Some of the response I give is rather sensitive.)
| “ | Echoing the comments on needing an editor. For people to back what is essentially written content first and foremost you need this to be clear and without error. Currently it reads poorly. | ” |
Yes, I do need an editor.
| “ | Me: The world is shared! The idea is not that it's valuable to me, but the campaign setting is valuable to itself. This means that the goal is to get it out to Gamemasters through out the World. So, any publisher -- Whether they are Wizards of the Coast, Steve Jackson Games, or what have you; has the right to publish their own version of the World for their games or translate it into another language without asking.
Oceanshieldwolf: What exactly does this mean? Open Source? Free? |
” |
YES! Yes, yes, yes! This Campaign Setting needs to stand up on it's own two feet! It should be open to all publishers to publish for whatever system they wish! This is so it can get into the hands of more GMs/DMs in a quick amount of time. Many translations, many publishers, many languages! It's a gift to the World. ;)
What do you mean by "Once completed"? And "Adventuring" should not be capitalized.
| “ | Why a KS for a Player's Guide, and not a Campaign Setting? Is the campaign setting all on your wiki? | ” |
It's to make it easier on me to layout while I work with Rite Publishing in laying out more of their big books. Steve Russell has realized that I have value in putting together bigger books for him and I can't wait to do more. By separating the campaign setting into different books, it will be easier for me to layout during my down time.
| “ | I'm no fan of Earth-analogs, so this is of no interest to me, nor does it look like it will contain anything to mine for my games. Moreover, the classic time period bores me to tears, so this is even less my cup of tea. You obviously have a lot of work invested in this, and I am familiar with your long running PbP, so I'm not criticizing your choice or work, just letting you know one person's opinion in your market. | ” |
It's okay. I'm fine with it. It's not a campaign setting designed to serve everyone's needs.
| “ | I've always felt "3D art" feels quite soul-less, and your title of "A mighty hero" feels a little empty. | ” |
I never thought it was. All the work I've done may have come across as soulless at times, to you; but I've worked hard on each piece, spending hours to put them together. ;)
(The rest is edited out from here.)
137Ben wrote[]
| “ | Well, I like classical Greece, but otherwise I second everything Oceanshieldwolf said. I have a couple more things to add, though:
For the last year and a half I have been a player in a pbp, GMed by you. On numerous occasions during that time, you have disappeared for more than a month without explanation. Sometimes you'd even be posting on other parts of the forum, but wouldn't even bother to tell us that you wanted to pause the game. When you run a kickstarter, I think it is very important to keep regular communication with your backers as to how the project is going. Look at how the Fire Mountain Games kickstarter turned out: the backers got really angry because Gary disappeared for months at a time without telling them anything (and, IIRC, he ended up selling the finished product to non-backers before getting copies out to the backers). I wasn't a backer for that kickstarter, but if I were, I would probably have been pretty angry and/or disappointment. I would hope that for any kickstarter I back, the developer would give backers regular updates on progress, and get the project done approximately on schedule. Over on the pbp forum, when you dissapear for an extended period of time without notice or explanation (unlike, for example, Aubrey, who always alerts players ahead of time when he will be gone for more than a day), you lower my confidence in your ability to communicate with backers in a long-term project like a kickstarter. That may not be fair to you. After all, I should probably expect you to work harder on a kickstarter, for which people pay you money, than a pbp game, for which you get nothing but enjoyment. But feelings of confidence (or lack thereof) are just that: feelings, and hence they are not always rational or fair. If you want to run a successful kickstarter, you need to inspire confidence in potential backers. |
” |
I intend to. This is what this page is all about. Staying in communication. That's what the official forums is all about, staying in communication. But lately, I haven't received any communication on any of my pages on how well I've been writing, or how good of work I've been doing, or what I should be doing differently.
Somedays, while I'm contributing to my own wiki, I feel like people are watching, but they aren't giving me the courtesy of feedback. I feel like I'm writing this myself, for myself, somedays. It's not a nice feeling, and it's for everyone. I wonder if this is going to be worth it, and now it's time to do the kickstarter to get the feedback I wanted to see.
| “ | Following up on one of OSW's questions,
Oceanshieldwolf wrote: What exactly does this mean? Open Source? Free? EltonJ wrote: Yes, exactly. This isn't clear enough from a legal standpoint (which is necessary if other publishers are to be able to use your setting.) Are you simply making the setting content Open Gaming Content, in a simlar manner as Purple Duck Games is with Porphyra? The other main question I have is something you need to make clearer: what is the goal of this kickstarter? Obviously, it isn't to release a PDF of the campaign setting, since you've already done that on the wiki. What about the player's guide makes it necessary to do seperately? Typically I think of player's guides for campaign settings being free or cheaper products that the players can get to learn about the setting without everyone in the group having to buy the whole setting book, while the GM buys the entire setting book. That isn't necessary for a setting which is entirely on a wiki, so what is the intended function of this player's guide that couldn't be accomplished by, say, a "spoilers-free" section on the wiki? Are you looking to publish a print version of the player's guide? If so, you need to make that clearer. |
” |
Yes, I will make it clearer, in the Frequently Asked Questions. :) I just realized that I need to put up the FAQs, and I wondered what should go in there. Well, definitely the legalities, of course. :)
As to make it clearer. This wiki is currently gets 729 views. As a PDF, prepared professionally and published, it would reach more eyes and live in more minds. The idea is a greater, wider audience. People will always respond more to a Professionally prepared PDF. It will have reviewers to review it. It will have people who will buy it and use it. Plus, as a shared world with the publishing community, it can reach other minds across the world.
More people can review it in Japanese, in Russian, in Hindi, in German, and in French. Possibly even Chinese and Korean. It just doesn't have to be in English.
EltonJ (talk) 03:57, February 16, 2015 (UTC)