Kickstarter Roundup 11-21-13

Where-in I pick through Kickstarter for the projects that most catch my fancy.

Bubblegum Crisis Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray Set

WHAT IT IS: A definitive Blu-Ray release of the classic cyberpunk anime.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Come on, it's Bubblegum Crisis. On Blu-Ray. Do you really need a reason? Okay, okay...Bubblegum Crisis was one of the first unedited, subtitled anime releases in North America, making for a watershed moment and a title a lot of tried and true anime fans are nostalgic for. It's also being released by the original licensee, and your backing dollar supports a smaller company putting out high-quality releases.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $50 Basic. The physical Blu-Ray disc, postcards, commemorative coin, and involvement in the design process of the Blu-Ray itself.

RELEVANT LINKS: @animeigo | www.animeigo.com | Facebook Page

 

Hana Doki Kira

WHAT IT IS: A shoujo-inspired comic/illustration anthology lovingly designed and printed.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: There's a lot to like here, great artwork, the promise of great shoujo tales...but I'll be honest. What sold me is the brilliant use of the seafoam spot color. (Even the project page is adorned in nothing but head-to-toe.) Two-tone printing seems to be a lost art form as full-color has become ubiquitous, but you can do some really special things with it and use shades that simply aren't reproducible in CMYK. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $25 Doki Doki Deluxe Pre-Order. The book, the PDF, and a set of postcards. Higher pledges feature sketches, commissions, tote bags, and other premiums that might strike your fancy.

RELEVANT LINKS: Tumblr | Facebook

 

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works

WHAT IT IS: An incredible retrospective of an incredible console. SEEEE-GAAA!

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: First off. The cover. Just look at it. That's a glorious cover, is it not? But this project is more than a pretty face. Exclusive interviews with a veritable who's-who of Sega's 16-bit history, myriad production images of both the console and classic games, 300 pages of cover-to-cover nostalgia awesome, and did I mention how amazing that cover looks?

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: £30 (roughly $48) The Book. A physical copy of the book and your name immortalized in its pages. No blue hedgehog included unless you go for the $400 hyper-limited edition.

RELEVANT LINKS:  @romalerts | www.readonlymemory.vg

 

Board Games That Tell Stories

WHAT IT IS: A collection of 35 fan-favorite articles from the game blog of the same name.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: It's not often you can get material written about game design (or tabletop games in general) packaged in a nice hardcover. When it's written by the designer of many great board games, like Neuroshima Hex, it's even better. Admittedly, the text suffers a bit from English being Trzewiczek's second language, but there's still loads of insight and fun humor here. And the cover looks nice.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $26 Hardcover. Nets you a signed hardcover version of the book. But if you poke around the add-ons you can get one of Trzewiczek's great games.

RELEVANT LINKS: http://www.BoardGamesThatTellStories.com/

Kickstarter Roundup 10-11-13

Where-in I pick through Kickstarter for the projects that most catch my fancy.

Hyper Light Drifter

WHAT IT IS: Gorgeous 2D Action RPG with lovingly pixelated sprite graphics and captivating artwork with a real style of its own.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: People's fondness for pixelated gaming is not a secret, and it seems any indie effort is as likely to sport blocky graphics as it is "HD." Those jagged edges invoke feelings of nostalgia for the games of yesteryear, and in many cases go a long way in demonstrating what kind of game you are about to play. But sometimes a game is more than that, a real statement of beauty like Sword & Sworcery was. Hyper Light Drifter is one of those games.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $40. Digital versions of the game, manual, soundtrack, and artbook. You also get some other digital bonuses (like a new "sprite.") and a second key for the game, so you can actually take advantage of all those additional platforms from the stretch goals.

RELEVANT LINKS: @HeartMachineZ | www.heart-machine.com | Facebook Page

Akiba Anime Art Magazine

WHAT IT IS: A new magazine straight from Japan, featuring many talented Japanese artists and articles about Otaku culture.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Japan is putting its foot into the Kickstarter ring with successful projects like Little Witch Academia and the enormously popular Mighty No. 9. By continuing to support Japanese efforts, that means we'll get to see even more of it! Besides, Akiba is a book full of lovely Japanese art, printed with a special wide gamut process that results in much brighter images than with traditional CMYK.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $18 Otaku. A copy of the magazine and all of the various stretch goals that have accrued over the campaign.

RELEVANT LINKS: jhlab.jp

Game Cave Vol. 1

WHAT IT IS: A loveletter to the gaming magazines of decades gone by, rife with exciting layouts, new artwork, and a sense of humor.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: One of the big things I really miss about magazines is the design of them. When you view an article online, you get all the text, all the photos, and even video clips you never could have back then, but never the lovingly defined spreads, crammed to the gills with artwork, screenshots exploding from detailed backgrounds, and maybe a line of crooked text or two. It's nice to see that again.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $30 Physical Book Tier. A physical copy of the magazine—I mean come on, that's the whole point, right?—plus an art print and all the digital goods.

RELEVANT LINKS:  @sketchcraft | www.sketchcraft.com | Facebook

Dawning Star: Fate of Eos

WHAT IT IS: A reboot of the fan-favorite sci-fi RPG, rebuilt from the ground up using the excellent FATE Core system.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: FATE is a great system, as can be attested by its modestly successful Kickstarter. So if you want to take the game to task in a far-flung future of aliens and spaceships, then Dawning Star is a good place to find it. With a flexible setting that can be tailored from pulp to space opera to interstellar intrigue with ease, and a healthy fanbase from previous editions, it's hard to go wrong.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $35 EOS Defense Force. A physical copy of the game and all the digital goodies.

RELEVANT LINKS:  @DawningStarRPG | www.dawningstar.com | Facebook

Destiny Fails Us

WHAT IT IS: An “Otome” Visual Novel, a Choose Your Own Adventure-esque game featuring a female protagonist and lots of potential male suitors.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: While the game's use of 3D anime-style models isn't as nice as traditionally rendered art, the look serves its needs, and what you have is a fun-looking take on the date-sim. I'm especially fond of your character's cellphone that you actually check for messages throughout the game.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $10 Digital Download Pack. A download copy of the game and the usual digital extras.

RELEVANT LINKS: www.destinyfailsus.com | Facebook

Kickstarter Roundup 09-18-13

Since I spend way too much time browsing Kickstarter anyway, I've decided to share a weekly (semi-weekly?) roundup of notable finds on the world's biggest crowdfunding site.

Belle of the Ball

WHAT IT IS: A card game where players become party hosts, each trying their best to put on the most talked-about get-together by carefully managing the guests they invite…or snub.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: With Daniel Solis as both Game Designer and Graphic Designer for the project, you know it’s a game that will play as good as it looks. He also designs all his games “in the open” on his blog, so it’s nice to support a designer who shares so much for free. (And I do mean so much, I swear Daniel tilts his head a little too far and game ideas come pouring out…possibly from his hair, though this is a mystery.)

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $25 House Party. The Belle of the Ball Kickstarter is light on exclusive extras, so there’s not a lot to choose from besides a copy of the game. Still, if you’re interested in reprints of some of Dice Hate Me’s (the publisher for the BotB) other offerings, there’s plenty of higher tiers that will oblige your interest.

RELEVANT LINKS: @DanielSolis | www.danielsolis.com, @DiceHatMe | www.dicehatemegames.com

Calcula’s LVL UP!

WHAT IT IS: A collected volume of Fred Perry’s online Final Fantasy XI “doujin” comic, LVL UP!

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: If you’re a fan of the artist’s previous works, like Gold Digger, then you probably don’t need any convincing. But LVL Up itself is a charming comic with a lot of heart, and any fan of Final Fantasy XI should get quite a few smiles out of it. Perry will not be publishing the book through normal distribution channels, so this will be your only chance to get your greedy Galka gloves on a print copy.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $50 LVL THREE Support. The doujin signed and with a sketch of the eponymous Calcula on the dust jacket. Can you say no to Calcula? Can you?

RELEVANT LINKS: www.gd-tangent.com

Icebound: A Visual Novel

WHAT IT IS: A visual novel set in a steampunk/dark-fantasy world in a frozen age.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Visual novels can’t seem to get a fair shake in the American market, and Kickstarter hasn’t been much kinder (unless you count Megatokyo…). Somewhere between text adventure and novel, VNs imbue good stories with just enough visuals, music, and choices to make them fun to play. Icebound features beautiful backdrops, a nice premise, and a few mini-game bells and whistles to break up the walls of text that are the trademark of the genre. It’s as good an entry as any to what can be a really compelling medium for storytelling, and the more people aware of visual novels, the better.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET: $25 Citizen. A copy of the game, the soundtrack, some wallpapers, and your name in the credits.

RELEVANT LINKS:  @vnwriter | www.fastermind.net

Pixel Star - 01

WHAT IT IS: A retro-inspired space-shooter with groovy 8-bit tunes and aesthetics

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: While there’s nothing about the mechanics or aesthetics you probably haven’t seen before—especially if you have as much of a penchant for exploring such things on iOS as I do—the Jetpack Joyride meets Space Invaders: Infinity Gene 8-bit beat fest that is Pixel Star - 01 offers a competent-looking take on the casual retro game with a compelling design sense, all by a 16-year-old aspiring programmer.

WHAT YOU SHOULD GET:  $5 PC, Mac, iOS, or Android version. The pledge list is unfortunately a muddled collection of different packages, with each not being terribly clear of what it offers, but $5 gets you the game and supports a kid making his dreams come true.

OVA: The Anime Role-Playing Game Kickstarter is Live!

The day is finally here! After much tireless effort, OVA: The Anime Role-Playing Game's Kickstarter is live! You can check on its progress to the right, or click the link below to find out more.

I want to thank all of you who supported a little anime-inspired game I made 8 years ago. I hope you find the new version was worth the wait!

Get your Kicks on Route 6d6

Hey, everybody. If you can’t tell by the title graphic above, here’s another update on OVA’s eventual Kickstarter.

If you follow the forums on RPG.net, you may have come across a thread where I have been discussing the final pledge tiers. For those of you who don’t — or simply missed the exchange — I’m including it here:

$15. A copy of the PDF, as well as an advance look at the game before its public release.
$30. The above, and a copy of the full-color printed book.
$50. The above, and your name printed as a patron in the book. You will also have access to a special playtest forum with the opportunity to have your voice heard and help shape the final product.
$75. The above, except your full-color book is upgraded to one of one-hundred limited box sets, each numbered and including: A copy of the printed book, your name listed as a patron, Quick-Start Player Books, a pack of character sheets, a set of trading cards, and a set of dice.
$100 The above, and a special hand-crafted OVA Dice Bag by Dragon Chow Dice Bags.
$250 The above, and a custom character sheet featuring an illustration of your character by the official OVA artist. 

Since that thread, I’ve been researching the cost of the various pledge premiums, and I've found it’s very difficult to get a box produced in any quantity less than 500, and even then it’s almost as cost-effective to get 1000. I have found an option at Superior PoD with very reasonable rates for small numbers, but the box itself looks a little flimsy. Here, take a look.

The print quality looks great, and the build seems well put together with sharp corners. It’s something I wouldn’t bat an eye at if it were simply a container to hold a bunch of goodies. But my goal was to evoke the RPGs of yesteryear, and this isn't the thick cardboard heavy-duty box you may be used to. It's more like the boxes they use for "Collector's Edition" video games.

So what do you guys think? Would you still consider a box like this a decent collectable for high-pledge tiers? Or should I revise my pledge tiers and try something else entirely?

Monster Hearts

Hey everyone! I’ve been a little under the weather, and as an unfortunate consequence this little corner of the web has been left more unattended than I’d like. But expect that to change as we return to regularly scheduled programming!

While I won’t have an honest update for my work on Golden Sky Stories till next week, I did want to share that Otaku USA has an incredible 4-page piece on the book in its April issue. The issue changes over March 20th, so run (don't walk) to your closest newsstand and pick up a copy. Besides netting yourself a fine overview of GSS, including my translated version of the Hitotsuna Town map, you’ll also be supporting one of the last anime magazines still in production. If that’s not win-win, I’ll eat the magic leaf under my hat.

A Town Where Things Besides People Live

TURTLE TUESDAY

Some of you may know about a little Japanese Role-Playing Game called Yuuyake Koyake. Or maybe you know it by its English moniker, Golden Sky Stories. If you don’t, somewhere, someone referred to it as the Totoro RPG, and it’s not the worst description. The game is not about adventure in the traditional gaming sense. There’s no dragons to be bested, no empires to overturn. Instead, the game is about the little adventures, the day-to-day trials of regular people doing more or less regular things in a small, rural Japanese town. But you are not one of these people. This is a town where things besides people live. You are a henge, an animal spirit, and at your disposal is a little bit of magic. Not much, but enough to help the people of this town.

After reading that, you may already realize Golden Sky Stories is a different kind of game. There's no dice, no statistics in the traditional sense, and not even a chapter on combat. It truly is “heart-warming role-playing,” a kind of experience where you’re more likely to help a boy overcome his fear of the haunted house at the end of town than stomp goblins.

The setting and focus are not Stories’ only charm. The illustrations throughout are captivating, cute to the point of endangering bicuspids everywhere, and go a long way to setting the mood. Of course, deciphering the moonspeak of the original Japanese book is an endeavor most of us aren’t equipped to do.

Luckily for you and me, Ewen Cluney, along with the other half of Starline Publishing, Mike Stevens, translated this special game and will be bringing it to Western readers soon enough. I’ve had the opportunity to read Ewen’s top-secret (well, okay, not-so-secret) English manuscript for Golden Sky Stories, and it’s a real joy. But that shouldn't be any surprise — This isn’t Ewen’s first rodeo after all. But the text is only a part of the job. Someone has to take this text and give it a home in the pages of a book once again. That someone, as it turns out, is me!

It’s a great privilege to take part in bringing this game to life, and I look forward to sharing with you all my progress. Be sure to check by for further updates, and of course follow Ewen's blog and the Starline Publishing website for all the latest news about Golden Sky Stories.

...Oh? Why is this an entry for Turtle Tuesday? Throughout the book, you’ll meet a cast of lovable characters, including Elder Turtle. Here he is patiently listening to Riko, the tanuki henge, as she frets over some dilemma.

Far-Off Promise

A new year lay ahead, and the promise of a new set of days inspires the best intentions. The world echoes with countless commitments to work harder, be healthier, to care for each other, and to change in ways we hadn’t the year before. The sentiments are as often enough as vague as they are well-intentioned, the sort of positive thinking that we can stretch and contract to the size we can make room for.

But I want to do more than that this year. I want a game plan, as much for myself as for the accountability saying it outright provides. That’s not to say 2011 was empty of accomplishments. After all, I helped Minion Games ready no less than six games for sale in a single year -- no mean feat! And I took part in a graphical overhaul for DriveThruRPG and its sister sites that will be rolling out soon. Yet, for 2012, I want to get my things done.

So, here it is, my plan for the year. (Split up for your convenience and mine.)

My Blog 
I’ve been moving to a new computer, an iMac, for the past month or two — the lengthy travails of which I'll have to detail one or these days — but I fully intend to get this blog back on track. Besides my usual excursions of fancy, I'm launching several bi-weekly columns.

You’ve seen a taste of the first one with the Digital Gameboard. I’ll be making a point of covering all the gaming apps I come across, especially those involving euro-style board games and their kin. I stand by that the iPad is a great platform for classic board gaming fun and can use all the coverage it can get.

I’ll also be penning my foolhardy quest to play every console rpg ever. It's something that’s become ever more difficult as my list of unplayed and unfinished games grows longer. But maybe by adding you all to my party, this quest may become less of a foolhardy one.

And for those of you wondering, yes Minion Monday will eventually finish out its run. I’m waiting on my own physical copies of the games so I can better show off the components. It’s just taking a little longer than expected.

My Games
While there’s a certain anime-inspired elephant in the room, I have up my sleeves a plethora of games I've tinkered on in perpetuity, and I’d really like to finally get some of them out the metaphorical door and into the light. While finishing, much less releasing, all of them in this revolution of the sun is a unlikely accomplishment, I do want progress, and I want to share that progress with you. Here's a highlight reel of what to expect.

OVA — Yes, the oft-promised return of Wise Turtle's flagship product is still very much in the works, and I’ve made a commitment to its release in the early half of 2012. Long-time fans may have dim memories of several supplements that I hope to talk more about and bring closer to release. You can see a sample of artwork for a sci-fi-themed supplement on the left of the header, done by feguimel.

Legendary! — While I love all my work for Minion Games, and all its games are special to me, they’re still not mine in any true sense of the word. Legendary! is a fantasy dungeon-crawl of a board game inspired by fond childhood memories of Dungeon, but with enough twists to the formula that I believe in its ability to give something new to a crowded and often trite set of games. It’s infused with lore from a lifetime of love for console rpgs, and the very talented Honoel Ibardolaza certainly brings it to life. That trio of numbskulls in the header is his handiwork.

Last Legend — Before OVA, I was a devoted follower (and sometimes contributor) to the Returner Final Fantasy RPG, an attempt to capture the spirit of the eponymous video games in pen and paper form. Eventually I left that community over a difference of opinion...whereas most were concerned with copying the actual game mechanics and number crunching of the video games, I felt the rules would be better served trying to approximate the feel of rpg battles and leave the math for the CPUs that spawned it. Last Legend is my on again, off again take on the subject. You can see some art from it in the header, this time the inks in the background that are once again provided by Honoel.

iOS — Tied in with all these is a general interest in the iOS platform. Now that I have an iMac (more about that in a future post), exploring the world of iPads and iPhones is a real possibility. While the likelihood of me gaining enough prowess with programming to create a game of any decent measure is not good, having access to the tools does open other interesting opportunities. OVA-dedicated apps to aid with dice-rolling, character creation, and even easy rules reference would be a great resource to provide players, and iOS versions of the various Minion Games would be cool indeed.

My work for others
While I said I wanted to make 2012 a year for my projects, there is at least one outside job I'm really excited about. If you follow Ewen Cluney's blog, you may already know what I mean. If not...well, be sure to check by Tuesday for my own official announcement!

Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?

With the obligatory channeling of Dean Martin behind me, I want to talk to y’all about a potential Kickstarter campaign for OVA. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Kickstarter allows creators to raise money to fund their projects. Fans pledge varied amounts of money, with higher pledges netting them increasing rewards, benefits, and goodies. If the total amount of pledges reaches a number set by the creator, the project is funded. If it falls short, no one pays a dime. It’s a low-risk way to support projects you care about without worrying if it will actually happen or not.

What I’m curious about is what sort of incentives will actually interest you enough to pledge. I’ve included a list below of ideas I had as additional bonuses to the basic “preorder the book” option. Which fill you with excitement and a prurient desire to part yourself from your money? Which instill only a tepid response?

A ranked list isn't required, but whatever time you can spend detailing your interest would be greatly appreciated. I want to gauge which of these are wanted most, and how much you would be willing to pledge to attain a given reward.

Under each item I have included a description and additional points of inquiry for discussion.

Early Access to the PDF
Self explanatory. How much earlier than its release date would you expect to see it? What would the least amount of time be to feel you’re getting something?

Signed Copy of the Book
Would personalized inscriptions increase your interest in this?

Trading Cards
Cards featuring art from the game. May also include quick reference for character stats or an extremely simple mini-game.

Limited Edition Box
A box including the book, quick-start player books, character sheets, and a set of dice.

Art Prints
Frame-able prints of artwork from the game. What size would you want to see most? Or would you like to see it poster-sized?

Wall Scroll
Artwork from the game printed on a wall scroll just like the ones you see for commercial anime.

Character Figure
A painted mini sculpture of one of the OVA characters, similar to ones common for most anime. Which character would you most want to see given this treatment?

Personalized Character Pin-Up
An illustration of your OVA character as part of a custom-designed character sheet.

Lifetime Wise Turtle Subscription
Free access to all future Wise Turtle products. Includes PDF and print versions. FOREVAH.

So? What do you think?