The following is being shared without comment (original here):
Our current situation: All proceeds that have come in from the Frog God Tegel Manor ks, earlier this year has been spent on the Campaign Maps (which are not finished - 3 remaining) and City State artwork, as originally agreed to in 2014. We are still in the process of building funds for printing and shipping of the Books, which have been revised. As there is a totally new version for Pathfinder, and the CS version will need adjustments for that, I am open to suggestions (comments to jgww@comcast.net). I will try to answer all questions in a timely manner. Originally, I had placed a hold on all upcoming Guild products, pending this ks completion, but this seems to have hamstrung our efforts to build funds quite a lot, so I have permitted Aaron Bledsaw (my fourth son) to begin releasing those so that the funds will profit this project also. Another major project, which was to sweep away the problems here fell through (not of the Guild's fault) but just did not come to completion. These are projects that have been on hold since 2016, but unless I get more funds here, the wait will continue. Further, I have continued to ship the miniatures to the backers who ordered them as I can. To save money, I have not attended any cons this year, and have done much to cut expenses. Slow progress, yes, but I have not given up. Much has been added to the City State, using draft materials, and other unfinished works by Bob Sr., which I know will bring much joy. I wish this was over, and I hope you all know that I am doing what I can here. I close by thanking you all again for your support and loyalty to the Guild. If I can be of help in some other way, I would be glad to hear from you at the above email. - Sincerely, Bob II
Having done numerous kickstaryers with Goodman Games and Flying Buffalo myself, my sincer advice is that you stop upgrading it to the layest rpg system of the week, cut out any art or side maps you don't have in hand and publish it. Then get it shipped out to your backers. Make getting them shipped out you main project rather than trying keep updating and enhancing the book. You'll never get it done otherwise.trust me, I know...
ReplyDeleteSound advice, it doesn't have to be the best, it just has to exist....
DeleteI'm not a RPG publisher or the like, so I may well be very wrong.
DeleteCouldn't we get something closer to right (I agree that Pathfinder 2 should be considered out of scope at this point) by taking a different path? Polish what is completed (even if it is only the 1st 20 pages), put a big fat "incomplete work" label on it and the marketing text, offer it for sale through drivethroughRPG (or similar) at the intended final price with the promise that as additional pages are completed they'll be added every quarter (or month or ...). Issue freebie coupons to backers. Use this to do three things: 1) Show backers concrete progress on the project (some of us are willing to wait, but not happy about not seeing anything of note to date); 2) Use sales to fund missing artwork; 3) Solicit feedback (typos, grammar, clarity issues, inconsistent stuff).
To my eyes this would reduce the grumbling from backers by showing a good faith display of progress (I assume progress is happening, I just can't see it), improve the product (we'd find at least _some_ of the glitches before printing), and provide (one hopes) a revenue stream. You'd also, I assume, be able to reward backers with the "real" dead tree version in the future with an exclusive cover or such, while, once it is complete, be able to get non-backers to pony up via nonKS exclusive POD copies (covering some expenses from this).
$85,000 raised and it's not done? Wow.
ReplyDelete"Another major project, which was to sweep away the problems here, fell through..."
ReplyDeleteI assume this is a reference to the Empyrea fiasco?
"All proceeds that have come in from the Frog God Tegel Manor ks, earlier this year has been spent on the Campaign Maps (which are not finished - 3 remaining) and City State artwork, as originally agreed to in 2014"
ReplyDeleteI'm sure people who backed the Tegel kickstarter are reassured to know their money has all been spent - on a different Kickstarter.
Frog God ran the Tegel Manor Kickstarter, not Judges Guild. IIRC, they're talking about the money they got from Frog God for the license to do that.
DeleteI'm so glad I didn't back this.
ReplyDeleteIs this something I should buy into? I am a huge Judges Guild fan but I dont want to wait 6 years
ReplyDelete