Casting Shadows

RPGaday, an idea put forward by the Autocratic blog, asks us to start talking to each other on a daily basis on whatever form of social media we prefer, on a list of daily topics about our hobby as RPG players. Today’s question asks us about our most satisfying experience with Kickstarter as a backer. I have a few answers to this one, so I am going to apply some caveats, and perhaps give more than one answer.

My most satisfying Kickstarter experience EVER was not for an RPG, although it was RPG related. It was the 2013 project run by Unique Dice Towers. It funded quickly, had concise and detailed updates, and the products being backed:

• were all planned out and ready to be made
• the company was capable and knowledgeable about producing them
• they did not give in to Stretch Goal madness despite the project’s success

The result, predictably but somehow opaquely to so many project managers, was that fulfillment of the project took less than a month. Boom.

I have had similar experiences with dice projects, and with Wyrmwood’s fantastic wooden dice cases in exotic woods. They knew their product and team, they had the skills, they did the work, they delivered on time with colorful updates. Great fun~

For this question, though, I feel like it should be a Kickstarter that delivered this year, and was an actual RPG. That really narrows the field as there have been no stand-out deliveries for me on that order recently. Spirit of ’77 was well-run, as was Worlds in Peril, but I backed these more for curiosity than passion. These are great products, but they don’t trip that “satisfaction” element which makes this question so much fun to think about. Triple Ace Games nailed their Rocket Race project, but although stemming from an RPG, it is a card game. What was my most satisfying RPG project this year as a backer?

John Wick ran a very cool Kickstarter for his revised and repackaged Yellow Sign series of adventures for Call of Cthulhu. He made it fun and compelling, and although the product has been delayed a little, he used his words and prepared us for that. We have the pdf, and we know he is good for the rest in due time. I want this game, but is this the most satisfying project? No… it’s cool, but it isn’t quite at that level… at least not yet.

Oscar Rios does fantastic Kickstarter projects, but again, despite how awesome the product is and how well all the details were handled, I can’t quite label tag these as ‘most satisfying.’

What was? After long reflection, I have to say that I would have expected it to be something like Horror on the Orient Express. The massive box is on my desk next to me as I type this. It is packed with fantastic material and great ideas, and it is visually impressive, that’s for sure. The Kickstarter’s management, however, soured me on it a little. Much more importantly, it is so immense, and I have no local group interested in Call of Cthulhu at the moment, that it was put on the far backburner almost right away. It never had a chance to inspire me.

What did? Revelations of Mars. This new expansion for Hollow Earth Expedition hit all the right notes, was well-handled through its delays, and had a mysterious and compelling past even before it reached Kickstarter. Ubiquity fans have been dreaming of Mars for as long or longer as I have been involved in their community. Long anticipation makes for strong feelings, wouldn’t you say?

Of course, once the Kickstarter project began to hit delays, I began to worry. I began to wonder if the book would disappoint, or if it would be below its creators’ amazing standards. I began to worry that I would just dismiss it because it was late and because it would need to be awesome enough to justify those delays.

When I got it… it jumped to the head of the line in my mind. It pesters me daily to read it, plan for it, tinker with it. It whispers to me to put ideas on paper, and it makes me smile and tip my metaphorical hat of praise to its writers and artists.

Damn, but it is a satisfying thing to behold.

And so… for this year at least… Revelations of Mars stands as the most satisfying. We’ll see what December brings~

How about you?

#rgaday2015