Wednesday 29 July 2015

Lord of the Dead - How Kickstarters should run...


I got something in the post this morning, admittedly one of the last to get it because of circumstances beyond the control of the creator, but I thought to share this around my various groups.  I back kickstarters probably more than I should, I like the idea that I'm helping people to achieve something they want to do and while I'm at it, get something from it myself.

I am aware that I'm not backing a certified reward, I'm backing the promise of their best efforts to get the job done and produce what they wanted to.

Sometimes this doesn't go to plan, and I'll come to that in a future post. Sometimes however, small developer shows the world how it should be done...

This is Lord of the Dead, from Christoper Ferguson...


As you can see from these shots, it's professionally produced


the counters are reasonable stock (at least equivalent to first edition OGRE)



Ziplock bags for the counters when you've punched them out...


And a big bag to hold it all in when you've punched it all out...



But what's impressed me more that getting the thing done within a month of due date, getting all the things out to everyone, and starting another kickstarter while he's at it, is the way he's handled himself throughout the whole thing.  Updates have been every day, not every week or every (Take note Chaosium...) month, when he's had a problem, he's been out front with it, he's told people of his frustrations and he's been open and inviting to questions.

This...

This is how Kickstarters should be run, with open and regular communication, with honesty and the knowledge that those of us who back kickstarters just want to know how things are going, we bought into your dream, we want to know if it's turning into a nightmare.  I haven't been on a single kickstarter where regular and truthful updates have been anything but a boon to the creators of that kickstarter, and as they say, when it all goes quiet....start worrying...

I'm taking this to play at the group tonight, play report later, but watch this man, he's a good example to all game makers out there...