Lost Hall Digital Rewards have been sent out
over 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 24, 2017 at 02:41:04 PM

I hope y'all have been waiting for this day as I have. But I have locked down those who responded to the survey (all but 17 of y'all) and distributed files to those folks. I will next examine those that have not filled out their survey . . . and if it looks like things are in order for the transfer from Kickstarter and that each of these folks will get what they asked for during the campaign proper, I will release those as well.

As such, 225 people should have received their digital files, or at least an email saying that they're ready for download. Some of the files are very large, as one would expect from such graphically intensive work.

So, the countdown begins. Please read, inspect, and ask questions, and post your comments in this blog post.

Yes, this one, please!

In any case, read it, play it, let me know what you find. If there are errata (and there always are), please post them to the blog thread, and Todd and I will see what we can do.

Note that an erratum is something like a typo or grammar error. Things that are preferences or suggestions can only be entertained if they don't break layout, and will be given a somewhat gimlet eye even then: the purpose is to finish the work, after all!

Thank you so much for coming along with me on this journey. I appreciate your faith, trust, and pixie dust.

Douglas Cole

Gaming Ballistic, LLC

Final Days of the Kickstarter
over 6 years ago – Wed, Nov 22, 2017 at 07:14:15 PM

While trying to avoid Update Spam, here’s the plan for the next few days. 

On Friday, Nov 24 at 3pm Central Time I will lock down backers responses and begin charging cards. Thank you all for such a wonderful post-game response in Backerkit. You’ve helped close the gap in the revenue/cost position for Lost Hall. 

At that point - and I do mean right away - I will execute digital distribution of all rewards. 

The proof copy is on the way. I will be able to inspect it Sunday. 

Please read and comment on Lost Hall until Dec 3. Then I will take the comments, make any required changes then re-release the final PDF and order physical copies. Thus I do expect all physical rewards to be in your hands by the end of January, though some might extend to mid-Feb. Thinking about Australia and New Zealand here. 

And that should wrap it all up.

With that in mind, please complete your surveys, especially if you are receiving physical product. I can’t get you your hard copies without an address unless you see me face to face. 

PDF and Physical Distribution schedule update
over 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 07:11:11 PM

Just a very quick update.

Todd rocks. He's done everything that needs doing for the prelim release. This means three things.

1. I will be locking down everyone that's submitted their survey between 3pm and 5pm on November 24th.

2. Everyone that has ordered digital files - Lost Hall, Dungeon Grappling, The Manor Collection, and Bogie's Map Pack should be able to download it that day. All files that will be distributed have already been uploaded to Backerkit's digital distribution hub.

3. I submitted Lost Hall for a preliminary proof hard copy a few days ago. The files are in prep; hopefully I'll be able to order the hardcopy Real Soon Now, or receive word of changes. 

What might those changes be? Usually something with bleed (stuff that runs over the place where the pages are trimmed) or Total Ink Coverage. If the colors in an image are too dark, they can flake or not stick. That happened to me before with CreateSpace (which is why I'm not going with them at all this time around).

But if the files are approved and the proof looks good, I'll let y'all know and then start a 10-day countdown clock. That's when you guys can read your digital files and let me know if I missed anything.

Then Todd and I will make final changes, submit those files to the two printers, and start the clock ticking on orders. I find it likely - but not certain - that folks will start to get physical copies of Lost Hall and Dungeon Grappling in January. February at the latest. 

Ironically, because printing through DriveThru/Lightning Source through the UK has a lot of print volume behind it, my international backers are very likely to get their product before my domestic backers. I will keep everyone informed of exactly where we are in the process though.

Again: mad props to Todd, John, Juan, Gerasimos, Michael, Rick, and Cornelia for meeting or beating all deadlines laid before them, which allowed production to go as smoothly as it has (to date, anyway). We've done very well, schedule-wise, and that kind of performance requires a great team.

BackerKit: A great first day
over 6 years ago – Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 02:52:14 PM

The Lost Hall post-campaign goings-on still go on, and they are going strong.

Backerkit, Huzzah!

This one's all on y'all. So far, in one day, about 60% of backers have filled out the surveys. This is good. I'd like everyone to do it, of course, but if you are one of the 115 backers that expects to receive Lost Hall of Tyr or Dungeon Grappling as a physical product, I must have your shipping address, and I'd very much like it through Backerkit.

I'm also quite gratified at the number of you guys that are electing to procure some of the cool Add-Ons that are available. I'll note that the Manor Collection is a great deal, and if you're an OSR fan, you'll dig it completely. Dan's map collection is very cool, and if you play via VTTs you'll appreciate being able to drop in a new encounter at short notice.

Stythja Still Available

Just a shout-out for this one. The top-tier pledge was the styðja, or patron level. It features the following three things:

The opportunity to generate a character that will effectively be a "pre-gen" for Lost Hall

The character will be visualized as an epic figure by one of the artists who worked on the project. 

Finally, part of this process is a preview of the Character Generation, Races, and Classes chapters of Dragon Heresy, my forthcoming SRD5.1 full RPG.

Here's a peek inside:

 I can tell you I had a lot of fun with these, and there's a lot more in there than just what appears in the SRD. History, different takes on the races and classes, entirely new clerical domains based on Norse mythology, and more.

It's still a work in progress . . . but there's been a lot of progress and playtesting, so while it's not perfect, it will give a feel that captures the kinds of characters that will fit easily into the world of Etera, and provide what I hope is an exciting glimpse of what's to come.

I will be contacting those that have elected the Styðja character levels shortly after the Backerkit phase ends and distributing the required digital files at that time. The PDF collection of characters thus created will be available prior to April 2018, as promised in the Kickstarter rewards section.

Production Progress

Todd emailed me what looks to be the final file (maybe one change pending), and I've approved it. This means that he can start building the Table of Contents as well as hyperlinking the document. 

The result of his hard work, and the excellent responsiveness of the editing and art teams, is that unless something drastically horrendous happens, the penultimate version of the digital product will be in your hands within the week after the Backerkit phase closes.

As noted in the prior update, two things happen during this phase. Firstly, I send the files to my two print vendors for proofs (actually, this is likely to start happening this week or next). Just as importantly, you guys review the heck out of your document and find what we missed. There's always something. Check spelling, clarity, and layout issues. Test all the hyperlinks. Head to the blog post on Gaming Ballistic's website and leave a comment in the thread that will be started for the purpose and I'll update the "Errata" list with notes on whether we can accommodate the request. Feel free to suggest other hyperlinks that you feel will be useful.

Map Pack

The maps for the adventure are provided as 8.5x11 full pages in the back of the adventure. They are also provided at a lower (more screen compatible) resolution of about 200dpi, and are 32" x 40" in side at that scale. They will come as a compressed file of JPEGs so they can be pulled into your Virtual Table Top program of choice, or you can have them printed as posters or anything else.

They are full color, and have no grids or scales on them, so that for those that do use the VTT's native grid functions, you don't get the case where either you can't quite match up the map grid with the program grid, or for folks like me that like hexes, have to deal with a hex overlay on a square grid.

I am working with Bogie maps on a few fun extras to make choosing between grid options easy, but no word on those yet.

Endgame and Next Projects

So that's where we are. Thanks for coming with me so far, and please do take advantage of the "share" functions of the various forums. Give the project a re-share from Kickstarter or Backerkit. Even better, throw down a nice comment or two on the usual places: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Reddit, or the various DnD-flavored groups or RPG forums. 

This won't be my last product. I expect that within the month I'll take delivery of a 115,000-word manuscript for a completely original Sci-Fi game that I cannot wait to get started on, which includes core rules and three short scenarios. If that goes well, the author has 27 more adventures ready to go.

And of course there's Dragon Heresy, and I hope that I've convinced you that I have the project management chops to deliver even a very large project on time. The only reason that one isn't out already is that I want to do the same quality job with it that I have done (says me) on Dungeon Grappling and Lost Hall of Tyr. That means art . . . and lots of it. The Dragon Heresy draft that went to Ken Hite (yes, that Ken Hite) for editing was roughly 400,000 words, or approximately 800 pages in 3 volumes. I'll need anywhere from 200 to 400 pieces of art to do it how I want . . . and that requires a very successful campaign. 

When it comes time, I hope you'll help me with that.

Until then, back to the wilds of production for me!

Begin Backerkit phase!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Nov 14, 2017 at 12:37:37 PM

Last night Kickstarter processed the funds for the campaign - everyone's payments cleared but one, which is a darn good percentage.

This morning, I sent out the Backerkit surveys. Each of you should have received an email as follows:

"Thank you for supporting the Lost Hall of Tyr Kickstarter!  

The primary goal of the survey is to collect shipping and email information so that we can get you your physical and digital rewards. There are also a few "marketing and interest" related questions that I would love to get feedback on so that I can better tailor products to suit, and improve Gaming Ballistic's customer experience as the company grows.  

Thanks for your pledge, and for your time!"

I actually wound up dispensing with the marketing survey part, because you were forced to answer the questions, and I wanted minimum fuss.

In any case, you'll be asked if you want your physical copies, if any, signed. You'll go to a page that has pre-added your rewards, and you'll either show a shipping fee, or possibly a credit if you pledged more than your reward.

You can add stuff if you like, and allocate your money or even buy more if you decide (for example) that you want several physical copies or that you want one or more of the custom characters. In that case you'll be asked to pay the balance.

The Backerkit phase will run until November 24th. Then it'll close down and that's it.

Pre-orders are also open! This means that folks can order Lost Hall, and just for simplicity, they can do so at the Kickstarter discount. Retail price of the PDF will be $10; Print will be $20, and the bundle of both will be $25 . . . so if you have friends that want in, send them to the Pre-Orders Page!

Progress Update

So . . . I don't want to jinx things. But Todd and I expect to finish the final PDF within a couple of days. That means in all probability, the PDF will be ready to distribute the day the Backerkit phase closes. 

So digital distribution of Dungeon Grappling (if you ordered it) and Lost Hall (why you're here) will occur on Nov 25 or so.

However! That won't be the final file. I'll be ordering proofs for print copies, and you guys will have a week or two to read the digital file, ask questions, and point out errors. If you find any, we'll note them in a spreadsheet that I'll maintain on my blog, Gaming Ballistic.

Once that's done and I like the print file look, I will incorporate any clarifications or fixes that don't break the layout that the backers notice, submit and order final files, and order print copies. Then I'll order International copies from DriveThru, and take delivery at my home of the US orders, pack 'em up, and ship 'em out.

So . . . things are looking good in terms of schedule.