ajatthebank wrote in Islandia modules:Does anyone know if a 'Treasure Troves II' was produced please?I (like others) am unsure of the full listing of items produced by The Companions Inc....I am aware (have) the items below ...but not sure if this is complete. If anyone can confirm - most grateful!The Curse of HarethPlague of TerrorBrotherhood of the BoltStreet of GemsGems for DeathTreasurre Troves IPlaces of Mystery I - IVCompanion Pieces - Fantasy Furnishings
TheHistorian wrote in Islandia modules:No Treasure Trove II.Missing from your list are another version of Fantasy Furnishings (different scales) and a hex pad. Nothing else in the generic fantasy genre. They did a second edition of a WWII RPG called Behind Enemy Lines as well.
vestcoat wrote in Islandia modules:What about first publishing the originals in PDF form to expand the fanbase and generate some working funds, then start on modern 5e and/or OSR updates? If there's one thing we're seen from the digital revolution, legal pdf's, and print on demand, it's that cheap copies only wet gamers' appetite for endless collectable hardcopies.
Mars wrote in Islandia modules:vestcoat wrote in Islandia modules:What about first publishing the originals in PDF form to expand the fanbase and generate some working funds, then start on modern 5e and/or OSR updates? If there's one thing we're seen from the digital revolution, legal pdf's, and print on demand, it's that cheap copies only wet gamers' appetite for endless collectable hardcopies.The difficulty for most of these projects is to find and get the approval from the authors, artists and anyone else involved in the original project to be able to do something with their work - in most cases this is near impossible.
Mars wrote in Islandia modules:I'm not sure how projects like The Complete Oracle Kickstarter were able to do this or simply they didn't care about following proper copyright. Simple things like changing from a print edition to PDF means a change in format which likely wasn't covered in the initial agreements (who had a clause in their 1980s contract about being able to convert to an electronic format?).
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:I would make sure that you had the product written to completion and proofread before you approach people and ask for their money. Most Kickstarters fail because the people asking for the money dramatically underestimate both the amount of work that needs to be done, and the amount of time it takes to do the work, and subsequently promise things that they have no way of fulfilling. You should create the manuscripts, proofread them, have them typeset, and check their compliance with the current OGL before you even consider asking people to pay upfront.
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:Maybe consider avoiding stretch goals altogether. They do not increase the amount of revenue proportionately to the amount of work you promise to complete within the time. If the product you are offering in the initial Kickstarter is not a big enough appeal in and of itself, you have the wrong product, and no amount of extra baubles can make the product better. You have the advantage (assuming you have the IP's permission) of starting with solid well written work.
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:There is a wealth of successful Kickstarters in this market, with principles who can offer you their experience and advice. Do not be too reticent, too shy or too arrogant, not to ask. They do not fear competition and want to see new entrants into the market succeed as much as we do.
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:Make sure your budget works, and make sure you have contingency funding in place. If the top line figure on Kickstarter says you are $50K funded, that is not how much you get. You lose 10% (or whatever it is these days) off the top to Kickstarter, and you have to pay tax on the remaining balance as of the date you receive it, not the date you spend it. So plan your financial year and know when you want Kickstarter to pay out (i.e. end), and when you'll have to declare and pay tax on that money.
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:PresentationLearn the difference between a good quality product and just another RPG book, and then decide which category you want your product to be in. You already have a well written work as a starting point, but you need to understand the difference between good quality presentation, artwork and cartography, and the mass of sh!t that many 'just another RPG books' publish. These differences do translate into actual revenue. They can be felt in the hand, and move physical products faster and at higher prices. You don't want to be doing maps with graph paper and magic markers or your neighbour's kid's drawings in Illustrator, and if you were left with a pallet of books, you'd find it far easier to move a pallet of Hot Spring Islands over a pallet of Dreadmire.
mbassoc2003 wrote in Islandia modules:Just my initial thoughts.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:I would love to be able to have everything written, proofread, and formatted before asking for money, but since I am not independently wealthy, I don't have the money available to do all of that before the Kickstarter, as I expect I will want to bring in some professionals for some steps. I am going to try to do a lot of work between myself and an old friend of mine who is also a huge fan of the modules. But, I still expect to need some experts in some areas as well.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:I appreciate the idea of avoiding stretch goals entirely but I feel adding reasonable stretch goals could be a good thing. Part of me wants to set the base goal of the project to just release the products pretty much as-is, but perhaps updated to work with the OGL. Then, stretch goals could be things like updated formatting, better artwork, color maps, etc. No matter what I do, I plan on thinking it through heavily before starting the Kickstarter.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:I appreciate this as well. It does seem that most people in the RPG industry are of the opinion that a rising tide lifts all ships, so they are willing to support others in the industry as it helps increase the interest in the hobby as a whole, which helps ultimately helps everyone. I will definitely contact a few of the people who have had successful Kickstarters with projects that look like they might be of the quality I am trying to produce.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:I agree, I want to make sure the quality of the presentation fits the material. I would really hate to ruin the reputation of the modules by delivering a shoddy product. I also want to be sure I am honoring the names of The Companions, William John Wheeler, and Peter L. Rice. I would feel horrible if I did not do the product justice.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:My primary concern with doing crowdsourcing for the funding is to make sure I cover my costs for the project.
safletcher wrote in Islandia modules:Also, I have a full-time job, so I will not need money from the project for living expenses.