To Kickstart or not to Kickstart

While my personal experience with Kickstarter hasn't been the greatest (two failed projects in less than 6 months), I would be lying if I said I haven't considered using it again. A man with as many ideas as me needs all the help he can get when trying to turn those ideas into reality, and between Round 10, Zimildran, Dreams of a Dying God, and a certain other, unnamed gaming project, I have a lot of opportunities for help. Namely in the illustration department.

You Can't Take Everything (or Everyone) With You...

This is primarily going to be one of my sappy, self-reflective posts, so please bear with me.

As most of you are aware, this week marked the end of the semester for me. Monday was the official last day of class, and Wednesday was the first of my two days of finals. I found I was struck with a stronger pang of grief than I originally expected. I've grown somewhat close (which for me means that I've shared a lot of laughs and some minor extracirricular activities) with a handful of people, including the majority of my Acting class.

I've talked about how I connect with people in previous posts, but allow me to go over this again. Years ago, I used to be free with my happiness and optimism, and I used to approach everyone as if they could be a life-changing friend for me. I poured everything into friendships and I tried to do everything in my power for those people. It didn't matter if we shared a brief, friendly conversation or if we hung out consistently for multiple months, I probably considered you a close friend.

Then I had a period where this openness and willingness to connect so freely with people came back to bite me, and it ended up hurting me. So I backed off, and kept people at arms' length. Sure, I didn't let other people hurt me during this time, but I was hurting myself, stifling my extroverted self and forcing a more introverted lifestyle. It was difficult at first, but it got easier as time went on, and eventually it became all I knew.

Yet, in the last two years now, I've really been working on getting back my old self, the self that I was years ago. I wanted to be the Nick that people wanted to be around again. I wanted people to enjoy their time with me, and I wanted people to know how much they mean to me. I have had a few friendships and relationships these past two years that have been instrumental in making this transition, yet a week such as this proves to me that things won't always be easy.

We finished our last performances in Acting class, and I lingered for a moment or two, but ended up leaving quite quickly, quite abruptly, with very little said to anyone other than a couple of passing goodbyes. I got halfway down the hall to the exit, and I stopped myself. I turned back around, went back to the theater, and made up some excuse in my head of a question that I had to ask the instructor as the real reason for my return.

Unfortunately, when I arrived again, most of the other students had gone, and I had missed my opportunity to give a more suitable farewell. Now, I found, I felt even worse.

This seems such an elementary thing for me, but now all that is rolling around in my head is the fear that I may never see some of these people again. That is a reality I'm going to have to face, but it's not one I'm proud of accelerating.

As I have been saying, time and again, I am moving forward. Forward with my life, forward with my career, forward with my creativity and forward with my relationships. Unfortunately, the other side of that positive coin is the fact that as I move forward, I am forced to face the realization that I can't take everything with me, that I can try to stay in touch with as many as possible, but I will lose contact with most of them, and it kills me.

It kills me because I think of the people who I was once close to that I don't hear from, or don't reach out to, much any more. People who I keep telling myself I need to call, need to contact, but I either don't or can't.

This Friday is my last final, in Public Speaking, a class in which I have made some simple connections with a few people, though not as major of connections and with not as many people as I would prefer (mainly because other than one or two moments, I didn't put much effort into it, probably out of a fear of the inevitable future). I think I will do what I can to offer a bit more of a satisfying goodbye to these people, something I may segue into my requesting they see the play that I will be in this summer.

I am a better friend than I have been this last week or so, I know it. I just have to act like it.

The Round 10 Quick Start Guide is now available - for FREE!

Check it out at RPGNow.com! As always, let me know about your questions, comments, concerns and criticisms! You can contact me for Round 10 information at the Round 10 Website or by emailing support@round10rpg.com.

ISBNs and Barcodes

Just purchased the ISBNs and the barcodes for the Round 10 Quick Start Guide and the Round 10 Core Rulebook, meaning that the QS Guide should be available for free download within the next few days! Meanwhile, work on the Core Rulebook is nearing completion, though the June release date may be a bit ambitious, and it might have to get pushed back to July, simply to ensure it is complete and ready to go.

I've gotten a few questions about what sort of programs I am using for putting the book together, since I am self-publishing. I started using simple Microsoft Word for the rulebook, and after it's first draft was complete I moved it into Scrivner for basic layout editing and revising. Scrivner is great for layout work, it's cheap, and it allows me to achieve the look I want with the pictures I have. For the cover I've used Photoshop Elements to put together the images that were made by my illustrator, logo designer and typographic artist, as well as adding in the cover credits and (now) the barcode.

Not really much to report on other than all of that. I've been spending a lot of time both on Round 10 and on my schoolwork, as we're approaching the end of the semester. Blogging may be dropping down a bit for the next week or two, so I apologize to my more regular readers. Please, bear with me!

Beyond the Horizon Radio: Round 10 Interview

About two weeks ago I received an email from a supporter of Round 10 who also happens to be running a gaming podcast called Beyond the Horizon Radio. He voiced his excitement at seeing how far Round 10 has gotten, despite not meeting its goals as a Kickstarter campaign, and said that he would love to conduct an interview with me about Round 10, it's development, and the impressions of he and his gaming group from their play-test session.

I, of course, happily agreed. Any and all support is most welcome and appreciated, and the more I can get Round 10 out there and in the eyes of the public, the better off it will be. He was kind enough to send me the questions for the interview, and I am excited to partner with him and discuss what Round 10 can bring to the gaming industry.

The episode's air date is still up in the air, but we will be recording the interview this coming Wednesday (05.05). My only concern is that his podcast is set up only as a direct streaming site, only offering content for the limited time that he plays it (generally on Saturdays from noon to 3:00pm for live shows, and Sundays at a similar time for a rerun of Saturday's show). While it's definitely a system that works, I'd love for the episode, or at least the interview, to be available for download to be listened to at a time that's more convenient for the listener. I may connect with him and see if I'd be allowed to record the interview and post it on the Round 10 website and Facebook page, with his permission.

Regardless, I'm excited for the publicity, no matter how big or how small!

Round 10 Soft Release Info

The Round 10 Core Rulebook is growing a bit more each day. These last couple of days saw some additional work from my illustrator, Ramon Bunge, come in and continue to wow me. I took the opportunity to play around with the book's layout and toy with where various illustrations will go. It is my goal and my hope that the book will be ready for distribution by June 1st at the earliest!

With this in mind, I should also start focusing on the Round 10 Quick Start Guide, doing some final edits and getting that ready for digital distribution by May 20th. The Quick Start Guide will present the rules in a succinct and easy-to-learn, seven page format, along with a pretty cut-and-dry adventure and six premade characters. It will be the stepping stone into the greater Round 10 experience, and will be available for free download from the Round 10 website and RPGnow.com, so keep your eyes peeled!

I'm debating on the prices of the Core Rulebook. The physical copy's price is sort of out of my hand; it all falls on what Lulu.com or Createspace.com will charge for each printing (probably in the realm of $40, since it is almost 200 pages with full-color artwork), yet I'm still a bit up in the air on the digital book's price. I don't want to charge too much, since it was never my intention to make substantial money off of this game, but at the same time I don't want to undercut the work that's being put into it. I'm thinking a PDF of the book could go for around $15.00 at standard price. It seems a bit high for a digital download, but at the same time the Core Rulebook offers so much information that there is no need to purchase anything further.

Zimildran is even further from having a determined price, but I'd say in and around $15.00 for the digital book. I'm even entertaining the idea of running some sort of online deal when you purchase the Core Rules or Zimildran to get some sort of discount on the other product, encouraging the purchase of both items.

Of course, the marketing stage of multiple products is still up in the air, but it's exciting to think about, at the very least!

Round 10 Development Update

Most of my recent posts have been encompassing emotional reasonings, thoughts and ideas about the direction my life has been going, and the relationships I've been cultivating throughout the past few months. I understand that this blog was originally started with the intent to talk about the creative process around my writing, the journey I'm making in the self-publishing world, and the pursuit of a career in education. If you've been keeping up with my posts through all of this other, off-topic reflection, then I thank you. If you have found a level of annoyance in my posting inconsistencies, in my lack of discussion of the proposed, original topics, or in the general disorganized order of my posts, than I apologize, but know that every post in this blog is about things that are important in my life and that float in and around my mind on a daily basis.

That being said, I will spend this post talking about the state of the Round 10 RPG and my plans for the near future.

Round 10 RPG Core Rulebook - Overall Progress
Writing: 85% finished
Artwork: 76% finished

Ramon Ignacio Bunge, my wonderfully talented illustrator (who you can find on DeviantArt), is currently working on the last two black and white illustrations and then will jump into a final full-color image that I decided to add to the list last-minute. The pictures are turning out really well, and you can see all of the work he has done so far at the Round 10 RPG Facebook Page. Here is a taste of what he has done so far for the book:

As far as the writing goes, I've got to finish up the GM's section (genre-specirfic tips, running a scenario, running a campaign, and creating your own items, enemies, and settings), and fill out the remaining reference sheets (generic enemies, vehicles, ships), and then the writing will be 100% finished.

I'm debating if I should look into getting a professionally done layout for the character sheets and enemy sheets, but something tells me that a simple layout for those would work just fine. I'd rather spend time on the book's layout as a whole, ensuring that it reads well, has a proper and complete index and table of contents, and that it flows together well.

I'll likely be getting the Quick Start Guide up on the Facebook page and on RPGNow as a free download in the coming weeks, giving any interested parties the opportunity to get their feet wet with the rules system before the full game hits digital shelves.

I'm toying with the idea of posting weekly video notes on the Facebook page, an idea that has hit a wall simply because of my lack of adequate recording equipment. I'm also debating about posting some of our play-testing audio recordings for interested parties to hear, and get an idea for how the game plays. And finally, the Round 10 website is coming together, slowly but surely, and should be up and running for the public soon enough.

If you are one of the interested parties and you know of anything specific you'd like to see on the Facebook page, please let me know! I'm open to all suggestions.

Fleshing out Zimildran

I've been toying around with a lot of creative ideas around the Zimildran Module for my roleplaying game (see my Current Creative Projects page for more information). Even though I should be devoting most of my time to the Round 10 Core Rulebook, I can't help but think about the excitement the world of Zimildran gives me, and I know I have big plans for that book, when I get around to actually finishing it.

One thing I know I want to do is to flesh out the world of Zimildran more than simply what is presented as the roleplaying game. My original plan was to release a series of short stories for digital download, all based around characters in the Zimildran universe. Follow the gunslinger and bounty hunter Erik as he hunts down dangerous carnivorous dinosaurs in the wilds of Ukinda. Learn about the backstory of the Snowmarcher Hrothgar, and how he became an exile of his people. Uncover the mysteries of the druid-like Wardens, and find out what part they play in keeping the Elder Gods at bay.

All of these ideas and more flood to me, yet at the same time I feel like piecemeal fiction, while great, isn't entirely scratching the itch I have for bringing this world to life, and so another idea came to mind.

Rather than releasing something alongside, or just prior to, the Zimildran Module, why not create something original and insert it into the Module itself? Suddenly, ideas for a short comic book, an illustrated story that would grace the first few pages of the Module, complete with beautiful art and a compelling, if short, story, sprang into my head. I love this, although this would mean delaying the Module even further while I save up the money to pay an artist for the additional pieces.

Decisions, decisions. I should really just focus on tightening up and finishing the Core Rulebook, since without that there is no Zimildran Module. But God knows I can't keep my inspirations quiet all the time.

Progression

This past Thursday, February 28th, I found that my pursuit of independent publishing and game design got a bit easier. My life-long friend, Sean S., asked me how interested I would be in pursuing a partnership with him. Round 10 is coming along, and he wants to move forward in a way that would take what I am building as a brand, and explore all manner of options for it as a business. Tabletop gaming, blogging, podcasts, etc. With an enthusiastic response, I told him I would glady join forces with him to create the foundations of a game design team and company. However, I did caution him that Round 10 is, far and away, my main focus right now, with all of the work I've been pouring into it. He understood, and offered his help where it was needed, and as it fit into his schedule.

That lit a bit more of a fire in me when it came to working on the Round 10 Core Rulebook, and the following evening I sat in front of my computer for nearly five hours hammering out the statistics, values and information for tons of additional aspects to the book. It's filling up nicely, and while I still have some distance to go before it's ready to be published, it is certainly making headway. I am excited to get it out there and in the hands of those awaiting it.

I'm excited to bring my love of tabletop gaming and expand it beyond simply the Round 10 RPG System, and I know Sean is equally so. We both are of like minds, that this endeavor, this pursuit, is a way for us to feel good about how we're spending our time, to feel satisfied with a creative project that will help make the more routine days that much easier to get through. And once Round 10 gets established and off the ground, and the brand becomes something more than simply a logo and word of mouth, we'll really have some opportunities to explore our interests, and bring the games that we want to play to life.