New Year Progress Report, & Some Companion Deck Decisions
over 3 years ago – Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 01:25:55 AM

Hi All, and Happy New Year!

I know it’s been awhile since you’ve had a proper Project Update. Things are moving along, though - it’s that age old Kickstarter-in-progress conundrum where a lot of progress is being made, but there aren’t any events or milestones that make for good headlines. There is an important development I need to fill you in on, though:

The Sci Fi Companion and the Dark Folklore Mini

I know these two stretch goals were of great interest to many of you, and I’ve been trying to work out how to make them happen (without massively adding to the workload or the budget). I think I’ve found my answers - and they dovetail with other organizational changes that have come up as we’ve been continuing to write content. Getting the Sci Fi and Dark Folklore content made can happen, with some trade offs that I think are big improvements to the system as a whole.

• The content for the Sci Fi Companion will be folded into the Cyberpunk Companion, making a single, SCI FI & CYBERPUNK Companion.
• The Horror and Urban Fantasy Companions will get combined, making a single HORROR & URBAN FANTASY COMPANION.
• In place of the Urban Fantasy standalone Companion, the Dark Folklore Mini Companion will get produced. It will replace the full Companion slot vacated by combining Horror & Urban Fantasy into one, and will be included in all the PASSPORT TIER and CARDS ONLY TIER reward levels. So everyone who backed at those levels automatically receives it. It will also be available as an add on in the pledge manager for everyone else.

I think it’s a big decision to shuffle the lineup of stretch goals after the end of the campaign, and I don’t do it lightly. But, I think this move gets all of you the content you clearly really want, AND improves the clarity and balance of the entire system.

In continuing to write content, we’ve found that a great deal of the content for separate Horror and Urban Fantasy Companions was more or less interchangeable, and that the difference was less about the content itself and more about the tone a given author would choose when writing. Also, the continued content writing showed me that Horror was actually over-represented in the system, while Sci Fi was woefully under-represented. Separate Horror, Urban Fantasy, AND Lovecraftian Companions meant horror content had THREE different expressions, whereas Sci Fi had only Cyberpunk - which clearly only covers one corner of the total Sci Fi spectrum.

Changing to “Sci Fi & Cyberpunk” and “Horror & Urban Fantasy” allows both companions to comfortably fit in thematically with other “dual themed” Companion titles, like Steampunk & Victorian, Lovecraftian & Noir, and Dystopian & Post Apocalypse. And, I think I’ll be expanding the Espionage Companion to “Espionage and Black Ops”, which will allow me to include more straight military adventure content as well.

You might say, “well, a 200 card companion is getting replaced by a 60 card mini companion, and that’s BS.” I hear you - but I feel strongly that this is a case where more is not necessarily better. This system will already top 2,000 cards. That’s a ton of content, and it’s my goal to ensure it’s all compelling and unique. Eliminating extra bloat is a good thing, & I truly believe you won’t miss 140 cards when faced with the enormity of the entire system. If you backed at a Passport Tier or Cards Only level, and feel a loss of value from your total package, your savings are already so extreme that a $10 reduction in the official retail price of your package is (I think) negligible. I hope you all understand my reasoning behind the changes, and are excited to be getting the Sci Fi and Dark Folklore content everyone seemed to want so badly!

Progress Update

Now that we’ve talked about that bit of structural change, I can tell you what’s been happening. Basically, ART, CONTENT CREATION, and READING THE ENTRIES FOR THE SHORT STORY CONTEST.

Art

The art for the premium dividers is still underway. I’ll have some final art for you to see there soon. I’ve also bringing on other artists to help expedite this series, because the finished art on these will also be used on the playmats and the boxes. I’m continuing to design coins here and there in the in-between spaces.

Content Creation

Content Creation is very much on the front burner. Our creative teem has shuffled somewhat, and now includes your fellow backer and frequent comments section contributor Desiree Starr. Welcome Desiree!

It also includes my friend and author Ethan Gilsdorf, who has written extensively about D&D and role playing gaming. He wrote this book, Fantasy Freaks & Gaming Geeks. He also teaches D&D to both adults and kids, has spoken at GenCon, DragonCon, and PAX East, and has written about D&D, Tolkien, and fantasy fandom in The New York Times, Wired, and Dragon Magazine. He actually gave a TED Talk on the subject, which I highly recommend taking a look at. Follow this link to check it out!

As far as what’s currently on the operating table: Epic Fantasy is looking extremely healthy & filled out, as is Contemporary, which is included in the Core Set. Both Horror & Urban Fantasy and Dystopian & Post Apocalypse are very far along. We’re all starting to dig into Steampunk & Victorian, and the Vikings and Tribal & Nomadic Mini Companions. (And I know for a fact that Desiree is dying to pull off the seal on the Dark Folklore Mini Expansion!)

Short Story Entries

I am making my way through this giant stack of stories! Let me just say, I am SO PLEASED AND IMPRESSED with the level of quality and creativity I’m consistently seeing with these entires, and so, WELL DONE, YOU! I’m feeling great about what we’ll be putting out there as the final anthology product.

Other News

In other Reckless Deck related news, the revised 3rd editions of both Volume 1 and Volume 2 are 100% complete and in the hands of our printer, Shuffled Ink! 

Also currently at the printers is the new, 8”Magnetic Collector’s box! The 6” box from the 2017 Kickstarter was extremely popular, and we’ve sold through all but our last few of those. This new box will add 2 inches of storage space, include SPOT GLOSS on the sides and cover, and feature a massively revised and expanded piece of multi figure reckless deck art that originally appeared in Imagine FX magazine! Here, have a look:

Remember, Volume 1, Volume 2, and the new 8” box aren’t aren’t Kickstarter-dependent, and hopefully will be available sometime in March! I’ll keep you posted on their official release date.

I'll have more for you soon, including updates on content progress, and I believe, finished art to show you.

Cheers, friends!

Clark

Story Contest Deadline EXTENDED!
over 3 years ago – Sun, Nov 29, 2020 at 09:00:34 PM

Hi Friends!

Hope everyone has been having a stellar Thanksgiving weekend. I've been trying to work my way through all Reckless Deck's various social channels and newsletter subscribers to spread the word that the deadline for the Short Story Contest has been EXTENDED by TWO WEEKS. The new deadline for your story submissions is Sunday night at midnight EST, December 15th. So if you're scrambling today to try and make the original deadline, you can ease off the throttle a little. We're extending the deadline becasue, well, basically, why NOT? We've still got plenty of work to do on our end, & we thought you'd appreciate a little more time.

BFCM Special Offer

While we're here, I thought I'd mention that over at recklessdeck.com, we have a Black Friday weekend special running through Monday night: out top 3 selling decks for $30. Give them as a gift outright, or make them a killer stocking stuffer. It's our lowest price of the year, but only for this weekend.

What's Up With the Pledge Manager?

I've gotten a few emails from backers asking if they've missed the Pledge Manager, or just generally what's happening with it. First: no, you haven't missed it. It's not active yet. As I've said in a prior update, I've been working to get you the art you need to be able to decide on certain add ons, AND, I was also working hard to wrap my head around all the different shipping info. I've had some conversations with other creators, as well as a friend I know over at Kickstarter, and based on their input, I've decided that the Pledge Manager will happen after the holidays. Seems weird, right? Most projects would have put that out there by now. But the advice I got said put the Pledge Manager out when we're ready, and to take our time and do it right. One of the most compelling reasons to hold it back until 2021 is that shipping rates will be changing for the new year in late January. Any shipping rates I put in the pledge manager for you now would be my best estimate of what the 2021 changes might be. If we wait until the new year, the rates will be accurate. Plus, I'm still working on the art, and it's important that they be in place in the Pledge Manager. The project is making progress on all fronts, and despite waiting on the Pledge Manager, we're still totally on track. These next months of continued progress on art and content have been built into the schedule since before the campaign launched. I'll continue to post all the new art and announcements here to keep you all up to speed. 

Shipping News, and Art to Preview
over 3 years ago – Thu, Nov 05, 2020 at 11:04:40 AM

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Hello, Backers!
  Hope everyone is enjoying a very stressful election. Sheesh! I wanted you all to know that I'm mitigating the stress by working on art for you guys, and by digging in to write you this overdue project update.

 Pledge Manager Update

  I've been hearing from a lot of you asking when the Pledge Manager will open. I'd like to get it open as soon as possible, and my goal is to open it before Thanksgiving. but there are two major factors that need to be rock solid before I can do that:  The shipping rates for all rewards and each different country or region, and the new art introduced by the add on dividers.

 What's up with Shipping?

  Let's do the heavy lifting first (the fulfillment talk) and save the fun stuff  (works-in-progress art reveals)  for the end. Since the campaign, I've made a lot of progress in terms of getting the answers I need for your fulfillment costs. I believe I've chosen my fulfillment partners for each region, and I have the documents I need to calculate costs for the weights of different rewards as they correspond to different regions here in the US & Canada, and also to other international destinations. I also have a colleague who is extremely well versed in the minutiae of fulfillment details (he actually works at Kickstarter now), and so I want to run it all by him as well, to make sure he doesn't detect any flaws in my plan. Believe me, I have to get this right, because this project could stand to lose a lot of money if I don't. So please bear with me while I try to stick the landing on this, because it's very complicated, and it directly affects your money.
 

Show Me Some Art!

So the other big thing the Pledge Manager depends on is having art for each pledge item and add on that is far enough along - and compelling enough looking - for you to be able to decide if you want to own it. This applies to all backers who might want to curate their campaign takeaway, and who could be  open to adding on a box, a coin, or a playmat if it looks cool enough. The flip side of that would be trying to entice you to add on an item that relies heavily on its art, and just trying to tell you, "trust me, it's gonna look amaaaazing!" 

Opening the "exclusive art" version of the category dividers introduced the opportunity to create a handful of new knockout finished visuals for PSYCHE, which could then be applied to the boxes and playmat designs. As an illustrator, I'm seeing this as a great opportunity to create a small, personal series that gets me several new portfolio pieces, and a persponal body of work that gets featured on a product sold and used all over the world. It won't be all me - I'll be including the beautiful illustrations done by Dave Palumbo and Vanessa Lemen, which you're familiar with from the campaign. And, one final of the 8 illustrations will be done by another illustrator (I have an offer out to an artist, & waiting to see if they're gonna accept). But, here's a look at my five works in progress - each in very different states of evolution. Because of this, I'm gonna provide a little bit of a short description for each, so you can follow along with the action, even though the sketch might be pretty rough.

Formative Events

A psychological close-up portrait of a man, with an additional after image or ghost image of him. There will be additional digital deconstruction & manipulation of both faces that will be coming later in the process.

Secrets

A  trapped female figure scrabbles and crawls in a claustrophobic, underground chamber with dirt, roots, fungus, and bones.

Given Circumstances

A rouguish sci fi or cyberpunk woman standing thigh deep in water takes a moment to reflect on what appears to be a beautiful, otherworldly alien phenomenon - but beneath the waters' surface, we see a different story unfolding. 

Occupations

A man moves amongst flaring neon reflections in a city with a cyberpunk flair. He seems to be part of the pulse of the city, moving possibly unseen, or as a kind of urban "messenger of the gods".

Strengths

An Epic Fantasy fighter prepares for battle, as his armor and weapons magically swirl and organize themselves around him.

Protagonist/Antagonist Coin

And finally, your first look at the Protagonist/Antagonist Coin! I would much rather have a more beautiful and rendered version of this art to share with you. I've been working on it since before the launch of the campaign, but there has always something happening with the campaign that seemed more urgent. so here is my less than glorious reveal of what's up with the first of our coin series, in progress.

This one is based around a sword fight. A heroic, dual-wielding protagonist faces off, while on the flip side, an elegant, genteel vampire signals a challenge.

I'd love your feedback on all the new images. Please sound off liberally in the comments section and let me know what you think. And definitely, definitely open the NEXT project update, which you'll have before the end of the week. I'll need as much feedback from you guys about some decisions we get to make. 

Talk to you then!

Clark

Tomorrow - Reckless Deck Hosts the IX 2020 Online Figure Drawing Sessions
over 3 years ago – Mon, Oct 19, 2020 at 02:33:30 AM

Hello AGAIN, fabulous backers!

 Told you I had more news for you. Tomorrow evening, the IX Convention (formerly known as Illuxcon) kicks off its webinar series, as, for obvious reasons, this year's convention will be held virtually. And from 7-9 pm EST, I'd like to invite you to the first edition of IX's RECKLESS SKETCH NIGHT! 

I'll be hosting-slash-moderating the evening from here in Providence, and we'll have 2 fantastic live models streaming from Los Angeles. All poses will be paired with a few Reckless Deck cards (from the original series, not PSYCHE) to help you build on what the models are giving us. And the theme for the evening's poses: POST APOCALYPSE WARRIORS!

If you're not familiar with IX, it's a long running convention normally held in Reading, PA on the third weekend of October, built solely around celebrating the world of Science Fiction & Fantasy illustration. Since we can't all meet in person as normal this year, its creators, Pat & Jeannie Wilshire, are doing something both ambitious and admirable - rather than do a weekend event that is a pale version of its former self, in addition to the virtual version of the "main convention",  they've created a content filled webinar series set to last 6 MONTHS. So tomorrow evening is the first in a monthly Reckless Deck Sketch Night series that will go through March of 2021! I'm extremely excited about this, and I hope you'll join us!

To participate in the webinar series, you need to get yourself a pass to the virtual event. 

1. Follow this link to request a pass:  https://ix-online.com/ticketrequest.asp

2. Click on the confirmation link you receive

3. Follow the prompts to upgrade to VIP status ($40)

The VIP status gets you in to all 6 months of the webinar series, and also, a 48 hour advance look at everything posted in the IX art show next week.

Hope you decide to draw with us tomorrow night!

Clark

First Moves After Campaign's End
over 3 years ago – Mon, Oct 19, 2020 at 12:16:09 AM

Backers!

Sorry I couldn’t get this out to you last night. There was just too much to cover.

First, congratulations on an amazing campaign, and a TRULY EPIC last 48 hours!

I want to personally thank each and every one of you. None of what’s coming would be possible without your involvement. These are stressful times, and we’ve all got a lot on our minds. Each one of you allowed this to project cut through all the other noise in your lives, and chose this one thing to enhance your creative projects, whether it’s your stories, your scripts, or your game nights. And so, a huge thank you for choosing to back this project.

We did it (and then some, by like, a LOT!) And so, pat on the BACK, people! Party party! Confetti! Irresponsible behavior you might question after the fact! As Project Creator, I endorse all of these.

OK, finished? Awesome. Let’s go to work.

Three things that are way at the top of my action items right out of the gate:

Unmet Stretch Goals

There’s no doubt there’s a ton of backer enthusiasm behind the stretch goals we didn’t get to, most notably, the Sci Fi Companion Deck, and the Dark Folklore Mini Companion. First, I want you all to know that I’ve heard your not-subtle entreaties loud and clear. Nerses and I are going to confer, and we’re going to review what our options are. And, I appreciate the suggestion some of you had regarding making them stretch goals we can potentially meet in the pledge manager! Nerses & I will for sure discuss it. We will have more information for you very soon - Meanwhile, just hang tight.

Concrete Shipping Info

My hope is to get The Pledge Manager up and running in about a month. One thing I absolutely have to have locked down before that happens is solid shipping information for you all. As I solidify the relationships with the different fulfillment partners I’ll be using, I’ll give you more detailed shipping info in project updates before the pledge manager launches.

Let's Meet on Discord

Still want to keep the party rolling? Nerses and I will be setting up a Discord account that you are all welcome to join, so anyone who wants to can add their ideas for card content for any of the Companion Decks, and to continue to interact with the backers you’ve made friends with in the comments section. I use Discord for the remote D&D game I play in every 2 weeks, but I’ve never set up an account of my own, that is a platform that I manage. So there will be a slight learning curve for me there. But as soon as its all set up and ready to go, I will send you all the pertinent information regarding how to join in.

Art

Oh, man, do I have a lot of art to do! And if it’s okay with you, for the sake of the pledge manager, I am going to focus on the art you need to be able to decide whether or not to add something to your pledge. Things like the different coin designs, and the new art for the add on versions of the category dividers - especially since some of that art will carry over onto the playmats and the Hold Everything Box. As excited as I am to do the main box art for each of the Companion Decks, you don’t really need that to make a decision about whether or not to buy a Companion Deck or not. It would be nice, sure, but it’s the content you’re really after there (though sweet art for the Companion Decks will be forthcoming.) But you definitely need to see the final designs in order to decide if you want a particular coin, playmat, or box.

Okay, that’s it for immediate thoughts & news for the day after! I’ve got a separate Project Update immediately following this one about something totally unrelated, so keep an eye out for that shortly.