Addressing Some Backer Questions
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 02:16:46 PM

Hi All!

Like I said in the last update, I wanted to address some of the backer questions that have been sent my way, and that I've seen in the comments. Before that, just a quick note to mention that the final downloadable PDF drop is coming tomorrow. Actually, the first question is about the PDFs:

These are a lot of files. Can you put them in a Zip file to make it easier to download?

No, I'm sorry, Backerkit isn't set up for that. I know there’s a lot of different pdfs, and variations of each on top of that. But, we’re almost done - there’s only one more content drop. This has to go through Backerkit, because I need to be able to exercise some control over who gets access to them. This is essentially exclusive, pre-released content, and is meant for backers & preorder members only. I also need to be able to track how many of each get downloaded, and which backers have downloaded which sets. Backerkit is the best way for me to do this, and this is the system they have in place.

I already paid for shipping. What happened to our shipping funds? Will I be expected to pay more?

The funds you paid for your shipping essentially got rolled into the total amount of funds available for the project. Most of the funds I’m trying to raise are for covering the shipping fees that instead got used towards manufacturing, design, and other expenses. I have no intention of asking you to pay additional shipping fees. It’s been suggested to me by both advisors close to me and also some crowdfunding professionals that asking for more shipping funds could be a potential way to help close the funding gap. I don’t think that’s at all fair to you, and it’s an option I’m not interested in taking.

From the photos you’ve shared of the card faces, we’re worried about readability, and that there’s not enough contrast between the text and the design. Is there a design problem?

I’ve looked at this closely since you guys raised it, and I’m confident this is a product photography issue and not a design issue. Photography is not my strongest suit, and the finish on the cards always manages to catch some degree of glare. Getting photos that accurately represent how the printed cards look is a problem I have consistently when trying to post product shots on Reckless Deck’s Instagram. I’ve worked with my prototype decks extensively, and I think the text is totally readable, and that there’s no issue with the balance between the text and design.

What’s up with shipping the final product?

The downloadable PDFs are definitely not the end.I still have every intention ofshipping the finished physical products. You should be able to see from the completed pdf sets that I've released that the work on the design and content creation for the project is indeed finished. I hope you're putting the PDF versions to good use, coming up with compelling ideas for characters and stories, and mixing and matching content from different sets for some real genre-bending results. I’ll be honest, though, I very much wanted production to be in full swing by this point in the summer. I know this is frustrating for you, and I’m working as hard as I can to get the printing started. I’ll let you know as soon as humanly possible that we’re good to go. 

Please let me know in the comments if these answers address the questions sufficiently. Meanwhile: tomorrow, more PDF content to take you into your weekend!

Cheers,

Clark 

PDF Downloadable Content Drop #3
over 1 year ago – Mon, Jul 31, 2023 at 11:50:54 AM

Hi All,

I'm back from being out of town, and so here is your next drop of printable PDFs for you to download. In this installement, you get:

• Dystopian & Post Apocalypse (223 cards)
• Superheroes (60 Cards)
• Contemporary: Mature Audiences (60 Cards)

Use this link to your Backerkit profile to access the PDFs:

https://rdpsyche.backerkit.com/

As has been the case with the other PDFs, all of these are available in both BxW and color, and in both US letter and A4 paper sizes. You don't need to download all 4. If you want both the color and BxW options, then great, go for it, but ultimately, they're intended for you to decide whether you want to economize on printer ink, or go for the full color designs (which I think look great but will for sure suck up a bunch of ink). And the different paper sizes are for US (letter) vs international (A4) backers. Just download the set that suits the size paper you use in your printer.

And, just like last time, let me know if there are any errors or problems with these. I *think* I've fixed any issues with the previous PDF sets. If I'm wrong, you can let me know in the comments below. 

Next week will be the final PDF drop, with the full sized Espionage & Black Ops and Steampunk & Victorian sets, and the last 60 card mini companion, Fairy Tales & Folklore. Anyone been creating with the new content from the previous PDF drops? Let me know how you're liking your first couple of spins around the block with the sets you haven't had in your hands before now. 

I will do another Project Update in the next day or two, because I want to address some of your questions from the comments.

Talk Soon,

Clark

More PDF Downloads Available For You
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 03:44:23 PM

Hi All,

Letting you know there's a new drop of PDFs available for you to download! Use the same link to access your Backerkit profile:

https://rdpsyche.backerkit.com/

This time, you can download

• Lovecraftian & Noir (224 Cards)
• Sci Fi & Cyberpunk (224 Cards)
• Vikings & Clans (60 Cards)
• Epic Fantasy DARK (60 Cards)

Just like last time, each set is available in both BxW and color, and both versions are available in both letter and A4 sizes.

And, just like last time, if anyone has any problem accessing the PDFs, or if the links are faulty or weird, let me know. Last week, we had problems with the color Epic Fantasy links. I replaced all the Epic Fantasy uploads with new ones, labeled "Epic Fantasy 2". Then, we had problems with those. That should now be fixed, and Epic Fantasy 2 should be good to go for you to download in BxW or color, for letter or A4 paper sizes.

I'm out of town next week, so there won't be another content drop until the week after. The next drop of PDF content will be on Monday, July 31st.

I'm really excited to hear you guys are linking the content, and that it's immediately sparking ideas for characters and stories. That's exactly what it's meant for, and I say absolutely keep it up. Enjoy the new deck downloads, and let me know what you think of them in the comments.

Cheers,

Clark

New Digital Downloads Available!
over 1 year ago – Fri, Jul 14, 2023 at 10:04:37 AM

Hi All,

Good news - the first drop of PDF downloadable files are available on Backerkit! To get them, access your Backerkit profile using this link:

https://rdpsyche.backerkit.com/

If anyone has any trouble accessing the files, or if any of the files themselves aren't correctly matched with the right file name, please let me know right away and I'll address it.   

All sets are being made available in both color and BxW, and each of those is available in both letter and A4 paper sizes.

The color pdfs feature simplified, more graphic versions of the card face backgrounds that should look better coming out of a home printer. 

These simplified color versions won't save you any printer ink, however. I recommend choosing whichever version fits your preferences best, as far as aesthetics vs economy goes.

We've started first by adding color versions of the full Epic Fantasy Companion, the BxW versions of which were available as part of the original PDF offering. We've also separated the original, full Core Set download into two: there are "Core Cards" PDF files, and "Contemporary" PDF files, both in either color or BxW, in both paper sizes.

There are also PDF downloads available for the first time for the Core Set Expansion, and the full Horror and Urban Fantasy Companion Deck.

We'll be continuing to add sets, so expect more decks in PDF form to be added next week.

Let me know in the comments what you think of the color versions, and how you like the newly released content in the Core Set Expansion and the Horror & Urban Fantasy deck!

Cheers,

Clark

Mid July Progress
over 1 year ago – Wed, Jul 12, 2023 at 11:58:35 AM

Hi All,

Here’s a look at some recent progress.

PDF Downloads

We had another meeting over the weekend about the PDF downloadable versions. We did a thorough brief of what we needed to do production-wise, and the different deliverables we want in the end. We’ll be doing both BxW and color versions of each deck - you can decide for yourself which version works better for you and your home printing setup. The card face designs for the color PDF versions will be a more simplified and graphic take on the art in the final version. We’ll also be doing each version in both 8.5"x11” and A4 paper sizes, for both the US and international backers. The layout work is currently underway, and I should have finished versions of the Core Set, the Core Set Expansion, the Epic Fantasy Companion, and at least one additional 224 card Companion Deck for you by the end of the week. The Core Set and the Epic Fantasy Companion are already available in black & white - we'll have color versions of both of those. The Core Set Expansion and additional Companion Decks will be all new in both color and BxW. I’ll be posting them to Backerkit, and you’ll be able to log in to your pledge manager account, and download them from there.

I’m also going through all the recent comments, and trying to address some of the more pertinent ones here for everyone to see and benefit from. One of the requests that came out of the last update was for a clear breakdown of the progress on each item in the campaign. I think that’s a great idea, and I’m happy to lay it out for you. (I'm sorry the resolution on this spreadsheet image isn't great - I've tried a bunch of different ways to get KS to display this more clearly, but this seems to be the best I can get it to look.)

Design work on the Large Box has been waiting on the new 224 Card Companion packaging dimensions. Now that's complete, we can create an arrangement for the different sets, and configure the box around them. The design for it will consist of re-configuring several of the existing art assets, and we have designs in progress. Spot UV placement will be done once the design is locked in. Steve, the lead designer at Shuffled Ink, has just returned from a vacation, and now that he's back, we're starting in on this.

For the Anthology, the main body of the book is completely laid out. All the stories are complete and in place. I still have writing work to do on the foreword of the book, the copyright page, and the copy for the back cover. The art for the front and back covers is complete. I've continually been pushing anthology work in favor of working on the main production on the cards, and on fund raising. I'm using a separate vendor for the anthologies, and the production turnaround time for them is one-fifth of the time needed to print all the card sets. We were just looking at the anthology layout files up on the screen during our production meeting over the weekend, and I got really excited about it all over again. It looks fantastic. 

I'll be diving more into questions from the comments in short order. I'll also do another update in the next couple of days, letting you know when the first installment of PDF versions are up on Backerkit,  and instructions for how to download them. 

Talk to you in just a few!

Cheers,

Clark