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Hello Dystopians!
We did it! We funded a new tabletop game - Dystopia Rising: Evolution!
And we unlocked a whole bunch of Stretch Goals! Including adding the Fiction Anthology to all backers getting the DR:E PDF! That JUST HAPPENED TODAY!
This is a game about building communities after the Fall, and there's a parallel to what we've done here, coming together to fund this project and expand it's scope and add opportunity! Really great job, everyone!
So, thank you to all the backers who supported us and made this happen. And a personal thanks to everyone who participated online, either in the comments section of the kickstarter or on social media around the web. If you look at the comments, you'll see that, while it was sometimes quiet, the passion of the DR:E fan-base and fans of the developing Storypath system were certainly locked in. Beyond that, this is a game that's going to grow over the next years by word-of-mouth and through gaming groups - I think we're just seeing the start of something big!
I've also enjoyed tweaking my avatar to reflect my true zombie nature! One last use:
So, as noted, I'll be sending out updates once a month and whenever we've got a new goal, survey, or other item to cover. If you have any questions or need clarification on something related to the kickstarter, you can leave it in the comment section - I will be notified with every addition. Or, you can find the Contact Creator button and Rich will forward your message to me.
For rules stuff and questions about the game itself, it's probably best to post to the Onyx Path Discussion Group here <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=419273928504341&ref=br_rs> or the Many Worlds of Onyx Path forum here <http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/cavaliers-of-mars-and-pugmire>
So, thanks to everyone for helping build this community around a game that can be about building communities! Like the characters we'll be creating for DR:E - we've SURVIVED another kickstarter!
So, zombie high fives all around... and now I get to go pass out in exhaustion for a couple of days and maybe replace my refresh button on my keyboard (it's got quite a workout today!!)
Hello Dystopians,
We're in the final hours of this campaign, and about $500 away from another Stretch Goal! Let's push! We've had a ton of new backers join us in the past few days, and I'm guessing we'll see a bunch more jump on before the end! So, welcome new backers!
For those new to the campaign, or those who need a refresher, a tour of the basics:
1. REWARD TIER, ADD-ONs, PLEDGE TOTAL
Please ensure you've selected the Reward Tier that best represents your desired rewards for this project. An update breaking down all of the Reward Tier decisions is HERE <link>, summarized by this chart:
Once you're sure you've selected the correct Reward Tier, double-check to see if there are any rewards that you want to include via ADD-ON, as described in the update HERE <link>.
Your REWARD TIER determines what your base rewards are - you must select a Reward Tier to receive those rewards. Again, your reward list is based on your Reward Tier, not your total pledge amount.
Your PLEDGE TOTAL is the sum of your REWARD TIER + SHIPPING + ADD-ONs.
Shipping is calculated automatically by Kickstarter, based on your location. Add On rewards will be selected in the post-campaign pledge manager sent out once payment processing is complete.
SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and included funding for any Add Ons you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge Total amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and its' affordability.
2. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your kickstarter account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)
3. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS
First, we celebrate. Kickstarter will send out a "Hooray!" email confirming the campaign ended with final totals. We'll give zombie high fives in the comments section.
Then, the Kickstarter payment process begins. Over the next week, kickstarter will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.
If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), Kickstarter will keep trying to process payment during this time.
Once this step is done, which will likely be early October, Kickstarter will confirm everything with Onyx Path and transfer the funds over to them (less the Kickstarter fees, of course!).
Once the payment is confirmed, I can begin to set up the project with BackerKit and link it to the Kickstarter data.
Backerkit is a robust fulfillment and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me around a week to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.
4. BACKERKIT SURVEYS
Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important! The survey will list the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.
I expect Surveys to go out 3-4 weeks into October. If you opted to include any Add-On rewards to your pledge, this is the point where you will select them. BackerKit will deduct the cost of your reward tier (+shipping) from your total pledge and show you how much you have to allocate for add-on purchases. You simply select the ones you want and proceed. From that point forward, those add-ons will be included in your list of rewards.
During the Survey period, you can also also choose to increase your reward tier. If you've managed to get a winning lottery ticket and decide it's time to trade up to get two copies of the book or include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.
If there was an issue with payment to Kickstarter, you should also be able to address that at this point.
The survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.
5. REWARD DISTRIBUTION
This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on our progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.
Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of the Dystopia Rising: Evolution core rules. We'll take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When we've made any necessary changes, we'll send out updated copy of the PDFs and then begin creating print-ready files for the hardcover version.
It's a long road ahead, but one that we wouldn't be on if not for your support.
At $39,000 in funding - FICTION ANTHOLOGY – A PDF version of the forthcoming Dystopia Rising: Evolution fiction anthology will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF.
At $40,000 in funding - ASK ME ANYTHING – Representatives from Dystopia Rising and Onyx Path will host a video AMA (Ask Me Anything) and attempt to answer your burning Dystopia Rising questions!
At $42,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE DELTA - A third section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics).
Hello Dystopians,
We're in the FINAL DAY (well, final 26 hours...) of the campaign and racing toward the finish line.
We've had, and will have, a lot of new backers join in during these last few days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
COMPLETE PLAYTEST MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - PARTS 1-5: Read the entire manuscript for the game now! Remember, though, this is the playtest manuscript, so there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider this about 95% finished.
Sept. 16 update - REWARD TIERS: your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Level to choose to help support this project.
Sept. 18 update - ADD ON REWARDS: the important companion piece to the Reward Tiers topic.
Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.
Remember, your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + SHIPPING + ADD ONS. And we will confirm your Add On selection with our post-campaign pledge manager, Backerkit, a few weeks after the campaign ends.
Tomorrow, I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.
But until then, we're going to hopefully be racing through our final Stretch Goal(s) of the campaign!
Over the course of the campaign, we've achieved an amazing 7 Stretch Goals! Just yesterday that number was at 6, so we're absolutely picking up speed as we rush toward the finish line! And there's a solid chance to make that 8 or maybe even 9 before we end...
The Stretch Goals have fallen into one of two broad categories thus far: Additional Rewards and Community Opportunities.
These Stretch Goals are additional content that will be automatically added to your list of rewards if you are receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF. Double check your reward tier to ensure you fall into that category (basically, everyone that's pledged to the Survivor reward tier or higher...)
Like many of the characters in the Dystopia Rising: Evolution game, we've worked hard - together - to build a community. These Stretch Goals give us the opportunity to continue to build and develop the DR:E community, either by showing our allegiance to one another, or by adding additional content and methods of participation.
Those are some pretty cool accomplishments, and those are in addition to FUNDING THIS PROJECT in the first place! Your rewards list has likely grown since the start of this campaign. But we're not done, are we? With just over 24 hours to go, we've got another target or two we can look at hitting, and maybe even more content can be added if we really really STRETCH...
At $39,000 in funding - FICTION ANTHOLOGY – A PDF version of the forthcoming Dystopia Rising: Evolution fiction anthology will be added to the rewards list for all backers receiving the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF.
At $40,000 in funding - ASK ME ANYTHING – Representatives from Dystopia Rising and Onyx Path will host a video AMA (Ask Me Anything) and attempt to answer your burning Dystopia Rising questions!
At $42,000 in funding - THREAT GUIDE DELTA - A third section will be added to the Dystopia Rising: Evolution THREAT GUIDE PDF, a first-person guide to the threats of the world (including game mechanics).
I know these numbers may seem daunting, but they wouldn't be STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach them!
So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got fewer than 27 hours to jump in and share the 7 (can we make it 8?) Stretch Goals we've achieved!
And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by expanding everyone's stretch goal rewards!
Remember, only the funds generated during the Kickstarter campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can make great things happen!
Hello Post-Apocalyptians,
We are just about THREE DAYS from the end of the campaign, and less than $500 from unlocking another Stretch Goal! Let's see if we can get there in the next three days... and then further!
This is another entry in my final days updates, covering:
On Sunday, I sent an update all about Reward Tiers. I hope everyone has had a chance to evaluate each Reward Tier and decide what the perfect level is for what you're interested in. Today, I'm going to write about small tweaks that you can make to your Pledge to ensure you've got everything covered.
The absolute best way to ensure that you're getting all of the available rewards you want from this kickstarter is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier, as detailed Sunday. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want the PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure it's featured. If you wanted the Storyguide Screen, make sure it's included with your choice.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the extra rewards or any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to Add On rewards.
If you've selected one of the "core" Reward Tiers, you've likely already included most of the rewards you most want. If you have one of the multiple reward tiers, or one of the limited premium tiers, you may want to make sure you've added on any other of the "regular" extra rewards that might not automatically be included (such as the Storyguide Screen or Creed enamel pin). In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there is a the Storyguide Reference PDF and the full enamel pin set. All Add-On rewardss will be described below.
Each add on includes an extra amount to add on to your total pledge amount. Remember that your total pledge amount includes all shipping charges and not just your reward tier level.
Using myself as an example, my SURVIVOR Reward Tier is a $50 pledge, but my total pledge amount is $60 (inclusive of +$10 shipping charges to Canada).
Reviewing the list of rewards with my Tier, I see that it doesn't include an enamel creed pin. Since I think they look really cool, I'd like to add this on to my rewards list. As noted, the first step should always be to select the proper reward tier to see if there's one that offers everything you want. If I switch to the FAITHFUL SURVIVOR, it includes everything I'm looking for.
To update my Reward Tier, first I click MANAGE MY PLEDGE
Now I can select a new reward tier by clicking CHANGE MY PLEDGE:
And I can select a new reward tier that includes all of my desired rewards.
Clicking CONTINUE will lock that new choice in.
If I decided that I also want the PDF charts from the Storyguide Reference Add On, I see that it's a +$5 Add On reward, so I can increase my total pledge amount to $80 to include that extra reward.
So, my total pledge amount is now $80:
Once I've updated my amount, I click CONTINUE, and then double-check to make sure I've entered the correct total.
It's important to note that there is NO PLACE in your kickstarter reward tier pledge to indicate which add-ons you wish to include, or give any reason why you are adjusting your pledge to a new amount. You aren't adding items to a shopping cart in this scenario - instead, you're adding pledge dollars that you will assign once the campaign ends. With this in mind, you may want to make a note of which add-on items and the associated add-on dollar amounts you've included if you're forgetful like I am.
Once the campaign ends and Kickstarter processes the payments, I will send out a survey via Backerkit - a complex system of tools used to manage the back-end of the kickstarter fulfillment process. When you receive the survey, you will confirm your Backer Reward Tier and assign your pledged dollars to any add-on items that you wish to include. I'll repeat and expand on this information in an upcoming post about "What Happens Next?" on the final day of the campaign.
Note that physical rewards (hardcover books, reference screens, enamel pins) can only be added to Reward Tiers that already include the hardcover version of Dystopia Rising: Evolution, and therefore, appropriate shipping charges.
ADDITIONAL PDF REWARDS (can be added to any Reward Tier)
ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL REWARDS (can only be added to Reward Tiers already receiving a copy of the hardcover edition of Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
Note options for US / Non-US Residents
Again, your first step should always be choosing the proper reward tier. In my example, if I was not interested in the enamel creed pin, I would select the Survivor Reward Tier instead. So adding a Storyguide Reference PDF would put my total pledge at $65,
Similarly, rather than adding a second copy of the hardcover book to a Survivor Reward Tier as an add-on, I'm better off selecting the Digger multiple copy reward tier, which includes 2 copies of the hardcover book. 90% of the time there will be a reward tier already including the items you want.
It probably goes without saying that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, although Kickstarter displays the approximate conversion rate.
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Tier and increasing your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT to account for any additional rewards you wish to receive. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve stretch goal targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want, and maybe think about Add-Ons like the Storyguide Screen or Reference PDF or the enamel Creed Pins (or the 9 pins for $120 option!)
Remember, you must have the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDF as one of your rewards in order to automatically receive most of the additional rewards added via Stretch Goal (including the Threat Guide and maybe soon... the Jumpstart). We'll talk about all of those rewards in an update about Stretch Goals that'll be posted on Thursday.
Additionally, this may go without saying, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. Kickstarter will begin charging your payment method once the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly.
As we move through this final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Reward Tier for the rewards you want. And beyond that - please make sure you've adjusted your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT to include the additional funds that will cover any add-ons you wish to receive.
On Thursday, I will send another update detailing some information about Stretch Goals and what we've achieved so far, and what we hope to achieve in the final few days. Just before the campaign ends, I will also send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including how and when to confirm your add-on rewards.
So, just like every update: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to enter the rapid race to the finish line, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
