Dark Matter Kickstarter
Added 2018-06-15 15:07:48 +0000 UTCWe're running our first-ever Kickstarter!
This is a print run of our book Dark Matter, which is a 200+ page supplement that converts 5th Edition into a rip-roaring science fiction setting. We're super excited to see this book in print -- it's going to be in hardcover will beautiful full-color illustrations throughout.
Check out the Official Dark Matter website for more details!
Comments
Thank you for clarifying. I appreciate it, and look forward to publication!
Thantos
2019-01-17 10:38:55 +0000 UTCDark Matter is not being distributed to patreons; it's been completely separate since we ran the kickstarter. So by my reckoning, you're not paying for the same thing twice over.
The Nails of Vecna
2019-01-15 16:53:25 +0000 UTCI added a contribution to the Kickstarter for the Dark Matter campaign a day or two before becoming a Patreon at $10 tier. Will Dark Matter be disributed as boon to Patreons such that I wound up contributing more funds than necessary to obtain a pdf version? Not necessarily upset, if that is the case, just wondering what publications were not provided to Patreons so as to proactively purchase in the future.
Thantos
2018-12-02 14:39:15 +0000 UTCI hear you. This is still very much a balance we're trying to strike, and we want to get it right. I believe I might expand the $3 tier a bit to include all of the book that we release which go over, let's say, 80 pages, even if they're not technically campaign settings. Books like High Seas, which took multiple months of development, should really be at a higher tier.
Mage Hand Press
2018-10-10 19:25:57 +0000 UTCAfter the fact is well and good, but I'm still a *little* salty since Dark Matter really caught my interest. I know no sleight was meant against the $3 tier, but it felt like one of the major separating factors got taken out. You've already heard those complaints and made your decision, it's just... disappointing. I mean, there could at *least* be something as simple as a discount code or something but I get that the kickstarter is meant to be its own self-contained thing. If it hadn't been a part of the Patreon *first* I think it would have gone over better. It's a tough balance between wanting to support content creators and have them be successful while still getting the value you're after.
Doctor Princess
2018-10-10 16:11:05 +0000 UTCYeah, that's fair. I plan to be rewriting and updating things over the next week to make sure it's all clear and up-to-date. Importantly, the $3 tier should still give access to new campaign settings, but I think we'll need to be more clear going forward how far that goes. Dark Matter's development, for example, is now being funded by its Kickstarter and it's not getting any more places on the Patreon release schedule, so it's no longer really linked to the $3 tier. The Electric East book on the poll, however, will absolutely fit onto that tier.
Mage Hand Press
2018-10-10 09:15:31 +0000 UTCWould be nice to at least see the tier information updated to be accurate, as it really isn't accurate: Hero $3 or more per month ∙ 376 patrons You gain access to the books released for our exclusive campaign settings, including Manifest and Dark Matter.
Doctor Princess
2018-10-10 09:07:31 +0000 UTCOn a happier note, I hope the kickstarter wildly succeeds, and the asian/wild west stuff sounds really cool. In the future, perhaps consider offering bonus content for $3 supporters for any additional setting books that go to print? I honestly have no idea how that would work, but having extra content on here that only helps if you have the book, or having a special backer tier for higher tier patreon supporters perhaps? Just a few ideas. :)
TheNightNinja
2018-07-18 18:45:26 +0000 UTCThis sort of also expresses what I was feeling to a certain extent. I'm choosing to back the Dark Matter kickstarter because I want the print book at my table. I want to run it somewhat seriously. Honestly, if I didn't want the physical book, I'd probably not back the kickstarter. I'd just paste together the pdf's so far and dealt with whatever I was missing. I understand trying to run a kickstarter to begin being a business beyond patreon is a difficult step, but it does feel like there is maybe a better way to have handled it. I know that's somewhat empty, since I don't have any ideas, but even some transparency at the outset of why the decision was made and what drove it would probably have helped those who feel this way.
TheNightNinja
2018-07-18 18:43:10 +0000 UTCThe next big project I'd like to start is a revisit of Weird West (or an Asian modernesque campaign setting we're tentatively calling Electric East.) Both of those are going to live on the $3 tier. I'll also try to think of other things I can throw at that tier in the meantime to keep it worthwhile. Thanks for sounding your opinion -- I want to hear this stuff so I can keep improving!
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-28 09:44:32 +0000 UTCThat's a fair assessment, and if that's what the numbers suggest than there is no way I can argue with that. I wonder if it could be implemented as a high level stretch goal or something, though that seems really counter intuitive and confusing to your new backers to offer. Either way, I hope that at the very least some more attention is given to the $3 tier in the future. This decision has just left the impression that I lose no matter what for having supported this tier for so long. If I put money into your Kickstarter then I paid more than twice as much for the book, and if I lower my subscription then earlier contributions become a sunk cost. In the end, you guys are great and I really feel like the content you have provided has been well worth what I've contributed, but I hope there aren't a lot of people in my situation. It's just disheartening to realize you got the short end of the stick. I appreciate the response and all the hard work. Thanks.
EthnicElvis
2018-06-28 09:38:54 +0000 UTCI understand exactly where you're coming from, and I didn't arrive at this decision lightly. There's a lot of reasons we decided not to give out the final Dark Matter PDF to patrons, but brass tacks: if we did that, the Kickstarter would almost certainly fail. I expect more than 50% of the people who back the Kickstarter to be interested in the digital copy alone -- if you subtract those contributions from the total, we're not going to get anywhere near the amount necessary to achieve our goal. We're not pausing the Patreon while the Kickstarter goes on, so your pledge on Patreon still goes into getting you new material each month, even if that's not including the final versions of Dark Matter: next month is the Investigator and the month after is the Siegeball Sourcebook. If there were a simpler way of making the accounting add up, I'd implement it. I want this book in everyone's hands -- I want it in /your/ hands -- but we simply can't make the Kickstarter successful if we toss the finished book on Patreon.
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-28 09:20:04 +0000 UTCI do understand that you need to avoid people subscribing for just one month and downloading everything, but I feel there must be a solution that doesn't leave people like me regretting having been part of this tier for so long. What bugs me is it really feels like a net loss on my part, that my continued support for you has effectively made me as worse off.
EthnicElvis
2018-06-28 09:15:01 +0000 UTCThis comment might be a little controversial, so I am going to preface this with the fact that I am a big fan of you guys and I always go out of my way to recommend your content both in person and online, so I hope you see me as a supporter rather than a hater when you read my thoughts regarding this; I am kind of disappointed in your decision not to provide the full dark matter PDF to your $3 patreon supporters. I have been supporting this patreon since the very beginning at the $3 level and I haven't really regretted that until now. The way I see it is that by the time the Dark Matter PDF is released I will have given you guys almost $30 extra for access to your campaign settings. From my understanding so far, the only exclusive content that has provided me with has been the intro to manifest and the first set of Dark Matter material (though some of that has recently been provided to the lower tiers as well). I understand how much work creating this content takes for you guys, so I stayed grateful for the work you guys do and had no complaints. It's perfectly understandable that you just haven't been able to produce the extra content that the $3 tier was initially promised despite your efforts. But now, if the Kickstarter succeeds,you are producing more content relevant to that teir regardless, but you are choosing to ask your $3 level patrons for the additional $20 for the full book after already letting us believe we were paying for it by by being part of the higher tier. As I said before, I have been a big fan and respect your work, so I feel bad saying this, but in all honesty it feels a little greedy. Once the work has been completed there is no additional cost associated with providing the full PDF to your supporters, so it really seems that you are asking those who have already been paying to pay even more for the book Essentially, doing this adversely affect some of your more loyal patrons. If I want the full dark matter now, I will have to have paid a total of $40-50 instead of the $20 that those who haven't been supporting you from before will pay.
EthnicElvis
2018-06-28 09:07:56 +0000 UTCI won't be releasing all the chapters we're finishing for Dark Matter on the Patreon (if only so we can get on with the other things voted for), so there's going to be entire revised chapters of new content. There's gonna be a ton of new monsters, a bunch of new stuff in the opening chapter, and I'm still further tweaking and reworking the chapters we've released to Patreon, so there's going to be new stuff to see all around. The question of Manifest has laid heavy on my mind for some time. On one hand, it's an excellent setting, with it's own lore, maps, factions -- all the detail I want in a campaign setting. And the 'no elves' hook is pretty good as well. However, holding Manifest beside Weird West, and I definitely think Weird West has more to offer in the long run, especially as we migrate to a print run. Whichever setting we decide to focus on in the future, you can /probably/ expect a similar series of events leading up to it (you know, assuming this Kickstarter doesn't bomb.)
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-20 19:35:06 +0000 UTCAlso, can we expect a similar sequence of events with Manifest once it comes back into focus?
TheNightNinja
2018-06-20 18:51:01 +0000 UTCWill there be new stuff? Is the main motivation for me as a patreon supporter getting the material in print/all-in-one pdf, or will there be additional material in the final version? I understand that's a bit tricky from an integrity stance, since $3 patreons get all exclusive setting material, but was wondering what direction you were going to go with it.
TheNightNinja
2018-06-20 18:50:31 +0000 UTCThe Kickstarter runs for 40 days, so it'll run into August
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-19 01:49:51 +0000 UTCWhat is the deadline for the kickstarter. I'm down for the $45 level but won't have the money until august.
John Hughes
2018-06-19 00:25:11 +0000 UTCOh it’s July?
Bobby Walker
2018-06-18 03:37:56 +0000 UTCYeah, I was sort of bummed when I realized I have another month to wait :P
Kristopher R. Hunter
2018-06-18 03:30:25 +0000 UTCWaiting for KS to go live.
Bobby Walker
2018-06-18 00:49:06 +0000 UTCYup! The difference with the Deluxe tier is the Kickstarter-exclusive cover (which we'll be unveiling soon).
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-16 01:48:00 +0000 UTCWould we still get the stickers from the $45 tier if we pledge $55?
Rhys Cottle-Vinson
2018-06-16 01:43:24 +0000 UTCSweet, I can't wait to see them!
PucThePlayful
2018-06-15 19:54:32 +0000 UTCWe do have the normal cover finished, and we're working on getting the Kickstarter exclusive one finished next. It should be finished before the Kickstarter itself launches and previewing those on Patreon is a good idea!
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-15 19:41:24 +0000 UTCFirst off, I'm super excited to see this finished. This setting is amazing, and that is from a guy that generally prefers Pathfinder to 5e in my fantasy gaming. Even so, I would take Dark Matter to Starfinder any day. Any chance we Patrons can get a preview of the normal and Kickstarter exclusive covers? I'm trying to decide between the $45 and $55 tiers, and since the exclusive cover is the only difference, that is what will swing my pledge...
PucThePlayful
2018-06-15 19:37:49 +0000 UTCIt means a lot to hear that. Go forth, spread the good news to any D&D player that will listen!
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-15 18:47:54 +0000 UTCRight now, there's no plan to distribute the final PDF outside of the Kickstarter. There's just really not an appropriate pledge level to net a one-time 200-240 page PDF. (Especially given that people could pledge to patreon, download the book, and leave before paying a cent; it's not really optimal for this 'huge PDF' thing.)
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-15 18:47:04 +0000 UTCRight now, I have stickers of our logo, but I'm working on getting Dark Matter logo stickers
Mage Hand Press
2018-06-15 18:44:59 +0000 UTCSaying that I'm excited wouldn't describe this properly :)
Peter Seres
2018-06-15 16:55:50 +0000 UTCPatreon backers still get the final PDF, right?
Ben Fowler
2018-06-15 15:32:28 +0000 UTCI'm definitely going to be putting money towards a hardcover of this :) What sort of stickers come with the $45 version?
Kristopher R. Hunter
2018-06-15 15:21:03 +0000 UTC
