You Asked For It
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Apr 15, 2020 at 04:41:44 PM
So, y'all asked for an update (according to the email I got from Kickstarter). I hope you're all safe, healthy, and well, and that you stay that way!
What's up with Turn?
All of the books are, from what my records show, sent out. If you're missing a book, please check with your post office and any mailroom or apartment/shipping office, and if it's still missing, contact me ASAP and include your up-to-date-address. Books are also now up on IPR for purchase, though we did lose around 100 copies to a shipping happening, not sure if they'll be recovered or not. It's a pretty significant loss (that's a couple thousand dollars worth of books), but there's not much we can do but hope it turns up. Sales on IPR are doing relatively well, but overall it's pretty slow, which is about what I expected.
Stretch Goals
Towns Like Ours, the collection of stretch goals, is on DriveThruRPG and itchio. It's a beautiful collection! I hope you've all had the time to check it out during this eternal quarantine.
I have made the decision for a variety of reasons to cancel the border towns stretch goal. I want to make it, so desperately. However, quality research was hard enough before a global pandemic, and since I want to speak to indigenous people on the borders directly about their experiences to support writing about it - or potentially pay them directly to write about their experiences - it's not happening right now.
Considering how the pandemic has additionally affected my physical and mental health, I'm not in a state to be undertaking the project, even though I have done part of the work. I'll save the materials, and hopefully release it at another point - if I do, all backers will obviously receive it for free. These kinds of risks are inherent in projects that want to do the work respectfully and thoughtfully, and we can't predict the world's intensity. I hope you will all understand!
Special Backer Levels
The Snake backer levels are in progress. I'm waiting to hear back from one of the backers about what they want their role or archetype to be, and the other four are in various states of doneness. We have a lion (headed to editing), a blue jay (headed to editing), a fox (in progress), and the Observer (in progress, a human role) so far, and most of the hiccups for this have been related to my trying to ensure I avoid any cultural or religious signifiers.
I also just was wanting to get the stretch goals done so I didn't overlap too much with any of the new stretch goal roles and archetypes, since I wanted the designers to have some more freedom. I don't think these will be much longer, so long as I hear back from people, but as soon as the various pieces are done in editing I'll just share them here after they're delivered to the recipient. It's a lot of juggling, and balancing to ensure no role or archetype seems too much like another!
The Otter backer recently decided that after several months of trying to coordinate their game group for the game, we're going to take a break from doing so. We've elected to just make it a standing offer to them that if they can get their group together we'll run Turn for them, so hopefully we can eventually make it happen! Just sometimes life takes over.
Today I sent an update straight to the Cougar backers to get scheduled with them. I've been wanting to schedule for a while, but wanted them to have the main book and the stretch goals plus time to review them, and then the world exploded a little. My health has not been as great for holding a whole bunch of web calls! But it's finally doing a little better for that respect, so I'm hoping to have those done up in a month or so, hopefully with a special surprise for everyone along with it.
What about Beau?
I've been mixed. As a disabled creator, I struggle a lot. The pressure of Kickstarters is never easy, and I've been helping with other projects while running Turn's KS, plus handling a variety of other work just to stay functioning. I was stranded in NY for three weeks when everything hit the fan over COVID-19 because I had a flu and the symptoms mimicked COVID-19, so I had to quarantine and get tested and it was really stressful.
Between that and long term disability issues, I haven't been able to do a "real job" or that degree of work in a while - it has impacted us financially. John's work schedule is super wonky because he has to work, and we've been having a heck of a time keeping our/my healthcare consistently available, which is a big deal considering I take several vital medications. Thomas, my other partner, is super busy with school and lost funds when he had to move to online school for the semester, so he's struggling, too.
My family and many of my friends have been in need and dealing with health and financial struggles, as I imagine many of yours have. With my restrictions, lack of sleep, constant pain, it is hard sometimes to keep up with everything. I think that even though I have had all of these things we've done quite a good job with the Kickstarter, with the product of Turn, but I know that everyone always expects a better performance, the performance of an able person.
While a lot of people might see the queer perspective in Turn, I hope that they don't miss the disabled perspective, too, because it's there, and it is something I live daily. I may not live in a small town anymore, but the stigma of being a disabled creator who wants to still be a successful creator is very sharp. It cuts like fingernails dug into palms, like teeth clenched into cheek. I know I have not done the best on this project because the best would require me to be able - but I have done my best, and I warned in the risks that my health was a barrier. With that in mind...
Turning the Tables...
You all wanted an update from me, but I'd really like an update from you. Not only how are you doing in real life (are you well? how are you coping with this wild situation we're in?), but also, how do you feel about Turn? Have you read it or played it? Have you checked out the stretch goals? What do you enjoy about it? What do you want to tell other people about it? When conventions come around, will you take it to run at them? Do you think you'd stream it? Did it make you feel feelings if you got to play it? Have you experienced anything new? What do you think of exposure? Which is your favorite beast archetype and human role? If you've built towns, what are they like?
Tell me all about it! Tell me your favorite illustrations in the book! Tell me what you thought of my essays and Alicia's essay! This is a conversation, not a speech. <3
Best,
Beau
