Podcasts, ENNIEs & ZineQuest 4!
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 16, 2022 at 04:26:38 AM

Hey! 

I didn't expect to write more updates for this project but there's some exciting news this month...

ENNIE Awards

The ENNIE Awards nominees were recently announced and A Complicated Profession has been nominated for 'Best Electronic Book' - a category for digital and softcover games with limited or no physical copies.

If you've played or read ACP  and think it deserves a shot at the award, I'd appreciate your support!

 Vote for Best Electronic Book 

Please check out the other nominees too as you can choose to rank each game in a category.

ACP on the +1 Forward Podcast

A little while ago I recorded an episode for the +1 Forward Podcast (ENNIE-nominated this year for 'Best Podcast'!). Their summer series is exploring games inspired by the Firebrands system.

The first few episodes are already out, with Meguey and Vincent Baker, creators of Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands, and Takuma Okada, creator of Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern. 

My episode about A Complicated Profession is apparently up next and should be out within the next few weeks. Hear me ramble about games that use an episodic structure and attempt to guide hosts Rich and Rach through a quick playthrough of an in-game event!

Check out the +1 Forward Podcast here

ZineQuest 4

This year, Kickstarter are running ZineQuest in August alongside Gen Con. I'm taking part again and this week I announced my new game, NOTORIOUS, is coming to Kickstarter on 9th August!

NOTORIOUS is a solo roleplaying game of hardscrabble bounty hunting amid intergalactic war. It's inspired by Star Wars anthology stories like Tales of the Bounty Hunters and The Mandalorian, other sci-fi media like Cowboy Bebop and Blade Runner, plus that iconic scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

You can sign up here to be notified

I promise I also write games that don't involve bounty hunting. But sometimes you just have to get the ideas out of your head before you can move on :) 

If you're still reading, thanks! Apologies if you've already heard any of this news through my other channels. I'm gonna take a break from the self-promo until August...

All the best, 

- Jason 

ZineQuest/ZineMonth 2022
about 2 years ago – Tue, Feb 08, 2022 at 09:08:22 PM

Hi all,

I can't believe it's been a whole year since ACP came to Kickstarter!

Reflection

I've had so much great feedback from people who've managed to play the game in these testing times. The Miro board seems to have been a big hit so I'll continue creating those for future projects.

Here's a few of my favourite comments from around the internet (names removed as I didn't ask):

• "ACP does a fantastic job of creating a funny and evocative sitcom premise, and then even provides the episodes itself... We had a great time and highly recommend it." - itch.io comment
• "We all had a blast! It's such a clever way to build character, I loved it!" - twitter
• "A ton of fun watching your character grow" - itch.io rating
• "The Miro board is the perfect game aid in these socially distant times!" - itch.io rating

There's even a Spanish translation of ACP being worked on right now, which blows my mind...

The Future

I'm excited to announce that my next project LAST SENTINELS is launching next week on February 14th!

It's a GMless storytelling RPG for 3 or 4 players, about a doomed mech pilot protecting their remaining people from a relentless foe. But it's a tragic tale that always ends in death or betrayal. 

Players negotiate the story together using a unique 'key phrase' system and a shared player sheet.

If you're a mecha fan, you're also going to want to check out the graphic design and artwork.

You can sign up to be notified here if that sounds like fun!

Zine Month

I've been writing and planning LAST SENTINELS since the middle of 2021, so it was quite a shock when ZineQuest was suddenly moved to August this year (to say the least). 

So instead, I'm taking part in ZineMonth and helping to support creators on both Kickstarter and other platforms, in the absence of ZineQuest this February. I'd urge you to check out the other projects!

All the best and thanks for the support,

Jason

Going Postal
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Jun 21, 2021 at 05:44:07 AM

Today was a big day for ACP

I posted nearly 300 copies of the zine to backers all around the world! The local post office depot were not pleased to receive five sacks of pre-paid packages to process...

But hopefully this means UK-based backers will start receiving their copies next week at the latest.

I'm at the mercy of the international postal system for everywhere else, but please do let me know if you haven't receive your zine in let's say a...month?

A learning experience

I was actually well ahead of schedule around a month ago - as you might have seen in my last update.

I was just missing the custom dice for backers at the highest tier. Unfortunately, a comedy mix-up meant I took delivery of nearly 200 misprinted dice.

A lesson about not making assumptions and always double checking your print previews - but I love a game of Warhammer so they won't go to waste!

Luckily we fixed the issue and here's a little preview of the custom dice:

ACP feedback

Since releasing the digital files, I've absolutely loved hearing from people who have managed to actually play ACP!

I've got no shame in admitting that as a new designer it's such a buzz to hear others' stories or receive positive feedback. When I started this project it felt like a long journey until I would have something that people around the world could actually play and enjoy. 

I'd love to get ACP into the hands of an actual play group, or professional reviewers sometime, so watch this space!

If you've played or read ACP and had a good time, it would make my day if you head over to alwayscheckers.itch.io and leave a comment or rating on the page!

The future

I'm unlikely to post regular updates here now as I'll be taking some time to work on something new!

I hope there won't be any lost zines, but please get in touch with any questions or issues.

ZineQuest 3 was an amazing experience and I'd love to take part again next year but I've got lots of ideas and I'm not sure I can wait...

If you're interested, you can follow me at:

• alwayscheckers.itch.io
• twitter.com/alwayscheckers

As always, thanks so much for your support and happy gaming.

- Jason

ACP digital launch and zine preview!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, May 04, 2021 at 08:24:13 AM

Happy Launch Day!

Digital launch

Last month I mentioned we were ahead of schedule and today I can officially announce the digital launch of ACP! This is the culmination of months of hard work and I'm so excited for you to see it :)

Download keys should already be on their way to everyone who backed at the zine level or above. 

For anyone who missed out on the kickstarter, the digital version is also available now on itch.io. 

Included in the digital files are:

• the 64-page full-colour, illustrated PDF
• printer-friendly versions of all the player sheets
• instructions for setting up my custom Miro board, to help facilitate online play

If any of you get a chance to play the game, I'd love to hear from you! If you have questions or feedback you could:

• leave a comment or rating on the itch.io page
• send me a message here or on twitter @alwayscheckers

If you really enjoy ACP, this is a good time to mention that giving a 5-star rating to any game on itch.io helps others to find it through the magic algorithm (I think).

The zines

I took delivery of the zines this week and I'm really happy with how they've turned out.

Here's a quick flick through the zine:

I think when you see it in person you'll agree that Vee and Nusa did an amazing job bringing my game to life. The artwork is vibrant and colourful and the layout is clean and user-friendly.

If any of you flicked through the demo version, I think you'll also agree there's been a huge improvement from my initial draft design.

When do I get my zine (and other bits)?

I'm just waiting on the last few pieces to arrive next week for those who backed the accessories bundle. 

Then I'll start the process of mailing out nearly 300 copies of ACP to backers all around the world!

I'll post further updates when I start sending the zines out, so expect to hear more in a few weeks...

Community copies

I've added a free community copy of ACP to my itch.io page for every kickstarter backer at any level. These are intended for people who are marginalised or in need and feel unable to pay for it. No questions asked.

I'll add more copies in future if these run out, but I'm so pleased to be able to offer nearly 500 community copies of the game at launch.

Thanks again for your support and have a great weekend!

- Jason

Good news everyone!
about 3 years ago – Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 11:52:28 AM

I promised an April update and against all Kickstarter logic (and at the risk of jinxing myself) I'm currently ahead of schedule!

Progress

Nusa has now completed all of the artwork for the game and Vee managed to fit in some layout work earlier than expected. 

This means we're currently in the final stages of polishing up the layout and preparing the files to go out for printing soon.

I'm still working out the details about when I might launch the digital version of the game, but I'm leaning towards as soon as possible, even if the physical zines take longer to reach you. 

This could be as early as next month! Expect an update soon.

The layout and the zine

There's been a few changes along the way. The physical zine is now going to be larger than anticipated (around 60+ pages!). We realised that a double-page spread was the best way to incorporate the art and give the text some room to breathe.

Luckily the success of the campaign means I'm able to cover the extra printing costs so you're getting more for...the same!

Here's some examples of the new layout for an event and a few character sheets:

BackerKit surveys

Almost everyone has completed their BackerKit surveys, which is amazing! This means I can start fulfilling orders when they're ready, but if you've been ignoring the emails please, please fill out your survey so I can get your rewards planned :) 

If you haven't been receiving the survey or any automatic reminder emails (there will have been a lot by now), send me a message and we'll get it sorted.

Next steps

If all goes well, my next update should be to celebrate the digital launch of ACP and hopefully provide some previews of the printed zine. 

Expect an update sometime in May!

-Jason