Colonial Gothic RPG

Finding your way.
6 days ago – Mon, Dec 30, 2024 at 09:03:11 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Shipping, postage, and challenges I am facing
8 days ago – Sat, Dec 28, 2024 at 10:40:54 AM

I spoke with the fulfillment company managing the shipping and delivery of your items. There’s a lot involved, so I want to share a summary of our conversation. Here are the key points:

• Shipping Costs vs. Postage: Shipping costs include more than just postage; they cover packaging, insurance, labor, and other materials. The fulfillment team factors all these into their shipping estimates, ensuring the full picture is considered.
• Postage and Tariff Variability: In today’s economic and political uncertainties, accurately predicting future postage rates is nearly impossible. The team accounts for current tariffs but also considers potential tariffs, which further impact overall costs. Using past disruptions—like those experienced during COVID—they also try to project reasonable shipping costs while preparing for any unexpected changes.
• Printing: The book is being printed offset in China, which adds another headache since that is its point of origin.
• Transportation Costs: Shipping starts at the factory. Additional costs come into play here, such as transporting the product to the fulfillment center before it’s repackaged and sent to you. The shipping rates account for these transportation expenses from the printer, customs, tariffs, and overhead costs.

That’s everything that was discussed yesterday. 

This is just one example of things I am taking care of behind the scenes.

Now it can be seen. Or, I am nervous about this part.
10 days ago – Thu, Dec 26, 2024 at 11:43:05 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Things moving right along.
20 days ago – Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 12:30:14 PM

I missed last week’s update, and I’m sorry about that. I received some difficult personal health news, and honestly, my motivation to do much of anything was at an all-time low. There’s no point in discussing the details right now since I won’t know more until Thursday (No, I am not dying). That said, this news doesn’t affect the progress of this project.

Here’s where everything stands.

The Rulebook

The layout is complete, but we’re currently making some tweaks—adjusting glyphs, checking ink coverage, and handling other prepress details. At this stage, multiple reviewers are still going over the text, though we’re probably reaching the point of text blindness.

Once the PDF is finalized, I’ll share it with you all. Feel free to dive in, read it, and share your feedback.

The Companion Book

This book is almost ready for layout. We hit a couple of snags, but those have been resolved, and it’s shaping up to be a solid addition. Below is the chapter breakdown:

• Chapter 1: Papers from the Desk

• Chapter 2: The Natural World

• Chapter 3: Life in the Colonies

• Chapter 4: Path to Conflict

• Chapter 6: Cults and Secret Societies

• Bibliography (tentative name; I may rename it)

That’s where things stand for now. Thank you all for your patience and continued support!

A design, visual design preferences
about 1 month ago – Thu, Dec 05, 2024 at 05:35:24 AM

So, here we are—another week, another update. This time, though, I really want to involve you. Why? Because it’s about formatting, specifically how certain words appear on the page.

Formatting has always been a tricky topic for me. Using specific terms or highlighting keywords can make the text feel cluttered and visually unappealing. It’s a balancing act between clarity and aesthetics.

Here are two examples to illustrate what I mean:

Example One

Skills in Colonial Gothic define what you know: wielding a hatchet, scaling a wall, talking your way past a soldier, differentiating between safe and dangerous herbs, sensing magic, and so forth. Most Skills are broad, covering several related areas of expertise. Thus, Melee covers all types of melee weapons, from swords to tomahawks, but Profession covers only one type of occupation (more on this in Chapter XX, starting on page XXX).

Regardless if you are Skilled (have at least a Base Rank +0 in a Skill) or Unskilled (have no Ranks in the Skill or a −1 Penalty), all Skills have a Base Rank. The Base Rank is defined as the starting Rank of a Skill. Skill Tests require you to meet or beat a Target Number (TN). To Test for a Skill, you add your ability score to the Skill Test before rolling 2d12.

Example Two

Skills in Colonial Gothic define what you know: wielding a hatchet, scaling a wall, talking your way past a soldier, differentiating between safe and dangerous herbs, sensing magic, and so forth. Most Skills are broad, covering several related areas of expertise. Thus, Melee covers all types of melee weapons, from swords to tomahawks, but Profession covers only one type of occupation (more on this in Chapter XX, starting on page XXX).

Regardless if you are Skilled (have at least a Base Rank +0 in a Skill) or Unskilled (have no Ranks in the Skill or a −1 Penalty), all Skills have a Base Rank. The Base Rank is defined as the starting Rank of a Skill. Skill Tests require you to meet or beat a Target Number (TN). To Test for a Skill, you add your ability score to the Skill Test before rolling 2d12. 

What is easier on the eyes?

The example above illustrates how two consecutive paragraphs might appear in the game. Visually, Example Two is the most appealing and easiest on the eyes. It doesn’t feel as loud or overwhelming as Example One. Additionally, it aligns with the font family being used—Adobe Caslon—the font for the body text.

This font’s italic style is particularly elegant, making it an excellent choice for emphasizing the game’s title—Colonial Gothic—or other specific terms. On the other hand, the bold style feels too intense—almost intrusive—especially when applied in the manner seen in Example One.

So, here’s the question: which version do you, as backers, prefer? Which one is easier on your eyes?
Rulebooks have very different needs from books meant for casual reading. Certain elements need to stand out at the table for quick reference during play. For instance, the information should be easy to locate if you need to find out how Degrees of Success work.

However, overusing emphasis—like highlighting every instance of rule-specific content—can make the text feel cluttered and overwhelming. This becomes especially noticeable in chapters devoted entirely to rules:

• Chapter 1: Game Rules
• Chapter 3: Skills
• Chapter 5: Magic
• Chapter 7: Threats

So, my question to you is simple: what do you prefer?