post-postscript!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Sep 01, 2022 at 11:27:22 PM

Hey folks, I'll keep this super brief:

Collector's Edition bits / missing copies

Just a last call for those of you still waiting on Collector's Edition bits (notepads & stickers) and/or missing copies of the game. I'm running pretty low on stock now, so if you're expecting rewards and haven't received them, please drop me a message to [email protected]. I'm not planning on reprinting the games in their current form.

I've had a few people message me who've received their Slow Knife orders and were surprised to not receive their bonus bits in the package—this was plan A, but I changed to direct orders from my store because the bulk of Slow Knife rewards were being dispatched directly from the printers in Italy. If you're one of these people, drop me a message and I can send you your stuff directly. If you could let me know your address and which bits you need, I can sort out the rest.

Koriko: A Magical Year

Those of you who weren't keen on the multiplayer aspects of The Slow Knife might want to check out my next project, Koriko. It's a tarot-driven story game of teenage witches and urban exploration, inspired by Kiki’s Delivery Service. It's also designed primarily to be played solo, if that's your thing!

---

Thanks again everyone!

Jack

Postscript: Extra print bits, thank yous
about 2 years ago – Mon, Apr 25, 2022 at 02:10:48 AM

Hey again everyone! This project has already had thoroughly too many updates, so I'll keep this as brief as possible.

Extra Print Bits

I've gone through and re-done the layout for both Bucket and Artefact to fit an A5 booklet, and I think they look pretty neat. They're definitely simpler than the original layout (single colour, no boxes, etc) but they are still aesthetically pleasing to my eyes, and they should also be easier to read than the beak zines (black on white, larger font size).

They include all the content from the beak zines, and also all the content from the bonus sheets.

I also thought I'd share a mockup of the notepads. I tested them out with a game of Artefact and they work well—you're constrained in your writing in a way that you aren't with a blank sheet of paper, but actually I found that quite useful as it kept me from writing reams and reams of story for each Keeper!

I'll be putting in the order for these printed bits, along with the stickers, in the next week or so and begin shipping them out to those who've placed orders (details for how to do this are in my previous update).

I will of course be ordering extra copies as I know that some of you are still waiting to receive your beak zines, but if you did need the bits then I'd encourage you to place an order on my website in the next week or so. This applies even if you previously filled out my 'Slow Knife' form (sorry! this is now the best way to get the bits to you).

Thank you so much to those of you who chipped in a few quid towards printing & shipping costs (some of you have been exceedingly generous!). It is by no means an expectation, but it's really appreciated every time I see it.

Missing Copies

It's been almost two months now since your orders were shipped, so I'd say most people in Europe & North America should've received their books by now (if you live a little further afield from me in the UK, it might take longer).

If you're still waiting on your initial order of zines, I'd encourage you to drop me an email ([email protected]) and I'll chase up your order with the distributor. 

Thanks

This will probably be the last update to the Bucket of Bolts project, so I just thought I'd take the opportunity to give one last big thank you. This has definitely been my most challenging project to manage to date, but I'm really happy with how the game turned out and I hope you are too (the reviews on itch.io certainly suggest you are, and are HUGELY appreciated 😊).

If you want to keep up to date with my future projects, the best way to do that is to follow my little monthly newsletter here. I'll be sending one out in the next week or so with a free game, so it's a good time to jump on board :)

Cheers!

Jack

Bucket: Reflections & Next Steps
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 02:09:06 AM

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

March: The Everything Update
about 2 years ago – Mon, Mar 21, 2022 at 01:48:13 PM

Hey folks!

The Slow Knife is now live! Lots of you lovely folk have backed it already, please check out the page if you'd like to see what I'm working on next. If you're taking a break from Kickstarter, I'll have a pre-order store live soon with all the same options.

Now, on with the Bucket update. Buckdate?

Shipping

Everything has now shipped. Yes, almost 7,000 zines are whipping their way towards you fine folk. Many of you have already shared photos of your zines arriving (please tag me, it brings me such joy!), and for those of you still waiting I hope your wait will be short. As usual, if your order is untracked please give it a few weeks before asking me where it is—the global postage situation remains fraught with delays & challenges.

What a joy it is to finally be sending you all your rewards. For those of you who like to hold out until the physical copy arrives, I hope you like the game(s)!

Print Accessibility

While I've had lots of really nice feedback from folks who've already received their items, I've also had a notable response from people who've struggled with the accessibility of the physical formats. If you're one of these people, I'm really sorry!

I take pride in making the digital versions of my games available in a range of formats to suit various visual & processing needs, but this recent spate of feedback on the Bucket print stuff has had me reflecting on how I think about my physical products too. I think my own biases of having no sight issues & a love of pretty paper/ink combos has led me to consciously choose print specifications that prioritise look & feel over readability. As I reflect on this project, I can see where I could have made different - but still cool - choices that would have made my print products more accessible for folks.

I'm taking this lesson forward into my next project—I was planning on doing a series of supplemental books for The Slow Knife as beak zines again but I'm now going to go with little wiro-bound flipbooks instead. They'll use conventional litho printing, so I can ensure they're easy for folks to read and I'm not bound by page count in the same way as a beak zine—so I can give everything more space.

I'm still really proud of my little zines, but it's good to recognise where there are opportunities to do better in the future.

Soundtrack & Audio Rules

Chris has published the Bucket of Bolts soundtrack. Now, as you play, you'll have rad space-western-esque to listen to. I think he did a wonderful job of evoking the source material while also making it fresh and engaging.

Chris has also finished scoring the audio rules for the game. Now you can listen to someone talk you through the game before you play, and it'll sound rad too!

All these files are now available on the game's itch.io page.

Ship Generator

Torben has finished work on the ship generator. It's available for Windows on the itch.io page. 

You can generate a random spaceship with a range of parts illustrated by Torben and a random crew named by me! I hope it provides a fun little starting point for your adventures, if you like the idea of leaving things up to chance.

If you have any issues with the generator please drop me a message with as much information about the bug as you can & your system info. We'll hopefully have a Mac and possibly a Web version to follow, but Unity is a bit of a fickle beast these days with exports!

Digital Accessibility & Bonus Files

All the game's files are now available as accessible files. That means the PDFs have been optimised for screen readers, and there is also a plain text version available with image descriptions.

This includes the bonus sheets that are supplied in the Collector's editions, now available for all as a digital download.

Thanks to Yubi for all her hard work getting these files together.

Missing Keys

If you see all this cool stuff and realise you don't have your key for itch.io, drop me a message here on Kickstarter and I'll send you a link. Messages are better than a comment as I can see all your info and get your key asap!

Feedback

As this project moves towards completion, I'm really interested to hear any feedback you have for me about it. I've made a form here you can use to share your thoughts. 

As a thank you, I'll pick one on the responses at random to send a big bundle of fun RPG stuff from other creators I like (and anything of mine you don't already own!).

Thank You & Goodnight!

This project is now delivered! Thanks for being so patient with me through another challenging year. It's been a hell of a journey, but you've all been delightful throughout. If there's something you think I could do better next time, please let me know—especially if you're joining me on my next adventure!

I'll be in contact again next month to talk about mopping up the dregs of the inevitable lost parcels, but otherwise we're pretty much done here. 

All the best, and thanks again.

Jack

FFS: Collector's Editions
about 2 years ago – Sat, Mar 05, 2022 at 04:07:20 PM

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