Personal Update + Production Update (timelines included)
over 1 year ago – Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 12:09:59 PM

Hey, wonderful backers! I’m a little late in providing this update, and I apologize for that. I wanted to share a personal update as well as an updated timeline for Anansi’s Tapestry of Lives. There’s a lot to cover, so this is a longer update.

Content Warning: Cancer

Personal Update

On a personal note, the end of July through mid-August was a bit rough. I, of course, got sick again – but that was manageable. What took more time was my mom’s hospitalization. I may or may not have previously shared that I’m in a unique situation. My mom is intellectually disabled due to an illness as a toddler. While she’s able to live fairly independently (with some support), I’m her primary support and care helper. This is made a bit more complicated, because, she’s been battling stage 4 breast cancer since 2015. It isn't all bad news. When she was first diagnosed in July of 2015, she was only given 6 – 9 weeks to live and the doctors wanted to put her into hospice. We got a second opinion and got her on a great chemo drug, Xeloda. Every single day, beyond the first 12 months we were hoping for, is a gift.

Even with the extra time, it isn't always easy. She’s gone through multiple chemo failures and serious to minor health complications over the last few years, and in Late July she was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. The reason why this is time consuming is because, while the doctors are great, they have limited time with each patient. They wanted to do surgery to remove her gall bladder while she was in the hospital. This meant I needed to learn what I could about gall bladders, talk to people who have had the procedure done, and arrange a second opinion to discuss concerns. Thankfully, the 2nd opinion was that we'll wait and monitor this situation, since even a minor surgery can have very significant risks for my mom.

My mom is back home, on the mend, and feeling much better. I’m not as stretched thin and can get back into Anansi's Tapestry with earnest.

Quick Retrospective

As I’ve expressed in the past, this project has been a much larger undertaking than any of us on the team imagined. The sheer volume of content is one thing, but it’s also that we’ve collaborated with literally over 100 content creators, from writers, to illustrators, to VO actors, editors, layout, audio engineering, designers – so many people. I personally underestimated the amount of time and energy it would take to manage all of those relationships and deadlines. While I love the fact that we were able to get so many diverse and talented people involved, if I had to do it over again, I’d likely work with far fewer contributors.

While we had originally hoped for a June delivery of the book, that became impossible between wrangling creatives, team members (including myself) falling ill or having life happen, or getting dream jobs (congrats to them!). That said, I'm happy our team has managed to keep the project moving at a steady pace, even if it is slower than you (and I) would prefer.

Achievements So Far:

• Delivered an early release of Tapestry of Lives PDF, coming in at around 322 pages.
• Created 5 packs of VTT tokens, comprising art for 110 characters.
• Produced art for all 70 locations in the Journal of Common Places.
• Developed the app, where you'll access all the NPC details and listen to the VO monologues (plus create and sell your own NPCs, locations, and items with multi-media).

We’re working hard to get the last of the content wrangled, edited, and delivered to you digitally and physically. So, without further ado….

BONUS CONTENT!

Sorry, before we get onto the production update, I just want to ask for a little tiny pat on the back for the team, please. When we did the Kickstarter we hit stretch goals that brought us to 40 magic items. We didn’t put 40 magic items in the book. Turns out it was too difficult of a number to hit, so instead we put in 67 magic items. I’m no math wiz, but I've been told 67 is greater than 40.

We also created location art for each of the 70 Journal of Common Places location descriptions. We hadn’t budgeted the dollars or time, but when it became clear it was taking longer to get all the writing in, we made the decision to invest in the art for you. I’ll admit the style for much of the art is less defined and is a painted style. On the off chance we get another $2k or so in book pre-orders, I’m happy to have the illustrators add some more detail to many of these art pieces!

Production Updates

I’ve put together a handy dandy excel of the remaining big tasks and when we project they’re likely to be finished. You can access the production schedule here. I'll update it as we make progress or as things change, so feel free to come back to it for updates.

Poor quality pic of an Excel sheet below:

You can see we're in the final stretch. The piece furthest behind is the VO piece. Some of that is becuase we didn't have all the characters written. Some of it is because it is a LOT of work finding VO actors, listening to their auditions, as well as just contracting, reviewing the audio, providing feedback, etc. That said, we're making progress. 

We will be releasing the VO's in "packs" on the app. So expect the Town & Village, followed by the City pack soon! Basically, as we complete casting and audio engineering for a pack, we will release it. The Oct 17 date is the deadline for the last pack to be released. This is the deadline we are most likely to beat.

You will no doubt see that the shipping is listed as “TBD.” I’ll have this updated within the next 2 weeks. I'm trying to manage the rising costs thanks to inflation and lingering logistical issues. However, by necessity, we need to ship soon after production, because we don’t want to pay extended warehousing costs.

As a reminder, we’re working with Nord Games in the USA and Games Quest for European/Australian/New Zealand shipping. Shipping was not covered in the Kickstarter, and we’ll update everyone’s orders with shipping costs as soon as we have weights confirmed from the printers at the end of September. If I can get that finalized sooner – I will!

Ultimately, we’re running behind for 3 – 4 months. Not as bad as many Kickstarters I’ve backed. Not as good as some of the big ones who’ve been doing this for longer. 

That said, I do apologize for the delays. I promise you, we’re doing our best considering the size and scope of this project, and the very, very many moving parts.

As always, I’m incredibly grateful for your continued support. It means a lot. Feel free to reach out directly with any questions or concerns. You can email through Kickstarter or to [email protected]

Best,

Jamie

and the Anansi's Team

Early Release is LIVE and VTT Tokens Tomorrow!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 03:49:21 PM

Hello, wonderful backer! I hope your week has been fantastic, and you're eager for an exciting update on our project, "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives"! We've got some hot news for you that has us over the moon!

TechRaptor put out an article yesterday announcing the 318-page "Early Release" version of our book is now live on DriveThruRPG. Yes, you heard it right! The magic has begun! Now everyone can start enjoying the NPCs, magic items, and side quests as we continue finalizing the last 30 or so pages of the book (and go through another needed round of proofreading!). If you haven't seen the article, go check it out and give it a like or upvote. You can also see it on Twitter (where you can give it a like and retweet).

As one of our irreplaceable backers, you should have received an email with a link from DriveThruRPG for your copy on July 11. If, by chance, you can't find this in your inbox or spam folder, don't worry. Please just drop us a line through Kickstarter or email us at [email protected], and we'll get everything sorted out pronto.

For those backers whose pledges included Virtual Tabletop (VTT) tokens, keep an eye on your inbox. Tomorrow, you should receive an email from DriveThruRPG with a link to access this fantastic part of your pledge. To ensure all 110 tokens are easy to find and use, we've split the tokens into two sets: Set 1 features the 55 NPCs from the City, Town & Village, while Set 2 showcases the 55 NPCs from the Farmlands, Coast, and Wilds. The forthcoming NPC Cards are organized the same way.

But that's not all! We are tantalizingly close to completing the art for "Anansi's Journal of Common Places." To wet your appetite, here's a sneak peek of art from a few locations: the windmill, the wild berry patch off the road, the castle kitchen, the lavish café, the seamstress shop, the jail cell, and the gambling alley. We're certain you'll be as thrilled as we are!

Our team is tirelessly working to finalize all content. Our game plan is to provide you with digital content as soon as it's finalized. After that, we'll switch gears and focus on delivering the physical products portion of the pledges.

We know you're eager, and we just can't wait to see you enjoying all Anansi has to offer. As always, thank you for your tremendous support. You've made this journey possible, and we can't wait to continue it together.

Stay tuned for more updates! And happy gaming!

Best,

Jamie

And the Anansi Team

Exciting Progress & Exclusive Previews: NPC Cards and Microsettings Artwork!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 03:33:34 PM

We're back with an exciting update on our ongoing work for "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives." Your early access to the 318-page PDF was only the beginning - there's so much more magic to share!

Unveiling the NPC Cards

First up, we're excited to share a video showcasing the ongoing layout for our two decks of NPC cards! As you know, these tarot-sized cards feature gorgeous character art on the front and essential details on the back, including name, occupation, personality, goal, and quirk. We've even added a handy footer indicating the corresponding page number in the "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives" book, along with any associated inventories, stat blocks, story tables, and more.

Deck 1 has the City, Town, and Village NPCs. Deck 2 has the Farmlands, Coast, and Wilds NPCs. 

A lot of extra work is going into these, in part because we can only fit about 1,000 characters onto the back. That means we're editing down many (most?) of the NPC Personality, Driving Goal, and Quirk sections. Don't worry. We've made lots of progress!

A Glimpse into Anansi's Journal of Common Places

Next, we'd like to share a sneak peek of just a little of the new artwork for "Anansi's Journal of Common Places." We've been working tirelessly to bring the 70 unique locations to life, and now you can catch a glimpse of 12 of them in our new video! Each location features an evocative description (perfect for reading aloud to your players), additional immersive details, and a range of "noticeable," "hidden," and "secret" searchable secrets ready for your players to discover. 

We didn't promise art for each location, but as we working on editing written content, our illustrators are using the time to create as many art pieces as they can. We already have art for 51 of the 70 locations!

As we continue to work towards delivering all the TTRPG/D&D 5E tools Anansi has to offer, we're thrilled to share the work that goes on behind the scenes and the progress we're making every day. Your support fuels our dedication and creativity, and we can't wait to show you what's next.

Stay tuned for more updates, and as always, happy gaming!

Best,

Jamie Van Doren 

And the Anansi's Team

Your Early Access to "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives" is Here!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Jul 11, 2023 at 03:56:01 PM

Exciting news! The early release version of "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives" is now available, and an exclusive download link has been dispatched to your email from DriveThruRPG! That's assuming you completed the Backerkit Survey, and were supposed to get the PDF for the main book. This version comprises the detailed layout of 318 pages, showcasing 106 of the 110 promised NPCs, along with a plethora of other captivating content.

If you haven't seen the email in your inbox yet, don't worry! These things can sometimes find their way into the spam folder, so be sure to check there.

The early release is your first taste of the rich tapestry we've been diligently weaving for you. While we continue to add the finishing touches and finalize the remaining content, we wanted you to have the opportunity to be able to enjoy the bulk of the content right now.

Remember, this is just the start. We've got a lot more content on the way, as we work towards finalizing the complete 350-page version of "Anansi's Tapestry of Lives." Your patience, enthusiasm, and support have played a massive role in bringing this project to life, and we can't wait to deliver the full experience to you.

We're thrilled to hear your thoughts on the early release, so please don't hesitate to share your feedback and experiences with us. It's an honor to have you all on this incredible journey.

Until the next update, happy adventuring!

Best, 

Jamie Van Doren

And the Anansi's Team

Email from DriveThruRPG Coming Soon
over 1 year ago – Sat, Jul 08, 2023 at 04:26:22 PM

Quick update! We're just waiting on approval from DriveThruRPG to send the links so you can download your copy of the 320 page PDF. Remember, there's still more content coming!

As soon as we get the all clear, the emails will go out to backers with the download link to the current PDF for Anansi's Tapestry of Lives. Stay tuned!

- Jamie