Involving 2E Backers:
We here at Common Man Games have wrestled with how to best include 2nd Edition Kickstarter Backers with our latest Campaign.
The solution we came to is simple, but was not easy to come by.
Let’s start with the Solution:
Wait!
(wow, that was simple!)
Get Them Later:
Don’t worry you can!
Want to hear more?
If you like details, then YES let’s go a bit deeper into this topic, starting with…
Why:
Yes, it’s true, we here at Common Man feel that it is best to have you “Wait”.
For us it all comes down to efficiency, economics, and logistics.
Basically, we want you to get these items at a reasonable cost.
Since this Kickstarter (Uplift) is focused on the needs of 1st Edition owners (trying to get them up to speed with you), it will not be cost effective for us to get you just Stretch Goals (which is really the only thing being offered in this campaign that you would be interested in). Thus it would be better to get them to you at a later date and as part of a more significant shipment. So, let us be clear…
Though we do expect that cool, fun, creative stuff will come out of this campaign in the form of Stretch Goals, YOU will be allowed to get all of that later.
Stretch Goal lovers please know that we are not leaving you out, and never will! Yes, we will make ALL of the stretch goals from this campaign available to you in our next campaign!!!
(Sorry if that sounds redundant — it probably is, but we just wanted to offer very clear reassurances that there will not be items offered that you can’t get later)
That next campaign IS one that we expect YOU to be VERY interested in (Season II). We also expect that, since this campaign is really focused on a narrow audience (i.e. – 1st edition owners — only 2,500 in total) that the next campaign will hit more Stretch Goals than this one since it will have a wider appeal (the whole world — i.e. all past, present, and future fans of the game).
So rather than charging you the true cost of getting the Stretch Goals from this campaign now (a high dollar amount), we would rather charge you much less later for the same thing. With that in mind, we would like to encourage you to please simply wait until the next Kickstarter (expected to launch in January).
The other issue that makes this tricky is trying to figure out how to calculate the cost of the Stretch Goals and then furthermore how to apply that cost to YOU in a fair manner. Since we don’t know yet what the Stretch Goals will be, placing a cost on them can’t be done ahead of time. Then during the campaign we don’t want to have that be a major focus of our attention. We really do want to make it about the 1st Edition folks and their needs.
Then, next campaign, we will focus on ALL fans and meeting the needs of ALL fans.
All that said…
If You Can’t Wait:
One thing we might take a look at doing, if the demand seems high enough, is to create some sort of Pre-Release order system for the Stretch Goals. In other words, after this campaign (Uplift) is over, and it is possible to actually analyze the true costs involved, we might try to contact the folks who indicated an interest in this (if there were enough such folks).
Yes, we know that this sort of solution does not help drive up funding during the actual campaign, which is admittedly not fully ideal, but it does bring us full circle back to the idea of waiting. If you wait, and get behind the larger campaign (we believe the next one will be bigger due to it’s broader appeal), then more Stretch Goals will be reached over-all. That’s our theory and our thinking.
Anyway, if you think you might be interested in that, please email us at this address…
commonmangames@gmail.com
Subject line: “If you set-up a pre-order system for Stretch Goals for Uplift, let me know”
You don’t need to wait till after the campaign to send your email, and doing so does NOT obligate you to anything, feel free to send it now or at any time you like.
btw — If that (the Pre-Order system) doesn’t ever come to be, we will likely let you know when the next Kickstarter launches.
The Bottom Line:
We hope that you can see how hard we are trying to NOT leave anyone behind and to treat them with respect & care. Not the 1st Edition folks (look at this campaign as proof of this), and NOT you (2nd Edition folks) either (look at the effort we are making to NOT take more of your money and to help guide you toward doing the more efficient approach as proof of this).
We are in your corner — Now and always!!!
Sincerely,
Karl
Questions:
Let me know if you have any.
Karl@commonman.com
Thanks:
Sorry, but I just can’t say it enough…
Thanks Again!
You-guys are the best!!!