Slowly but surely... It's happening!
about 6 years ago – Tue, Mar 20, 2018 at 12:04:16 AM

LAYOUT UPDATE

Hey folks!

So, some great news hit me this weekend. The GET REKT Edition of Project Biomodus has been through the layout process, meaning we are going to go through final proofing, test printing and then a quick couple of editing passes for polish.

Once that is done, the GET REKT version will be put up for print and those of you who have ordered a hard copy will get one shipped to you. Everyone else (backers and preorder supporters), will be getting a copy of the GET REKT version for free as a PDF, available for download from DriveThruRPG.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

After the GET REKT version has been released and made available, the last degree of layout work will go into the full, STANDARD and COLLECTOR’S editions of Project Biomodus, where we will be adding all the art and lore pieces. Once those are done, we shall be going through test printing, editing, final polish and then finally, release.

This process has been a monumental one for our team, and while I can easily say that we have learned a great deal from this production, there is much more for us to do and potentially with a lot more to learn. With that in mind, I want to take a moment to thank all our artists, designers, play-testers and supporters for their hard work and faith during this campaign.

It's happening folks. It’s really happening!

Much love,

Joseph ‘Bear’ Thompson
Creative Director
TAPM Systems

Video Interview with Mr. Mean!
about 6 years ago – Thu, Mar 01, 2018 at 11:54:17 PM

Hey folks,

In case you didn't see it on social media, the wonderful John "Mr. Mean" Polack and I had a chat about Project Biomodus, life as a game designer, and a few other subjects close to our hearts. If you want to find out a little more about how far along we are in the process, feel free to give it a watch!

 More updates as they come!

Much love!

-Bear

Production Update - Path for the Future
over 6 years ago – Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 08:51:23 PM

Hey folks,

So today, I had to come to terms with a harsh realization, and that is that I have been performing poorly in my communication with you all. A good discussion on our discord chat brought up the fact that there has been very little in communication from me regarding the state of development and how the book is progressing, and that is something I am intending to fix.

As I have covered before, this last year has been hard on us, more specifically me. As a small developer, a lot of the fulcrum point for development rests on my shoulders, and when things leave me unable to work on the book for a short or even extended period, then things tend to grind to a halt until I can give input.

That is on me, and I can only apologize for the lack of communication and updates for Project Biomodus.

On that note, let me reassure you, Project Biomodus is far from dead. The book is continuing on, finding a new wind after some of the more pressing issues have been dealt with, and although we are considerably behind schedule (roughly about 6 months or so), we are pushing through to get at least some version of the book in your hands.

I have not forgotten you guys and I am sure as hell not giving up on the most rewarding thing that has ever happened to me. You (my backers and supporters) have been a single bright point of light in an otherwise dark time, and I want to make sure we do right by you all.

As of right now, this is the current state of production:

GET REKT EDITION
The primary editing phase is over and we are now polishing up the content to be put to layout. Megan (or layout Artist) has been patiently waiting for the edited text and she is ready to start work on it. Once we have a test print, we will do another editing pass on it and then re-read the changes to make sure everything fits.

STANDARD & COLLECTORS EDITIONS
Once the layout is set for the Get Rekt Edition the primary groundwork will be ready for the main versions of the game. The main Editions will have more lore, all the artwork and the other items missing from the Get Rekt version, and will require a test-print, editing pass and then final approval for production. There is very little text that still needs to be written for this version, and so hopefully layout and edit will go fairly smoothly.

ART & LORE BOOK
This book will have a different format and will include additional commentary text in regards to design decisions, lore entries and how the background of Project Biomodus was concepted. It will also include pages on our artists, showcasing some of their other work, as well as some more doodle-like drawings used for development. This is the book most likely to come out last, due to the work that still needs to be done.

2018 CONVENTIONS
saw us going to several conventions. 2018 will see less of us travelling, however, and more focused on the work involved in production. There are two Conventions I will be attending for certain in 2018, and those are TennoCon (if it gets announced), and Save Against Fear in Harrisburg, PA.

FUTURE PLANS
There have been several suggestions made to systems regarding Project Biomodus and while many of them are good, the prospect of reworking whole sections of the book to accommodate them puts development of the final product way into the future, and in a timeline I am uncomfortable with. Considerations have already been made for an Errata or perhaps a Second Edition of the book, but development (and perhaps a second Kickstarter), will not be planned until we are done with Project Biomodus.

Lastly, I want to let you all know that I am very aware that without you all, Project Biomodus would not exist as it does today. If we do end up trying to fund a Second Edition, then you are all going to be included in the test materials and digital releases, even if you do not support the project. It is the very least we can do to repay you for your patience.

I will also be looking into adding a feedback hub for our supporters, allowing you to submit your questions, bug reports, edit suggestions and everything to a central repository for us to keep track of. Some of the feedback can get lost along the way, so it’s important that it is kept centralized. This will also help us keep track of pain points for the community and what to work on next.

In closing, I want to say again that this game is one for you. I have said it before, but if the game is released to you all and then dies from obscurity by an uncaring public, then it will still be a victory in my eyes. You have made this process a pleasure to follow through with and I cannot thank you enough for your understanding and support.

Much love to you all,

Joseph ‘Bear’ Thompson
Creative Director
TAPM Systems

Production and Personal Update - Keeping the Faith
over 6 years ago – Tue, Oct 17, 2017 at 07:54:18 PM

Hey everyone.

Wow, it has been a while since I have written an update but I wanted to give everyone the full heads-up as to what is going on in the world of Project Biomodus and the different things that have been good and bad over the last few months.

RELEASE UPDATE

I want to get the most important information out of the way, and that is that Project Biomodus’ release date has been pushed back. I was expecting to have the layout done and test copies printed at this point, but for reasons illustrated below, we are way behind the task. To abate this problem, I have hired an external Layout Artist with a whole bunch of experience using DriveThruRPG.com, Megan. She is a local developer too, and she will be an excellent addition to the team.

The plan is still to release the Get Rekt Edition of the book first, with the underlying ruleset thoroughly edited and good to go. This version will still be missing a lot of the art and lore of the world, but it will give you all something to play with. Those of you who are backers will get a PDF of the Get Rekt edition for free, in the way of apology for all the delays. Those who ordered a physical copy will get your product when it is printed and shipped to you.

This means that the layouts for the Standard and Collectors Edition of Project Biomodus are going to need some further lead time. To keep the formatting simple and save costs, we have decided to make the Get Rekt version of the book full-sized, rather than a shorter cut-down version. Those of you who have purchased it will not incur further costs, but prices may minimally increase when it is released to the public.

This means that we are changing our release date to aim towards Q2 of 2018. The plan is that backers and pre-orders will get your copies of the books first, as you were here on the ground floor. Brick and Mortar retailers (who I want to support in any way I can) are going to get copies of the books a month before the full release on DriveThruRPG.com to the general public.

If you know of any Brick and Mortar stores in your area that would be interested in getting in a couple of demo copies at cost, or stock some of them, then please tell them to contact me at [email protected] with some verification of their Brick and Mortar status. The hope is we generate some foot traffic for them and give something back to the people who protected us when we needed safe places to game.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

I have detailed some of the things that have happened this year, but I feel that in honor of transparency, I should give you a brief but clear overview of the things that have affected the team here and the people around us.

Here is a summary:

• My Wife’s Mother fell into a coma in Q1 of 2017, recovering a month or so later, but needing a lot of care during rehabilitation.

• My Wifes’s Father’s Altzhimers developed rapidly, forcing us to quickly find him housing and placement in a care facility, not a week later.

• My own mother will be facing some issues in November, and the news of the surrounding problem has been not only a distraction but quite an emotional blow for me personally. I am still preparing myself to head back to the UK to face that particular demon.

• Due to a collection of reasons, my wife and I have agreed to separate. And we are currently working that process out as well, on top of everything else.

• Almost immediately after said separation, the Sonoma County wildfires grew brutally out of control, and we have had to deal with family evacuations, angry landlords and a whole host of people we know in the lines of danger here in California.

As you can probably imagine, all of the things above have been draining on my supporting team and me, but with us being a small developer and having a limited amount of creative input outside of my position of Lead Designer, I have not been as readily available to answer questions. For that, I sincerely apologize. Many of the issues seem to revolve around lore reasons and some mechanical choices, and while they are – for the most part – great questions, it takes me some time to go through all the feedback and respond accordingly.

I plan on compiling many of these questions into a document or help FAQ, then answering them as best as I can in one place. There are many things that the core mechanics were not designed to really handle, and while I would love to redo the system to accommodate much of them, the development process has hit a point where I need to begin full production, not rebuild a core system from the ground up.

Does this mean there may be a Project Biomodus 2.0 down the road? Quite possibly, but for the most part, the game is functioning as intended, minus a few clarifications that need to be made of course.

A PERSONAL CONFESSION

I have to admit, there is much more to what is going on behind the scenes that I cannot get into, but I wanted to share something with you that I think is essential for you to all to know.

When I am approached about the book, see all the fan art, have people to ask me to sign things for them, or are treated like a VIP at conventions (with this last one – Save Against Fear in Harrisburg, PA – being a particular example). I am not used to such praise and attention. The technical term for the feeling is Imposter Syndrome, and Project Biomodus and its community brings it out in me to it’s fullest.

Having so many people interested in the game, enjoying themselves and being supportive sounds unreal, like it is something that I don’t deserve. Of course, we all work hard here to bring the book out, and I have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours alone trying to make Project Biomodus the best it can, but there is always that feeling in the back of my head:

“I don’t feel like I deserve this, and when they find out, I am going to get lynched!”

Of course, it’s all in my head, but I use that feeling to remind myself that what we have here as a community has been the most enriching and beautifully warming thing to me in these last few years. The relationships we have built from making Project Biomodus are a testament to how involved and beautiful this community is. You have been infinitely patient with me, and I cannot help but thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me through this tough time of production.

Sadly there are more things I will need to deal with before the end of the year is over, and that may again impact the production of the book. As a small developer, we are often held hostage by our family lives, the needs of our day jobs and the occasional disaster that is outside of our control. While these things have been out of my control, it has highlighted the fact that when I am unavailable to answer questions, there may be periods of time where it seems development has come to a standstill.

In reality, I am emboldened to redouble our efforts. I owe it to all of you guys to get you the very best book I can because you have all been wonderful in so many ways. So to you, my supporters and backers, I want you to know that it is my singular, privileged honor to have you all as my community. You had kept our heads above water when everything threatened to drown us.

You have been our rock.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Much Love,

Joseph ‘BEAR’ Thompson
Creative Director
TAPM Systems

Responses are Locked Down!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Aug 01, 2017 at 05:50:25 PM

Reponses locked down!

Well, here we are in the beginning of August. It’s crazy how quickly this year has flown by, and now we are at the point where we are beginning the final stretch of production and delivery. As I stated before, there is still a lot of editing and layout work to be done, but for the most part, content is completed, and we are getting ready for the last stage.

I want to thank all of you who managed to get your responses in on time, and for those of you who are still outstanding on your backerkit responses, there is still the option for you to get that information in ASAP. Due to privacy concerns, if you did not provide a name to be listed under the credits section, then you will be credited as a ‘beloved backer’ but without being named by any of your information I have on hand.

As the last few responses trickle in, I will try and get them updated into the layout, but once the book goes to print, any submissions will be cut short and we will be unable to fulfil your entries.

Those of you who purchased add-ons or have additional items in their order will get your cards charged in the next few days. Some of you who have already paid or preordered with PayPal will not have to worry about that as the charges have already been made.

As a note, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CARD DETAILS ARE UP TO DATE! If the payment does not process, then you will receive a notification from BackerKit, asking you to update your payment information, so please be sure to keep an eye on that and CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDERS if you do not see anything.

Thanks again to you all for being a part of this huge endeavor. Project Biomodus is a huge part of my life and by proxy, so are all of you for your faith and your support these last couple of years, and it is my greatest desire to leave you all satisfied.

With the best of love,

Joseph ‘BEAR’ Thompson
TAPM Systems