IOC props and scenario

Transparency
over 5 years ago – Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 07:45:52 AM

I want to honor my promesses. I would love to send your props this summer and first the survey, but let me explain what I’m dealing with now:

I can’t send the survey before Denys finish the scenario and it takes more time than expected because :
- the scenario was supposed to be 35 pages but it’s actually around 70 pages. Like you, we love the idea to have a substantial scénario and we love what Matt have done for the Idol of Cthulhu. 

Why didn't I figure it out you before that it was a longer work that what we expected ??
-Before we launched we checked on professional web sites an estimation of the numbers of pages for 40k words long and the information was about 35 pages, but it's actually not true, probably due to the chosen font, and the amount of handouts and illustrations.
So, Denys is doing the best he can with his skill and the financial ressources he has. The business plan I made for this project was for 35 pages. Remember he is a screenwriter and not a professional graphic designer, but he worked as such for a quasi-professional fanzine and did a lot of impressive handouts. So it’s not the first one he is making but inevitably there are some new things he needs to learn to make a great product.
-The work on the layout is therefore longer than if it was doing by a professional. Also his home computer is getting slow sometimes when processing the layout.
And Matt was very generous also with the handouts so you will have more, but each one is like a separate challenge.
-Denys was paid €1000 for this work so I can’t ask him to prioritorize this project before the current paying jobs he has. He can’t work more than two days per week.
So when he will finish the layout I will send it to Matt Sanderson than Drive-thruRPG will make a print and we’ll be able to check the product and make some eventual corrections than I’ll be able to send the survey.
I m sorry if I got your hopes up and I disappointed.
I’m an optimist kind of person so I often see things in the best perspective. I also don’t react very well to pression (but I'm working on it) and I always want to please people. My responsability is to be also pratical and objective. I need to make money right now due to the sanitary situation, and when I will, I will also have more time to make my projects go faster.

For now:

Thank you all for bearing me and helping to create something new ! 

News from the front
almost 6 years ago – Wed, Jul 01, 2020 at 10:11:21 AM

Hi

The survey will be sent next week after some  informations are complete :

- Denys is completing the general template despite some drawbacks due to size issues between the American and European format A4 which could have caused some disaster if we didn't catch it in time.

-I’m still checking decent prices for all the international shipping options for international :

The french post office has changed its services for international shippings, and not for good ; last time, it took me 20 mn to check in, for one parcel only… so I will try to find the best compromise for everyone, but I've already decided to use Mondial relay for the Europe shippings.

-We decided to make a speaker PdF user guide, since it may need some explanations. 

- I tested the speaker. From inside the Idol the connection and the sound are working perfectly, even if there is a little quality loss. Anyway, it works well with the recorded dialogues.

-As always, because I still have not much time, I’m still improving my patinas. Normally, I see new details to fix after a while, but I’m quite satisfied now.

All this project was more complexe and longer than what we planned at the beginning; but we thought it was better to chose quality. I have to share Denys with other art projects and time is not expansible unfortunately.

We're are taking care of your baby.

Thank you again for your tremendous patience!

Delphes

PS : here is a sample of the layout, which is advancing. It's still a WIP but that should be close to the final product.

End of confinement
almost 6 years ago – Wed, May 06, 2020 at 03:48:40 PM

Dear backers,

Yesterday I was about to post an update when I received a message from @Endevor at the same time than his comment.

I know that you have wait way too much already and I sincerely apologize for this delay. I totally understand your frustration. I'm currently waiting myself since several years two crowdfunding projects I funded to be delivered and I know how it can be unnerving.

I don’t want to explain again what had contributed to this important report more than I already did. It’s also a reason why I didn’t felt confortable to update you more often because I did’nt want to flood your inbox with my personal life.

Things you need to know : I'm more productive now than I haven't been since a long time. From my point of view, this global crisis is a perfect time for creative works. This contemplative atmosphere is indeed what is needed when you want to work in a deep concentration. 

Because the end of the lockdown is scheduled for May 11th, the post office will re-work quite normally next week and shops are reopening, I’ll be able to reschedule the shippings and make order for some materials, so I will start to send the idols in June. 

Concerning the scenario : of course we could have send you the scenario in pdf but we wanted to do so when the layout woud be finished. We can send you the rough scenario now, if you ask, and you'll get the full work at the end of June.

But if some of you want to be refund now, please tell.

I hope everyone is safe around the globe.

Here in Paris as it is probably the same in your countries, we're experiencing a strange life experience. We're  struggling with financial issues already and the global crisis that comes is impacting us hardly.

But as ever, we'll find some creative solutions !

Please let me know what you decide.

Take care,

 Delphes

Cthulhu in the time of Covid-19 update
about 6 years ago – Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 11:20:05 PM

Hi everyone !

First, I hope everyone is doing ok, despite this pandemic. In France, too many people don’t respect the preventives measures to contain the virus spread.
They probably think their brain is so special that they’ll be safe from this tiny virus.
But it’s not all about us, it’s about everyone survival..
For us, the good thing is that we will have more time to work on your props because all our works in local schools are cancelled and we can’t receive any pupils in our studio anymore.
Of course, we have to manage home schooling for our son and it takes a while but the everyday discipline plan is going well.

Like many people, our economic survival is compromised but we can’t do much about it so there is nothing to do except staying at home and make nice props.

The main problem right now is that all the post offices are closing and so are the suppliers. For now, I’ve got the main products I need, so it’s all good regarding of the production. My laptop is out of order and I can’t fix it with all the shops closed. So I’m using Denys’ when it’s possible.

I hope your health is strong ! I wish you will be able to use this strange experience to play some good RPGs session with your close family.

The curfew is starting tonight here. We organized as well as we could.

I’ll publish pictures very soon.

You and your families  take care!

Delphes

Happy New year !
about 6 years ago – Sat, Jan 11, 2020 at 07:33:23 AM

Dear backers,

I wrote this update on Thursday and wanted to published it after I read it to Denys.

I totally understand your frustration Brian. I know you are waiting a long time  to get your tier and I'm sorry I can't manage to speed up things as it should.

Yes, Denys is making progress with the layout; he is using Chaosium’s template to do it.  It's simple and efficient.
I've been doing some progress with the statues as well but not as much as I wished : I've been sick during the last two weeks of December. 2019 was a terrible year for several diseases in our family and I'm so glad it's over (fingers crossed!)

You probably know that the money I earn with my kickstarters fundings does not covers my financial needs. Therefore I must find other ressources. I’ve been developping a new rpg projet with an electronic disposal that could be uses in any rpg universes. But unfortunately there have been several delays with the ingeneers so I had to find another source of income.

It was such an exhausting and difficult year indeed. After my brain, my body implored me to give it some rest... and when I was lying on my bed, I've been thinking a lot about the last months and all the obstacles that came through my organization.
Some of them were out of my control : what can I do if my father is sick, and then my husband?  What can I do when my partner loose his current job and has to find something else to feed the family quickly? what can I do when I have to pay 10% more of social fees than the last year?
But some of obstacles were coming from my own brain. Oh ! useless brain.. I've spent so many time making to-do lists, trying to be the most productive a possible. But the more I was making those lists, the less I was productive. I was feeling soooo guilty to unachieved simple goals. And I started to make technical mistakes and also, I chose poorly some people I was working with. And I felt more guilty about being weak not able enough to be the strong manager I should be I think I've started a kind of burnout, which is very common with people selling their works on the internet. We are the worst bosses for ourselves !

SO during my long days in bed, vulnerable as we all are when we get a fever, I allowed myself to reconnect with some deep needs. I thought about all I have to do to honor my engagements and instead of feeling guilty again I remember WHY I was doing this job and it gave me some new strengths. I believe that my work should participate in a collective process : the fact that I'm creating objets that will participate in some of the best memories of your life is my first reward as an artist. Some souvenirs of your role paying games are the best of your life, aren't they? 

I've stopped to exhibit my art in galleries because I wanted something bigger : connect and create with the others. So even if I'm very slow to deliver my project because my brain and body chocked last year, be sure that I will always use my blood, sweat and tears to honor my mission because I love it. And I know we share the same believe " connect and create with the others".

I know now I will overcome the difficulties and I'm focused on finishing the work for this kickstarter.Then I might stop for a while.

Happy new year to all of you !

Delphes