Yes, I know it's March. You think I don't know it's March? I know it's March, okay?

February, while infinitely better than January, is still a crap month up here in the Highlands. Long dark days, wind blows bits off my house, stuff like that. So I thought I'd skip it altogether and come up smiling when March kicked in.

Updates:

Scriptwriting
February was really mostly about script writing. A lot more than anticipated really. Still, thanks to a couple of solid all-Saturday sessions in Inverness library the past two weekends and the help of editor DG Chapman, I feel like there's light at the end of the script tunnel. It's currently too long, but I'm in the process of another shorter draft at the moment and Mr Chapman is looking at further edits of the newer sections as we speak. I would looooove for all this to be done by next week, I've been holding things up a bit with this, but that also means more content...

Number of Pages and Layout
Last week I fired the draft script over to Norgad along with some rough proposed page headers / order. He shoved into a rough laydown, and the upshot is I think we're now looking at a 20 - 24 page zine now, as opposed to the originally mooted 16 pager, so that's pretty cool. Currently we're at 28 pages but there's a lot to be trimmed, with the goal of 24 pages of cool content that's easy to parse and game.

Norg is working on design now. My dream scenario is still to get the module off to print before the end of the month (would love to expense it all this tax year), but that feels like a big ask. So it might be into April before that happens.

Other bits
Most of the other print assets - poster, sticker, bookmark - have been briefed in, and once I get TDMTP script out of the way my next writing job is to finish the Timed Release pamphlet - just need a few more location for that and a bit of structure.

Early Bird Patches
The sample for the Hope's Serum patch arrived, and it looks really great. The drop design is slightly different from the mock up as you can't do a gradient with an embroidered patch, but it still looks lovely. A good 9cm in size too so easily big enough to cover a bullet hole in your jumpsuit. Here it is:

Hope's Serum TV ad
This has been story boarded and a collection of illustrations from Norg are now with my animator, who started on the job last weekend. Looking forward to seeing this fun lot come to life:

Let's zoom in on those creepazoid smiles for a sec:

Audio bits
I've started working on the additional voice clips to go along with the module, and might even have some to share in the next update if all goes to plan / I can work out how to share audio on a Backerkit update.

Surveys
There's still 5% of you that haven't completed your survey yet. No rush really, this will be open till the end of the month and I'll send around a reminder before they are closed off so you can lock down your order.

Think that's all for now!

Cheers
Andrew

Hello again Backerkit brigade,

I know at some point in the dark and distant past (yesterday) I said surveys would be out on Monday, but the response to the Smoke Test was so swift, smooth and flawless that I thought I'd just bonk out the rest out today.

Check your inboxes. Enjoy ticking those boxes and adding to those carts and have a great weekend when it comes:) 

Hello hello,

Just a quick message to say that Smoke Test surveys have gone out to 5% of backers.

If there's no problems with these surveys, I'll likely be following up with everyone else's surveys on Monday next week (sending out surveys over the weekend is a no-no in the crowdfunding world, appaz).

In the surveys you'll be able to upgrade your pledge and add on a few things to your order should you wish. I'll be looking to get all orders locked in by sometime in March, printing and digital fulfilment in April, shipping May.

We'll be charging shipping and taxes separately, nearer the time that we post out the goods. Fingers crossed for my US pals that there's not some sci-fi zine hell-tariff in place by then.

Cheers
Andrew

Hello all you Backerkit psychofreaks.

It's almost February and this is your January update for The Dose Makes The Poison. Sorry for the lateness (am I the last Mothership Month-er to get an update out? Maybe). But first, OTHER NEWS:

TDMTP layout and design wiz Norgad has a new module in the works, so you should go and follow Brackish now. Norg's last module, Deadweight, was one of the best received 3pp modules released last year, and I have high hopes for this one from that slick landing page alone. Go and follow Brackish.

Right, now The Dose Makes The Poison stuff:

Headline 1: Draft script of the adventure part of the module is with the editor, still a bit of writing to do for the stretch goals

The festive period was less productive than I'd hoped (10 folks staying for Christmas 😬), and I was hit with a week of illness that I believe comes as part of any crowdfunding campaign, but I've handed my first draft of the adventure part of the module to my editor, DG Chapman. I'm still working to finish the stretch goal pages - the additional back story and plot hooks. In an ideal world I want all this portion sewn up by the middle of February so we can get into design proper.

Headline 2: Surveys going out next week

Before the holidays I made good progress getting this set up, but then took a break from Backerkit as it felt like I'd been living inside it for a month. Next week, I'm looking to get the smoke test (a test sent to 5% of backers to make sure there's no issues) out, then follow that up with the survey for everyone else shortly after that. Here you can confirm your order, and add in extras or upgrade your pledge should you wish. Shipping will be added later, closer to the mail out date.

Headline 3: Hope's Serum ad in progress

I've storyboarded this, next thing is to get this over to Norgad to get the various illustrations done for each scene and then on to the animator to, er, animate.

Headline 4: Early backer patch things

I've found a nice, communicative company in the UK for making these. I'm about to order a sample patch which will take about 3 weeks to arrive, so hopefully will have that to show next update.

That's enough for today. A very text heavy update this one, so here's a pic of my puppy with his head in a boot:

Cheers,
Andrew

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support for The Dose Makes The Poison, and for getting the project up to exactly 1000 backers when the backer train finally finished. 1000!

I was stuck in a work thing for much of the afternoon yesterday so completely missed the final hours, but it looked like a wild ride towards Mothership Month crossing the $1,000,000 mark in total pledges. $1,000,000!

Next steps here are:

Finish the TDMTP script - I’ve got quite a bit of new ideas and content to add to the current script, along with the new additional pages of factions content. I want this complete before the end of the year, so it can be sent over to DG Chapman for…

Editing in January. I’m going to earmark the whole month for this in case there’s a lot of back and forth or the need to play test anything before the edit. We’ll also finalise design elements like the illustrations for the Hope’s Serum TV ad, poster and sticker in this month before we get into…

Design and layout in February where Norgad gets free rein to knock the whole zine into shape. Will also get my animator Austin Temby on the case to make the TV ad.

In the background, I’ll be working on recording the Hope’s Serum jingle properly, and getting in-game voice notes audio files recorded with some actor pals. 

I’ll aim for at least monthly updates to let you know we’re all on track, and keep you abreast of any cool stuff as it happens.

Thanks for putting up with all the emailing and messages from me and for making this crowdfunding such a success for all the projects. 

Big thank you to Tuesday Knight Games, too. It’s been an absolute honour to be a part of the inaugural Mothership Month. 

Now let’s go make some zines!*

Andrew



*Jk now I’m off to look at 20 pledge transactions come off my credit card 💸😭💸