Hello Steam Warriors!
The boilers are pumping and we're at max steam! I don't know the technical term, I'm not a war rig engineer! You get what I mean!
Thanks to the suppor...
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James Bell
13 days ago
FINAL HOURS: CHECKLIST & WHAT COMES NEXT
Good morning Steam Warriors,
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a fun run - funding the book, adding nearly 450 members to our crew, unlocking almost all...
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James Bell
13 days ago
Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
Hello Steam Warriors,
We're just at the Final 24 Hour Countdown, or very close as I type this. Within this final day, I wanted to review some important topics, most especial...
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James Bell
15 days ago
Steamy Storyguiding [Backer Manuscript Preview Download Part 5]
Hello Steam Warriors,
We'll have a look at our Stretch Goal progress and targets coming tomorrow, but let's have a little sneak peek at our current target.
At $19,000 in F...
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James Bell
15 days ago
Sneak Peek: Storyguide War Rigs
Hello Steam Warriors,
We're into our final days, and I've got one more sneak peek before our final manuscript section drops tomorrow. All backers will be able to re...
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James Bell
16 days ago
Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
Hello Steam Warriors,
I've got a lot to go over today, so let's fire up the boilers and start up the steam!
Before we get into it, one more quick reminder about our current...
We'll have a look at our Stretch Goal progress and targets coming tomorrow, but let's have a little sneak peek at our current target.
At $19,000 in Funding - TC: STEAM WARS REFERENCE PDF
We will create a useful reference PDF with handy charts for TC: Steam Wars Storyguide that can be printed out or kept on a computer or tablet! This PDF will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars PDF as part of their rewards. [Pilot reward tier+]. All backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards will also receive a link to order a print-on-demand version at a discounted cost [Captain reward tier+]
Tomorrow, we'll mark our victories and look ahead at future targets! For today, I've got the FINAL draft manuscript section for backers. With this download, all backers are now able to read the ENTIRE draft mansucript, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. Everyone who's part of our crew at this point should be dedicated to the cause and know exactly what we're working towards.
Shipping Costs will be Collected in the Pledge Manager
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. And that's as of today - we're all in the dark about how things will look in 2 years. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they haven't been able to set up ongoing international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that international shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. If you live outside the US and aren't sure you want the hardcover or other physical items, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
Draft Manuscript Previews
Over the course of this campaign, backers are receiving the entire current draft manuscript for Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, but not all in one go. The previews will come out in bite-sized sections throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over these 30 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.
Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.
In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars Feedback Form>
You can use this Feedback Form to shrea your thoughts directly with the TC: Steam Wars developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.
Welcome to the final hours of this campaign! We've had a fun run - funding the book, adding nearly 450 members to our crew, unlocking almost all of the Stretch Goals - but we're closing in on the finish line very soon!
Will we unlock our final Stretch Goal before the end? We're *very close* to our target, so it's definitely a possibility!
At $20,000 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN ON REDBUBBLE
A TC: Steam Wars-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. [Envoy reward tier+]
The most important part of this campaign, though, is that we have successfully funded this project! Thanks to everyone who's come out to support this campaign, we'll be getting this cool book!
FINAL DAY CHECKLIST
Whether you're a rookie co-pilot in a Runabout Class rig or sitting in the big chair of a Behemoth Class machine, these are some good topics to review over these final six hours...
1. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING
You can learn a ton the game from this Gentleman Gamer video series:
This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.
The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with a bonus PDF version).
Pilot
This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
Captain
This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
As noted, shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the BackerKit Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge to the Pilot tier and upgrade inthe pledge managerto the hardcover tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including a ton of Trinity Continuum books and also some of the They Came From titles that feature art from Larry Blamire.
ADD ON selections will be available in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as well.
SO: Ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier you want, and select any Add On options you wish to include. AND - make sure that you are comfortable with the Pledge amount, in terms of it covering everything you want and theaffordabilityof the pledge at this moment!
I'm going to speak against my own self interest for a moment, and repeat something I say at the end of every campaign - 2025 has been pretty wild so far, and there's even more uncertainty ahead. Ensure that your circumstances enable you to afford this pledge at this moment - BackerKit will begin processing payments late tonight after the campaign ends and neither Onyx Path nor I have any involvement in that process. If you are unsure of your financial situation but don't want to miss out, please pledge for a tier you can afford now and know that you will be able to upgrade to open pledge levels in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for some time before the book is completed. There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.
Choose a Reward Tier You Can Afford
Readthe Manuscripts and Make Sure You Know What You're Getting
Be Aware of the Projected Delivery Date (Onyx Path will try to deliver earlier than this, but the book will take some time to get perfect, and we're dealing with an imperfect world. Schedules sometimes go awry)
3. PAYMENT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Once you're comfortable with your pledge, please ensure that the payment and contact information in your BackerKit account is up to date and correct. Making sure your e-mail is entered correctly and your credit card isn't expired will speed up the next step process. (I have learned from experience!)
4.OVERTIME MODE
Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.
You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.
So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on February 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as planned? Who knows, but we'll find out together! Full steam ahead!
WHAT COMES NEXT?
5. AFTER THE CAMPAIGN ENDS
First, we celebrate. The campaign page will subtly change, locking out the ability to pledge and showing the final totals. We'll give socially-distanced high fives and digital fist bumps in the Community section and over on Discord.
Then, the BackerKit payment process begins. Starting late tonight and continuing over the next week, Backerkit will begin charging your payment methods for the total amount you've pledged.
If there is an issue with your payment method (expired credit card or incorrect number or pre-paid Visa awaiting funds, for example), BackerKit will keep trying to process payment during this time.
Once this step is done, which will likely be by the mid-March, BackerKit will confirm everything with Onyx Path and I can begin to set up the project in the Pledge Manager and load in all of the campaign data.
In addition to providing the crowdfunding platform for this campaign, BackerKit is also Onyx Path's regular Pledge Manager partner.
BackerKit provides a robust fulfillment integration and pledge management program that will allow us to work with all of the data and distribute the rewards to you. It will take me about a month to set the project up. Once I've got it all entered and built, the team from BackerKit will review to ensure I didn't mess anything up too badly, and then I'll make any changes they've suggested and we can move on to the Survey stage.
6. BACKERKIT SURVEYS
Once BackerKit says I'm good to go, I will send out a survey to all backers. This is why confirming your e-mail is important!
The BackerKit survey is both a verb and a noun - it will collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group (enabling Onyx Path to set print runs, prioritize new projects, and fine-tune future campaigns), as well as providing a general review or summary of the reward tier you've chosen, confirm all of the rewards associated with that reward tier, and confirm your total pledge amount.
I expect Surveys to go out before April 2025.
During the Survey period, you can choose to increase your reward tier and add on additional options. If you've found $20 in your spring coat or found an alternate income source and decide it's time to trade up to the hardcover version of the book or include another add-on, you can do so at this time. Note, you will not be able to reduce your reward tier selection, only increase.
If you selected Add On options, they'll be added to your reward list automatically.
Note that you'll be able to upgrade your pledge tier for quite some time - until we're getting ready to print the book itself and have figured out shipping costs. So don't feel pressure to have it all figured out right away - we'll make sure there's plenty of time to get it all sorted before the books go out.
Similarly, if you have a hardcover book as one of your rewards, the survey will ask you to confirm your shipping address, even though it'll be some time before we ship out the final product. Do not worry about moving before shipping begins - you will be able to update BackerKit right up until the point that we begin fulfilling the final book. We will send out a notice prior to lock down so you can update any information.
I'll also use the Survey to confirm some details for the premium reward tiers.
7. REWARD DISTRIBUTION
Once the surveys are up and running, I'll prepare fulfillment for the existing rewards - the Add On options that are all currently available, like the Trinity Continuum and They Came From books. Depending on how smoothly the Pledge Manager process goes, those should be out fairly soon after the survey stage starts. So, let's say the existing PDF rewards will be out to you by mid-April. That's only the beginning, though.
This is a long process, but I will send out regular updates (usually at the end of the month) to keep you up to speed on Onyx Path's progress. There will be strings of updates that are just "still working on it," but I will share new artwork or information when I can.
Eventually, we will have a completed PDF of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars. Onyx Path will take some time to distribute, review, and compile any errata or corrections that need to be made. When they've made any necessary changes, they'll make an updated version of the PDF available in your DriveThruRPG digital library and then begin creating print-ready files for the Print-on-Demand and the hardcover versions.
It's yet another long road ahead, likely full of twists and turns and surprises, but one that we wouldn't be undertaking if not for your ongoing support.
So - one final time - please spread the word to any potential backers and fans, and thanks so much for a great campaign!
The boilers are pumping and we're at max steam! I don't know the technical term, I'm not a war rig engineer! You get what I mean!
Thanks to the support of more than 465 backers, Onyx Path will be able to develop and print hardcover editions of Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars!
There's more to celebrate! Not only did we fund the project in the first week, we unlocked FOUR Stretch Goals over the final weeks of the campaign. That's right - we unlocked our final stretch goal target today, in the final hours of this campaign!
ACHIEVED! -At $20,000 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN ON REDBUBBLE
A TC: Steam Wars-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. [Envoy reward tier+]
We're gonna be so stylin'!
That's in addition to the trio of Stretch Goals we'd already unlocked!
We will create a PDF supplement introducing a new threat for the war rigs to face - titanic beasts that rise from the depths. Delving into the origin of these monsters, this supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards. [Captain reward tier+]
ACHIEVED! - DIGITAL WALLPAPER
Fantastic TC: Steam Wars artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added as a free bonus reward for all backers supporting this project. [Envoy reward tier+]
ACHIEVED! - TC: STEAM WARS REFERENCE PDF
We will create a useful reference PDF with handy charts for TC: Steam Wars Storyguide that can be printed out or kept on a computer or tablet! This PDF will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars PDF as part of their rewards. [Pilot reward tier+]. All backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards will also receive a link to order a print-on-demand version at a discounted cost [Captain reward tier+].
So a huge congratulations to Matthew and Eddy and the team on this project, and to Larry Blamire, who provided so much inspiration and enthusiasm, and to all of the backers who've joined in to make this possible. I'm happy about the goals we hit and rewards we introduced, but I'm also always amazed and excited about having more than 465 backers join in to support this truly quirky niche game!
COMMUNICATION
So, as noted in today's earlier update, starting in April I'll be sending out updates once a month and whenever we've got a new goal, survey, or other item to cover. If you have any questions or need clarification on something related to the campaign, feel free to get in touch. I may take a bit to answer as I recover from these past four weeks and take some time to shovel my driveway and clean up my desk!
I'll also see if I can sneak a compiled draft manuscript out to you maybe in the middle of March. Nothing changed, just smashed together in order.
TO CONTACT ME
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your forthcoming survey page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
We're just at the Final 24 Hour Countdown, or very close as I type this. Within this final day, I wanted to review some important topics, most especially our current Stretch Goal situation. Let's get to the review!
We're in the Final Day Countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars finishes the crowdfunding campaign on February 27th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to assemble a few more backers, but we're definitely looking right at the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these final 24 hours to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.
Whether you're a rookie co-pilot in a Runabout Class rig or sitting in the big chair of a Behemoth Class machine, these are some good topics to review over this week to make sure we all end up where we want to be.
(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews, youtube videos, and other helpful information.)
Refresher Course
Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not includingshippingcharges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.
Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And it's fun to check out those videos from Matthew. In fact, I've got two more new Letters from the Front videos for you to check out...
We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).
MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done, but you can consider it most of the way there and a good representation of what you'll get in the final book. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!
PLEDGE TIERS -This update breaks down your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Tier to choose to help support this project in a way that works for you.
The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition (which comes with bonus PDF version).
Pilot
This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
Captain
This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
ADD-ON OPTIONS - The other half of our Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can add as part of your pledging process, including a ton of Trinity Continuum books and also some of the They Came From titles that feature art from Larry Blamire.
Choose Wisely
Choosing the correct Reward Tier for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.
Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + ADD ONS only - Any Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.
Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists (based on the Pledge tier). If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Envoy tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.
Tomorrow I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.
But until then, let's review our Stretch Goal success story!
Over the past 28 (or is it 29?) days as we've worked through this campaign, we've not only funded the book but unlocked a trio of Stretch Goals! That's right - we unlocked a Stretch Goal that was just announced yesterday!
We will create a PDF supplement introducing a new threat for the war rigs to face - titanic beasts that rise from the depths. Delving into the origin of these monsters, this supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards. [Captain reward tier+]
ACHIEVED! - DIGITAL WALLPAPER
Fantastic TC: Steam Wars artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added as a free bonus reward for all backers supporting this project. [Envoy reward tier+]
ACHIEVED! - TC: STEAM WARS REFERENCE PDF
We will create a useful reference PDF with handy charts for TC: Steam Wars Storyguide that can be printed out or kept on a computer or tablet! This PDF will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars PDF as part of their rewards. [Pilot reward tier+]. All backers receiving the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars hardcover book as part of their rewards will also receive a link to order a print-on-demand version at a discounted cost [Captain reward tier+].
I kno wthe Digital Wallpapers are one of the minor rewards that we use as milestone markers during a campaign, but I do love to refresh my screen every few months to keep things interesting, and I absolutely *love* the artwork from Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars, so looking forward to that.
And a small supplement to introduce the idea of Kaiju as another antagonist for our war rigs?! I mean, that's fantastic!
And with these complicated steam-powered machines under our control, it certainly won't hurt to have some more reference material to help run a game!
But... maybe we can unlock one more?
At $20,000 in Funding - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN ON REDBUBBLE
A TC: Steam Wars-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase. [Envoy reward tier+]
I'm certainly enjoying my new TC: Steam Wars digital look, and it'll be fun to take that into the real world! Let's see if we can unlock one final Stretch Goal before we end tomorrow!
YOUR REWARDS!
That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have a digital wallpaper, Storyguide Reference charts, and a supplement adding a whole new element to the game and world!
NOT MUCH MORE TIME
Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there is still one possible Stretch Goal reward that is almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem a challenge, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! It's certainly within reach, but won't be easy, so let's keep at it!
So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!
And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybeunlocking thatfinal bonus reward!
Remember, only the funds generated during the Crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!
TRINITY CONTINUUM: STEAM WARS enters OVERTIME MODE on Thursday, February 27thth at 2:00 PM Eastern.
We will finish up as soon as our backer train ends after that point! So let's see if we can't hit a final Stretch Goal and then keep that train running for an extra 10 or 20 minutes!!
