For those of you who haven't been following it, the Space 1889 roleplaying game on Kickstarter finished its funding window two days ago. It had made its original funding goal within a week or the launch and then made steady progress toward the stretch goals after that. But there was a big surge at the end and it ended up hitting 483% of its original funding goal, with over $100,000 raised. There will be LOTS of supplements and adventures coming, as well as some very handsome 28mm miniatures based on the artwork for the characters.
I am delighted and a little stunned. I expected it to do well, to hits its original funding target easily, and probably double or treble that. But a nearly five-fold increase is amazing, and wonderful. With this game coming out later this year from Clockwork Productions, and the supplements coming out next year, with The Forever Engine shipping from Baen Books in January of next year, with more e-books coming in Space 1889 and Beyond from Untreed Reads, the next twelve months should be about everything Space 1889 fans could want--aside from a working aether flyer, of course.
Over the past six weeks I've learned that Kickstarter campaigns are as intense as eBay auctions, only upside-down - in Kickstarters, you want all the others to bid as high as possible too...
ReplyDeleteNow all we need is an updated set of miniatures rules to go with the updated RPG! ;-)
Oerjan,
DeleteI'm working on that with Mars Needs Steam!
I should've replied to this a long time ago, but got involved developing another game (GMT's Fire in the Lake) while waiting for the new S:1889 to be released...
DeleteHow are things going with Mars Needs Steam? The latest update I've found was from 2012 :(
I went with the Rule book plus and will probably pick up a few of the add ons.
ReplyDeleteColKG
The whole regiment is proud of you.
Deleteoosh... I ended up spending more then I expected, but Venus and Mercury Sourcebooks were too tempting. :)
ReplyDeleteSide question: but what was the origin of the original Space:1889 RPG rules system? Were they your house rules, or did you design them as part of the miniatures and sky gallon rules?
The sourcebooks do look very good, don;t they?
ReplyDeleteAs to the rules, they were all done at the same time. The idea of the Space: 1889 world came first, and the various game systems came afterwards to fit it.
i was wondering- the various 1889 games all felt like part of a large whole.
Deletei am looking forward to checking out the Ubiquity rules, but I am still a fan of the classic rules. The close combat rules have a cool attack/block/shoot cadence that give a Michael Cain in 'Zulu' vibe to the fights.
That sort of close combat was much what I had in mind when designing the rules, Zulu and that great boarding scene from The Sand Pebbles.
DeleteI got the Rulebook Plus and some extras (a GM screen and some dice). I'd easily have spent twice as much, but my family and I were returning from vacation when I caught this, and our bank balance is hurting as it is. :) Still, I'm gratified to see that the campaign went so astoundingly well!
ReplyDeleteNow that the game made its goal (and then some), I imagine the adventures and sourcebooks will be available for a while and separate from the Kickstarter campaign. So look in your local retailer after January.
ReplyDeleteVery cool all of your work is once again hitting the gaming market(s). A few years back I lucked out and found your 2000 reprint w/Heliograph. I admire you for your original, undergroundish mentality and that it has survived through thick and thin. I'll probably have a campaign going at my local game store this coming year.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Give your players my best wishes.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if the PDFs and MP3s will be sold online once they're ready? I missed the Kickstarter campaign (busy recovering from broken bones). Unfortunately I have no local retailer, and shipping to Canada seems to run about 50% (not to mention I have no shelf space left!).
ReplyDeleteI don't know for sure. I bet they will be but let me find out and get back to you.
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