"Blast 798" = Band
over 8 years ago – Tue, Dec 22, 2015 at 09:04:07 PM

Watch your inboxes, rockers.

I just pushed a button in BackerKit that says, "Blast 798 Notification Emails," which — unless I have done something horribly wrong — will alert all y'all backers that you can now download from BackerKit two PDF versions of the Band or Album rules (one optimized for print-and-accordion-folding, one optimized for screen-reading) and the PDF version of my essay "Totally Metal" from The Bones: Us and Our Dice.

If you dig them, spend some time playing Band or Album with your friends and family over the holidays and alert the social medias of your happiness. You might, just perhaps, alert your crew that they can pre-order a plethora of Band or Album swag here, at a price not quite as good as the one you got as a backer:

https://band-or-album-the-social-game-youre-playing-even-n.backerkit.com/admin/preorders

And if you haven't filled out your BackerKit survey? Now would be a good time. We're at 82% of backers responding, which is respectable, but on the other hand, if rock 'n' roll was merely respectable, where would we be in this year of 2015? I ask you.

If you were one of our 48 Groupies, this completes your Band or Album Experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The rest of you… stay tuned for coins in 2016.

\m/

"Surveys Alight" = Album
over 8 years ago – Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 02:42:01 PM

I just pushed the "Send Surveys" button over at BackerKit. Follow the personalized link in the email that's probably in your inbox even now to…

• Provide your shipping details.
• If you are a Rock Star, choose which free premium coin you'd like.
• Identify and pay for any additional loot you'd like to add to your order, like more premium coins, additional guitar picks, or whatever else.

The sooner you do this, the more it'll help me. I'd like to order all of your coins before the end of the year, and knowing how many of each finish I'll need will reduce guesswork.

Looking forward, BackerKit is also how you'll receive the three PDFs that every backer's slated to get (the PDF rules, the "Totally Metal" essay from The Bones, and "Ten Mediations on #EarwormNinja.")

If you ever need to change your survey responses, add or remove add-ons, or update your shipping information, you can click on the link in your survey email again, or re-request your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on the BackerKit project page. You'll be able to do this until late February or early March, probably.

"I can't find the email," some will say. Never fear. You can go directly to the URL below to re-generate your personal link. You can also send this URL to your friends who missed the campaign; they can use it to order coins of their very own, although they won't get quite as good a deal as you did.

http://band-or-album-the-social-game-youre-playing-even-n.backerkit.com

"A BackerKit is Not a Drum Kit, Steve" = Album
over 8 years ago – Mon, Dec 14, 2015 at 01:56:12 PM

First Things First: Please inform your bankers and credit card issuers that your status as a Band or Album backer is a positive indication of your credit-worthiness: Only one of 266 backers failed to make good on their campaign pledge, which demolishes world- and industry-wide averages. Well done, rockers! Your pledges have now landed in my bank account, from whence they shall rush to the corners of the globe to purchase coins, rulebooks, guitar picks, and all the rest.

Second Things After That: Be on the lookout for a BackerKit survey sometime this week. It would be super-helpful if you'd act on it right away, because that will help me know how many coins of each finish to order. (You'll be able to update your shipping address until I shout "Last Call!" at shipping time, so don't hesitate to pick your finishes and add your add-ons now even if you'll move house before shipping time.) Also, rulebook PDF downloads will be ready to go out by this time next week, and they'll be delivered via BackerKit, too. 

Third Things Third: If you're not hip to BackerKit, that's fine. Just drop me a note via Kickstarter and I'll get you set up personally.

Fourth Things Fourth: The functional guitar picks will look something like this:

There is no fifth thing, Steve. Please stop trying to play drums on the BackerKit.

"All That + A Bag of Chips" = Toughie
over 8 years ago – Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 08:56:39 PM

As you may have seen on the social medias, it is done. All our stretch goals were defeated. I even threw in a PDF copy of my essay from The Bones: Us and Our Dice, "Totally Metal," for all backers at the last minute. Band or Album will be a reality, thanks to your support, enthusiasm, and word-of-mouth. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We had a huge last day, which (a) is great!, but (b) means that I haven't caught up with all of the personal thank-yous I've been sending to each and every campaign backer. If you haven't received a note from me yet, (a) I apologize, and (b) you will.

Next steps:

(a) Celebrate!

(b) Keep on playing Band or Album on your social media of choice. If you're having fun and no one thinks you're a jerk, you're doing it right. For example, Hero of the Republic Jameson Simmons invented a new, graphical way of playing Band or Album by creating a CD cover, so it turns out that all forms of Band or Album fun haven't even been discovered yet.

(c) Rejoice in the forthcoming, medium-term break from backer updates.

(d) If your payment didn't go through, please get with the Kickstarter folks and resolve that.

(e) Watch for a BackerKit email 14 days from now. At that point you'll confirm your address for PDFs and shipments, snag any add-ons you'd like, and otherwise finalize all that stuff.

(f) Questions? Contact me here via Kickstarter or drop me an email at jeff at jefftidball dot com.

Seriously, on behalf of the whole team — myself, Ken, Will, Daniel, Renee, and Mark and Andre at Campaign Coins — thank you!

"A Missive From Past Jeff" = Album ("Past Jeff" = Band")
over 8 years ago – Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 08:45:13 PM

The Campaign Ends Today. On Tuesday.

I'm updating you this morning from the past, writing this, as I am, last night. (It is my assumption that you, a Band or Album backer with excellent taste and a vibrant social circle, have better things to do than read email and backer updates on a swingin' Monday night. If you're reading this on Monday night, please do close this message or browser tab and come back in the morning.)

Today (well, yesterday, on Monday), we unlocked functional, full-color, two-sided Band or Album guitar picks for everyone at the Band Leader, Rock Star, and Executive levels. Update your backer levels accordingly.

Now, then: There are a few hours left for us to check two last to-do items off our collective list of Things To Do before we wrap this thing up:

(1) To Do: Unlock the Double Platinum Premium Finish at $5,000. Should be handily do-able.

(2a) To Do: Find an Executive Wedding Sponsor to Unlock the Antique Copper Premium Finish. However, because (i) I'm concerned that everyone in the world is already married, and (ii) I really, really want to make the copper premium finish available, I'm going to offer an alternate way we can unlock those copper coins, in the event that no one steps forward to get married and become the Senior Co-Vice Presidents of the Eternal Love That Only Music Can Bring.

(2b) Alternate To Do: If we reach 300 backers before the end of the campaign, I'll unlock the copper premium finish whether anyone gets married or not. I suspect that, among our peers of excellent taste, there are enough who possess one single simoleon ("One Single Simoleon" = Band) to become Band or Album Groupies and swell mightily our backer count that we ought to be able to get this done without any difficulty whatsoever. That is, as long as everyone's on board, spreading the word as we come down to the wire.

Did I mention that all y'all backers are the greatest? You are the greatest.

Running this Kickstarter campaign is the most fun I've had publishing a game in a long time, and I really appreciate the success that you've helped make it. More tomorrow, and later in the week. I've got more BackerKit stuff to set up, just now.

Catch you in the future, Team Rock 'n' Roll!