This week, Kristian and Tracy discuss the sometimes (but not always) contradictory goals of creating a game that we think will sell, versus creating the game we want to play. It's a nuanced topic and in our weird industry of creating "experiences," trying to find a balance between these two goals sometimes leads to difficult and risky decisions.

The Han Cluster PreOrder Store! - https://han-cluster.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #28: A Game to Play or a Game to Sell?

This week, Tracy and Kristian deep dive into the seemingly endless decisions leading up to and during crowdfunding. Tracy discusses the Han Cluster BackerKit campaign in terms of everything from choosing the platform, to deciding on the offering, to setting funding goals, to creating pledge tiers, and much more.  There's multiple reasons behind EVERY decision, and this is just an introduction to some of them.

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #27: Crowdfunding Decisions

This week, Tracy and Kristian Tracy talk about what SHE experienced BEHIND THE SCENES leading up to and during her crowdfunding campaign for Han Cluster, including the breaking out of a full-blown trade war in the middle of the funding period. We pull back the curtain completely on some of the most difficult and stressful aspects of bringing a design project to the marketplace. This is the moment when time, money, sweat and tears all come together in a culmination of discovery: Do we have viable product or don't we? There is no easy way to go through this, especially as a new creator, and since this podcast aims be honest and inform, we wanted to give a fair warning about how difficult this can become so that you can go in with your eyes wide open. At the same time, since we want to inspire as well, we also want to impress that there IS a payoff to all this, you just have to take the leap to get to it.

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #26: Facing Hard Realities

Tracy and Kristian finally get into some of the nitty gritty of laying out your book and other products for an audience to consume. Though this is primarily a high level overview of how layout programs (like InDeisgn and Affinity) work and "think," it's also a dense exploration of everything from basic concepts to best-practices as you move from the word-processor or note-taking ecosystem into the the brave new world of product layout (or you just start there, like Tracy, cuz she's "crazy!"). This is an episode you might revisit multiple times as you level up your game, and we'll definitely revisit the topic in the future.

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #25: The Basics of Layout

This week, Kristian and Tracy explore some of the roadblocks that can get in the way of our creative selves. These may include the world around us, external pressures, or our own inner demons. We have an honest discussion about what we do to keep going, how our creations themselves can be our voices for change and a advocating for a better world, and the little tricks and tips we've learned to keep our minds healthy and our work productive without killing ourselves.

The Han Cluster on BackerKit! - https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/ede-sol-games/han-cluster-optimistic-sci-fi-rpg?ref=podcast-link

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #24: Sustainable Design

This week, Tracy and Kristian talk about the strategies and challenges of building your audience, not only for your game, but for you as its creator. We cover some of our own anecdotal experience navigating these tricky waters, emphasizing not the marketing and hype of it, but the benefit of nurturing genuine relationships when you're able. We talk about both being authentic to yourself and ways to protect yourself. And we even talk about cultivating that small group of engaged people around you who can help widen your net to a much larger audience with their enthusiasm.

Problem #23: Building Your Audience

This week, Tracy and Kristian take some time to decompress. With Han Cluster's crowdfunding and all the anxiety and excitement that comes with it in full swing, we look back on our big projects with an informal discussion of how they started, how we solved certain problems, and ultimately how they turned into run-away freight trains we could no longer control. In all seriousness, this episode tangentially explores topics of creativity, motivation, perseverance, the struggle against those who want to tear you down, and both the rewards these things can bestow, and the toll they can take on those of us who can't help ourselves. We hope that maybe you'll see a little of your own experiences in ours, and maybe that shared connection is enough to keep us all going.

The Han Cluster on BackerKit! - https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/ede-sol-games/han-cluster-optimistic-sci-fi-rpg?ref=podcast-link

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #22: What Was I Thinking?!

This week Tracy and Kristian are joined by Jodi Black, President of Carolina Game Tables and lead editor at Pinnacle Entertainment. We dive into the complex but rewarding world of running your own business (particularly as it applies in the US, since that's what we're familiar with). We talk about the different business entity types from Sole Proprietorships to C-Corps, what might be right for you, and how you can start small and think big. We dive into the benefits that setting up a proper business entity offers, and even touch on the challenge of collecting and paying sales and use taxes for products. This is a dense episode with a lot of information, but it's okay to start small and grow.  DISCLAIMER: We are not accountants, lawyers, or tax professionals and none of what's said in this podcast should be considered professional advice. We encourage you to form your own team for this purpose. As your business grows they become invaluable.

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/
Carolina Game Tables: https://carolinagametables.com/
Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/

Problem #21: The Business of Design

This week, Tracy and Kristian are joined by Darrell Hayhurst, creative director at Pinnacle Entertainment, to talk about a fascinating problem in RPG design. How much can you change your world-state during the course of your adventures or campaign? Can it evolve? Or should it remain static. The answer, as always, is, "it depends." There are advantages and disadvantages of each, and it's not an either-or choice. It's a continuum. Regardless, It's a problem that's worth contemplating both from the designer's perspective and the player's.

The Han Cluster on BackerKit! - https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/1fa4354f-a958-4f84-94b5-4431314573a2/landing

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com [https://hancluster.com/]
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/

Problem #20: Changing World States

In this episode we cover one of our most requested topics. Tracy and Kristian are joined by Jenn Ellis of Twogether Studios to demystify the art of art direction. We cover a number of different aspects, including how to find artists and get them onboard with your project, the different ways of communicating with them, the options you have when contracting with them, the revision process, and how to minimize the damage when the art you get back doesn't align with your vision for the project. Finally, it's important to remember that commissioning original art for your project can be the most thrilling and exciting part of the process. It can inspire you when you're at your lowest, and the artists you work with are partners that can take your project to new heights, both commercially, and emotionally (also, by "Palette, Tracy meant "Canvas"... duh!).

Join our discord!: https://discord.gg/Bc9dvuzZYJ
The Han Cluster® Role Playing Game Website: https://hancluster.com
Immaterial Plane: https://immaterialplane.com/
Twogether Studios: https://www.twogetherstudios.com/

Problem #19: Art Direction

Hosts Kristian Serrano and Tracy Sizemore explore the ins and outs of RPG design, production and publishing. We cover the entire process from the creative woes of working on your own game or setting, to your decision to share it with the world, to the details of layout, working with artists and running a crowdfunding campaign.

Designing Problems