Happy Horrorween, Survivors!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 10:26:34 PM

Greetings from the Rusted Portal Colony! 

Today we celebrate All Hallow’s Eve and wish you the best in your haunts. From Eclipse de los Muertos and the Rusted Portal crew, we hope you’ve had a fantastic Halloween.

We have been quiet of late, focusing on fortifying our walls while seeking resources from unlikely places. We have a mixed report for you this day, from events and playtests to final builds and production timing. There’s a lot great progress and especially some good news on the visuals for the book you’ve made possible.

Pre-Sale is Live!

A few weeks ago we quietly launched the pre-sale campaign which we are now ready to roll out fully. You can link to the pre-sale from the Kickstarter page, so do your worst and spread the word to all your gaming friends. And don’t forget the FLGS! We’ve already got a few that plan to order. Also on the way in November will be your surveys. We are learning Backerkit and have been careful to not make mistakes we will have to fix later. Fingers crossed!

Delivery Schedule: 

We are absolutely behind our target production schedule and with great reason. From the start we have promised that you will receive a book well beyond expectations. We remain dedicated to that promise. Our new timeline has us printing Pathfinder in Q1 and likely delivering in Q2. The target is for delivery of 5E in Q3, in time for Gen Con 2018! Following are some reasons and results of the delay.

Art – We have some outstanding art pieces that were expected by this point. While progress on existing commissions is behind schedule, the pieces delivered continue to be the amazing quality you expect. In case you had forgotten some of the amazing work from Raven Mimura for the iconics, check out the latest. Here’s Frost the Lazarus Harbinger and Enoch the Seraphim Arbiter (both drafts). 

And because art remains of key importance to Rusted Portal, we have opted to commission a lot more art during the delay. We have ADDED about 50 new art commissions since Gen Con. That’s not a typo. In fact, that number may grow as we flesh out the book with some additional artists. That said, the timing for all of this will overlap not stack for further delays. We are also working on some photo manipulation pieces for an immersive view into post-Rise Earth. Here’s an example!

Playtest – We are crunching final designs after heavy playtest leading into Gen Con. We found that our Otherworldly casters had a few things in common without an associated game mechanic. We have since built and playtested the Faith, Justice, and Nature Pool mechanic for the Shepherd, Arbiter, and Conservator. It is a much more elegant and playable design we know you’ll love. 

In the coming weeks we will also be releasing the 2017 5E Gen Con standalone adventure “A Hox and a Gentlemen” as a free download. This will include eleven 7th level character builds for some great insight into what’s coming!

Editing – We have been working through the internal edits before sending out of house. This allows us to really lock down the nomenclature so GMs and players can further dive deep into the world of Apocalypse the Risen.

Events:

Gen Con 2017 – We had an incredible Gen Con, running 14 four hour sessions over the course of the best 4 days in gaming. Over that time period we had nearly 100 players between the Pathfinder game “A Feast for the Eyes” and the 5E game “A Hox and a Gentlemen”. The response was so very positive we were just blown away. Despite how much we believe in AtR, we are always deeply humbled by players having such a good time. We will be a staple at Gen Con going forward and hope you make it to our table next year.

GE2.Live – This year we were invited to participate in the Entercom Radio event GE2.Live hosted by local station KISW. The event includes all kinds of interactive games from VR games to drone racing. Most important to us, the growing tabletop gaming section in year two was a great success. We ran two game tables with Raven showcasing art on an adjacent table. Awesome!

This unique event is designed to be experiential rather than immersive. That’s a big challenge for an RPG and we are stoked with how it turned out. Each game was designed to run approximately 1hr, though most players continued through two hours of content. We accomplished this by reducing both the Pathfinder and 5E characters to a rules lite version, allowing us to get through more game at a lower learning curve. We intend to apply this to future events and think you’ll find the experience incredibly fun. Perhaps you will get a chance to explore the Happy Hotel or the Health & Wellness Center!

Upcoming – We will be attending OrcaCon, Norwescon, PaizoCon, and Gen Con for sure in 2018. We are hoping to travel for a couple other conventions is possible. Keep an eye out as we ramp up our social media communications.

Most of all, we wanted to give you our continued thanks for the support and interest in Apocalypse the Risen. We cannot wait to get you this game. Clear your campaign schedule because the Seals will all be broken.

Donaven – Rusted Portal Games

Gen Con Updated!
over 6 years ago – Wed, Aug 16, 2017 at 02:47:50 PM

Hello Survivors,

For those of you making the trek to Gen Con 50, we hope you made it into one of our game sessions. If not, please feel free to stop by and say hello. We'd love to shake your hand and talk about safe zones to meet up post-Rise.

Below is a finalized schedule of our booked out games. Even if you aren't attending, take a moment to congratulate yourself for helping put us on the map. Fourteen 4hr game sessions between Pathfinder and 5E, all booked with full tables.

One change... Chad Matson is unfortunately not able to come run our Pathfinder games for the weekend. Instead, yours truly will be holding down the PF event all weekend. See you there!

Sincerely,

Donaven | CEO
Rusted Portal Games

Apocalypse the Risen Progress!
almost 7 years ago – Sun, Jul 23, 2017 at 09:59:56 PM

Hello Survivors!

We are starting to hear questions on progress and realized we've been WAY too quiet! Truth is, we are working our asses off over here on this game and Gen Con prep. We have been running Pathfinder playtests through level progression as well as 5E class and bestiary development. Not to mention, run through playtest of the Gen Con 5E game which is SICK. No, I mean really, who comes up with these horrific encounters?!? What about the Pathfinder Gen Con game you ask? We've got that one dialed in from a few months back as well! Seriously, don't leave the colony, it isn't safe out there.

Pathfinder Development:

PF is getting the majority of the attention as that system is the first scheduled for delivery so that will be the focus of this update. We have identified 13 chapters plus the "Intro to Surviving" and "Intro to Running" AtR chapters. Chad has moved to a remote outpost and churned through final build on the seven heaviest chapters needing work, including the vehicle rules. Word of advice... be careful on scavenging missions when crossing intersections. There are silent and invisible objects traveling at high speeds. Vehicle "accidents" are not pretty. Also, wear your seat belt! 

We intend to work through final designs in August and go into full edit in September. We have agreed in principle with an awesome layout artist, Simeon Cogswell! He will handle both Pathfinder ('17) and 5E ('18) so we have a consistent feel. We are targeting hand-off of files to Simeon at the end of September/start of October. Check him out!

http://www.simeoncogswell.com/

Our goal for Pathfinder has the printer receiving files at the start of November for a delivery of mid-December. We are tight and have a lot of work ahead of us. Gen Con adds a significant yet worthy challenge, and yet we are working hard to hold the line!

I can tell you with certainty that the playtest games have been extremely fun and enlightening. We've been playing this game for a while now; however, these games on near final design is really solid for dialing in the play balance. We know you'll see those results in the final product. 

Now, I know art isn't that important to you all... err, I mean, maybe the only reason you backed us! :) Right, so art is SUPER important to all of us and we have commissioned a number of additional artists for scenes and been working up some things internally as well. We get so excited seeing our crazy world come to life with this art. So, here's a little art update...

Alison has been diligently working on a variety of scenes showcasing locations around the world, including colonies and places of intrigue or downright scary. We are stoked to have her on the team and healing up well from the accident!  

Michael Rechlin showed us a little insanity in a Dr. Dobrin sketch: 

Good friend of the portal Joseph "Bear" Thompson gives you a (draft) glimpse into Paradox:

And Guillaume Ducos shows how a Progeny Maverick can take care of one of the most dangerous Embraced demons, a Purifier of Pride (also in draft):

We have a lot of amazing artists, writers, and designers working hard on making Apocalypse the Risen an amazing campaign setting. Keep a spot for us on your gaming schedule because we are going to deliver you one hell of a world.

We also hope to meet many of you at Gen Con. While all 14 of our game sessions are sold out (AMAZING!) please feel free to stop in and introduce yourself. We are stoked and humbled to make so many new friends.

Sincerely,

Donaven Brines | CEO

Rusted Portal Games

Gen Con Games:
almost 7 years ago – Sun, May 28, 2017 at 01:54:14 AM

For those attending Gen Con that haven't yet seen the Apocalypse the Risen games, I've listed the codes below in numerical order and by game. We had an error that needed to be corrected on the Pathfinder game which just went back live. Now good to go!

And if you've played in "A Feast of the Eyes" at a previous convention... rest assured, you will not be playing the same exact adventure.

PaizoCon is going very well, running 5 sessions of Pathfinder games (11th and 8th levels). We have a number of backers offering to be part of playtests. If you have a group that would be willing to run playtest games, let us know with a direct message.

Pathfinder – 11th Level  

• RPG17121735 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121736 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121737 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121738 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121739 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121740 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes  
• RPG17121741 Apocalypse the Risen - A Feast for the Eyes    

D&D 5E – 7th Level 

• RPG17105316 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105317 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105318 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105319 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105320 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105321 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen  
• RPG17105322 Apocalypse the Risen - A Hox & the Gentlemen

Sincerely,

Donaven - Rusted Portal Games

Status Check-In:
almost 7 years ago – Sat, May 13, 2017 at 10:00:12 PM

Hello Hunters!

Okay, so one of our primary goals will be to keep you updated at least a couple times each month. We will include information on Apocalypse the Risen progress, events, and an overall temperature check on Rusted Portal. You are the lifeblood of our company so if we can do anything to make you feel more a part of that, just let us know. 

Backerkit Survey & Pre-Sale Campaign:

We are still working out the details on the Backerkit surveys. We have several backers that either added funds for the Colony Designer add-on or expressed a desire to do so for Backerkit. Outlining that process before we launch it is key to keeping that section of the project on track. 

The other hurdle is tackling international shipping for add-ons. A heads up on that front, we are likely to include an initial estimated price for international shipping/VAT/etc. charges with the caveat that we will either increase or refund the difference at the time of shipping. We have carefully stated from the start that international shipping is a landmine that can blow up a small company. We are tackling it head on to reduce that cost wherever possible, just giving a heads-up for our backers that it affects.

Drop Dead Pre-Sale Kickoff: 5/25/2017

Apocalypse the Risen Campaign Setting:

We have officially received the Kickstarter funds and are churning away on the overall book content. Thank you for your generous support!

Last week I completed the outline for exactly what content will be included in the book (pending page count/editing). With this outline we identified the additional art needs and have started contacting artists to commission additional pieces. We know you are going to dig the illustrations for various colonies, Darklands, and some combat scenes. Frankly I can hardly contain my excitement to get those pieces done!

We also intend to include more creatures in the bestiary than the 18 currently unlocked. The additional creatures will be Darkland and Purgatory creatures and plants. I use the term “plants” loosely. For those that met the Siren Pine during the 2016 Con season understand. You guys are going to have so much content to get those campaigns rolling!

Our focus is heavily on finalizing the Pathfinder version to get that into production. A couple work back schedule dates below for your longer-term reference. We intend to work in pre-production drafts in PDF for backers during the process. Our first pass with no art will be once we are ready to hand off all content to the editor. Our goal for that first sneak peek will be the beginning of July. We would love to have some backers ready to run playtest groups throughout July/August.

Delivery to Layout Artist: September 1st

Final Layout to Printer: October 6th

Target Delivery to Backers: December 15th (earlier as possible)

Upcoming Events:

PaizoCon – Rusted Portal’s own Chad Matson and Jason Stolberg will be running 25hrs of AtR Pathfinder games! All the sessions are booked up in advance, which is awesome! If you are attending, stop by and say hello. We would be happy to meet you!

Gen Con – Apocalypse the Risen is official! Chad and Jason are running 56hrs split between Pathfinder and 5E respectfully. How about that for celebrating the best 4 days of gaming in the world!

Baby Demon – Reidpocalypse is patiently waiting for his progeny to spawn from the lower realms. This is the first spawn for Reid so wish him luck! Sometime in the next few weeks should bring on the little demon child. Light help us.

Special Request:

Send some positive thoughts to Art Director Alison Hinch who was in a terrible car accident last weekend. Thankfully her kids only have some bumps and bruises and Alison is home with family. She did come out of the accident with some pretty terrible breaks and will take some time to heal, so all the good energy and positive thoughts her way is appreciated.

Alison wanted to make sure we let you know that there should be no impact on the game development. Of course, I told her to take her pain meds and go back to sleep. Family first!

As always, if you have any questions you can message us directly, post a comment, or hit us up on social media!

Sincerely,

Donaven – Rusted Portal Games