Back into the Swing

Having put a lot of effort into consistent monthly content, I feel like I've somehow lost touch with the "soul" of this Patreon, no longer really giving you guys the behind-the-scenes insights into my gradual mental deterioration* that you're here to enjoy.

With that in mind, some of you - if you follow me on Instagram, which you really should - might have seen that I spent part of the weekend just gone working on some new terrain:

I often find myself doing this when what I actually went into my studio to do was tidy up. In the process of tidying I come across some materials I "put aside for later" and have to decide whether to throw them away or actually make use of them. And what with no time being like the present, they end up becoming a new project immediately.

(In my defence, I also threw away another semi-finished project that I had decided wasn't going to work out and which had been, in many ways, a tester for this one.)

Anyway, I got out the hot wire crafting set and got to it.

Now, a bit of context.

First of all, I realized that there was a game on my list in last week's podcast that should have featured, which was Carnevale, now owned by TTCombat. I'm not sure it would've made the cut, but it has definitely been sending a hard return ping on my radar for a while, now, and it's not impossible I might get it on the table in the next 12 months if I decide one of my other final choices isn't making the grade (probably Aristeia!, because I only have one opponent).

But, more importantly, I'm looking ahead to my next two operation manuals. Operation KURGAN, of course, is well advanced in writing and on schedule for a Q1 release next year. The third volume is a trickier prospect, but it seems likely that it will focus on Australasia and on the conflict between the up-and-coming new Terran community of refuseniks and rebels (who rejected the melds entirely) and the returning community of Terran explorers and space entrepreneurs who were merely disconnected from the melds when Ammit struck (the Clubs/Wands and Diamonds/Coins in our putative deck of cards).

A feature of Australasia at this point will be that the impact of Ammit in the northern Pacific resulted in a massive tidal wave that utterly consumed the pacific islands, New Zealand and most of eastern Australia. In its retreat, it left the city-states destroyed and drowned, but the ruins are still navigable - yes, as if they are like broken, deadly versions of Venice, with the spaces between the shattered buildings now navigable as canals.

Hence my interest in making some canal terrain. But you'll immediately notice (I hope) that this terrain doesn't have to be canals, so will likely also appear in KURGAN and (notice that it has a 1" square design on the upper surface) FEAR.

I won't lie: FEAR is a struggle. But I've had a couple of short holidays over the last few weeks and am back to it. I'd say "refreshed and ready to kick arse", but although they were great holidays, the colossal obstacles I'm deal with are still there.

I have considered simply postponing FEAR until later, but I am going to fight through and make it happen. I still expect to have the alpha version up for you guys by the end of the month and, hopefully, the beta by the end of September, with the finished supplement going live for customers by the end of October.

* j/k... mostly.