Goal 1: $5,000
Getting started: Help me carve out some thinking space to get past blockers. I'll spend the time making crucial choices for project decision points that have been keeping me from continuing.
Goal 2: $10,000
Solid foundation: Gain me about 3 months of focus time on maps & avatars. This will accelerate the project nicely.
Goal 3: $15,000
Pulling ahead: Adding some breathing room to that 3 months to get more done.
New backer rewards added.
Goal 4: $20,000
In it to win it: Let me focus primarily on maps & avatars for the rest of the year!
New backer rewards added.
Project Elements
In a nutshell, this project is to support the creation of a map editor, avatar creator, and multiplayer interactions on your custom maps in concert with live chat.
To make that happen, there's actually quite a few different tools that need to be created. Here's a brief overview of what I know about so far:
Style Guide for Artists
A handbook for how official assets will be created, so that we can start making an official library, and artists who want to create their own custom pieces can get started.
Map Editor
Allows users to create their own environments.
Avatar Designer
Allows users to create representative avatars for each of their characters.
Map Usage UX
Once you have a map, you'll need to be able to connect it to a forum topic or inbox conversation, so that it can be used by everyone in the RP in concert with the chat.
Custom Avatar Asset Creator
A tool for artists to set up their artwork so that it will work correctly on various avatar bases. Hopefully will also handle a lot of recolors for you.
Custom Map Asset Creator
For creating new tiles, objects, and FX.
Asset Marketplace
For artists to share and/or sell their custom assets.
Why a fundraiser?
Here's the deal: This project is extremely complex. It has multiple elements and hundreds of decision points that cascade into implications for how other things will work, potentially years down the line, foreseen and unforeseen. It is challenging and taxing to work on, and requires space to focus. Finding uninterrupted time to do that deep focus has been extremely difficult, because, well... the RPR is a passion project. I have to take on other jobs to keep that all-important roof over my head.
From the way that many bug reports and queries are addressed, I know that plenty of folks assume there's a team of programmers and a staff working behind the scenes to make this place. But in reality, the RPR was built by just one person - me. It is maintained by just one person - me. I absolutely love doing it, but I also do most of that building and maintaining before or after the work that mainly funds my life.
I know that we're all living through a cost of living crunch right now, and that not everyone will be able to pitch in. That is totally understandable! But if you do have some money to spend on leisure, please consider picking up some of the delightful collector's items that we're going to have on offer! I don't want to ask too much of the userbase, who are already super awesome. But I hear so often that this is something people REALLY want and are willing to support, and I hope that that is not just a true feeling but a practical possibility as well for enough folks. :)