There will be a major release next week - would have been this week but I caught Con Crud at Gen Con and lost a couple of days of work this week on the couch praying for the sweet release of death and/or Nyquil.

After much work, the revised rules for the game are basically done. At this point I'm mainly working on graphic design. While I won't have the design work totally done for this release (I'm still trying to figure out what to do about art on the cards, like images of the weapons, etc.), I do want there to be a basic level of design that makes this look a little more polished than the homemade game it actually is. I want to standardize the format for equipment cards, establish easily recognizable icons for certain statistics and start giving the game some kind of cohesive artistic character. I think they pay pro graphic designers five figures for that kind of project. I have no formal graphic design training and operate mostly by trial and error. So even taking some more full days off from the day job, it's a bit slow. But we're getting closer and closer all the time!

More details about recent testing, plus a gallery of exciting photos of my living room. http://www.robotviking.com/2010/05/05/project-death-race-update-more-testing-more-mayhem/

Wow, we totally did it. We hit the $300 goal. You guys have been astonishingly generous. I can't begin to thank you enough. Ok, I can begin, but I wouldn't be able to finish. If I had a thousand tongues and spoke for a thousand years, that would be really creepy, because I would apparently be some kind of Lovecraftian immortal dweller on a threshold or something. And yet, still I would not be able to thank you enough.

There's a post over of Robot Viking right now explaining what we're doing with all your money (hint: it involves Canadian strippers, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!). http://www.robotviking.com/2010/04/01/project-death-race-gets-the-green-flag/

On to more serious business. Those of you who opted for the "Name a Thing After Me" funding level can collaborate to some extent as we develop the game's backstory (and those of you who donated a ton of money but didn't select that award, you still can, you know). The first step is to let me know exactly what name you want used. Your last name? Full name? Full name with social security number and checking account number? No problem. You can use a nickname or make up a name, but a made-up name I will reserve veto power if it doesn't match the game's theme or is otherwise inappropriate. I won't veto your real name though, no matter how silly it is (just look at mine).

Your options include:

An NPC -- the backstory will have several key characters, whether they're legendary drivers, weapons designers, or villainous evildoers with nefarious and malicious intentions. If your name is Jim Borzinkski, there would be a guy named Jim Borzynski in the game.
A corporation -- the backstory takes place in a near-future dystopia ruled by corporate city-states in a constant state of warfare. Borzinski Corp. The Borzinski Group.
A weapons manufacturer -- these companies don't get directly involved in the warfare, but they make trillions of dollars from it (and do their best to keep it going behind the scenes). Borzinski Munitions. Borzinski Tactical Technology (BorTakTek). This option could lead to several pieces of equipment being named after you as well, since your company will produce several varieties of weapon systems.
A Death Race arena - the Borzinski Dome!

So, think it over and let me know what you have in mind via email: zeppelined@robotviking.com

And thanks again!

Ed

We're nearing the halfway point with a little under a month to go. I think there's a good chance of making the goal! (but tell all your friends, since we'll still need a big push to get there).

Plus, I got an excellent playtest report using the alpha rules last week, which gave me some excellent ideas for rules tweaks and very useful information on making the rules clearer and easier to use. Once we hit $300, I'll have a huge update for everyone with info on the all new ramming system, plus how we plan to get your names into the game.

Thanks to everyone who's donated so far!

Ed