Silver Gryphon Games is proud to announce that we are Kickstarting Ingenium Second Edition!
We’ve succeeded twice at Kickstarters. That’s not so much an expression of “we’re awesome” as it is “you told us what you wanted, and we happily gave it to you.” In the case of the second, Æthermancy, we’re still finishing it up. But my god, look at this work-in-progress cover art for it.
We’re committed to making the most awesome gaming products we can. Ingenium’s introduction into the world in 2010 was our single greatest response ever. With the Kickstarter for Ingenium Second Edition, we hope to take the great start we had and turn it into the world’s best role-playing game ever created.
I know, that claim has been made before. But here’s what we’re planning for the Kickstarter to make that happen.
The Manuscript
The manuscript for I2E is already done. All 130-odd pages are written. It’s in the hands of a very capable editor at this very moment. Since the first edition has already been through the grinder once, there won’t be near as much to clean up with second edition as there would be with a fresh book.
The Layout
Layout began last month. The unedited manuscript is being used as placeholder text. That way, we can get this to full completion as fast as possible. And, by the way, it’s gorgeous. Where first edition was clean and playable, second edition is beautiful and functional at the same time.
The Playtesting
Playtesting is finished. The original game mechanics were solid, but had a few noticeable problems. The new mechanics have been vetted by some very smart players, ranging from devilishly clever min-maxers to untainted newcomers to role-playing. Everyone loves them. We’re convincing a few of them to write a few words about the game. I know you’ll love what they have to say.
The Artwork
Ah yes, the artwork. One of the most critical parts of a printed work. Truth be told, we used a lot of stock artwork for first edition. Granted, it was good stock art, but it was still stock. We also had some wonderful pieces done for us exclusively by some very talented artists. Udon Studios, Aaron Nakahara, and Eric Lofgren, in particular, deserve big props for their help in bringing Ingenium First Edition to life.
Second Edition, though, is going to need a heck of a lot more. It’s a much bigger book, and it begs to be lavishly illustrated. That’s where you come in.
The Kickstarter is all about getting the art budget necessary to take the book from “great game” to “magnificent work of gaming excellence.” We’ve put a ton of placeholder spaces in the layout for the artwork, and let me tell you, there’re more empty spaces surrounded by red dashed lines than there are finished pieces.
We have some awesome artists eager to get started on the project. They’ll be revealed when the Kickstarter officially goes live on April 19th.
We plan to fill the next few months with posts about the game and the Kickstarter right here on the Silver Gryphon Games blog. You’ll get updates on what we want to do, what we’re doing, and what we’ve done. We also plan on including thoughts from fans like you who share our enthusiasm for this great game!
If you want to get even more involved in the process, including some super-secret stuff we won’t announce publicly, you can sign up for the Ingenium newsletter. There are already a few people that have asked to be on it before it was even publicized, so hurry if you want to get in on the ground floor!