InKarnate RPG Toolset Kickstarter Project

[Harrrbinger]

InKarnate RPG Toolset: InKarnate is a video-game-like interface for playing the world’s most popular tabletop RPG. This fully-integrated web application frees GMs and players from tedious number-crunching and stat-tracking, so more time is spent weaving epic tales and exploring dark, deadly dungeons. As a web app, you’ll be able to run it on your PC, Mac, iPad/iPhone, etc. With the final product, you’ll be able to create characters, design detailed maps, write adventures, roll dice, play together in a shared virtual gamespace, and more—and all of these elements will be easy to use and share across InKarnate. For our Kickstarter launch, we have a host of epic rewards, including: T-shirts featuring Class Icons, an exclusive 7” Dragon Bust, and exclusive artwork from fantasy artist Glenn Rane. Even if you decide not to donate, we’d still love to hear your opinions (on our Kickstarter page) about what would make InKarnate the best toolset possible…

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[Pour]

Interesting, but I'm curious what other systems soon following are they talking about? They're obviously going OGL first, but doesn't any other system require licensing? I wonder if that's included in their funding projections.

 

[Evenglare]

Looks cool, but like the first poster im wondering what will be supported, and to what extent you can create your own stuff . What about 4th edition D&D?

 

[Pour]

Looks cool, but like the first poster im wondering what will be supported, and to what extent you can create your own stuff . What about 4th edition D&D?

I think it's sort of purposefully left vague, though without too much trouble I bet they could offer a Pathfinder version if the Paizo heads were willing. I just don't see them investing in 4e since it's on its way out, though this would be a pretty sweet rendition of the 4e builder. I'd support it if they did, though.

Speaking to the interface itself, I just love the graphic element, and how every single thing is illustrated. I often wished the compendium and builders offered such visuals.

 

[Morrus]

It's very, very pretty; I'll give it that. I would certainly try out a Pathfinder version if one was available.

 

[MarcInkarnate]

This is Marc from the InKarnate Project

Hey everyone. I'm Marc, one of the guys working on InKarnate. We've centered the development around 3.5 for starters due to the open nature of the content and the fact that it's close to Pathfinder. Our plan is to support other major rule sets and obviously the move to PF is simplest. Our current belief is additional rule sets will not be terribly difficult to add, it's the base design and implementation of all the components that's the harder part.

Would love to hear from everyone whether PF or 4E (or a third contender?) would be the best one for us to tackle next...

 

[Rabulias]

Very interested in seeing what is possible in terms of customizing rules options.

I don't play straight 3.5, but have a handful of house rules that are different enough to make a pure 3.5 app not very useful.

I pledged $25 anyway, so I can pester the creators about custom rules support.

 

[Pour]

Hey everyone. I'm Marc, one of the guys working on InKarnate. We've centered the development around 3.5 for starters due to the open nature of the content and the fact that it's close to Pathfinder. Our plan is to support other major rule sets and obviously the move to PF is simplest. Our current belief is additional rule sets will not be terribly difficult to add, it's the base design and implementation of all the components that's the harder part.

Would love to hear from everyone whether PF or 4E (or a third contender?) would be the best one for us to tackle next...

I'd encourage you to put feelers out with the major publishers. You certainly have a compelling enough pitch in your Kickstarter video + credentials. Paizo, WotC, Green Ronin (Dragon Age), Pelgrane Press (13th Age, and quite frankly I think I'd pay double for a Trail of Cthulhu treatment), Goodman Games (DCC RPG), and any of the retroclones would do well to consider what a product such as yours can offer.

 

[MarcInkarnate]

[MENTION=81446]RA[/MENTION]bulius, we appreciate the donation and feel free to pester away . Regarding customization, this is one of the core questions we debate continually. Our current solution is that all fields are editable--so at a minimum you can change the results of any rolls that occur or input numbers that are out of bounds. That's our starting point, but as we get deeper into development we're going to continue to try and find ways to add flexibility without sacrificing simplicity. Mind giving some ideas of where you typically homebrew the rules? Feedback such as this plus the playtesting we intend to engage in later in the year will help us figure out the right balance.

 

[MarcInkarnate]

[MENTION=59411]Pour[/MENTION] Appreciate the comments and kind words. We're heading to Gencon and hope to have some discussions with publishers about our project at the show. As surmised earlier in the thread, some of our vagueness at this point is a reluctance to be locked into promised plans on some of these questions so early in the development. As we build new features and playtest, we may adjust some of our thinking to make sure we create a toolset that appeals to the widest audience. We want InKarnate to help bolster the audience for these games that we all love and anything that serves that goal is the direction we'll chase.