Patronage Programs and Retro Clones

[dm4hire]

I saw the post on the main page about the Midgard Project and given my current fascination with retro clones I was wondering if anyone knows of or thought of launching a patronage program for a retro clone for a system not currently covered? I'd love to see a retro clone of Alternity done and I know there are a few other systems which are probably collecting dust that could use an update if only to make the rules available in some form. Thoughts?

 

[grodog]

I'm not aware of any patronage projects, offhand, in the OSR community, other than perhaps preorders being taken for projects from time-to-time, and those don't really fall into the Open-Design-style patronage model IMO.

 

[Aplus]

I don't really see that working. I think the patronage model works well for adventures, setting material, etc. but I think it would be a double-disaster trying to do a rules system under that model. Rules systems are better done under the dictatorship model, maybe 2 or 3 designers at the helm tops.

 

[dm4hire]

e20 Evolved is being done through patronage and seems to be coming a long nicely. I think the approach has to be that you limit direct contribution to the bigger contributors while everyone else serves as beta testers. The key with patronage in this case is getting finance to make a good print version of the clone available after the work is done, not to mention supporting the writer(s) who will be spending their time making this become a reality.

Take my example of Alternity, since the rules mechanics can be cloned, the majority of the patronage would be setting design to replace what TSR used. We're talking writers and artists who will generate replacement content for that setting, including universe details, character and ship designs, as well as cartography (whether just a simple space chart to world maps). So there's a lot that the patronage program would offer patrons to contribute to.