Your Kickstarter campaign is doomed

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Update: With less than two days to go, they're at 99%, so they're going to squeak across the finish line. They appear to have reached out to some fairly random -- not RPG -- YouTubers and websites, so they're finishing like they started, flailing around pretty randomly.

None of the ambitious stretch goals seem likely to happen, though.

 

[loverdrive]

Me: jokes on you, my country isn't eligible for kickstarters anyway

 

[jdrakeh]

I hope mine isn't doomed! It's my first Kickstarter and I stayed away from a lot of things I've seen sink other Kickstarters. And, to keep things, simple, it only has two tier levels (both of which get you the final working draft of the system upon funding, which is a fully playable game in its own right).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I hope mine isn't doomed! It's my first Kickstarter and I stayed away from a lot of things I've seen sink other Kickstarters. And, to keep things, simple, it only has two tier levels (both of which get you the final working draft of the system upon funding, which is a fully playable game in its own right).

If you go in with a clear idea of who would want the product, a sense of what they'd be willing to pay for it (and what you actually need to fund the project, versus what would be nice to have) and then communicate that to the audience, I think you'll be fine.

To this day, the project I'm subtweeting with this thread has no clear explanation as to who the audience is or what they'd do with it. I suspect a lot of the backers are going to be getting a product different than they imagine it to be.

 

[jdrakeh]

My project is a minimalist OD&D (1974) homage and states so (the story covers some specifics), so I think I have my target audience covered. And I'm only trying to raise 1k, which will primarily fund art and layout for the Final Edition.

 

[Autumnal]

That level of clear description and implied self-awareness should serve you very well. Go back and compare with @Whizbang Dustyboots ’s original post to see how much you’re already doing right.

 

[Dire Bare]

While some here are in on what you are going on about . . . your OP would be more clear if you actually specified which Kickstarter campaign you were complaining about. I've got no idea what you're talking about.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Kickstarts don't interest me, so all are technically doomed in that respect. I am focused on my current campaign, and prepping for the next, usually 6-9 months away, so I need material now, or I'm not interested. Plus I only game on Roll20, which means there's often (but not always) a lag between a Kickstarter becoming reality, and that reality becoming viable via Roll20 support.

I feel the exact same way about publisher's promised upcoming products, too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

While some here are in on what you are going on about . . . your OP would be more clear if you actually specified which Kickstarter campaign you were complaining about. I've got no idea what you're talking about.

I didn't want to be mean to them (I know, I should get off the internet), and more importantly, they're not making any mistakes you can't find a dozen other projects making over on Kickstarter without even trying to.

 

[Dire Bare]

I didn't want to be mean to them (I know, I should get off the internet), and more importantly, they're not making any mistakes you can't find a dozen other projects making over on Kickstarter without even trying to.

Then be constructive with your criticism.

Point out what you see as flaws in the campaign, not to be mean-spirited, but as constructive advice to the company behind the campaign, and for future crowd-funding campaigns. And to warn would-be backers of potential problems.

Not different really from a well written movie or book review.