11: Kickstarter Timetable: Fighting Against Doubt

So I've talked a lot in previous posts about Space Frontier's Kickstarter Campaign and how it's going to happen "soon."  I don't think I've stressed though, just how soon.  I touched on it briefly in post post #7, but I wanted to emphasize just how tight the upcoming schedule is for John and I.  A few days ago, we sat down and hammered out a timetable of what we had to get done and by when, and I think it shocked both of us just how fast time has been moving and how little of it we have left.  Here's the resulting calendar.

9/23/2013	Meet with Chris Pritchard and finalize art requests
9/27/2013	Start post on BoardGameGeek.com Keep it contiuously updated and involved
	Playtest Playtest Playtest and tweak game/rules
10/1/2013	Contact 3D Artist about asteroids and 3D ships
10/6/2013	Update Blog and Facebook Page to look betterer
10/13/2013	Get asteroids from 3D artist. Inquire about 3D ships
10/14/2013	Have prototype game finished. Begin uploading templates to Gamecrafter
10/19/2013	Order Prototypes from GameCrafter
10/27/2013	Kickstarter page approved for Launch
10/27/2013	Kickstarter Video finished and ready to go
10/28/2013	Contact Richard Bliss Game Whisperer about Campaign
11/3/2013	Launch Kickstarter Campaign
11/4/2013	Launch Banner adds on various game sites
11/10/2013	Have 3D Ship models from 3D artist. At least 2. Hopefully 4+.

The meeting with Chris Prichard did indeed happen yesterday and that went well, but the rest is yet to be done.  John and I realized that by October 14th we have to have our prototype finished.  That's in less than 3 weeks!  Alternatively, in about 5 weeks time we have to have our Kickstarter page ready to be approved for launch.  This also means our video has to be done.  That's... just not a lot of time.

Now then, I've done enough flailing and screaming "not enough time" at everyone.  What does this mean?  It means that productivity is a necessity for the next 5 weeks.  Yesterday, I spent a good 4 hours with a good friend of mine streamlining Space Frontier's rule-book.  Today, John and I are going to meet and streamline all of the mission cards as well as discuss "fringe space" which is the concept that as the map expands, the challenges increase for the players.  Tomorrow will be play-testing at Green Lake Games starting at approximately 5 PM if anyone is local and interested, and Thursday will be discussing the results of that play-testing with John.  This all culminates to us having our rules posted over at BoardGameGeek this Friday so that the internet at large can critique our rule-set.

Each week leading up until the Kickstarter Launch will likely be just as, if not more, busy.  I'm OK with this, as I've been working hard on the project as essentially my full-time job (with my part time job of looking for an actual job) for some months now.  John on the other hand, kind of freaked out a tad-smidgen when we put this timetable together because it does look rather daunting when realizing the sheer scope of what has to be done in the time-frame.  Small likelihood of complete success concerning schedule aside, I am committed, excited, and prepared for the following 6 weeks.  Grueling as it may be, I can't say I don't enjoy the challenge or the type of work involved.

I think the biggest obstacle for the project at this point, so far along, is not lack of time or resources, but of resolve.  Giving up is always easier.  But nuts to that! I say... Bring it on!

-Aaron