Between Clouds - A Roleplaying Game of Flying Beasts

Week 16 - Factions
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 18, 2022 at 01:50:17 PM

Greetings Symbiotes! 

How is everyone doing? I've been enjoying the remaining weeks of summer and vigorously playtesting Between Clouds, it's been such a delight! I've been able to streamline parts of the character creation process and make the system more accessible for new players thanks to my testers and their wonderful feedback. These changes, along with many others, will be included in a future version of the beta (with a release date that is TBD). Aside from that, I've been busy creating the factions of Empyrea, promised as one of our unlocked stretch goals. You can see their banners above! I'm releasing these factions as a separate, free document that you can download right here. The content isn't playable without the beta in hand, so I feel no worry making it publicly accessible. Due to size restrictions, these major factions will not be included in the printed rulebook, but will be available to everyone as part of a free, digital expansion (likely to be available in print at a later date). 

That's all for now! Feel free to drop by the discord, my instagram, twitter or tiktok as you please. Hope everyone has been enjoying their summer, cheers! :) 

Smooth sailing,

Andi <3 

Week 15 - Editing and Backer Art
almost 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 11, 2022 at 02:42:17 PM

Greetings Symbiotes! 

How is everyone doing? Last week I was busy implementing your feedback and working on backer art. Plenty of great suggestions have come my way since the beta launch, and I'm so so grateful to everyone that has shared their thoughts! Your contributions on discord and elsewhere make my life so much easier. Thank you! I've also been graced with the editing and consulting magic of veteran game designer Colin Chapman, who has been instrumental in polishing the book. Thanks Colin! I'm intending on releasing an updated version of the beta with mechanical tweaks and formatting changes sometime next week, but I'm still pondering the best possible way to do it. 

Along with editing, I've been illustrating all of your pets and selves as Kirin and Symbiotes. How fun! You can see the results above and below, some of which are complete and others that are works in progress. There are several high-tier backers that I haven't heard from yet and still need pictures from! If that's you, please reach out to me! I'm looking forward to drawing you or your pet asap :) Find me on twitter, instagram or tiktok as well, cheers! 

Best wishes,

Andi <3 

Week 14 - The Beta is released!!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 02, 2022 at 07:11:35 PM

Greetings Symbiotes! 

We did it, hooray! The Between Clouds beta is OUT now! I did, however, experience some technical difficulties trying to release it, so I have a few notes. 

• You may have received two emails instead of one. My bad! 
• If you don't see it, check your other email accounts first. If you still can't find it, shoot me a message on here, on Discord, or on twitter with the correct email address and I'll get it to you straight away. 
• The beta add-on is still available for purchase through BackerKit. If you do purchase the beta as an add-on from this moment forward, please let me know! Then I can email it to you ASAP. (Because BackerKit won't on its own!) 

Anyways, I'm so pleased!! It seems like you all have been enjoying game's lore and artwork, which I love. I'm accepting feedback on typos and grammar from now until the final release, which you can share with me through discord or through my email at [email protected] (or as a message on here). I am also accepting feedback on rules and mechanics. I'm not attached to any of it, and am hoping to change and improve the game's ruleset before its final release. I'm honored and overjoyed to have people that are excited and willing to try the game out, even in its rough form. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I can't wait to see what adventures you create! :) 

As a final note, I will now be starting work on backer Symbiotes, Kirin and landmarks. If you backed at one of those tiers, keep an eye on your email. I'll have some questions about your creation and send you rough versions when I can. This process will take some time, so if you if don't hear from me anytime soon, don't panic! 

Smooth sailing,

Andi 

Week 13 - Beta Incoming!
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Jul 26, 2022 at 04:23:08 AM

Greetings Symbiotes! 

How is everyone? We're officially one week away from the beta release, hooray! Barring any technical difficulties, the pdf should be sent out to everyone on July 31st. For those who are interested in playing the beta but who didn't pick it up during the Kickstarter campaign, it's not too late to gain access now! If you revisit the Backerkit survery that was sent via email, you should find beta access listed for purchase as one of the available add-ons ($5 USD, or a cup of coffee for Andi). A few notes about this early version of the game:

• It is a playable version, but it is not a polished version.
• Mechanics will change before the final release. Elements may be removed, altered, or added as the game receives further playtesting. 
• I love feedback! I can't take every suggestion that comes my way, but the experiences that you all have as beta testers will inform how the game is shaped moving forward 
• Tweak it as you please! Certain rules may not work well for your group, or there might be content that you would like to have added. This is malleable version of the game, open to interpretation. 

Anyways, I can't wait to share it with you all. Aside from working on the game I've been having an absolutely delightful summer. Last weekend I went frolicking in the woods! There was dappled sunlight and live music. What more could I ask for? Stop by my Twitter and Instagram if you please, or join the Discord server to chat with others when the beta drops! Cheers! :)

Smooth sailing,

Andi <3 

Week 12 - Narrowing In
almost 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 23, 2022 at 08:38:51 AM

Greetings Symbiotes! 

Me, posting an update two days late? Again? Couldn't be. How is everyone doing? I hope it's been a great summer and that you all are getting the chance to absorb some vitamin D! This last week I've been narrowing in on my vision of Between Clouds. I know it seems like a strange time to do that, but playtesting and development always brings new revelations. I'm refocusing the game's goals around the conservation of natural resources (wild Kirin included). By working to sustain Empyrea's fragile and isolated ecosystems, the family can ensure that future generations of humans, Kirin, and natural life can thrive. However, industrialists and factions vying for power run the risk of depleting Empyrea's natural resources and repeating the mistakes of their ancestors. This has also worked to reinforce the biopunk elements of the game, because biology is what makes the Symbiotes strong! 

I've also tried to give the game a more established tone, and cultural reference point, by making everything a bit more pirate-y (yes that's a word). The layer of clouds encircling the planet is now referred to as the cloudsea (inspired by Wildsea, they have been both helpful and inspirational). Anarchy, crime, and debauchery in the face of authoritarian powers is encouraged a bit more. Islands will play a bigger role in the game (and be bigger themselves) giving everyone more room to stretch their legs. I've also been updating character and chapter art, as seen above and below. 

Life has been good for me, although perhaps I could be getting more sun.  I'm so excited for my intrepid beta testers to try the game out in 11 days! As always, check out my twitter or instagram and join the Discord if you haven't! Cheers! :)

Smoothing sailing,

Andi <3