Battle Cards, Level Up, and EDRPG
Those who’ve been following the Pixel Bandits’ social channels for the last little while will know how excited I’ve been about Elite Dangerous Battle Cards since their initial kickstarter release (or just before), and through the recent delays. As well as having a beautifully produced prototype deck in the PB office, I’ve been lucky enough recently to spend a little time recently with Spidermind Games discussing their various ongoing projects.
Much like Frontier themselves, Spidermind have moved on from their initial kickstarted project to become a fully diversified company, and for a relatively new start up are already gaining traction in a number of areas. They first came to my attention through Elite Dangerous, breathing a huge amount of life into the universe through the lore packed Elite Dangerous RPG. Available in digital and physical form and now with a number of additional packs the ED:RPG has been well received by Elite players who’ve spent time with it in the sessions I’ve run, and those I’ve seen in progress at the various community events since it released back in 2017. With a single D10 system it’s an accessible title for those coming from video games and without much experience of tabletop adventures, but it’s also nuanced enough to make it a good play for any veterans of D&D, Pathfinder or WHFRP (titles which I have found to have a tragic lack of space ships).
Spidermind’s latest project has been a real eye opener, and their Level Up gaming board – a system designed to raise the gaming surface and allow that vital extra real estate for physical games – has been popular beyond all expectation. With a Kickstarter goal of just $10,000, the project was fully funded within 13 minutes (yes, that isn’t a typo, 780 seconds) and has since has nearly 16,000 backers pledge over $1,000,000. Speaking to Jon Lunn, Producer at Spidermind, this recent development really seems to have moved the company from being a labour of love into a fully fledged and upwardly mobile business.
https://www.facebook.com/spidermindgames/videos/2477410625870531/?v=2477410625870531
It’s not been an easy ride for Jon and Oliver however, and many of you have probably already heard or read about the copyright claims which have hampered both the ED:RPG and Battle Cards projects. Far from a legitimate exercise from what I know, this apparent trolling held copyright claims against the Kickstarter projects, delaying the Roleplay Game release substantially, and almost entirely derailing Battle Cards. Thankfully, after much work and what I’m sure have been many long nights from both Spidermind and Frontier Developments, the project is continuing, and it’ll take more than a troll or two to stop this one from being fully realised.
Due to the issues faced, the project has seen a marked push back on the expected delivery dates, but having spent some hands on time with the system myself, I’m very glad to hear today that Spidermind have neither given up on the title, nor rested on their laurels. As one of the first things we spoke about, Jon has confirmed that the Battle Cards project is still forging ahead, and is currently with printers, rolling through the various stages of testing, printing, review, quality assurance and reworking.
The project has, as it seems everything has currently, also been affected by Covid-19 and as such Spidermind are rightly hesitant to put a date on delivery which could easily change. If you’ve backed the title through the on-line ordering system it’s important to keep an eye on Spidermind’s social media channels where you’ll see production line photos, as well as hearing of the firm delivery details for Battle Cards as soon as it is available.
In future projects, I’m looking forward to hearing what Spidermind come along with next, as each project they are delivering currently the company seem to be taking a step up in terms of scale. Jon is tight lipped when I ask if they will be making a return to the Frontier IP after the launch of Battle Cards. With a devilish glint in his eye I am told that we may not have heard the last from the ED:RPG project, something I am again very excited to hear. Of course, he reminds me, in these uncertain times nothing is guaranteed and a lot rests simply on the upcoming 2020 launch within the Elite Dangerous video game. Little is known about the expansion content after Fleet Carriers. While many fans of the title are speculating over the long awaited addition of Elite Feet (or Space Legs) and Atmospheric Landings, Frontier themselves have given no clues as to what they are bringing to the game this year other than that it will be game changing.
Since first getting stuck into the Elite Dangerous Roleplay Game and flicking through my own deck of Battle Cards here pre-release, I’m really excited about what the future holds for Spidermind, and for Elite itself. Jon isn’t giving away too much detail on either, but after an extended delay, and especially with everything going on in the world currently, it’s great to hear that Battle Cards is still on the go.