Patterns in the Void is a new Zine for the Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG. If you have missed our Kickstarter campaign, join now to get your hands on our printed Zine.
**Note: Due to fluctuating global shipping rates, we will be charging shipping fees at a later date. We will keep you updated through Kickstarter Updates for when shipping fees will be applied to your pre-order. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Update in the Void: “Music for Sci-Fi Horror RPG”
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Jan 21, 2025 at 08:53:57 AM
Hello,
There are a few things I’d like to say about the music:
After over two years, I’ve decided to stop working on the project, as I won’t be receiving any payment. That’s why I’m sharing everything I’ve composed up until now. The itch.io links will take you to roughly 5 hours of music: • 4 hours and 23 minutes of dark drones – “Music for Sci-Fi Horror RPG” – which you can play in the background during your next session to create a moody atmosphere. Due to file size limitations, I had to split the recording into individual tracks. You can find further instructions on the itch.io (http://itch.to/) download page. • A continuous recording of “Music for Sci-Fi Horror RPG” for streaming is available via the YouTube link. • 42 minutes of fully composed tracks that were originally intended to blend into the soundscapes based on the scenarios can be found in the “Launch Abort System” album on itch.io. Streaming is available via the SoundCloud link.
It’s important to me to mention that this music was created entirely without the use of artificial intelligence. Unlike originally planned, none of the recordings include the sound effects by Manuel mentioned in the campaign.
COMMENT: I forwarded this message unedited from Alex to the backers.
Best regards, J.
Update: Patterns in the Void 2025
about 1 year ago
– Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 11:01:42 AM
This project failed. This much is obvious.
There was a short upwind towards the end of 2023, but it did not last. Over 12 months have passed with no substantial update regarding the project. The mounting complaints and voices of frustration are justified in that they express the deep disappointment surrounding this project.
The downward spiral of the project has only deepened over the past year. Here are some key points:
Team Breakdown: No one within this project is speaking with each other anymore, except occasionally to exchange blame and resentment. The working relationships that initially fueled this project have eroded completely.
Accountability: The sole failure is on my side for mismanagement and misplaced trust. Poor decisions regarding team structure, communication, and resource allocation led to the collapse of this project’s foundation.
Financial Challenges: The loss of work, along with health and mental struggles, completely consumed the financial foundation of this project. The pledged funds have been exhausted, and this is solely my responsibility.
The project ended in September 2022 with good hope, only to collapse within six months. All other team members withdrew due to health or mental issues or other reasons and were no longer able or willing to contribute their parts. This has been discussed previously. The breakdown of collaboration turned what was initially a clear and achievable project into this spiral of negativity. Nearly everything has fallen apart as a result.
After the last public statement by Alex, I have made it clear that he is no longer associated with this project. Neither are any others mentioned in the initial campaign. This wreckage is solely mine now to handle. They are no longer attached in any way to this project and bear no financial or legal responsibility.
Infighting, resentments, and threats have eroded all creativity on this project for me. I have to admit to myself and to all who may read this that this downward spiral was something I could not face for the past year. I have tried to regain creative impulse by getting small things written, but this has also not helped to bring this project forward.
I stand to my word that I want this project to find a conclusion. And I try again to move forward here. I know that words mean nothing at this moment—not with the disastrous track record so far. But I neither want to run away nor abandon it all.
I have to set up realistic plans, get out of the draining anxiety that everything this project revolves around causes, and find a path forward.
Refunds, as demanded by many, are currently not possible, with no stable employment or regular income.
Please put your questions, suggestions, and feedback below in this update, and I will address them.
Best regards, J.
Personal Statement on the Current State of the Project
almost 2 years ago
– Mon, Jun 03, 2024 at 02:52:18 AM
I would like to comment on the current state of this project. I am doing this on my own and without prior consultation with the other parties involved. Unfortunately, I no longer have any insight into the current processes and no longer have contact with the project founder. Therefore, please note: This is my personal account, mainly focusing on the area of music production.
This is not an official statement from Arcanum RPG Studio.
During the planning and launch of Patterns in the Void (starting around July 2022), I was an employee of the company behind Arcanum RPG Studio. Therefore, I was present in the updates and comments during this time. After the company terminated my employment in April 2023 due to an economic downturn, I withdrew from public relations as a consequence. However, the work on the music was not affected by this. We had already agreed at the start that my artistic work would be compensated independently of my employment relationship. I was supposed to receive €4000 from the campaign funds for this. So, I continued working on the music even after my dismissal. To be clear upfront: I have not received any of the agreed amount to this day.
Initially, my focus was on stabilizing my own professional situation. I also had to fully recover (see update #19) and find a new job before I could continue working on the project. During this time, the communication in the updates and comments began to spiral out of control. I started avoiding the comments to protect my already fragile inspiration, as what was happening with the project affected me deeply. I probably should have spoken out much earlier. But like you, I was constantly being reassured, leading me to the naive belief that everything would eventually work out.
In the meantime, I confronted "Jack Arcanum," the project founder and company owner, with your entirely justified calls for clarification and threats to take legal action. My concerns were, as so often, placated with empty promises - no consequences or actions followed.
At this point, I really don't know what I'm writing this music for anymore. Besides the money I probably will never receive, there are no adventures it could accompany. I know that most of you likely did not support the project because of the music. Therefore, it is probably only a small consolation if I make the tracks available to you anyway. At this point, I have produced about 3.5 hours of music for the project. I am now halting the compositional part of my work to edit, mix, and finally upload the material for you. This should be completed by the end of the year, and unfortunately, this is all I can offer now.
I, too, have made mistakes in the course of Patterns in the Void: I massively underestimated the workload, did not speak out about what was happening, and above all, allowed myself to be deceived without taking responsibility in time. At the same time, I hope that the reasons for this have become a bit clearer through this statement.
I am sincerely sorry - I ask for your forgiveness.
Alex
Last Update in 2023 - Sandalphon & the Sleeping Angels
over 2 years ago
– Sun, Dec 31, 2023 at 10:10:02 AM
Dear backers,
after working intensely on the project in the last months, we can present you with the first rough text works for the adventures, which you can download under the following link:
Since this is a work in progress, please share your thoughts and comments with us, so we can improve and make these adventures as interesting and accessible as possible. Keep in mind that these are only the first drafts, which will be refined and illustrated as our work continues.
Thanks a lot for all of your patience and continued support,
Happy New Year 2024,
Team Arcanum
November Update: Project Progress and Next Steps
over 2 years ago
– Thu, Nov 09, 2023 at 01:38:10 PM
HiBackers,
Outlined here is our action plan, designed to steer the project back on course:
Playable Content Delivery
Our priority is to release playable material swiftly. As such, our immediate objective is to distribute drafts of the “Pamphlet Adventures” and the first adventure of the zine “Dreams of a Promised Land” until the end of November.
Feedback and Layout
The layout is the next step coming after sending out the initial material and receiving your feedback on the written content. This work will be done by our new team members.
This strategy allows our writers to concentrate on further developing the adventures and zine content and enable us to implement your feedback on drafts, while work continues on other parts of the zine.
Artwork Considerations
The conversation around AI-generated art has evolved since our project's inception. Our zine was conceived as an artistic exploration, a stance we've transparently communicated from the beginning. The art was always intended to be crafted with a blend of AI assistance and human artistry.
As an artist myself, I see it more as a tool to create a starting point for working on images. This technology serves as a catalyst, enabling us to enhance and refine our artistic expressions.
In December, we're looking forward to giving you more detailed insight into our artistic process.
Proofreading and Printing
Once text, art, and layout converge, the project will move to final proofreading before printing. Expect regular updates on this phase and other ongoing work over the next few months. Drafts will always be send to you beforehand.
We focus on bringing our zine to life and are really grateful for your continued support and feedback. Stay tuned for more updates.
Best regards,
Team Arcanum
Timetable:
November
finalize preliminary drafts for "Pamphlet Adventures"
finalize preliminary drafts for "Dreams of a Promised Land"
send out first drafts for “Pamphlet Adventures” and “Dreams of a Promised Land”
December
finalize preliminary drafts for "The Dossiers"
start and progress with layout drafts
review your initial content feedback
send out first drafts for “The Dossiers”
January
finalize preliminary drafts for "The Bicameral Mind" content.
finalize preliminary drafts for "Fountain of Youth" content.
send out first drafts for “The Bicameral Mind” and “Fountain of Youth”
February
integrate your feedback and finalize content and layout
send out the layouted PDFs to all Backers
additional feedback on those PDFs and final editing
