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Before leave forever, we taught everything to our Sons.
We know your kind would forgot, so we left something as our legacy.
This will help you remember. Your origin, your future. Maybe the whole universe.

Monolith Kickstarter Launch date
15 February 2019 UTC 16:00 PM

http://www.thirdway.it/monolith/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Looking great!

Loving the look of that back Design Gio, I hope that's foil I can see

Hello guys! Thanks for posting Monolith!

@Simon - Yes! It will be almost for sure holographic foil on backs and fronts

I am waiting the Cartamundi quote of this, I am a bit scared

Can't wait to back this, go live NOW!

Nice. Of course cold foil faces would be nice too, even if only for the limited issue.

That back tho...

That is a great photograph and expresses my feelings too. It is doubly appropriate given the name of the series.

In !!

Just when I thought I was out, he pulls me back in...

TwoPiece wrote:Just when I thought I was out, he pulls me back in...

It's surprising how fresh this feels. The art style is "High Gio," if you will; anyone who's seen Sins, Eva or Odissea will recognize it immediately. But just venturing outside the classical (or fanciful neoclassical) settings his work has more or less dwelled in since Omnia feels like a paradigm shift. It's like if Quentin Tarantino did a space opera. The neon-infused color palette doesn't hurt, either.

Speaking of which: Gio, are you planning on making this one UV-reactive on purpose this time?

I'm not a fan of the white background on the faces, though.

Thank you for the kind feedbacks guys!

@Merlebird
Thank you! I'm honourd to be compared to Tarantino, he's one of my favourite directors.
And yes, this time I'm using the fluorescent Neons purposely hehe

TwoPiece wrote:I'm not a fan of the white background on the faces, though.

I know, since the Monolith is black, the faces should have been black too
There are various reasons I decided to go with white, though.

The main one is technical: using holofoil with Pantone and such small details is very complicated - Use a white background should make the deck a little "safer".
Cartamundi seems not too worried about this (they have some files for run tests) but, when I do those kinds of experiment... I always am

The other reason is that I wanted Monolith very good for play, despite the crazy features - and I guess that a white background is better for this.

TwoPiece wrote:I'm not a fan of the white background on the faces, though.

Just get the limited edition variant with black faces. You and I both know there's going to be one. Gio can try to deny it all he wants, but after the last campaign who's going to believe him?

Merlebird wrote:

TwoPiece wrote:I'm not a fan of the white background on the faces, though.

Just get the limited edition variant with black faces. You and I both know there's going to be one. Gio can try to deny it all he wants, but after the last campaign who's going to believe him?

Fair enough, but the previous campaign was Betrayers, after all.

Haha actually the one shown IS the "limited edition" - or better, the "luxury" edition, since my idea is print around 2000 decks.

I am planning (but not 100% sure) to make also another edition with uspcc with metallic inks + neon. Anyways, if I'll do that, it will be cheaper than the "main" edition

This just gets better and better... just want to say I for one heavily prefer white faces to black (or any color really) makes the deck much more easy to read and resilient to wear from use.

Hello guys, a bad news: I can't launch Monolith until I have fulfilled Betrayers.
So, the planned launch will delay

The only good news is that Betrayers is almost ready and I am planning to deliver it very soon, so hopefully, it won't delay too much.

Anyways this is very sad, I was working very fast for make it happen soon and couldn't wait for launch.

Thanks for the update. Is there a real value for you to go through Kickstarter instead of self publishing and selling directly?

Bradius wrote:Is there a real value for you to go through Kickstarter instead of self publishing and selling directly?

Kickstarter brings in enough extra eyeballs to balance out the fees, I assume. If you sell direct you're less likely to get non-collectors making impulse buys.

JR has spoiled me because now I'm imagining a Thirdway monthly subscription

And Stockholm 17... and Oath.....

His patreon actually allows for a subscription of sorts.

https://www.patreon.com/thirdwayindustries/posts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The $25 level patrons get the following as well as some other perks:

"Monthly package
With the Sword of the Conqueror, you will receive a package every month.

The package will be a surprise, but the total value of it will be $50+.

It can include every kind of Thirdway Industries products: coins, decks, uncuts, limited and unlimited items.

This reward is a first attempt to make a subscription plan - if the mass will grow it might include also new releases reserved only for patrons!

Now that subscribers are few, I will tend to put extra (or rarer) items in those packages to compensate the lack of exclusivity.

The package will be shipped from US every month, but it can be delayed for reasons I can’t control.

For now, this package is available only for United States, Canada, Europe, Uk, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand.

Shipping monthly anywhere else might be to expensive, and it might be unsustainable on my side. If you pledged for this reward but you are not in one of the countries above, contact me at giovanni@thirdway.it for integrate the shipping cost. "

Monolith will be really expensive on my side - I recevied the quote from Cartamundi and it's... scary
It's more expensive than Pantheon, and decide to fund it myself would be too steep. I can't avoid to use Kickstarter this time.
Betrayers should arrive very soon, so hopefully the delay will be limited. I suppose I'll launch Monolith in March.

I was already looking to do more releases through my website, and this new rule I'll do it more often.

About subscriptions, I am of course thinking about that.
At the moment, the "Sword of the Conqueror" I am offering on Patreon is a "soft subscription" that grants a very valuable package with a low amount ($25 for at least $50). It went VERY well and I'm thinking to improve it in February. For now it won't include exclusive items, but some of my previous decks, mainly limited.
Since I am sincerely grateful to everyone subscribed the first month, I'll send a generous first package at the end of January.

For offer a new deck every month like JR is doing, I need to be indipendent... With my daytime job, I would be burnout in few weeks haha. I think that Jackson is doing a really good job with these.

Well, I'll take this extra time to improve Monolith as much as possible. I think the second deck will be made almost for sure

Thank you for the comments!

Gio

For now I think the subscription should have more coins and uncuts as opposed to just old decks as most people who are supporting on patreon at the highest level probably already have all your decks

JuFiN wrote:For now I think the subscription should have more coins and uncuts as opposed to just old decks as most people who are supporting on patreon at the highest level probably already have all your decks

Yes, I guessed that some supporters already have many (all?) my previous decks, so coins and pins will be part of the packages for sure.
My idea, anywys, is include some limited decks that many collectors are too afraid to open, so hopefully they can open them for play or just for enjoy the illustration without worry too much.

Uncut sheets are too big for a subscription of $25: ship an uncut to anywhere else than USA will cost probably around $25 of postage only hehe.
Also, I am worried that some people won't be too happy to recieve an Uncut Sheet as a surprise package. They're big and need a lot of space in house

Gio, why you cannot launch a second compaign before finishing the old one? Does it mean that they have a new rule? But look at the INVASION Playing Cards - they have just funded one and their 2nd campaign live on KS now. Any ideas ???

A lot of people think it's bad form to launch a new campaign when you haven't delivered rewards from a past one. Personally I agree

Thirdway Industries wrote:
Yes, I guessed that some supporters already have many (all?) my previous decks, so coins and pins will be part of the packages for sure.
My idea, anywys, is include some limited decks that many collectors are too afraid to open, so hopefully they can open them for play or just for enjoy the illustration without worry too much.

I don't doubt that many/most of Thirdway Industries Patrons have most of his decks, however, I for one am new to collecting and at this moment have a mere three TI decks (Plus four more when betrayers ship!) so I am super excited to see what might be included in the monthly packages in the way of decks. I am honored to be a Thirdway Industries Patron. Thanks Giovanni!

hsbc wrote:A lot of people think it's bad form to launch a new campaign when you haven't delivered rewards from a past one. Personally I agree

I suppose it all depends on who is behind the campaign. If it is a newbie doing that, I cannot agree more as the project creator first need to earn a reputation. That said, if it comes from someone with an established track record, I have much less of an issue with it.

@hsbc - yes, generally I would say the same, especially when there are new creators who overlap 3 or more campaigns...
But I've always managed my campaigns very resposibily and I've did this since my very first one... it's a great way to optimize the time.
Sometimes have the freedom to overlap campaigns helps, and many of my decks (Eva especially) couldn't be a reality today, if this rule was applied strictly in the past.

Anyways, I am disappointed and a bit worried now, but probably I can organize in a way that won't have a big impact on my future releases.

@Romeril - Then I think you'll be incredibly happy about your January package Thank you!