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I have to agree with you, Dan. Your backgrounds do "work" both ways without looking awkward. Thanks for taking the time to post them side-by-side for comparison.

Though the only thing my (self-diagnosed) OCD reacts to is the diamond background; surely that could (should?) be symmetrical? Like it is on the King of Diamonds in your second to last post.

Any chance you can do red diamond/heart instead of black? I know it will be very hard to see on reddish background but having both red and black hearts/diamonds looks confusing to me.

Here are what I believe are going to be the final designs of the cards/layouts. I may still tweak the artwork itself; if I do though they will be minor and just done to improve the images.

MagikFingerz wrote:I have to agree with you, Dan. Your backgrounds do "work" both ways without looking awkward. Thanks for taking the time to post them side-by-side for comparison.

Though the only thing my (self-diagnosed) OCD reacts to is the diamond background; surely that could (should?) be symmetrical? Like it is on the King of Diamonds in your second to last post.

I had the diamond off center since it was technically off center on the other backgrounds but I think you're right, it'd be better if it was centered.

RichK wrote:Any chance you can do red diamond/heart instead of black? I know it will be very hard to see on reddish background but having both red and black hearts/diamonds looks confusing to me.

I have made the hearts/diamonds more red and actually made the clubs/spades a hint more blue to really separate the pips.

Dan, excellent job. This looks great. I stand corrected: the court cards don't have to completely mirrored. I really like the different background elements and will hold my tongue from now on if I'm not completely sure about something. Best of luck with the project.

flashcards wrote:Dan, excellent job. This looks great. I stand corrected: the court cards don't have to completely mirrored. I really like the different background elements and will hold my tongue from now on if I'm not completely sure about something. Best of luck with the project.

Thanks, glad you agree they look good not completely mirrored And for the record, there's no need to hold your tongue if you have a suggestion, even though the complete mirroring isn't necessary, it gave me a chance to try a different design I hadn't previously thought of.

DanFeldmeier wrote:I have made the hearts/diamonds more red and actually made the clubs/spades a hint more blue to really separate the pips.

Pip change looks great. Well done!

RichK wrote:

DanFeldmeier wrote:I have made the hearts/diamonds more red and actually made the clubs/spades a hint more blue to really separate the pips.

Pip change looks great. Well done!

Thanks!

Not gunna lie, I didnt like this deck very much when you first posted, but ive been following along and its shaping into a really nice deck!

My contribution to the feedback would be to say that the front of the tuck doesnt have to be double sided, and infact really shouldnt be. Also not sure why the E is backwards.

As for the card back I really like the border running around the outside with the mouth and eye ball! Not as big a fan of the light background faces in the corner (whats up with his nose?) and I cant really decide about the big face in the middle with the giant mouth. I love the arms holding itself up. But its kinda... creepy? not sure, something about it is a bit off putting. But that might be a good thing! I cant decide how I feel about it, the more I look at it the more I like it but my gut instinct is negative. The little translucent faces in the corners gotta go though in my opinion.

Anyway just figured I would give my two cents seeing as not much has been said about the card backs or tuck box.

First off I'd like to thank everyone for their feedback. While I may have not implemented all suggestions I feel confident in saying I've reached a decision with my cards and am satisfied with their designs and their artwork. Feel free to still give feedback if something seems off and I missed it.

Anyway, here's the court cards.









Here are the number cards.

Dan,

You've done great job. I like these a lot! Have you decided on a printer yet? I would strongly urge you to go with one of the "big 3" (USPCC, EPCC, LPCC). Yes, they have fairly high minimum print runs but you should have the confidence that the cards will sell. I believe they will. Also, larger print runs will allow you to sell the decks at a lower price point; perhaps even one that I can afford I would also suggest that you post a link to your campaign page before it launches so that your UC friends can proof it for any mistakes that might have been made. These guys have lots of experience with KS campaigns and can help make sure that yours goes smoothly. Again, great job and best of luck.

I've decided to go with USPCC, I've gotten a quote and while they are a little higher, I know the kind of quality they produce. I'll probably be going with the typical $15 price point that seems pretty common amongst the playing cards on Kickstarter. I'll of course be having an early bird option at $11, limited to 50 backers.

And good call posting a link on here to the campaign, everyone on here has been awesome and helpful so it definitely makes sense to let y'all see it before it launches. I'll hopefully have a draft available in the next two weeks as I'd like to launch it before the month is over.

Dan, while $15 is indeed what most people are charging today, I would encourage you to consider a lower price point, say $13. Many people here have expressed disappointment in the constantly rising prices of decks. Many long time collectors feel they are being priced out of the hobby. With the high minimum that USPCC has, I think you can make up in sales volume what you might originally be "losing" at a higher price point. Speaking only for myself, if I should be lucky enough to catch the early bird (which will only be available to a few) I would certainly buy two decks. Likewise, at $13, I would be able to justify two decks as well. However, at $15 a deck I would only be able to buy one. It's only a single example I know, but many KS supporters may have similar limitations. Of course, there are a lot of collectors with deep pockets who will buy bricks and limited editions, but I believe they are in the minority. These are great cards and I believe, even with a lower price point, you will easily make your goal. Of course, you have to do what is best for you. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck with your campaign.

flashcards wrote:Dan, while $15 is indeed what most people are charging today, I would encourage you to consider a lower price point, say $13. Many people here have expressed disappointment in the constantly rising prices of decks. Many long time collectors feel they are being priced out of the hobby. With the high minimum that USPCC has, I think you can make up in sales volume what you might originally be "losing" at a higher price point. Speaking only for myself, if I should be lucky enough to catch the early bird (which will only be available to a few) I would certainly buy two decks. Likewise, at $13, I would be able to justify two decks as well. However, at $15 a deck I would only be able to buy one. It's only a single example I know, but many KS supporters may have similar limitations. Of course, there are a lot of collectors with deep pockets who will buy bricks and limited editions, but I believe they are in the minority. These are great cards and I believe, even with a lower price point, you will easily make your goal. Of course, you have to do what is best for you. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck with your campaign.

I agree with this too Dan. Just because they're all do it doesn't mean you have to too. You want to sell decks to backers and "lure" them in with lower price.

I hadn't actually thought about that. Is $15 too high if that also includes shipping? If so, would an in between price point be good? Maybe one reward could be $14 for 1 deck while another is $26 for 2 decks of cards?

I have a pretty good start on the Kickstarter campaign, I'm mostly missing some layout art and a video, but I figure while I'm working on that, if someone (or multiple someones) would like to look at a preview and provide feedback, I'll provide a link. Question on that though, should I just post a link in here or should I send direct messages to those interested?

Definitely post it here. You'll get a lot of knowledgeable folks providing input. Just put on your thick skin, just in case.

flashcards wrote:Definitely post it here. You'll get a lot of knowledgeable folks providing input. Just put on your thick skin, just in case.

Good call, I'll get that thick skin ready

Anyway, here's the preview link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/21 ... n=3ee8c4d8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback on my Kickstarter, I think it's helping to improve my campaign!

On a side note, I had a prototype deck printed up to see how the images would appear in card format and I'd say, for the most part, I'm pretty happy with the results. There's a few cards that printed darker than desired so I'll have to do some tweaking but overall I like 'em

All the cards look darker but that could be because of low light when pics taken.

RichK wrote:All the cards look darker but that could be because of low light when pics taken.

Unfortunately, even in person, a few of 'em are kinda dark. Not a big deal though as it's a pretty easy adjustment

I've made some updates to my Kickstarter and believe I've taken care of most of my grammatical issues. I'm still finalizing images and working on the video, but I figured I'd see if anyone has any new feedback/suggestions on my updated campaign.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/21 ... n=3ee8c4d8

My Kickstarter is live!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/21 ... ying-cards

Just a reminder to everyone in case you missed it, my Kickstarter for Alien Empires is live!

So I've decided to cancel my Kickstarter for the time being. I believe I rushed into launching it despite not having taken all the steps necessary to ensure it had enough publicity. I haven't been able to focus on updates either due to having multiple conventions, helping my roommate get ready to move, and having to get myself ready to move as well.

I will definitely be relaunching Alien Empires when things settle down, which will hopefully be the end of April or beginning of May.

On that note, I'd also like to thank you all for your support, both for backing the project and for helping spread the word of Alien Empires, I truly appreciate y'all's support

Dan, don't forget that you had a high funding goal because you chose to go with a printer know for their reputation and quality with a high minimum order. A lot of the decks that fund quickly have a ridiculously low goal because use a crappy unknown printer. It's easy for them to get funded but the end product is only mediocre. I still think you made the right decision and that, with a few tweaks, your project will succeed. Remember, many projects succeeded only after several failed attempts. Hang in there. And be sure to stay active with UC. You never know what you might pick up by hanging around here (no pun intended- you should be ashamed of yourself).

I thought about the quality vs. price point but I agree, I'd rather have a higher goal and more expensive product than a cheaper, lower quality product that's easily funded. I'm going to spend the next month researching the best ways to spread the word/advertise the product. I've also got a couple friends who'll be helping with a press release and contacts, which is something I know nothing about. I'm confident I've got a good product and have gotten nothing but positive responses to the prototype deck, it's just figuring out how to get the word to as many people who want a deck filled with weird aliens.

Been a while since I was on here, life's been, well, life. Looking to get back into the swing of things and will hopefully be relaunching my Kickstarter now that things have settled down a bit.

Oh, and any advice on how to promote my cards would be awesomely appreciated. I've reached out to Kardify (though very recently so I'm sure it may be a bit before a response is received). Any other avenues y'all can think of would be super appreciated!

Thanks again for all the advice and feedback as well!

Well folks, looks like I'm finally able to get back into the swing of things and will be relaunching my Kickstarter mid-May (tentatively May 15th)! I'm super excited for my relaunch and, as always, totally open to any advice from everyone

After a recommendation from a graphic designer friend, I decided to add some color to the back of my cards. I've done 4 versions and was would like other's opinions on which would look the best as a playing card, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Thanks!

3 and 4 are too monochrome for my taste, makes some of the details less noticable. 2 has the best color combo, with 1 on a close second place.