project-image

Beam Saber

Created by Austin Ramsay

Beam Saber is a Forged In The Dark game about the pilots of powerful machines in a war that dominates every facet of life. They are trying to do their part, then get out physically and mentally intact. The organizations that perpetuate The War throughout all of known space are too incomprehensibly huge to take down. There is no “winning” The War, there is only surviving it. Hopefully you can help others get out too. If you want to purchase the PDF alone, go to https://austin-ramsay.itch.io/beamsaber

Latest Updates from Our Project:

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE - V1.1
over 1 year ago – Sat, Oct 22, 2022 at 01:48:54 PM

Here's how things are progressing with Beam Saber

V1.1 came out which features all of the copy editing we were working on for most of September.  I sent out emails through Itch to everyone who has Beam Saber in their Itch library, however, if you missed the email you can click here to go to your Itch library to download the newest version.

I've received the black & white version of V1.1 and went through it today to check for any issues. Turning a PDF from a colour version to a b&w version is not a simple process, thus there were some errors that need to be fixed before going to the printers.

I'm frustrated that the book hasn't gone to the printers yet but we all must be patient with the realities of the process.


That's it for this month.

SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE
over 1 year ago – Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 12:18:37 AM

Here's how things are progressing with Beam Saber

Not a big update this month. The revisions needed to V1.0 turned out to be larger than anticipated despite it already getting several editing passes (and many of you sending in bug reports, thank you for those). That meant it took longer than expected, which also delays the signing of the printing contract, which delays printing, etc. The revisions are now done and just need to be incorporated into the layout, which is more complicated than CTRL+F and REPLACE ALL. Thank you for your continued patience.

That's it for this month.

Bug Reports and BackerKit Locking aka AUGUST 2022 Update
over 1 year ago – Sun, Aug 21, 2022 at 09:16:26 AM

Bug Reports

Seems there were a couple of issues with V1.0 that we missed in spite of our best efforts. Some readers have helpfully sent in reports of these bugs. If you spot something in the book that you think is a mistake, please send an email to [email protected] and include the page number, description of the bug, and (if possible) a screenshot. In early September I'll release V1.1 with the bug fixes added.

BackerKit Locking

September 1st will be the day that BackerKit responses are locked. Please make sure that you have your shipping address up to date and that you have purchased any physical copies that you want. Once the BackerKit responses are locked, that information will be going to the printers and the fulfillment service.


I hope you've been enjoying V1.0 and thank you for your continuing patience!

Beam Saber V1.0 is here!
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 03, 2022 at 05:52:14 AM

FINALLY

The finished digital version of Beam Saber is now available. You can get it by going to your library at Itch.io if you've already activated the download key you were emailed a short time after the crowdfunding campaign concluded. If you didn't claim your key at that time, please check your inbox for the email from Itch that would have provided it. If you STILL can't find your activation key, send me a message through Kickstarter including your backer level and the email address you used, both of which I will need to find your specific key.

If you only backed at a digital level and have no interest in a physical version, you're done! Congratulations, thank you for your patience and support, and I hope you enjoy the finished PDF.

What's next?

For those who are waiting on the physical version, preorders through BackerKit will remain open until 11:59pm EST on August 31st, 2022. After that they lock and I will sign a contract with a printer to get the book made. So if you haven't ordered a print version already and want to, act now! Please let all of your friends and local game stores know about Beam Saber!

Additionally make sure that your shipping and billing information on BackerKit is up to date. If you need to update your BackerKit information but no longer have your email for it go here to get a new one sent to you. The same time that pre-orders end will also be when I lock the BackerKit information so that I can have a final count on the number of books that need to be printed. I'll make another update in a couple weeks as a reminder, but do it ASAP!

Once I have the final count, I will sign a contract with a printer to start making the offset printing books. The timeline on printing is currently unknown due to the ongoing manufacturing issues in the book making industry. I will, of course, keep everyone apprised in my monthly updates.

For backers who ordered the POD version, you will almost certainly get your print version sooner than the offset printing backers. For that I still need to get the print friendly version of the PDF, and arrange for free POD codes to be sent to all of you, so you won't be getting it immediately. As a reminder, I will have no control over the quality of the POD and you will be paying shipping to DriveThruRPG. If you have questions about POD, I would ask that you check the FAQs regarding them before commenting or messaging me. I'll make another update once I start sending out the POD codes.

There will be some differences between the digital version and the print version. The main one is that the book will be entirely grayscale inside; no color maps, no color headers, etc. This was always the plan and the book has been designed for it, art included. The second difference is that the print version will have some blank playbooks in the back for photocopying, which are the same that are available online for printing but I wanted to make sure that option existed. Lastly, and I know this is obvious, the digital hyperlinks and bookmarks aren't in the physical version. You'll have to add your own notations.

In conclusion

I hope you all enjoy the finished digital product.

BACKERKIT LOCKING AUG 31 - JULY 2022 UPDATE
almost 2 years ago – Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 11:20:12 AM

Here's how things are progressing with Beam Saber

  • We are still struggling with the bookmarks BUT the issue has been whittled down to something so minor that I suspect even if I shipped V1.0 with it, 99% of people wouldn't notice.
  • Sasha is working on finding the right balance between file size and resolution.
  • With these two relatively small things combined, you WILL be receiving V1.0 in the first or second week of August.

With V1.0 within sight (phew), it's time to wrap up the pre-orders and lock up the BackerKit. If you need to make any changes to your BackerKit NOW is the time to do it. Things you may need to change:

  • Shipping address
  • Billing information
  • Purchasing add-ons (such as a physical copy for those of you who backed at the digital level but want a print version now)

The BackerKit will lock at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday August 31st, so you have a little over a month to get that fixed, or to let your friends know that they still have time to buy the book!

No art this update because you'll have the finished PDF in your hands SOON!