Designer Diary #8: Pivot to Shotgun Fantasy! Bad Choices?
Hi everyone! Anne here. I wanted to share a little peek into what’s been going on this past week, week eight already! It feels like just yesterday we were talking about getting this whole thing off the ground.
This week has been quite productive. I’ve been continuing my deep dive into the world of business basics. It’s been fascinating to learn about everything from outlining business structures to understanding forecasting (which, admittedly, is still a bit of a “someday” topic for us!). It’s really helping me to grasp Sig’s vision for the company and how all the pieces might fit together down the road. Plus, it sparks all sorts of questions that I then pepper Sig with – keeps him on his toes! Some of these are things that bigger, more established businesses tackle early on, but for our current grassroots efforts, we’re taking things one step at a time. However, the foundational stuff like legal requirements, taxes, and accounting are definitely on our radar.
It’s been exciting to see the release of “Debatable Actions” this week! Sig poured a lot of energy into creating this sourcebook for Everyday Heroes, and it sounds like a really clever way to add a new layer of engagement to those crucial verbal confrontations in your games. If you’ve ever wanted a framework for convincing the bad guy or swaying a crowd, definitely check it out on DriveThruRPG. Every purchase directly supports Sig Trent Games, which is a huge help.
We also got an update on “Shotgun Fantasy,” the upcoming book that bridges the gap between Everyday Heroes and fantasy RPGs like D&D. Sig’s been working on the outline and starting to tackle the mechanics for converting characters and monsters between the systems. It looks like it will be a fantastic way to bring some magic and classic fantasy elements into your modern-day adventures while we all eagerly await the other book.
On the marketing front, we had some interesting discussions about the hero sheets. While they continue to sell steadily (we’re creeping closer to that $100 mark!), we realized that paid Facebook advertising might not be the most effective route for such a niche product right now. It makes more sense to connect with the existing Everyday Heroes community through groups, our SigTrent Games Discord server, and word-of-mouth. We’re saving those broader ad campaigns for a product with wider appeal, like “Shotgun Fantasy” with its cross-system compatibility.
Overall, it’s been a week of learning, progress on exciting projects, and smart strategizing. It’s inspiring to see Sig’s dedication to creating fun and engaging games for everyone. And on a personal note, even with a little sleep schedule disruption thanks to a power outage, things are pretty good here in Ocean Shores. According to Sig, the Gift Shop continues to be enjoyable – who knew Pokémon cards could cause such a frenzy in our little town?!
If you’re interested in chatting with Sig and the rest of the community, be sure to join the Sig Trent Games Discord server (link in his video description!). It’s a great place to talk about Everyday Heroes, game design, and all things geeky.
Thanks for following along on this journey!
Anne
PS: please help us build funding for our next project and buy a copy of one of Sig’s EDH supplements:
- Hero Sheets @ EGG’s EDH SideKick Shop for $5
- Hero Sheets @ SigTrent Shop for $4.99
- Hero Sheets @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
- Debatable Actions @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
- Shadow Markets @ DriveThruRPG for $4.99
SigTrent games is an independent TTRPG publisher specializing in supplements for Everyday Heroes, the modern action RPG. Sigfried Trent’s game designer diaries detail the companies progress, discuss game design, and whatever game’s Sig has been playing.
