Asylum Earth: Aftermath: Manhattan Protocol

 This is the latest and greatest box for the game, which should be arriving at my door on Monday, according to Fedex. Hey folks, it's been a while, and I've had my ups and downs these days. I've worked so hard to get this game done, but I feel it's probably not quite ready for prime time. If the game arrives Monday, I'll be setting it up and playing it to see how it works.

That's a nailbiter for sure, even though I've got all the instructions and the artwork as close to finished as I can get it. I'm just not sure about the board yet. But, time will tell and I'll be doing my best to make sense of it all and get it out there on the Game Crafter website for now until I can put it for sale on Amazon, Walmart, etc.

I also dug up several other games I had designed years ago that I'm looking to finish, also. Those games sat inside a slow HP laptop I'm still nursing and extracting files from. I'm in the middle of switching out to Windows 11 on my desktop, and I need a new keyboard and mouse that are on their way today.

There's so much to tell about this new version of the game, but until I lay it out and give it a whirl in real time, I just don't know where it stands. 

Luckily, the book, Asylum Earth: Age of the Apocalypse, has been out on Amazon for several weeks, parked until I get the game going in full swing so I can promote both the game and the book at the same time. Although my focus is on the board game for now. It's all quite the undertaking that needs to fall into place, but there are always delays and problems to be had along the way. Right now, the promotional video is finished, but its conversion to MP4 by Filmora is a bit dubious, to say the least.

Filmora claims that I have not purchased enough digital assets to convert the video to MP4 format, which is not accurate. So, as it stands, I'm trying to fix that glitch.

Much more to come, folks. Standby for the best part.

Asylum Earth Cyberpunk Board Game and Novel are Back

 What a difference a year makes

Not so long ago, I was down and out for the count. Today it feels like I'm on top of the world. In just a few short months, I met someone who lifted me out of the mire and into a much better world.

Dear gamers, this is not a rags-to-riches story, but it sure comes close, and it is absolutely true. If you recall or go back to my previous posts, I spent two weeks in a hospital battling COVID, a little over a year ago. I honestly didn't know what would become of me. Would I survive? And if I did, would I remain functional? God only knows, but I'm still here, and Asylum Earth is back on track, as you can see below, and I'm planning on taking this game to the Ancient City Con in September. That's in St. Augustine, Florida. I live about 45 minutes away. I'll be there for the weekend and I hope to present my game and novel and get to play Asylum Earth with several visitors. It's going to be a great time.

As you can see from the photo below, the covers have changed for the better. This is the same image I found on Etsy months ago, and so far it's working out nicely. Featuring the main character, Andrea Estrella, looking fierce. The official name for the game is Asylum Earth: Supreme Survivor. The novel is titled Asylum Earth: Age of the Apocalypse. The novel centers around the impending Apocalypse and what starts it in the year 2057. Sorry, Texans, but the Apocalypse kicks off in Austin, much like Dasha's little diddy. So what is it about Austin that everyone seems to pick on that poor city? Well, back in the day when I finished my military career, I washed up in Austin myself for some time, straight out of Fort Hood. Thanks for the great memories, Austin, but I'll try to be kind in my story.

I'm still finishing up the game. In fact, I'm play-testing again this weekend and hope to tie up a few loose ends, improve some of the artwork that printed too dark in the last prototype, and enlarge some of the text. Other than that, everything looks really good.

Here's a link for the convention in St. Augustine, Fl. I'll be attending the weekend of September 13-14. I hope to see you there. I'll be posting the location of my booth or the spot where you can find me later this month.

AncientCitycon.com

Here's artwork for This-Is-It T-shirts I'll be making for the convention. It's so good to be back. Stay on for the ride because this is about to get interesting and exciting in the following months.

Board Games As Bright, Shiny Objects

 

Hunting For The Perfect Image

Hey folks, here we go on another wild adventure in design. And here's a great lesson for those of you who, like me, question everything.

Let's get right into this, which happens to be the opposite of the old design, meaning that it has gone from destruction and chaos to rebirth and renewal. Hence the new name, Asylum Earth.

The name Millennium was a tough act to follow. The name Remnants was maybe too specific, but Asylum Earth says it all with just two words. I think it has a nice ring to it and that's what you want in a name, and a big plus, it's an original name as far as I know.

old box

The goal is to shed the images of destruction and hint at the ending of the story, which has always been what you see here on this new cover so the story hasn't changed at all. I'm just focusing on the future result as opposed to the current state of world affairs. Besides, haven't we had enough of that in real life?
Sure we have and the world at large is over it. We've had enough of death and mayhem around the world and we're ready for something positive and hopeful for a change. Because not even fiction lives in a vacuum, especially themes of the end of days and the apocalypse.

Yes, I can proceed to mirror all the awful global events, but I really don't think anyone is in the mood for any more of it and therefore I've decided to focus on the brighter side. That's not to say that any of the story, Age of The Apocalypse, will change because it still begins with the fall of man, so to speak, and all his devices, and then follows a natural course of events that leads to a much more hopeful and desirable era on Earth.

These Are Different Cover Images

At first glance, these boxes look identical because of the bluish tint but on closer look, you can see a big difference. Rebirth vs. Chaos.

And yes, she is holding a gun because not even this new earth is perfect, but it's all in the spirit of protection as opposed to attack mode. Besides, you need to show some tension to balance the scene in a realistic way.

So with that in mind, I've added a futuristic city in the background while the foreground features a trail that leads the viewer into the story and through this "utopian" landscape. It's not a bright shining city paved with gold but it does represent an optimistic viewpoint that's refreshing in times like these.

This could be my masterpiece for all I know. If you've ever created anything for yourself, you know how difficult it can be, that is, looking from the inside out.

BTW, this is a composite image forged in Photoshop, two amazing free images I found on Pixabay. The image of the Android is from Shutterstock. And other cyberpunk images I've been lucky to find on Canstockphoto.com for the card decks. As you can see, imagery is always a wild hunt.

So we'll see if this hunting metaphor works. If you've hunted you know about attracting wild animals with shiny objects. A good device for humans but not so much for the unsuspecting creatures that fall prey to these tricks of the trade. I've learned this by watching shows like Mountain Men because I've never hunted myself, nor do I plan to hunt anytime soon.

At any rate, marketing can be similar to hunting and in this case, the bright shiny object is actually a bright, shiny city in the guise of a board game. Go figure. Yeah, there's a joke in there somewhere.

The point is that all roads lead to marketing and sales, otherwise known as attraction and persuasion. And let's not forget about the all-important, impulse purchase, that closes the sales funnel. That's another lesson for another time that I'd love to break down in short order in one of my future posts right here. Just keep in mind that as a graphic designer, you're always designing towards the optimum result, which is the elusive impulse purchase.

For now, compare these two box covers and see for yourself the shift in POV. The story never really changes because it's always about the apocalypse but this new cover shows a glimpse of what's to come after all the destruction and death have ravaged our beautiful earth.

Yes, unlike most of my stories, this one, Asylum Earth - Age of The Apocalypse has a happy ending. And so, the real story is about how we get there.

Imagine that.

Tabletop Apocalyptic Board Games (Remnants Supreme Survivor)

Remnants New Game Board

Here's an update for the new board. It's been a heck of an evolution for this game. This new board is actually a map featured in the first prototype. The USA map proved difficult to manage and that was apparent from the start but ambition can be not only daunting but sometimes a roadblock.

So now I'm back here and the game seems to flow much better with this new board. I never was a big fan of the full USA map because it looked trite and ordinary. With this new Manhattan city map, the game is more focused and familiar to me and far more interesting.

I've added another snarky card deck of explosions that include time clock events so it's all coming together in the final destination city where the girls, Andrea and Maria flee out of Austin, as told in the novel, Age of the Apocalypse, the hardcover edition.

I also started a new website to promote the three books tied to this game. So there's a lot going on and hopefully, I'll get to the end of it soon. No rush, no worries. I'd rather take my time and get it right.

As for the box cover, I've decided to print the next prototype with this image of Andrea, and subsequently, there will be more choices including boxes with Sergey Vasnev artwork.

Peace out.