Tuesday, February 12, 2019

The Root of All Evil


           
"The CRPG Addict" is about to enter its tenth year. Clearly, it's here to stay. In some ways, it has become as much of an addiction for me as the games themselves.

Unfortunately, it is long past time to consider how I can better justify the amount of time I spend on the blog. I average 15-20 hours per week. If I had spent that time on real work instead, Irene (my patient wife) would have a lot more stamps in her passport.

As my longtime readers know, I have struggled with this for years. Reflecting a sense of humility that would make Lord British proud, I've never felt that my work contributes that much to the world--certainly, not enough that should require people to pay money. I also didn't want to create any barrier, psychological or otherwise, to readership and participation on the blog.

Irene, who is much more of a capitalist than I am, recently sat me down and pointed out a few things:

1. People get paid for ephemera all the time. Some woman has made like $6 billion simply selling a huge list of things that don't suck. There are sites that make money off of reprinting my own content without permission.

2. With the different mechanisms available these days for monetizing writing, I'm literally just throwing money away by refusing to do it.

3. She would really like to go to Greece someday.

Hence, over the next year, I am launching a three-pronged approach to earn some pocket money from the effort I put into "The CRPG Addict." These are the prongs:

A Patreon Account

Readers have been encouraging me to do it for years, so I finally did it. I got through the entire setup process before I realized that you can only use it to make recurring monthly donations. I thought it could be used for one-time donations. (Technically, you can use it that way and just cancel after one month, but that seems like a pain.) I thus don't expect very much from it, but I set a recommended donation level of $12 per year to support an estimated 120 entries. If I get a lot of feedback that says, "Hey, I'd support you with a quick bump, but I don't want to be charged monthly," I'll consider a different platform or just remove it altogether.


My YouTube Channel

Over the coming year, you're going to see more videos posted, and YouTube offers a fairly easy monetization process, which may occasionally require you to watch an ad before the video plays. I need 1,000 subscribers to the channel before they'll allow me to do that, and I'm only a little over half that, so in lieu of making a Patreon donation, I would ask you to subscribe to my channel. I've already passed the "watch time" threshold that they set. Eventually, I'll get around to adding video links to the two play lists.

Addictive Adventure: The Complete History of Computer Role-Playing Games

I'm not promising anything yet in terms of a release date--although shooting for my 10-year anniversary is an obvious goal--but I can say that I've at least started work on editing my material into book form, and that I will make it more of a priority than in the past. The first volume will cover 1975-1983. I may ask for help with aspects of it as we move forward.


I hope none of these mechanisms prove intrusive, nor lessen your enjoyment of the blog. If they do, use the comments section for this entry to discuss the issue or otherwise provide feedback on the plan. It is my intention that none of these efforts will affect the content, approach, and quality of the blog.


149 comments:

  1. Shut up and take my money!

    (Seriously, the Patreon link doesn't work for me yet)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I think I had the wrong link in there. Should be fixed now.

      Delete
    2. Yep, now it's working. And I just want to say "thank you" in general. Your work has been outstanding for years now and you deserve to profit from it. And Greece rocks to be honest.

      Delete
  2. Irene is right. Idiots make money for posting stupid videos on YouTube all the time. It's only fair you can afford a trip to Greece with all the time you've spent on fairy tale adventure.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. I mean, it probably would have continued anyway, but now when I ignore a client deadline to write about video games, I can feel slightly better about it.

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    2. Damn. I alienated you that fast?

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    3. Reposted it. Edited the timing in my post. Like I said, I've been a quiet reader so I've never really learned the mechanics of Blogger comments!

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  4. Subscribed via Patreon. I've been a quiet reader for most of those 9 years so I feel like I owe more. I guess we will just consider those years a feeling out period for both of us!

    I think this is a good idea, I check here regularly for new posts and am always excited when one pops up! Glad I finally have an outlet to help be sure the quality content continues.

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  5. Patreon, at last. :-)

    To say it with Frys words: "Shut up and take my money! "

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  6. Your blog is a great way to introduce people to older CRPGs. For a long time, I thought Ultima was only notable for being a CRPG at a time when any sort of computer program was an achievement. I never gave it a try until your posts for Ultima 4 showed me how much love the series inspired. I have to admit the series still isn't for me, but my understanding of RPGs (and gaming in general) is better for the experience, and for all the other games I'd never heard of until reading about them here.

    I understand feeling like your creation is just some little thing that isn't worthy of other people's spending, but I think you've done something pretty special with this blog. I look forward to the book release!

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  7. Finally! Immediately subscribed on Patreon.
    Is there any goal, in terms of $ per month, you (or Mrs. CRPG Addict) would like to reach?

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    Replies
    1. No particular amount. But I told Irene that everything I earn will go in the vacation fund, so how hard I work on the blog will determine whether we go to Athens, Maine; Athens, New York; or Athens, Greece.

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    2. Athens, Ohio is also good.

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    3. Think big, shoot for Mt. Olympus, Mars!

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    4. What about Athens, Georgia?

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    5. ^I was thinking the same, and imagining the bitter tears of Fred Schneider and Michael Stipe if they only knew they'd been snubbed...

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    6. As a Greek, I want Irene and you to go to Greece. I'll help in my little way. Thank you for all the work you've put into this for nearly a decade.

      Delete
  8. Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see a link to Patreon at all.

    I think it sounds like a good, unobtrusive way to earn a little well-deserved money for all the entertainment you provide for your readers. Entertainment doesn't seem like quite the right word, but I think you'll know what I mean.

    Thank you for an excellent blog, from a (mostly) silent reader.

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    Replies
    1. there's a big orange Patreon link on the side-bar on the right, near the top of the page.

      Did you spend a few moments scouring the Patreon part of the post trying to find a link like I did?

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    2. It doesn't look like the Patreon link shows up while on the mobile web version of the site, which is what I typically view it on.

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    3. You can access the web version going at the bottom of the page. Should be right under the blue home button

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    4. That button leads to a dead URL for me. As does the link that's apparently been added to the blog post. And yes, I scoured the Patreon part of the post. Did not notice the button until just now.

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    5. use this adress: https://www.patreon.com/crpgaddict

      Delete
  9. About darned time dude! I'd much rather support the bloggers that I read and enjoy more than some corporate channel!

    Ten years... wow!

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  10. Heck, you definitely deserve to be compensated just for surviving all those recent '80s Ultima clones alone. People earn hazard pay for doing less.

    I totally get the modesty of underrating one's own contributions to the discussion around this medium, but very few paid video game critics have the dedication and esoteric focus of The CRPG Addict. I hope Mrs. Addict enjoys Greece; I recommend Zakynthos.

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  11. When it's finally that time to visit Greece, don't hesitate to ask the blog's Greek readers (myself included) for any help, hints and advice about anything you might need.

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  12. Good luck! You deserve to gain something from this effort.

    Please consider using this moment to secure the articles of this blog. Blogspot won't be around forever, and you are right now bound to it by blogsystem and URL. Blogger still supports custom domains, doesn't it? That would be a good start. Or do you have one already?

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    1. I run Blogger's backup every once in a while, but it saves the result as a huge XML file, and I admit I have no clue how to turn that back into a blog if I need to. I guess I should copy everything into Word format or something.

      No, I don't already have a custom domain. It's been on my list for a while, but I'm concerned about all my old links.

      Delete
    2. Maybe a bit too time intensive, but ideal would be a self-hosted blog that imports the rss feed here automatically, and then sets the canonical url to the current url.

      The internet promises the old links will just get redirected, but I understand the concern.

      Delete
    3. Remember to make sure the pictures get backed up too. Those are as important as your text!

      I'm sure you have lots of programmers in your audience (myself included), so if the worst comes to worst, at the very least it's not difficult to turn that XML into a static archived version of the blog.

      Delete
    4. I second the disaster recovery plan. Do it now before it becomes a problem. Get tech support from readers. I'm sure someone does this for a living.

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    5. Yeah, XML is easy to work with, major blog providers should already have an automated import function for Blogger files, including of course Blogger itself.

      Blog pictures have to be backed up separately using Google Takeout, they're stored as Google Photos albums. https://takeout.google.com

      Delete
  13. Please remain quiet and accept my donation.

    Seriously, Your wife's a smart woman. You're providing entertaining commentary, reviews and playthroughs of several games I'd never have known about, and there's plenty of us (including me) who'd happily drop a silver piece in the tip jar now and then.

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  14. Personal response only, no judgement on the preferences of others:

    I would back a Patreon for your current format and output up to $5 a month. I don't know what tiers or rewards or goals I'd want associated with a Patreon - maybe none, I just want to support you to keep doing this.

    I'm not interested in videos or Youtube - I work all day processing audio/visual content and if I'm going to watch more in my leisure hours it's going to be film or TV. I'd generally recommend creators to stick with what they're doing well rather than get distracted by different formats or side-projects.

    I'm not interested in a book. The attraction of your blog (to me) is short-burst consumption, not long-form reading - but that shouldn't stop you making one anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I get it. I don't really like videos myself. But I get enough views on the ones I produce that I know at least SOME people like them. And while I agree that I wouldn't want the videos to take too much time away from the primary blog, part of me feels that showing the games with sound and motion is the only way to fully document them.

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    2. Videos are great! There's no other way to sit in the driver's seat with our host. I already subscribed to the channel when you said you were going to do more videos. Onward!

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    3. I don't like videos myself actually. Reading has so many advantages.

      Delete
  15. I would definitely like to support you, but I'm one of those people who dislike recurring charges on my statement. Maybe if you have a Paypal account you could let readers know your account name and we could send a donation that way - not sure if that is a security risk for you.

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    Replies
    1. I understand. I don't have a PayPal account, but I'll think about it.

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    2. Note that Patreon does let you pay via Paypal. You can still do the single payment method described in the main post.

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    3. I support several of my favorite bloggers on Patreon using PayPal. You can make one time donations and then just turn the payment off too.

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    4. I used to be an early adopter of Patreon but they had a major security breach some years back, after which I had them close my account. I will certainly send some money your way, Addict, if you decide to make Paypal or other such method available. I have been enjoying your posts since the first few games, so it's only fair I help send your wife to Greece.

      Delete
  16. Heads-up that he Patreon link does not appear in the mobile blogger view (at least for me). I was able to find it by switching to what blogger calls “the web view.”

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    1. Not much I can do about where sidebar content appears, but I can link to my Patreon page under the paragraph in the entry above.

      Delete
  17. Subbed to your Youtube channel and backed your patreon! Worth it for a blog I read so regularly.

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  18. I have followed you since the beginning and you once told me to stop commenting drunk
    Well tonight I´m drunk yet again and I will not support you...
    ...just now but give me a few months and I will

    M

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  19. Even at $1 a week this blog would still be a bargain for me, so I signed up for $4/month. It's one of the tabs I leave open on my browser all the time.

    I also wanted to point out that even if you don't plan to watch YouTube videos or even use YouTube much you can still subscribe to the channel and help open up that opportunity for the site.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe add a link to your YouTube page under the Patreon link with a request to subscribe to support the blog?

      Delete
  20. I really love the blog and appreciate that it makes sense to monetize. I don't do reoccurring payments currently but I will look into it for later, for now I have subbed on YouTube and plan to get your book when its done. Thank you.

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  21. More than happy to pay for something that has kept me entertained for years. I will be looking forward to all content; videos, blog posts and book. I have always been a sucker for the physical format, so a book would be especially interesting for me.

    Keep up the good work!

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  22. Glad to have an opportunity to chip in for all the great work you're doing!

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  23. Signed up for Patreon for this. I love the blog, and hope this won't change anything. Your 2016 "Fuck you, I don't owe you people anything, and if you want to be that guy, I don't want you here" post when Trump trolls tried to threaten you with not reading the blog anymore was epic.

    ReplyDelete
  24. You have helped me uncover several old Rosebuds - games I half remembered but could never find. That, itself, deserves a Patreon donation. I'm also happily subscribed to the YouTube channel (maybe it will fill that missing hole left by Chrontendo?). I'm also intrigued in a book if it's more than reprints of the blog - not sure as to what I'm looking for, but I would love to see more documentarian aspect to it (a few interviews with the creators / etc. interspersed?) or historical look at the tech/people surrounding the games that helped create the right environment for the games themselves (you've done a lot of that already of course).

    Anyway, don't feel guilty - you deserve to get something for the work you do to entertain / educate / document.

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    1. Does anyone know what happened to Chrontendo? It was one of my favorite things to watch, and have seen the existing videos several times.

      Delete
    2. According to a Twitter update (on @Chrontendo) from Jan 6th, "Chronturbo will be schedule after the next Chrontendo, which is actually going to happen believe it or not". It's just been a looooong while (though, like this blog, I'm thankful it exists period, so I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth).

      Delete
  25. Long time fan, I subbed to both YT and Patreon, and would be glad to see you in Greece one day!

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  26. There is something about you grinding and mapping you way through too long RPGS that is oddly reassuring. I'm happy to support.

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  27. Well it's about time. There is nothing wrong with being compensated for producing something of value. This is the natural order of things. If anything, the idea that people ought to labor without thought of gain is a much, much more pernicious idea.

    Greece is wonderful, by the way. My favorites - Corfu, Delphi, Mycenae, Sounion, and Athens (of course).

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  28. Subbed and Patroned.

    Since several people expressed their dislike for recurring payments, there's another patronage service that is relatively popular in creative circles called Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/
    It works as one time tip jar (ostensibly, people buy you virtual coffees, hence the name.)

    So you could have both, Patreon for people who want to regularly support you and Ko-Fi for one time donations.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yay, wife induced capitalism in the CRPG addict blog!

    But the donation model is totally fine for me. I would send you some Euros via Paypal to say thank you the capitalist way, but monthly donation goes too far me.

    One thing totally freaks me out: You are already talking about making more youtube videos to make some money there. Thats business thinking and usually changes a project. I like this project as it is: casually _reading_ well written texts about old cRPGs that I don‘t have time to play myself. I totally would buy youre book as a preorder. I think I‘m just not into the video thing and prefer texts (because they are silent).

    Just my random thoughts about this.

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  30. CRPGAddict is now officially supported by Russian money (mine). Hope this won't make any troubles with the authorities for you :)

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  31. Re: Videos
    If you plan on making videos more regularly, you should absolutely get some editing software. I'd also suggest making video capture a part of your overall workflow. If you have to set aside some extra time for every single video and have to sit down for a few hours to create a video in one take it will soon become a pain in the a$$. And given how often you seem to travel, you won't have that many opportunities to do it that way anyway. I'd suggest capturing and filing video during your normal sessions along with screenshots. And just like you compose your blogposts afterwards, you can edit a video and add commentary in post. You can always add another session of capturing video and doing "live" cammentary if necessary.

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  32. You are right in every point and if you choose to patreon, ill gladly patron you because Im in debt for these years.
    You deserve it dude!

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  34. I suggest GOFUNDME or similar. You can set "campaigns" from time to time.

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  35. What I meant by crowdfunding is you say your goal is to get some modest amount in 3 months. When that campaign ends, start another. People can give what they wish to, what they can.

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  36. I think this is pretty reasonable. I've been enjoying your blog since almost the beginning. Maybe if you want mobile users to see it, place a small Patreon link at the bottom of each article.

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  37. So, your wife gave your blog a low Economy score?

    Patreon is a perferct fit for you considering the consistency with which you provide content and have been doing so for years.

    Youtube ... I dunno, since the ADpocalypse happened everybody and their dogs are begging you to support them via their patreon since YouTube no longer cuts it ... so why bother NOW?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. >> "So, your wife gave your blog a low Economy score? "

      I'd say a low score in Character Creation and Development, myself. Chet's been hammering away at this quest for 10 years and hasn't improved financially from it at all!

      Delete
  38. You have a very soothing and calm voice, even though I suspect you have a cold in this Swords and Sorcery video.

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  39. Woot a Patreon, finally. You will be the second person I support ! (and the other one is not video game related).

    Also, I will feel slightly less bad for having bothered you with Sapiens and not delivering :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. I don't go for regular payments... I'd love to do burst donations though, as your blog is a regular feature of those "hope this day is over soon" times at the office, brightening them more than a little, and I have been greatly enjoying your writing for many years now.

    How about a donation drive 1/year? That works for the wikimedia foundation, and I send some money their way whenever they do it. Otherwise, a PayPal account is simple to manage and easily set up, complete with button and all.

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  41. To the commenter who posted about 3 hours as "NJ": I DO make it a habit to delete your comments, which makes it all the more ironic that I deleted your most recent accidentally.

    If you're honestly confused as to why you are banned from posting on my blog, I suggest you write to me at crpgaddict@gmail.com and I'll explain it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hey there! I read your blog for a while when I was in college and only recently got back into it. Today was my last catch-up day, and this went down well with the morning coffee. I'm excited for you, and I'm happy to contribute on Patreon. You might consider the lovely unincorporated community of Athens, Arkansas, home of not one but TWO CCC-era bathhouses and a fried pie shop.

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    1. It's amazing to me that my blog has been around long enough for people to have read it "back in college," then lost track of it for a while, then re-engaged it again.

      Delete
  43. I never watch gaming videos but it was free to subscribe to your YouTube channel, so I did it. You are at 780 subscribers as I type this!

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  44. Subscribed! Glad to help contribute to the vacation fund. :)

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  45. I'd be curious how much you would raise with a stretch goal that resulted in more entries

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    Replies
    1. I'd rather Chet determine how much he wants to do it via his own barometers - This is play, not work! :)

      Delete
    2. Would more entries even really be desirable, though? Right now, I shoot for one every 2.5 days. Sometimes even that feels too often--like it doesn't leave enough time for any real discussion to happen before the post is buried under new ones. Even if I had more time to spend on the blog, I'm not sure I'd want to blog more often. Maybe longer entries. But some people must find it tough keeping up with my current output.

      Delete
    3. I think some people would get quite excited if you'd promise to play one console RPG per milestone goal reached :)

      Delete
    4. Excited yeah, but it's so easy to over-promise when the excitement is high and then to feel terrible later if you can't quite live up to it.

      IF AND ONLY IF it was desirable to offer some 'perks' to donors, the most obvious thing I'd suggest would be some kind of voting thing where the patrons get to help decide what games go into the next batch to play from. That way the backers have some sense of 'ownership' which keeps them excited, but without really changing the workload. After all, this is meant to be about supporting the current workload, not increasing it, isn't it?

      Delete
  46. Finally! You inspired me, many years ago, to do a Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim playthrough blog, which I still (infrequently) work through. Too bad about Skyrim being so boring.

    Consider me a YouTube subscriber and a Patreon!

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  47. Yes Patreon, finally! Subscribing.

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  48. Good job Irene! Props on the $1/month default as well.

    Hope she enjoys Greece, I'd love to visit Santorini sometime.

    I don't know if you're at all interested in travel shows - I'm generally not, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco%27s_Mediterranean_Voyage is a fun watch for a couple and might give you two some more ideas.

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  49. Very excited that you are finally getting around to organizing this blog into a book. I'll be pre-ordering the second it's announced.

    I've been a regular reader since 2011, and I'm more than happy to give back for all the joy you have given me re-living my childhood via these games. You deserve it for all the time and energy you put into this labor of love.

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  51. Just contributed to the Patreon. Your work is outstanding and I have had the pleasure to follow it -almost- since you began it. Now I'm glad I can contribute, even if it is by a small margin, to your well-being.

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  52. I thought Patreon's big selling point originally was that you could set it up so that people pledged a donation for each "chunk" of content you produced. Do they not support that model anymore? Bit disappointing, if so. (Although I guess enforcing that model fairly would be way too complicated for them to be sustainable.)

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    Replies
    1. They do support that, and there was an option to set it up that way. I figured since my output is relatively predictable by month, it didn't matter either way.

      Delete
    2. I'm glad you're using a per-month scheme -- the expense is cyclical and constant, which is vastly preferable for me.

      Delete
  53. I have no issue with support. It is just that I cannot guarantee it on an ongoing basis. Still, just using a pool of radiance image reminds me of what this blog means to me. So I will be contributing. I just want to play Dark Queen of Krynn when you do.

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  54. Ah, finally!

    Subscribed to Youtube Channel and became a patron as soon as I read about it.

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  55. I have no problem with it at all. You should have been doing Youtube and Patreon for years. I would have loved to watch these games in motion since I'll probably never play many of them again. I'll help how I can.

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  56. Subscribed to Patreon! I love your writing and I want you to be secure in doing it. :)

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  57. Sylvia Daniella FoxgloveFebruary 13, 2019 at 5:28 PM

    I'll be subscribing to your Patreon and YouTube account. You've inspired me to start my own channel playing games, and I've gotten much joy from your writing over the years.

    ReplyDelete
  58. You should do a PO box! I feel like I am too old to figure out all this "internet stuff" like Patreon, but you could do like Shareware used to! "If enjoy this content, send a check for $19.95 to..."

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  59. Happy to support you on Patreon! I've been a reader of this blog for years.

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  60. Gladly backed on patreon and subscribed to youtube, keep up the great work. You put so much time into this, lest we forget Fate: Gates of Dawn, you deserve some compensation for that time.

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  61. love your blog and writing! subscribed to the patreon!

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  62. I wonder if there is any way to add GOG- or Steam-referal links - if there is anything to inspire buying a game, it's a well written review. You could even offer an incentive by featuring play-alongs, probably showing other strategies, party-setups or short summaries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steam does not do referral sales. I don't think GOG does either, though I'm not sure.

      If you run a Steam curator, you get a bunch of free games dumped on you by desperate devs looking for coverage, but that's it.

      Delete
    2. I looked into that a while ago, but Whiner is right--neither supports that kind of program.

      Delete
    3. I cant comment re Steam, but GOG certainly does have an affiliates program:
      https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/212184689-Contact-information-for-affiliates-press-publishers-future-employees
      (apologies if this appears multiple times, it keeps disappearing on me)

      Delete
    4. That's good to know. They didn't the last time I checked.

      Delete
  63. Subscribed to the YouTube channel. You are at 868 subscribers now.

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    1. Yeah, that's been amazing. I didn't realize how much support I would get if I just asked. I'm sure I'll earn the rest of the 130 subscribers as I add more videos.

      Delete
    2. Jack Black got 1 million subscribers with just one 30 second video. So...

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    3. The YouTube subscription is super easy and costs us nothing, so I can't see why anyone wouldn't do it if they enjoy the blog. As for Patreon I think it's a great idea and I am still debating my contribution. I'm in the camp of those who prefer ad hoc donations over subscription, but I am not completely against the per month model and will still think about it. I am not at all surprised people are willing to voluntarily donate for this content.

      Delete
  64. It's been ten years already?!?! Argh, I am old...

    Glad you set up a patreon account, and glad to support it.

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    Replies
    1. Well, it's been nine. But I'm "entering my tenth year," if that makes sense.

      Delete
  65. Subbed and backed on Patreon, well worth it for the amount of dedication you put into this blog.

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  66. Yep, make money from your work. I have a couple blogs that I monetize via affiliate marketing.. makes me a nice chunk of change of every month on the side.

    Subbed to your YOUTUBE. Best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
  67. I'm new to this Patreon thing, but I'm unpleasantly surprised that I have to pay 21% VAT.
    Seems excessive!
    I got asked for my country of origin so I do hope it's not that bad everywhere ...
    I suppose the Addict also has to pay some kind of tax on the remainder?
    Plus, I'm trying to make a (small) one-time payment, but I have to wait till March 1st! (and cancel afterwards of course)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, there are some ways it's not ideal. I didn't know about the VAT thing. We don't have that in the U.S.

      I'll have to pay income tax and self-employment tax on whatever I received, but that would be true no matter how I accepted donations.

      Delete
    2. Yes, since using Patreon is legally considered paying for digital services, VAT is applied, so we have to pay up to $1.27 to send you $1.00 this way. Some people refuse to use Patreon because of this, so opening that Paypal account would really be a good idea.

      Delete
    3. VAT depends on your country. As a Finn, I pay 24%. Unfortunately it's something you just have to accept if you live in a VAT country.

      Delete
  68. YouTube's the way to go I'll watch the ads plus videos so u get credit but rather read your articles

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  69. YouTube's the way to go I'll watch the ads plus videos so u get credit but rather read your articles

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  70. You need to add a link to your YouTube channel when you're writing about it.

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  71. 905 subs on the youtube after i subbed!

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  72. cool blog why not get some dough for it

    ReplyDelete
  73. Chester you could try to play pillars of eternity. it´s been rated one of the best rpgs ever

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IMO it didn't live up to its heritage. It was good, but not memorable. I hear the sequel is better.

      I think the new Divinity games might be peak Chester though.

      Delete
    2. Pillars is really, really mediocre. It's like a less good Baldur's Gate 1, and I think BG1 is very overrated and mediocre too (BG2, however, is a masterpiece).

      Delete
    3. It's fine to not personally enjoy playing BG1, but I think it's hard to call it overrated. It towered over its contemporaries in so many regards. There'd been nothing like it.

      It's just that within a year we had Torment, and within two we had Shadows of Amn.

      Delete
    4. Pathfinder Kingmaker is absolutely incredible and beats bith Pillars hands down. My personal successor to BG II.

      Delete
  74. Sent you an amazon gift voucher as an alternative to paypal.

    I don´t want to register at Patreon and have yet another account. Just an idea for the others out there who are waiting for a paypal option.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was very kind of you, Andreas. I'll get Irene the Lonely Planet travel guide.

      Delete
  75. Subscribed on Patreon and YouTube. Least I could do for all the amazing content you provide!

    ReplyDelete
  76. Subscribed to Patreon. I probably won't subscribe to YouTube, though, as I don't have an account.

    ReplyDelete
  77. How do you find the time to do this blog, with a partner who is against it? how can you have a work career and do this blog? You post frequently and in detail. I think you spend more than 20 hours a week. more like double that to get all this self-journalism and gameplay work done. It would be better to be honest and tell people you are unemployed, and, put your real name and face here. People appreciate openness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What people don't appreciate, are those who make assumptions based on scant evidence.

      Delete
    2. Yeah, I'm not sure I understand your attitude or your assumptions, 1721. I am self-employed--which admittedly often treads a fine line with "unemployed." My wife isn't "against" my blog; she just suggested that if I'm going to spend so much time on it, I might as well make some pocket change.

      As for revealing my real name, the last thing I need is for my clients to Google me and discover that I somehow had time for three entries on a 25-year-old RPG when I'm three weeks delinquent on a project. I'll be happy to post my real name when I retire.

      Delete
  78. I am a patreon now!
    But your Blog will remain open and not disappear behind the Patreon paywall, will it?

    ReplyDelete
  79. 1024 subscriptions now. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  80. Hey, I say make hay while the suns shines! Writing is work just like anything else people put time and effort into (says a freelance writer), and Harlan Ellison was correct when he said that as a writer, he wouldn't take a [vulgar expletive for urination] without getting paid for it first.

    Lord British would certainly approve your humility, yes, but even shepherds sell wool at market, y'know?

    ReplyDelete
  81. Hallelujah. Thank God. Amen brother. You really deserve it. Any considerable effort put into something is work, so you shouldn't feel ashamed about this. You deserve it much more than those soccer players who earn millions of dollars to kick a ball

    ReplyDelete
  82. I want that book right now!! I check your Patreon Site, too. Good work and thank you for the entertainment.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Excellengt initiative. You deserve to get rewarded for your effort. For me personally I'd happily pay for a series of books covering a number of years of reviews each. There's probably a ton of different alternatives to chose from, but I've bought books from Bitmap Books before and have always been very happy with the quality of what they produce. The CRPG Book is published via them: https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/collections/all/products/the-crpg-book-a-guide-to-computer-role-playing-games

    ReplyDelete
  84. Subscribed to your youtube channel and made a Patreon account just for you.

    About the book, I was thinking about it before, but with a slightly shorter timeframe:

    Just until 1981, ending with Ultima and Wizardry to show it's the end of an era and the start of a new one; and titled CRPG Addict Book One: The early days of CRPG (as a callback to Might & Magic Book One: Secrets of the inner Sanctum).

    Book 2 would have gone until 1988 and named Into a Golden Age and ending with Ultima V and Wizardry V

    Yeah, I gave way too much thought about it for something I can't really influence

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's basically my plan, but ending in 1983 rather than 1981. Ending in 1981 would make for far too short a book.

      Delete
  85. I just went and subscribed and looked at the video output. It looks like YouTube isn't much of a priority. Hahahah

    I'm about to play Phantasy Star for my chronological project (inspired by you) and I'm dreading the hours of video I'm going to have of me grinding. Hahahaha

    Unless good notes are taken, making a short video for a long game becomes very tedious.

    ReplyDelete

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