PSA: A friend in need...

Hi, everyone.  Things have been busier than usual as of late thanks to our civic duty, a member of our staff switching day jobs, and changes in my own work schedule and responsibilities (I'm working more hours than before and I'm in charge of training the new guy in addition to my other duties...).  As a result, the amount of time we've had to devote to RKS has unfortunately taken a hit.  That's not as big a deal as it might sound, though; everything is looking good, and the nature of our day jobs gives us time to think of solutions to whatever issues we come across without actually ruining our forward momentum (we often already have solutions to the problems at hand before the next chance we have to sit down and tweak code or edit graphics).  Having a mindless day job works wonders when you're moonlighting as a localization specialist, and an involved fanbase really helps whenever you're showing symptoms of writer's block (seriously: thank you, everyone).

Suffice to say, it'll take a few more days before we're ready to roll out the next Developer Diary entry.  Having a bit of extra time to hear your thoughts on the matter really helps this time around since it involves something we touched upon in the comments section of our last post; I'd like that discussion to be properly concluded before posting the next entry.

Unfortunately, things haven't been looking as great for our friend Tristan MacAvery, voice of Rosenkreuzstilette's Count Michael Zeppelin and Neon Genesis Evangelion's Gendo Ikari (and many others).  Out of respect for his privacy, I won't go into detail as to the nature of his predicament, but I will say that his situation has left him feeling pretty depressed.

As you may remember, Tristan drove all the way from Syracuse to our place in Montreal to record his lines for Zeppelin, and he was willing to do it entirely pro bono (of course, we made sure he didn't walk away empty-handed).  You might not be aware that Tristan is also a talented author; you can find a half-dozen titles under his real name on Amazon, and a few more under his Cheyenne tribal name, Tristan Black Wolf.  He made a point of giving me an autographed copy of his latest book, The Laputan Factor, as a thank-you for having him over (much to my surprise), and I can honestly say that I can't quite figure out who was giving who the bigger reward...

Tristan has recently started a Patreon to help support his writing career.  Having read through The Laputan Factor much quicker than I'd expected (I started reading it on the bus on the way to my hometown one evening after work -- and stayed up until sunrise finishing it instead of turning in for the night), I can safely safely say that he deserves every penny he's asking for and then some.  The story felt like something you'd expect from Kotaro Uchikoshi, the author of the Infinity series (Never 7, Remember 11, Ever 17, and 12 Riven), the Zero Escape series (Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward), Steins;Gate, and Punch Line -- those of you who are familiar with his work know that this is no small compliment.  If you're interested in throwing some change Tristan's way, you can pledge as little as a dollar.  Personally, I'd recommend a $5 pledge since you receive a digital copy of The Laputan Factor as a thank-you gift (as well as a free digital copy of one of his future digital releases).

It'll still be a while before we start accepting pledges or preorders for Rosenkreuzstilette Schwesternschaft.  Instead of sending anything our way, we'd much rather everyone show their support for the voice of Count Zeppelin himself.  Oh, and the project's German translator, Martin "Dream&Nightmare" Tessnow -- he drew the cover art and illustrations for The Laputan Factor.  And, yes: Tristan was the one that introduced us.  The luck does indeed snowball.
 
Still on the fence?  I think this video review of the book speaks for itself:



You can read the first three chapters of the book for free here and judge for yourself.  Even if it's not your thing, please consider showing some support for the man that has already done so much for this project.

We're moving out.

What's this?  A new post?  Yes, indeedy.  And these are going to be getting more and more frequent until we've officially settled in at our new online home.  I won't promise a particular schedule, but I have a very good idea of what I'm going to post (and when) once we get the ball rolling.

These past few months have been incredibly busy for us, and with good reason.  The time isn't right for us to let everything out of the bag just yet, but something so incredibly awesome happened this past weekend that I simply can't keep to myself.

To set the scene, this past weekend was Otakuthon 2015.  This time around, we take full credit for the festivities having a surprise guest.

Now, on a good convention weekend, you might have the chance to meet one of your childhood idols and get a few autographs and/or photo ops.

On a great weekend, you might share a meal with said childhood idol and chat about everything that does on behind the scenes and what they've been doing since the gig that made them famous before moving onto more candid and heartfelt topics that give you a whole new insight into the kind of person that they are.

On a superb weekend, you might get said childhood idol to lend their voice to the pet project you've been trying to get off the ground for the past few years.

This weekend was not a good weekend.  It was not a great weekend.  It wasn't even a superb weekend.  These words are woefully inadequate to describe my version of August 7th through 9th.

How do you describe a weekend in which one of your childhood idols:
- drives all the way from Syracuse, New York, to your place in Canada
- records all of the lines for his character in your home studio, blowing away all expectations and teaching both the producer (you) and director a thing or two in the process
- pulls some strings with the convention staff at the last minute to ensure that you have an official presence at the event
- shares a meal with you not once or twice, but six times over the course of the weekend, with laughs and candor aplenty, plus a few well-deserved jabs
- chills with you on your couch, watching the remake of the title that made him famous (and it's his first time seeing it)
- opens his panel with the full story of the reason why he was a last-minute addition to the con's guest list (i.e.: you)
- follows that up by coming through on a four-year-old promise to publicly pimp your game
- continues the festivities by co-hosting a discussion on the title that made him famous, all the while underscoring your own mastery of the subject matter, putting even the English director of said work to shame
- gives you everything you need to officially close the book on a twenty-year-old mystery
- out-of-the-blue gives you a personalized copy of their (critically well-received) book
- returns home not as an actor or colleague, but as a friend, bear hugs and all
- admits that, from the beginning, he was planning to do all of the above for free, just because you asked.

To call this past weekend fan-fucking-tastic would still be an understatement.  I'm legitimately dumbstruck here.  I've seen actors give back to their fans before, but this?  I really don't know where to begin...

Thank you, Tristan, for going so far out of your way to do so much for us.  It was a pleasure to have you as a guest in our home, and an honor to host a semi-impromptu (if abridged) reprise of Understanding Evangelion with you, and a joy to chill and chat with you, talking about anything and everything for three days straight.  Thank you for making this fanboy's dreams come true.

Yes, this weekend was fucking awesome.  And the takeaway? Aim for the stars; you just might reach them.

Anyway, while I work the giddiness out of my system....

Commence Operation Schwesternschaft.

The curtain has risen.  Who can say what has yet to unfold...?