Real concerned about timing

Christopher said to expect the issues in the starter kit to take about 3 hours each to complete. With six issues that’s only around 18 hours of play content.

The core book has yet to appear on Kickstarter, and it has been said it won’t be up until spring 2018. Then comes the long arduous process of final writing, art, layout, printer proofing, printing, shipping from printer, and then finally distribution/fulfillment. Assuming there will be more issues written up for the Kickstarter, that adds time on to that.

So by my estimation, the core book Kickstarter likely won’t be fulfilled until closer to Q1 2019, maybe Q4 2018 if things go extremely well. But this is Kickstarter we’re talking about here, and there has been so much hype building around this RPG that you can count on it blowing through stretch goals after stretch goals, prolonging the length of time it is going to take to fulfill.

Which makes me seriously concerned about what we’re supposed to do when six weeks after the starter kit release those issues are done and dusted and there is nothing to do in the meantime for a year, maybe longer.

I mean, I guess it might give the GM enough of an idea to make their own content? But players will want to get their own heroes made and underway. As cool as the Freedom Five+Unity are, the whole idea that you can build your own hero in the Multiverse is what is a big draw for this product, and it seems like that experience is estimated to be another year away.

Is the starter kit going to have enough content to satiate the demand long enough for the core book to drop? I’m not sure. I hope so, but 48+ weeks is a long time to wait for new content.

Anyone else feel the same?

Presumably OblivAeon will finally be coming out in the middle of that interim somewhere, which will definitely hold people's attention for a while I wager.

For me personally, it isn't going to be much of an issue. I run games at a local college and so won't be planning on starting a new campaign until Fall 2018 anyways.

But, it could be an issue for some groups if they get excited for the game because of the Starter Kit but can't actually start playing the game until the Summer or Fall. I don't think it will hurt the game overall, but it is something to consider when scheduling things for the next year.

Maybe I missed it but where was it stated the KS would be spring of 2018?

A lot of it depends on how far along they are in the production process before announcing the kickstarter, and what state things are in. The fact that there is a physical starter kit coming out next week means that the system itself is probably mostly done. In fact, since we're talking the items actually shipping next week means it was printed a while ago, so that gives them even more lead time. 

A lot of times, when a RPG kickstarter funds, the text is usually pretty close to done. (Not always, I've backed kickstarters where we didn't see anything for a depressingly long period of time.)  

Here's what often (not always) happens: 

(1) KS starts. Sometimes backers get access to text-only rules docs before the KS is even done. 

(2) KS finishes. What backers get right then depends on the state of the game when the KS starts. Sometimes it's a beta version of the game. It also depends on if the stretch goals mean that ther core book is bigger (i.e. "Stretch Goal: Merged With the Sun: Citizen Dawn, the Children of the Sun and Insula Primalis will be in the core rulebook") or if the stretch goals add on new products (i.e. "Strech Goal: Vengeance Event - the Villain Sourcebook containing the Blade Battalion, the Citizens of the Sun and The Thorianian Armada"  is unlocked for all backers at level X or better.") If the stretch goals made the core book bigger, that adds development time. If the stretch goals add additional swag, then it doesn't affect the core book's production.)  

(3) KS Backers start getting rewards. It often takes a week or so for Kickstarter to hand everything over to the creators. I've backed games where we got digital editions of the game a couple of weeks after the game ends and games where it's taken a lot longer. But backers often get something pretty quickly. 

(4) Once the game is getting close to release (and Backers have gotten advance looks at everything), final digital versions go to backers, and then a week or so later (after Backers point out errors that can be fixed without changing layout. Little things like spelling errors or whatever) they go up for sale digitally. 

(5) Depending on the creators, the final PDFs go up for sale as soon as possible, or they hold off and wait until the physical products are ready.

I'm not sure where specifically, but "Spring 2018" actually isn't correct.  Christopher has said a few times that they're aiming for a "Q1 2018" KS date.  (Technically both would be correct if the KS were to launch during the last 9 days of March, but I'm guessing/hoping for a Jan or Feb launch… basically around the same time as the OblivAeon KS).

That was my impression as well for the KS launch.  

Seconed.

Pretty sure we're all gonna be pretty occupied with all the stuff that's dropping from/with OblivAeon for at least a couple months, easing the hunger most of us have for the RPG. At least I know I will.