So, a little bit ago, I posted in both Facebook and on my twitter how much my business cards look. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, I’ll submit to you now what they look like:

I’ve been dispensing these out like friggin’ Pez because, really, I’m friggin’ stoked about this project of mine, and I want to share this excitement with everyone! In any event, the cards were designed by a friend of mine (who, until further notice, shall remain anonymous, but she knows who she is!) and I think she did a fantastic job on them! I can’t contain my excitement enough on what an awesome job she did.

So when I said that I wanted some sort of cover art, her eyes widened and she said that she had some ideas burning in the back of her head. I wasn’t prepared for what she had in mind, truthfully, because I didn’t know what I had in mind for the cover art. Nonetheless, she went to work on her own little time and I didn’t think much of it for a little bit.

I went back to her for sticker prices and getting her creative ideas on what should happen, and, again, I left it with her and her imagination. When, lo, she replied to me telling me that the cover art has been on the back burner for a little bit, but she might have an idea and will show me in a few days (obviously, this was a ‘few days’ ago). Last night I went to a bi-weekly game and she showed up. I can remember the incident so vividly: She saw me and she seemed a bit excited about something. She first ‘warned’ me about some idiosyncrasies and some minor changes that will be made to the final copy. Thinking nothing of it – and knowing what a great job she did on the cards – I waited. She retrieved from a plastic bag one of the single-most awesome things I’ve ever seen.

She showed me the cover art to my game.

This blew me away on so many different levels:

First and foremost, it was … beautiful. I’m not going to spoil it (sorry gang! You’ll have to wait a little longer), but it is a simple design, with the title at the top, the newest logo in the middle, and about two different images aside from the lettering. But it’s the way that it was done that spoke to me. There are so many subtle messages in these two pictures that just made me – for a lack of a better term – squee! Justifiably, she was excited as well! It’s a fantastic piece and I think she definitely has some wicked talent, and not just commend her on her work, but recommend her to anyone in the area for this sort of thing!

The second thing that hit me like a tonne of bricks was that this made the entire project more real. Everything that I had been working on for the past three months is quickly coming to a close, and this was just a symbol that its inevitable conclusion (of production, that is) of my project is so very real. I have involved so many people, invested so much time, wracked my brain so many times into this, and it’s finally taking form.

With that said, it takes me to my second point: Beta Testing.

At the end of the night last night, I collected what I could of the Administration and Beta Crews and had instructed them into what I have planned for the next little while. Although I have about two months to go before the Official Release Date, there isn’t much time left to do much of anything! So I wanted to get started, and had told them of my plans to get to work this week in finalizing the Alpha, finishing the text in the initial copy, and sending this copy to the first editor and Mechanics Monkey, Evan Beardhtulhu. From there, I am going to give it a once-through, making any appropriate corrections and making a copy for the Beta Crew.

Once the copy has been completed, I will gather the Beta Crew together, hand them the copy of the game and tell them to have at it! All that I require is five games and an honest review of everything inside. I know my ideas are convoluted, and I know I can understand them, so I feel that by doing this, it will be the true test on whether I can convey my creativity through text well enough to be interpreted by others.

And that’s when the second editor is going to come in handy. A fine gentleman had stepped up last night to suggest that he take a look at the grammar and the spelling part of the game.

Lots to do, so little time, but things are going along so smoothly so far!