Ben Saint's Hardware Upgrade Drive!
END DATE: SEPT 30
GOAL 1: $806 (HIT)
GOAL 2: $1496 (IN PROGRESS)
Goal 2 will buy a 3DS Capture Card, which will let me record Nuzlocke series of Pokemon Sun and Omega Ruby!
The goal of $806 has been met! Thanks to all of your support, I'll now be able to upgrade to a PC that will let me make comics and videos without a bunch of unnecessary technical problems getting in the way! Not only that, but as promised, the first section of The Champion: will now release early, coming out on SaintComix.com on October 1st! All of you have made this happen and I'm still stunned by the level of love for me and my work you've all shown. Thank you!!
And so! Since the campaign was meant to continue through September 30th, but since the goal was reached much earlier than that... I feel it's appropriate to move on to a Stretch Goal, with a NEW REWARD
Stretch Goal: $1496
REWARD: 2 NEW NUZLOCKE SERIES, POKEMON SUN and OMEGA RUBY
By raising this much, I'll be able to get not just an upgraded PC, but also a 3DS CAPTURE CARD which will let me make Nuzlocke series in the 3DS Pokemon games!
Price Breakdown:
I'd intended for the White 2 Nuzlocke to be a one-off thing. However, the response has been great and I've enjoyed doing it immensely, so I'm interested in continuing on to other gens! With Sun/Moon coming out in the next 2 months, and with my hot-blooded rival Mumkey Jones beginning a blind Moon nuzlocke immediately upon launch, I think my next move is clear: a blind nuzlocke of Sun is the way to go.
But that's not all. After Sun and Moon are successfully nuzlocked, OR/AS will be the logical next step. But this time, Mumkey and I will be going head-to-head. That's right... Mumkey and I will be playing as each others' rivals in Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, and battling each others' teams after every gym.
Also, and I probably should have said this earlier, here's my youtube channel where my current Nuzlocke of Pokemon White 2 is still going on:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMyKWNOG69SyM8rb9vuFvg
Pokemon Names: I'll be naming pokemon after both contributors to this GoFundMe, and my patrons on Patreon. I haven't worked out the details yet, but I'll employ some kind of algorithm that'll give long-time patrons and those who make larger pledges a higher chance at having their name picked. If you aren't a patron, a $5 donation here is the minimum to get your name in the naming pool.
If you donated before this reward existed, or if you forgot to actually select the reward, don't worry, I'll still put you in the naming pool. If you donated anonymously but want your name in the pool, or if you'd like a different name than the one you donated under, just contact me through GoFundMe and let me know and I'll update my list.
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UPDATE 1
The main goal has been reached, and in only 5 days! I'm absolutely humbled by this level of positive response. Thank you to everyone who's donated so far for helping make this happen, and a special thanks to Jason K for an absolutely ridiculous donation *:ﾟ*｡⋆ฺ(*´◡`)
But the campaign's not over yet! It'll keep going until the 30th, and until then any further donations will be going to Stretch Goals!
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ORIGINAL POST
The short version: My laptop has always been inadequate for my creative work, but it's finally gotten to the point where I can no longer do what I want to do with it (specifically, making the nuzlocke videos). An adequate machine for my needs will cost $806, so if this campaign can raise that amount by September 30th, I'll push my schedule forward and release the first 25 pages of The Champion as a prologue to the full story.
The long version:
You all know I make shit for the internet. But did you know... that to make internet... you need computer??
(if you've found this page and don't know me, here's my website: http://saintcomix.com)
For like 2 years now I've been using a mediocre laptop for literally all of my creative endeavors: drawing, podcasting, livestreaming, screenrecording, video editing, and video rendering. This machine is NOT DESIGNED FOR THESE TASKS. I've somehow managed to drag it kicking and screaming through it all, but it hasn't been ideal.
On this machine, MangaStudio crashes and costs me hours of work; Sony Vegas freezes for minutes on end just to register a click; tablet pressure sensitivity will spontaneously stop working and force me to reboot; and a one-hour video will take more than 36 HOURS to render, leaving me unable to work in the meantime. Looking back, I realize that a better computer would have helped me get my shit done faster all along. So, upgrading as soon as possible is a high priority for me, so I can keep on doing what I've been doing, only without all the technical issues getting in the way.
My friend and mysterious benefactor Krak has put together a build list for a machine that should serve my needs and not ruin my shit. Here's what I'm looking at:
http://pcpartpicker.com/list/cGTxcc
I'll be buying this computer as soon as I can get the money together. I want to get this thing in my possession as soon as possible because I really believe it'll help me get my comics and videos out faster. I'm going to buy it, it's just a question of when. If I can raise 806 dollars to pay for it all through this campaign, then the answer to the question of "when", will be "now"! But even if the goal isn't met, all the money raised will go towards the purchase.
So, if I get this funded and get the new computer, it'll mean I'm able to continue making the Nuzlocke videos, which I'm heavily committed to finishing. In addition, it'll increase my efficiency in getting all of my projects done, including my current main project, The Champion. Now, The Champion is most of the way finished, though there's still significant work to be done before it's ready to be fully released. And my plan for it has long been to finish it completely before releasing it all at once. HOWEVER, I have a lot of finished pages that I've just been sitting on for a while now, and frankly it's painful that I haven't been able to show any of it yet. So (and I've thought long and hard about this) since I'm itching to put some completed work out there, and since I feel like upgrading my computer will have a big impact on my creative output, I've decided that if the goal is reached by midnight on September 30th, I'll release the first 25 pages of The Champion, which I think comprise a pretty good first act/intro to the story. I REALLY WANT an excuse to put some finished pages out, so that's yet another motivator to me, personally, to get this campaign funded.
And, as always, I offer rewards to thank you for your support. Giving $25 or more will get you an official thank you on the SaintComix credits page. My full reward list is at http://saintcomix.com/rewards.html
If you'd like to help but don't have any cash to spare, share this campaign around.
Thanks, and saints preserve you
♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡
-Ben Saint