If you love something, set it free (Patreon)

Hello, everyone. Fireblade here...  First of all, THANK YOU! All 53! It was, without a doubt, a thrilling experience to find out that we are so many. But it also reminded me of something. So, let's start with a little background story. 

Uhm... I've made a mistake. A BIG one, and now, with your help, maybe I can make things right. When I first started on Patreon and making games, I had a financial goal in mind, like everyone else. I was amazed by how much income a single developer can have from nice renders and some text. So, I've tested, tried and failed. Partly because my dream of becoming rich from making games was not coming true and partially because my ambitions regarding the game I wanted to create were growing. The problem is that the money motivation stuck and grew alongside my vision. 

What you see on this page, in terms of membership tiers is proof of that income motivation. When I included the expansions (Ghosts of The Past, Changing Perspective and For the Bold), bringing in Project Bounded all my beloved characters from past game attempts, my mind was still set on including them in different tiers. So, again, money. But then, something happened.

I woke up on the 12th of October, checked my Patreon page and what I saw, hit me like a truck: 51 members. I had no idea that we are so many, honestly. I thought that only paying members were interested in this project. And I was wrong. Very wrong! And that's when the second truck hit me: WHY am I doing this? WHAT am I doing, actually, here? Do I want to make a game? Or do I want to make a difference?

These thoughts burned in my head for the past few days, and, in the end, I finally found an answer: a big "YES" to the final question mark. I am not here and for sure, YOU are not here because of the product I'm selling. You are here because you believe, same as I do, in this project and its future. 

So, to make things right, to actually make a difference, I want to start by REMOVING all the differences between us, the members of this community.

Project Bounded and all the expansions linked to the main story are free and WILL always be free for everyone who joins, no matter if he chooses a tier or not. No more paywalls, no more discrepancies. 

This page, this community, is not about market strategies, hooking "clients", forcing them to choose one tier or another, to experience the game. Why treat people differently? Why make them feel poor, rich or somewhere in between? We are all here because we want to share an experience. And we come from different parts of the world, different cultures, different incomes. 10$/month for someone here may be less financial effort than 3$ for someone else. And I don't think it fair to keep him away, just because he doesn't afford more. Or because now, he can't afford even those 3$.

So, my proposal is this: keep the current tiers, but change their purpose. Or, better said, make them what they should be: a reflection of how much someone can spare to support this project. Let's not forget that Patreon is, at least in my opinion, a platform for support, not a marketplace. 

Last but not least, I would like to apologise to everyone who has already paid or has chosen a tier, if they feel cheated, spending money on something that they could have gotten for free, like everyone else. I'm deeply sorry if you feel that way. But, like I've said, it's not about buying a product, it's about support. For me, for this project and for everyone here, in this community who can't afford it right now or in the future. 

After all, Patreon gave you the freedom to join my page for free. I'm giving you the freedom to enjoy the game, regardless if you support it or not. If, at some point, you decide to contribute, you're welcome to do so. It will help a lot, both me for pushing this project further and the other members. If you can't do it anymore, you can always remain a member, with no strings attached.

As a side note, for me, the phrase "If you love something, set it free" has a deeper meaning and, believe it or not, it is the reason why I am here, now, writing down my thoughts for you. But, it's a story for another time.

In the end, I would like you to share your thoughts and opinions regarding this. Please, don't hesitate to vote and comment, be it publicly or by sending personal messages. I will answer them as best as I can.

Thank you!

Fireblade185