June 2025 Release 1: Ice Bridge Pass
Added 2025-06-24 02:39:50 +0000 UTCHi everyone,
Before I get into the scene, I just wanted to let you know about some of the thoughts I've been having over the last few months. You may have noticed that I've been struggling to get my releases out on time. This is for a few reasons. The complexity of the scenes and me trying to hold RuinWorks to a certain standard definitely play a huge part. And that desire to make bigger and better has really driven me but also hindered me.
For those of you who don't know, I do RuinWorks on the side of my full-time job, so most of my free time is been dedicated to it. It is a passion, and something I love doing and so it hasn't always felt like work. But after four years, it is starting to wear on me. I struggle to stay focused on it at times, and then have to drop other things from my personal life to complete it. My wife has been super supportive, but in return I'm not sure that I have been and that's something that weighs on me too.
So I think I need to work out a better balance. To start, since I'm so far behind this month, I'm not going to charge for July, in order to take my time and provide a solid second scene for June. This summer is already going to be busy for me. Normally, I take September off from RuinWorks and I am again this year (visiting the Yukon :) ). In July we have a few weekends that have been booked and a family trip planned for August. So when I combine all this, it makes sense to me to take the next few months off. To hopefully clear my head and really understand what I want out of this. I don't want you to think RuinWorks is gone, it just might morph. I'm leaning towards releasing products instead of a monthly sub. Something like 3-4 linked scenes in a bundle every few months. I just don't think I can keep up the same pace anymore.
TLDR: I'm a bit burnt out and need to slow down.
Ok enough of that, on to Ice Bridge Pass.
Release video: https://youtu.be/ikCHlh51wkQ
This scene was voted on by you in my last patreon poll. It shows a mountain pass, high rocky cliffs and a valley. I've made it in two versions - snowy and rocky. It also includes a bridge between two cliffs which can be set to intact or broken. In Foundry, it can also be set as a trap, to switch between them. Additionally, the bridge comes in two variations - Ice and Rope.
Ice-blocks also litter the snowy version of the scene. These can be double-clicked to cycle their images - from Ice Block, to filled with a frozen corpse, to none. The theme I was going for in relation to the snow variation was a White Dragon. Perhaps they froze the poor people into the ice blocks to snack on later and formed the ice-bridge when firing their wintery breath.
Hope you all like it and let me know what you think and would like to see next!
Rob from RuinWorks
Breaker Rewards: https://www.patreon.com/posts/breaker-rewards-132073161
Destructor Rewards: https://www.patreon.com/posts/destructor-post-68085350
Fragmenter Rewards: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fragmenter-june-132073519
Comments
Really appreciate hearing that, Justin :) I'm not planning on leaving forever, just need to work out a better balance for myself. Already working on some ideas on how to do that. And working on the next release which feels pretty good
R B
2025-06-27 00:25:14 +0000 UTCHey friend, I don't think anyone would mind if you do fewer maps. A lot of your maps are already very modular and easy to plug in to existing campaigns and stories. Also I think you're probably only second to Forgotten Adventures themselves in terms of the way you set up your scenes, layers, and assets, for your maps. I would much rather see fewer of your releases than nothing at all, so take all the time you need to make these great scenes. :)
Justin
2025-06-24 05:37:57 +0000 UTC
