So I took a good hard look at my Patron list, with a mind to auditing and trying to catch up on backer rewards, and I finally clued in to how bad Patreon fraud can get if you let it go. A group of people who have since been banned from the Bad Kitty Games Patreon, allegedly providing somewhere in the neighborhood of $200, have been getting a free ride from as early as April of last year. Now, part of this is on me- I really should be taking much more care with Patreon- but I feel forced to institute a new policy regarding Patrons. That policy is a three month rule. I’m willing to give a Patron two months in a row where they have the benefit of the doubt, but on the third month that’s it.
I’m not doing this out of a desire for more money- I’m more or less comfortable right now, although I could always use more money to put towards art assets and whatnot. I am concerned about the value of what I’m giving to Patrons who actually support development of the game, and while I acknowledge that I can do a lot of things better I don’t think it’s fair to other Patrons to let people get a free ride.
Now, if you have donated some money before and then cannot meet your obligations, talk to me- I may be willing to add you to the “grandfathered” list, especially if you were a high-end contributor before. In general, if you are ever dissatisfied, contact me. If you have a complaint, speak up- I won’t know there’s a problem unless you advocate for your own financial investment. Patreon, for whatever reason, does not alert me when someone leaves my Patreon campaign, so just ending your donation without letting me know why you are choosing to do so is one of the least effective ways to influence changes to the game.
So in general, when it comes to Patreon, communicate, advocate for yourself, and don’t try to get a free ride.