KickStartKentucky: Build Lexington in SimCity

KickStartKentucky is a new feature at Kentucky Geek Girl where I scour the web for interesting, Kentucky-based crowdsourcing projects. It doesn't have to be Kickstarter, projects can come from Indie GoGo or any platform. The only criteria for this feature is that the project has to be about Kentucky or based in Kentucky. If you have a project that you'd like for me to feature, just send me an email!

In this inaugural edition of KickStartKentucky, I'm sharing a project by Nolan Gray called "Help me build Lexington, Kentucky in SimCity (2013)." The title is self-explanatory. Nolan wants to construct the Athens of the West, the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington, Kentucky in SimCity.

I am fascinated by cities and city planning. As a historian, I find it interesting to see how a city changes over time and Lexington is no stranger to change. Starting from a town plat which spanned less than ten blocks, Lexington became a sprawling city, especially in the mid-20th century when urban sprawl was the norm all over the country. Even today, new subdivisions are cropping up all over as more and more land is taken in by developers. The landscape of Lexington has changed tremendously even in the 10 years that I've call it home.

I asked Nolan a few questions about his project and what he hopes to accomplish. More from him after the break.

Help Bring a TARDIS to LCTC in March!

At Lexington Comic and Toy Convention 2012, con-goers were privileged to a visit by the DeLorean, with proceeds from photo ops going to Parkinson’s Research. As discussion of LCTC 2013 progressed during the year, many, myself included, thought that inclusion of the TARDIS would help round out the convention experience. David Endicott of Ashland wants to make that happen. He has started a Kickstarter project to help pay for some of the TARDIS related expenses and to help expedite the process.

Endicott, who has an interest in prop making, says that he has been research TARDIS plans since Christmas and has enlisted the help of a local carpenter to help with the construction. The money from the Kickstarter project will go toward labor, building expenses, and transportation only. Endicott has said that because he already has tools, he can use the money strictly for construction necessities rather than a large piece of equipment. 

The TARDIS will be full scale, 10ft x 5ft, which is based on the version seen from 2005-2010 on BBC’s Doctor Who. Endicott expressed that TARDIS plans were extremely difficult to find, but I’m confident that he will be able to put together something fantastic, brilliant, and cool. Those who contribute to the Kickstarter project will be privy to in-progress updates and personal thank yous. I think that it would be awesome if we could get a local photographer to do professional photo ops in the TARDIS for a nominal fee (HEY PHOTOGRAPHERS – CAN WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?!). 

At the very least, I hope that con-goers can take their own pictures with the TARDIS. I also hope that a big group of Doctor Who cosplayers can gather together for photo ops. (I’m looking at you, Jason Knopp, you David Tennant looking fella) I wish David the best of luck with the build and I look forward to hearing more about the updates. With space already allocated on the convention floor, now all we have to do is wait for the vworp vworp and the TARDIS to materialize inside of Heritage Hall on March 16.

Be sure to make your pledge now, the Kickstarter ends in 9 days! It's now at $335 of its $200 goal. Congratulations!

Lexington Comic and Toy Convention

Lexington Convention Center, Heritage Hall

430 West Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40507

Saturday, March 16, 2012 10am-6pm 

Sunday, March 17, 2012   10am-4pm

Admission: 

22.50 in advance

$30.00 at the door! 

VIP admission - $45.00 in advance

Kids under 10 are always FREE!

Kickstarter Spotlight: Witch Girls: Book of Shadows

Witch Girls Adventures is an independent role-playing game based on the award-winning Witch Girls comic books. Players create magic using characters who have adventures both in the real and magic worlds and learn how to harness their power. The game, which is for ages 11 and up, is the creation of Channel M productions. It was designed for female players, and looks specifically aimed at young girls who may be getting into roleplaying.

I recently found out about a Kickstarter project for Witch Girls: Book of Shadows, which will be a follow-up to Witch Girls Adventures. The goal for the project on Kickstarter was $2,000 and with 17 days to go 82 backers have pledged $3,517. However, the game's publishers have laid out the plans if they continue to exceed their goal. More pledges mean a much more polished product, so consider a donation!

Here is an example of the character sheet for Witch Girls: Book of Shadows.

Learn more about Witch Girls Adventures on the game's website, Twitter, and Facebook.