One thing that we are seeing more of in this age of Kickstarter-driven tabletop RPG development is a thankful end to the era of NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) being an industry standard. Yeah, there are still some holdouts, but for a lot of designers and companies they are realizing that NDAs are a weakness in development rather than a strength.
Yes, I can understand the argument that you don't want people bitching about things from early drafts of your game after they've been removed. That is easy enough to deal with, however. Just say: "That's not in our game anymore." Yeah, geeks like to chew up a bone of discontent until it is a little nub of negativity, but really there is only so much that you can do about people like that anyway.
The main benefit that comes from all of this is publicity. A Kickstarter campaign that is making lots of money is good publicity, but what makes better publicity? People blogging about their love for your game, talking it up on forums and social media. Games are meant to be played and nothing is as good for publicity as people talking about how much fun they are having while playing your game. Yes, you run the risk of people trash talking, but you run that risk after release and NDAs won't matter anyway. If one YouTube video of a group playing, and having fun, causes 10 people to look at your campaign and pledge...that's 10 people that you might not have had give you money previously.
This doesn't apply only to games that are being Kickstarted either. Open development can be even more helpful to a game that is being funded the old fashioned way because you do not have that extra push of publicity from a Kickstarter campaign. Don't treat your current and potential future customers as if they are thieves who are trying to steal your ideas. These are the people who are the front line of your game's publicity. Do you want them talking about how cool your game is, or how behind the times you are because you want to make them sign an NDA?
It is time to join the 21st century and start treating your audience appropriately. They aren't thieves trying to take your ideas. Tabletop gaming just isn't important enough for "corporate espionage." Put those beta versions of your game out there on the internet. Let gamers worry at the rules like a dog with a new squeak toy. Let them find the math errors, the spelling mistakes, for you. But most of all...let them talk. There's no point in being quiet and squirrely and Cold War about your games. Let your fans be fans, the bad apples will sort themselves out.
