Manufacturing update #2
about 5 years ago – Tue, Apr 30, 2019 at 02:25:05 AM

Mass production delays

I was hoping to have the Mass Production Copy to show for the next update, but we had some unfortunate new a week and a half ago. The manufacturer had an inventory scheduling error that left them without enough of the cardstock we were using (310gsm blackcore). The options they gave us were:

• To delay things until the end of July (when they'd have enough of that card stock again).
• To use 310gsm ivorycore cardstock that they had on hand.
• To use 310gsm blackcore from another source, which they could get in stock in May, but had a slightly different linen finish.

They immediately sent us samples of the second two cardstocks, and after checking them out last week, we opted to go with the ivorycore. It minimizes production delay and ensures the finish will be exactly the same, and when I messed around with the samples I couldn't actually detect any difference from the existing cards I shuffled them into.

The result is a few weeks delay, with mass production supposedly complete mid-May (I'm still waiting on confirmation of that, but didn't want to put off this update further).

Timeline update

With luck, most of you will still have your games in June, stragglers will probably come in July. We'll keep you updated if things change further. Hopefully the next update will have the MPC unboxing for real.

Shipping addresses

Due to this delay, we'll leave BackerKit unlocked a bit longer, but please finalize your shipping address now! If things go faster than expected we could be locking down addresses in a week.

Also, I've begun sending out Norsaga bundles to those with North Wind pledges, so whatever address you had in BackerKit is where that will be sent.

Manufacturing update, locking shipping addresses
about 5 years ago – Mon, Apr 15, 2019 at 02:39:38 AM

It's been quiet for a little while as The Shipwreck Arcana  stuff goes through mass production, but we finally have a bit of news to share!

Production timeline

• We've been told to expect the Mass Production Copy of the game (which is our final check copy that everything coming off the production line is as it should be) toward the end of April.
• Assuming nothing unexpected happens, we've also been told the games should be ready to go to the fulfillment center (which is local to the factory) in the first week of May.
• There will probably be a week or two of transition and spoolup with the fulfillment folks, and then games will hopefully start going out via airmail mid-May.

Short version: we're pretty much still on schedule, and we expect you'll have your games well before August 2019.

Shipping addresses

Because shipping is getting close, we're planning to lock down shipping addresses in BackerKit on May 1, 2019. If you have not entered a shipping address, or need to make updates, do so now!

PLEASE NOTE: NO SPECIAL CHARACTERS when typing your address. I have to manually replace these so the forms can be processed. It's a huge pain and introduces a lot more potential for error.

Norsaga shipping next week

Those who backed for Norsaga stuff, it's ready to go (I meant to start sending things out sooner, so I apologize). Please get your address up to date by Friday, April 19, 2019. After that I will begin packaging your Norsaga products, and changing your address won't affect where it's going.

Art from the archive

More of Matthew's unrelated project art here.

Otherwise, sound off in the comments if you have any questions for us!

BackerKit instructions (please read!)
about 5 years ago – Fri, Mar 15, 2019 at 01:34:27 AM

A handful of folks received their BackerKit emails last night, and the rest went out tonight! When you receive your email, you'll be able to visit BackerKit and do the following:

• Input your shipping info. This is mandatory! It's how we know where to ship your reward. You'll be able to edit this freely until we lock things down a week or so before shipping.
• Select add-ons. If you pledged for something non-standard (like 2 copies of the game), you can allocate the extra funds toward your desired products. If you just decided you want more stuff, you can add it and you'll be charged the difference before we ship.
• Late pledge. If you missed the campaign, you can pledge for a copy.

If you don't see a BackerKit email in the next 24 hours, please check your spam folder! If you have any questions, email [email protected] or let us know through Kickstarter.

Other updates

• Kickstarter deposited campaign funds this week.
• As mentioned in the comments, we signed our updated manufacturing contract on March 1 and approved mass production to begin then.

Art from the archive

More of Matthew's unrelated project art here. This one may look familiar to some folks, as it's from a micro fighting game prototype we demoed at Gen Con 2018 (still in development).

Thank you! and what comes next
about 5 years ago – Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 01:16:29 AM

Thanks to all you awesome backers, the campaign closed with more than 830% of its goal! So let's quickly peek into the future.

Rough timeline

• We're submitting updated manufacturing totals tonight.
• In ~1 week we should receive and sign the updated contract.
• Since we've already approved the pre-production copy (PPC) of the Stars Below stuff, mass production will begin right after we sign that.
• In ~2 weeks Kickstarter should deposit funds to us. Shortly after, we'll get the BackerKit stuff running so you can input the specifics of your pledge, add things to it, or late pledge if you missed the campaign.
• The next milestone will be approving the mass production copy (MPC) of the game, which is the final checkout. Usually takes 6-8 weeks after mass production starts, with 1-2 weeks of final assembly after approval. We'll lock down BackerKit during this time to finalize pledge and shipping info (you'll have at least a week's notice).
• Then everything gets handed off to the fulfillment company. It'll probably take 1 week to get shipping underway, and the first games should start arriving within 2 weeks of that.

That's the broad overview, assuming we don't hit any delays. We'll give you short updates throughout this process, and don't hesitate to comment or message us with questions!

Webstore order status

As mentioned in the last update, I got sick just before going on travel for all of last week, so if you ordered something off our webstore during the campaign, it likely hasn't shipped yet. I should get most of them out this Friday (Feb 22); you'll get a confirmation email when yours ships.

Today's featured card

Help: Last but not least for faded powers, we've got a twist on an old staple. Help is the last in a long line of "Let me eliminate several fates" options. Asking about only two numbers often proves to be a good thing. As for why it requires discarding another power: Stars Below provides several new ways to accrue fades more quickly, so this eats into some of that acceleration.

Art from the archive

More of Matthew's unrelated project art here. We've got a few of these left to entertain you with in future updates.

Day 20: Two Days Left!
about 5 years ago – Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 01:06:32 AM

The campaign is headed towards it close on Tuesday, February 19th!

Shipping

Just a reminder to finalize your pledge and re-read the shipping details in the previous update if you haven't yet. That update also includes the first bit of BackerKit info for after the campaign.

Today's featured card

Slow: Have a favorite Arcana card? Keep it from fading with a brand-new power. Attaching this to a card changes the calculus for players with high-value fates (hello again, 7), as you can now say "Well, if they had a 7, they might have played it safely on the Slow card." 1s, 2s, and 3s, beware: Slow won't save a card from these low-valued fates. Finally, some of the new cards in Stars Below can't be Slow'd, as they fade under other conditions.

Art from the archive

More of Matthew's unrelated project art here and here.