Canada, Australia, and the EU
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Nov 16, 2018 at 12:29:05 AM
I'm heading out for CHITAG tomorrow, but I wanted to get a quick update out regarding fulfillment for the other three hubs. (Reminder: If you're in the Chicago area, drop by the Navy Pier this weekend for the CHITAG Game Fair. We'll be there to say hi and demo the game. And, yes, we'll have the penny press machine.)
Canada stock is in the warehouse. There was a potential delay on the fulfillment side. But, Snakes & Lattes was great in working with us to resolve that problem. In short, we offered to pay extra for them to get more hands on deck, and they agreed. So they'll be working over the weekend to get this rolling. We expect shipments to start next week. Yay!
Australia is ready to go, and they too should start shipping next week. Bonzer news! (Did I do that right?)
As for the EU, let me start with some background. We used GamesQuest for EU fulfillment for our Stop Thief! Kickstarter last year and had no major incidents. For Fireball Island, we decided to go with Quartermaster Logistics. For non-US hubs, they oversee the operations so we only have one outfit to deal with. They mentioned they were using GQ, and we had no reason to be concerned based on our prior experience. Obviously, when we mentioned them and our FI backers sounded off, we passed these concerns on to QML.
First things first, we have to use GQ at this point, even if we didn't want to. The stock is already in their warehouse. And, candidly, there is no better alternative to handle the EU. They have acknowledged recent issues, but they've also told us that they are working hard to remedy them. We have stressed that many of our backers pledged so they could have the games as Christmas gifts and that this was a critical deadline for us to meet. They are currently exploring all options to expedite the process.
Which, unfortunately, is all just a fancy way of saying that we don't have definitive information right now on when EU fulfillment will start or how long it will take. There's still a chance it could start next week as well. But, candidly, there is a chance it will get delayed into December. Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to get the best outcome for you. As soon as I have more information, I will post another update.
Big Fulfillment Update! Plus, Packing Tips, CHITAG, and Board Game Geek!
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 01:32:04 AM
As you all are no doubt aware, shipping has begun! Our US hub has started shipping. There are roughly 16,000 US shipments, and they've gotten roughly 2,000 of those processed as of the time of this update. So, if you haven't gotten notification that yours has shipped, don't fret. It will take another week or two to get through all of them.
As for our other hubs: Australia is set to begin shipping by Aetherworks next week via Australia Post. Canada is also set to begin shipping by Snakes & Lattes next week via FedEx (with Canada Post as backup where necessary). EU shipping will be handled by GamesQuest. In the UK, shipping is via Royal Mail Tracked 48. For the rest of the EU, shipping is via OCS Worldwide into the respective local mails. Each of these will take a week or two to get through -- less shipments but smaller operations overall.
In short, most backers should receive their games by the end of the month as promised.
Some of you might also have noticed some stores with the game. Keep in mind that we had many retailers back the Kickstarter. They are free to sell the games just as our individual backers are free to play with theirs. However, the official street date (for the base game) is November 21. If you see a non-backer retailer selling the game now, they are in violation of the street date, and we can ask them to stop selling. If you want to report an issue, you can do so here via messaging or you can email me at justin[at]restorationgames[dt]com.
So let's talk about when you get your game. A couple of things I want to mention. Some of you might have noticed some superficial scratches or marks on the base game marbles. This is a normal part of the finish and (we think) gives them some neat character. The only important thing with the marbles is that they roll. ;-)
Likewise, one of the things we're most excited about, is when people get to discovery the uniqueness of their board. Given the manufacturing process, each board is different in ways that might not be noticeable to the naked eye. As you play your game, you'll notice certain quirks, say, that a marble takes an odd path in a certain way. We see this as a feature not a bug and encourage you to play your game and learn these idiosyncrasies.
One thing we've been getting a lot of requests for is how to pack the whole thing up. Here's my favorite method, which I call the "bowl" method. (Keep in mind, you'll need to supply your own baggies.)
I put my rulebook on the bottom so it doesn't get scuffed up from all the stuff we'll end up having on top. The keep to this method, though, is putting Vul-Kar in first, as shown, on his side in the corner.
Now, stackup the island trays, upside-down, with the beach side (yellow) on the bottom, then Scar side (blue), then the center tray (red). The bottom two trays should have their curved sides toward you, leaving room for Vul-Kar. Notice also the orientation of the top tray, with Vul-Kar roost away from you. Also important is that you can stick the scrims (still assembled) and Cataclysm tracker on the side above Vul-Kar.
Now the trays make a nice big bowl to put everything in. You'll want to put the Hello-copter and the Maw (notice: still assembled) in the deeper parts along with the trees. The rest of the stuff can go about the rest of the tray. You can even fit all the content from the Treasure Trove, Crouching Tiger, and Last Adventurer in here as is. (Alas, the Crimson Cutlass will have to stay in its own box.)
There you have it. In related news, we expect Broken Token to have their storage solution done soon. I can't wait to see what they come up with.
Now, for some odds and ends:
We are very close to having the merch store done. It should be up in time for Thanksgiving if you want to order some more goodies for the holidays. We've been testing out the products and have been really pleased with the quality. And, yes, we'll give you all the discount code as soon as we get it up.
I will be in Chicago for CHITAG this weekend. This isn't really a convention, more like a very small, local version of the Essen Spieltage. We will have a handful of copies of Fireball Island (base game only) and Dinosaur Tea Party. And we will have the penny press machine there! If you happen to be in the area, drop by and say hello. (We're also nominated for a TAGie, so wish us luck.)
With folks finally getting their games, it's worth mentioning: We'd be ever grateful if you can head on over to Board Game Geek and give the game a rating.
GETTING PREPARED FOR SHIPPING - If you read one update, read this one!
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Oct 19, 2018 at 02:16:50 AM
Shipping
Ships are arriving in port; games are getting loaded into warehouses; addresses are getting processed. Shipping is nigh! Like the title says, please read this update carefully. We've been working hard to stick to our timeline. I'd hate for folks not to get their games on time because of a glitch in the process at this late stage.
I will lock down addresses in BackerKit on Monday, October 22 around midnight.
To be clear, everything should be done in BackerKit at this point. Changing your address in Kickstarter does absolutely nothing. If you lose track of your BackerKit survey, you can always hunt it down from this page: https://www.backerkit.com/are_you_a_backer.
In your survey, you should be able to update your address from now until I lock them down on Monday. If you have any trouble changing your address, you can contact BackerKit support, and they will walk you through it.
Please confirm your address is correct in BackerKit.
If you know you will be moving before November 1st, please update your address to your new address now. No games will be getting shipped out before then.
If you don't know your new address or if you will be moving or end up moving after that date or if you need to hold your shipment for any reason, please message me directly.
I can manually update the addresses or shipping instructions with Quartermaster Logistics. The most important thing is to make sure your address is correct now and make sure you notify me if anything changes.
Freight
Here's an update on all the ships:
CHONGQING (US) (base game) - just arrived in port, bound for warehouse
OSAKA EXPRESS (US) (all SKUs) - just arrived in port, bound for warehouse
BUDAPEST EXPRESS (all SKUs) - ETA October 18
EVER LISSOME (base game) - ETA October 22
UPSURGENCE (US) (base game) - ETA October 25
ZIM VANCOUVER (Canada) - ETA October 25
XIN CHI WAN (Australia) - ETA November 3
CGM KERGUELEN (EU) - ETA November 4
As you can see all the SKUs are due to arrive in all of the fulfillment centers in early November. It will take a little time to get everything processed, but shipments should start going a couple of weeks after that. In short, backers will start getting their games in time for Thanksgiving.
A few important caveats. Obviously, there is still a chance something might go wrong with the freight shipments, e.g., bad weather, customs inspections, etc. Nothing to do there but keep your fingers crossed. There are a huge number of shipments going out. You all were part of a massive campaign. So there's just no way to get everything out at once. It's going to take weeks to work through all the orders (especially from the US hub). Also worth keeping in mind that the actual delivery is done by the carrier. Given the number of shipments, there will no doubt be hiccups there too. As an upshot, while the vast majority of backers will get their games soon, some of you just might get unlucky and have a problem. If that's you, don't worry.
We pride ourselves on our customer service. If there is a problem, we'll make it right. The most important thing is to be patient and just reach out to us. You can always message me through Kickstarter or email me directly at justin[at]restorationgames[dt]com.
Essen
Reminder: I'll be at the Spieltage in Essen next week. Unfortunately, they didn't list us in the program, but we will be in Hall 1, Booth D-122. It's just me. (Well, Suzanne is there for the Dice Tower and will probably pop by once or twice.) I am running demos from sunup to sundown, and we are booked solid. However, feel free to stop by and check out the final production copy -- I can finally prove to you it's not shiny! -- or just say hello. Unfortunately, I won't have anything other than the base game there (and the card sleeves); I just couldn't fit it all in my luggage. On the other hand, we are grinding out a bunch of the souvenir pennies from our penny press machine, and I will be happy to give you one of those while supplies last. And, hey, if anyone wants to bring me a local treat or snap a selfie with me, that would be awesome. I'm looking forward to meeting some of our non-US backers.
Odds & Ends
We're also working hard on all of the other backer goodies.
We've put our forthcoming merchandise store through the stress test. We have a couple of kinks to work out. We're populating it with some fun stuff and hope to have that fully operational within the next few weeks. We've got some neat t-shirts coming, and the beach towel came out great. With your discount, you should be able to pick up a Vul-Kar shirt for $20!
Cooperative rules are developed and going through early playtesting. We should have those available for you by the time you start getting your games. You'll be our beta testers before we post it officially. Early signs point to a fun experience that, most importantly, feels different than the regular game. JR is also developing the fun run mode, which we hope to start testing soon.
App development continues apace. Right now, we're nearing completion of our Stop Thief module redesign. That should be done soon. In the interim, we're laying out the bones for the Fireball Island module. And Rob has completed an early draft of the island sounds soundtrack.
The Broken Token folks are working hard on the insert. They tell me they should have it done just in time for Christmas if that's your jam.
Jason is putting the finishing touches on the font. We even have ligatures! (Font nerds know what I'm talking about.)
Rob and I have a plan for the D&D module that's quite cool. Rob's just finishing up a whirlwind tour for the release of Betrayal Legacy. We're hoping to get that wrapped up and out to you by the end of the year.
Whew! I think that's about everything. If you have questions, hit me up in the comments.
Live Full Unboxing Coming Monday Night! Plus, more fun with logistics!
almost 6 years ago
– Sat, Oct 06, 2018 at 02:11:12 AM
I have received a complete, final production set of all 9 SKUs from Longshore. Suzanne did a great, quick unboxing video of the base game for The Dice Tower. I know that raised some questions for some folks, and I know everyone would love to see the rest of the items too. So I figured the best way to do this is using Kickstarter's native live streaming feature. So, without further ado:
FULL UNBOXING LIVE STREAM, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2018 AT 10:00 PM Eastern.
Notice should show up on the main screen 48 hours before it starts, and the video should stay up for 48 hours after it finishes. If you can tune in live, you can comment and ask questions, so try to make it. We will also simulcast it on Facebook, though I understand that feature is in beta and, so, might not be reliable.
In the meantime, let's talk logistics. We have our first hiccup. It seems that Longshore was about 600 dice short in their production run. Fortunately, we have a relatively painless fix. We've decided to hold the Australia freight shipment until they can make up the missing dice. As annoying as that sounds, the problem is mitigated by the fact that Australia is so close to China. So, in the end, this just means that Australia will be getting it's games at the same time as the rest of the world, instead of a couple of weeks earlier as it might have been. Of course, we would prefer everything to go smoothly, but if we have to have an issue, we're happy it's one that we can resolve without too much pain.
And, finally, some more boats to watch:
Heads-up, Tom Vasel of the Dice Tower will be doing a live play through some time next week. If you subscribe to their YouTube channel, you can get notified when it happens.
And, finally, you all saw The Goldbergs last week, right?! Sorry for being so coy, but they asked us not to spill the beans before the episode aired. If you didn't catch it, that's right, our new version of Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar had a delightfully anachronistic cameo. You can catch the episode on the ABC site if you have a cable provider or via Hulu.
RETAILERS - URGENT - Charging Cards 10/15
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Oct 02, 2018 at 02:52:04 AM
Attention, retailers. With the games getting on the boats, we expect to start shipping out in early to mid-November. Therefore, we will be running the cards to ensure everything goes through and we don't have any hiccups that would delay shipment. I am planning on running the cards on Monday, October 15th.
If, for some reason, you need me to run your card on a different date, please email me directly at justin[at]restorationgames[dt]com. You can send me a message through Kickstarter, but obviously I check my email a lot more regularly.
EDIT: This only applies to those retailers who have not already paid either by request or by paying via PayPal.
