Updating Addresses (boring) + Sleeves and Painted Minis (COOL)
about 6 years ago – Fri, Aug 10, 2018 at 01:38:09 AM

So let's start with the important, boring stuff. I'm still seeing folks ask about updating their addresses. Remember, you can continue to update your address in BackerKit until we lock them down, which should be in October. If you move, you must change your address in BackerKit; changing it in Kickstarter will not ensure your game gets to you.

As for the production process, we've gone through final approvals, and it's all underway. Importantly, we are still on schedule for delivery in November.

If you want to download the latest version of the rules pdfs, you can find them on the bottom of our Fireball Island page on our website.

And, finally, here's a look at the painted minis and card sleeves. This is just a quick snapshot. Rest assured, they look amazing in person.

Gen Con!
about 6 years ago – Wed, Jul 25, 2018 at 02:01:28 AM

It's next week! I know, right?

Gen Con is always an exciting and fun time, and this year will be no exception. Before we get to that, though, let me answer the question that everyone wants to know:

Yes, the games are still on target for November delivery.

In fact, you know those demos we're running non-stop at Gen Con. Well, Longshore just sent out the production copies of all the plastic and are set to overnight all the paper components any day. We'll be getting this stuff just in time to run these demos. Assuming everything goes well, folks who play at Gen Con will be the first ones to play on what the final product looks like. There's always a chance the components will need some tweaking, so keep your fingers crossed.

Our Fireball Island demos will be held in Hall C - Yellow at tables 1 and 2. Please understand that these demos are already sold out. It's always possible there will be no-shows, and you can come by and check out the game even if you can't get into the demo.

If you are coming to Gen Con, please make sure you stop by the booth, #151. We're planning something special, something so special, I don't think it's ever been done at Gen Con before. Something that everyone can enjoy but that Fireball Island backers will be able to enjoy just a little bit more. (Fingers crossed on that one too -- we haven't actually gotten "it" yet.)

We're releasing two new products at the show. Dinosaur Tea Party is a quick, light deduction game that's sort of a beefed-up Guess Who? with a twist coming in the form of personality quirks for some of the dinos. We've also got Danger Circuit, the new expansion for Downforce, featuring a double-sided board with two new tracks and six more player powers. And to commemorate both games, we're giving out a free promo card:

Some of you might remember that we announced Fireball Island last year on the Dice Tower Live show. That turned out so well, we're doing it again! We're ready to announce our next big release, and we're doing it on DTL, Friday, August 3rd, sometime between 2:00 and 4:00. There are still a few tickets left if you'd like to be a part of it. It's going to get folks talking. And, like I've said elsewhere: Even if you think you know, you don't know.

Then, on Saturday at 2:00 PM, we'll be doing our now-annual "Blueprints" seminar. The whole team will be there to discuss our future plans and answer your questions. Come on by and tell us why we should make that game you've been asking for. Or just say hello.

I also want to give a shout-out for the Brothers Murph Meetup happening at Moonshot Games on Thursday night starting at 7:30 PM. I'll be there, and I'll be bringing along a copy of Fireball Island for some open demos. It's going to be a blast. Food, music, and free stuff!

And for those of you who can't make it to Gen Con, don't fret. November's getting closer every day....

Running Credit Cards on Friday
about 6 years ago – Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 01:57:34 AM

Apologies for the late update. I tried to get it out before I left for Dice Tower Con but didn't quite make it. (Related: I'm catching up on messages as we speak.)

I've been holding off running the credit cards because we had a few backers with some issues we wanted to get resolved. But I also know that many of you want to get the cards run already -- for piece of mind if nothing else. I will be running them this Friday.

If you would prefer me to run your credit card immediately, I can do that. Just drop me a quick email at justin[at]restorationgames[dt]com.

As for production, things are still moving along smoothly. We have a great team, and Longshore has been incredibly professional to deal with. We expect to receive production copies in the next couple of weeks in time for our demos at Gen Con. And, most importantly, our fulfillment timeline continues to stay on track.

Credit Card Clarification - Only for Add-ons and Preorders
about 6 years ago – Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 01:57:09 AM

So, that'll teach me to do an update and go out to dinner. I rushed it and didn't realize the confusion it would cause and missed my window to edit it.

To be clear, the update about “running credit cards” does not refer to running credit cards for the original Kickstarter pledge. That was done back in May. This refers only to folks who did a preorder or added add-ons in BackerKit and are paying by credit card. Likewise, this does not apply to folks who paid via PayPal. Those were processed immediately. Finally, this also does not apply to our retailer backers; you will get a separate notification of when we are locking down.

Some of you have also contacted me about problems with the credit card on file. You can still go into your BackerKit order and update your payment information. And, if there is any problem with the card when we run it, you will be notified and still have an opportunity to fix the problem.

Lastly, you do not need to finalize your shipping address yet. However, you are always free to go back into your BackerKit account and update the address if it changes. We'll send out a separate notification when we need to finalize addresses, which will likely be in October.

Sorry for the confusion, everybody.

IMPORTANT! - BackerKit Survey Lockdown Imminent!
about 6 years ago – Tue, Jun 26, 2018 at 01:15:01 AM

We are locking down the surveys in BackerKit at midnight EDT on Wednesday, June 27th.

NOTE: If you need to answer or change your survey before we lock it down and can't find the link, go to this page -- https://fireball-island.backerkit.com/ -- enter your email address and click "Get My Survey".

Now, with the important announcement out of the way, let's talk about the details. (Retailers, this information does not apply to you; we will be locking down your surveys around October.)

What does "lockdown" mean"? It means that you will no longer be able to change your survey except to change your address. Until we lock them down, you can go back into your BackerKit survey and change your order. You can upgrade your pledge to a higher level, add or remove add-ons, change your method of payment, and change your address. After we lock down the surveys, you will not be able to do any of that except change your address (see below).

When will my credit card be charged? We will process the credit cards for all additional charges shortly after the surveys are locked down. As always, PayPal charges are processed immediately.

What if I haven't answered my survey yet? Well, get on with it! Please try and complete your survey before we lock them down. If you have not completed your survey by the time we lock them down, it might delay the shipping of your game. We use the surveys to determine how many of each item to send to our various fulfillment hubs. If we don't have your survey, that might result in an undercount, which will require us to ship the items from stock elsewhere. Or, if you have moved from the address associated with your Kickstarter account, it might result in a mis-shipment, causing further delay. You all put your hard-earned money into this project; don't drop the ball now. 

What if my address changes after lockdown? You can continue to change your address up until shortly before we are ready to ship. Please make sure you update any changes to your shipping address in your BackerKit survey. Changing your address in Kickstarter or messaging me will not guarantee that it gets updated where it needs to be -- in BackerKit. We will do another update when we are getting ready to lock down addresses.

That's the nuts and bolts of it. If you have questions, let me know. For such a big project, things have gone remarkably smoothly. So thank you all for that, and let's keep it up to the finish line.

Now, a few more little items.

Hey, today's my birthday! If you want to get me something, feel free to spread the word that pre-orders are also closing when we lock down the surveys. If anyone wants to pre-order the game, they can do so at this link: https://fireball-island.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Gen Con is only a month away! Unfortunately, all of our scheduled games of Fireball Island are filled up. We should have an early production copy there. So feel free to stop by our demo table and take a look. We will be in Hall C : Yellow : 1--2. We'll also have a fun surprise for Fireball Island fans at our booth (#151), so make sure you stop by there too. (We'll also be releasing Dinosaur Tea Party and Downforce: Danger Circuit at the show.) Finally, you might recall that we made the big Fireball Island announcement at Gen Con last year on the Dice Tower Live! show. Well, we've got another big announcement coming for this year's show. There are still some tickets left if you're interested in attending.

Box Art! We've finished up the production files, so I thought we'd show off the box bottom of the base game:

And, while we're at it, here's a peek at the Maker Kit box top: