Vindication Update #34: Progression / Advancement / Headway
almost 6 years ago
– Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 09:55:05 PM
TL:DR 103-second update with Lacey the Untamed
Hey there Orange Nebula fam!
It’s getting super close now. Can you feel it? We can. We are absolutely aching to get this game into your hands. Seriously. Aching.
Getting the game: so where are we on that?
Here’s the short(ish) version: there were more speed bumps than a neighborhood with an elementary school, but everything has been handled swiftly. All manufacturing is complete—all of the complexities of the metal coins, miniatures, dice, wooden components, printed matter—all of it. And the containers are scheduled to be loaded onto the ships within the next 15-18 days.
We’re at the mercy of the manufacturer on that timetable but it’s a solid estimation from a reputable and very experienced outfit. We’re super happy with the product and with their professionalism and communication at every step along the way. This is the game we've all been dreaming it would be. It’s more actually.
Once the cartons are loaded onto boats they set off across the big blue, bound for fulfillment centers in Australia, Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States. From there they’ll continue forward onto trucks/vans/bicycles/pigeons/whatever for their final journey to your door. If yours shows up on a pigeon - you’re welcome, that was incredibly expensive to arrange but we knew you’d think it was cool. And it is, very very cool. You’re worth it.
Exactly when this glorious day of game-in-hand will actually occur depends on how long things take in customs and the country you reside in. We are estimating that most copies will start shipping from fulfillment centers to backers in late-August but yours could possibly arrive in September. We’ve greased all the right palms, burnt the right offerings, and sure, done all the paperwork. The game is coming, we couldn’t stop it if we wanted to.
Until then we’re in constant communication with everyone involved, whether going over the fulfillment plan for the hundredth time or sorting the details of a revision to the packaging, we are putting everything we have into guiding this in as safely and smoothly as possible.
Part of that attention to detail is an unwavering commitment to making sure the game arrives in great condition. To that end you’ll notice some creative differences to your game packaging when it arrives: the extra-thick punchboards will be wrapped to the back exterior of the game box. To us, it looks like bonus content packaged together with the game. Keep in mind that our regular punchboards are thicker than most games' dual-layered punchboards. They're really that thick. No, really. Stop grinning.
We discovered that the lids to the boxes were sitting just a tid bit cattywampus after all the content was packed in at the factory. We engineered the Gametrayz and the box to make the best-possible use of space, meaning not a bunch of useless emptiness inflating the size of the product and taking up your precious shelf room. We wanted everything to fit with just the right amount of snuggliness once the punchboards were all punched and the pieces packed into the trayz, which meant that in unpunched brand-new copies the punchboards would ship atop the trays and cause the lid to sit a little high on the box. No biggie - a common practice.
But...what we found was that we weren’t happy with how the lids ended up sitting with this setup. There was just enough of an angle to it that we worried about damage in transit. That seemed like a risk. We’re not into that. So, we put our heads together with the factory and came up with a solution - pull the boards out, wrap the heck out of them to keep them safe, then wrap them to the back of the game box so nothing weird happens during shipping - carry on with peace of mind! Enjoy — it's just another special little moment from this campaign consistently full of them.
Thank you for your steady support throughout this process. We are continuously humbled and amazed by the community that has formed around this project and it has bolstered our resolve to deliver the absolute best possible version of this game and make sure you’re ecstatic about what you receive. We have every confidence that you will be. We can’t wait to meet more of you, talk to more of you, and (in the not to near future) hear each of your epic stories of Vindication.
-Big Tom and the O-Neb out.
P.S. — French, German, Spanish translations complete
Translations are complete, and the content has already been flowed into the visual guide's native InDesign files. They are awaiting final review and design edits from Marc. Then, downloads will immediately become available.
P.P.S. — New Orange Nebsite coming soon
Just what you need -- more coming soon notices for awesomeness. But hey, this one is truly for you, and our new website — it's being designed from the top down from content flow to development for you and this amazing community. Be on the lookout for this in the coming weeks.
P.P.P.S. — What's the news on the new game?
We do have some significant progress on the new game, which is a fully collaborative experience that focuses on interdependence and opportunity management. It has a large dose of “action selection” set in a progressive, bizarre and wondrous unexplored sci-fi solar system. The mechanics are pretty unique, and we feel this game's multiple environments will inspire and delight. Would you believe we're already more than a year into development on it? We are, and it's going to pay off.
To be honest, we've focused our extra time and firepower on getting Vindication details managed and the game to your door. Expect huge updates on the new game once you're spellbound by Vindication as it plays on your table.
As always, we are humbled by your support and #grateful as all getout. I'll be at GenCon with one of the advanced (finished) copies on Thursday and Friday. No booth this year, but we'll put together a brief schedule for the main play room—I'd love to meetup with you and swap secret guild handshakes.
-Marc
