🇺🇸🇬🇧 AracKhan Wars - project management update
almost 4 years ago – Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 12:19:04 AM

Hello dear backers and passing visitors, we hope you are well!

We want to share with you an overall progress report on the AracKhan Wars project, with all the topics we have worked on since our last update: what is finalized, what is in progress, and what we still have to work on.

Summary of this news:

• Game balancing and mechanics refinement
  
• Colorimetric work on the visual ingredients of the game
  
• Progress on game components
  

Game balancing, mechanics refinement

A considerable amount of work has been put in since the end of the campaign for the following reasons:

1- the game was still in development at that time,

2- you have unlocked a number of new stretch-goal cards, which were untested (real stretch-goals so to speak),

3- AracKhan Wars is based on the use of a limited number of cards (23 in your deck), the "weight" of each card in the game is therefore potentially very important.

That's why an All-Star team made up of Marcus Meyer, Nicolas Morin, Chandler Meyer and Bob Palmer was formed with the aim of testing each of the cards in combinations of decks, each more esoteric than the other. . And they patiently conducted hundreds of tests to prove the solidity of the whole. Their work is crucial to give AracKhan Wars a sound foundation and ensure its longevity.

This work led us to adjust the values of a certain number of cards. And this is where the game's complete balancing system comes into its own:

• the system of double values, implemented on certain cards: the top value is used for game effects and for calculating victory points; the bottom one is used for deck building (23 cards, up to 125 points). We aim to find a card's true place in a deck, its strength in play, and its impact on the final score.
• the card limit system has been added with an icon system displayed on certain cards, which limits the number of copies within a deck.

We have also corrected and finalized the system of "families" which constitute groups of cards of the same nature. This mechanic allows game effects that affect all cards that share this keyword. Example: the Swarm attribute, which gives +1 Attack for cards on the battlefield of the same family that have this attribute.

This led to modifying the name or the family of certain cards; in some cases they were identical. This was the case for example for the Ice Paladin who shared the family name Ice Paladin with the Paladin of the Guard and Gabriel. You see the problem: if we were mentioning Ice Paladin, were we talking about the cards with this name or this family? So we changed the family to name it Ice Guard to remove any ambiguity. In this way, we can create many interactions involving either the name of a card, or a family of cards, or a combination of both.

A good example of how we exploit these interactions is the Titan Rat card: it gains +1 Attack for each adjacent allied Rat card and it gains +2 Attack for each adjacent allied Rat Shaman card.

Another very important line of work: we have reviewed, corrected and optimized all the texts of the cards, in English and in French. To gain readability, remaining consistent in the wording between the cards, in the way the mechanics are expressed, and thus rule out any misunderstanding and eliminate possible interpretations when reading.

Please note that we will be correcting the cards until the very last moment before sending the files to the manufacturer; our production process allows for this, and we will hunt misprints like the Grey Order eradicates vermin!

Colorimetric work on all visuals

At the same time, we continued our work to prepare for mass production. A very complex subject that we had already mentioned in a previous news article. The challenge is to guarantee that your game will be as beautiful as possible, as it was imagined and designed by Bob. The problem lies in the gap that exists between working on a screen and printing on industrial offset machines in such a way as to get the same result year after year, consistency is the key. Printing is indeed not an exact science, but a delicate art.

An essential element of this chain is of course the manufacturer, and on this topic, we believe that LongPack Games has all the qualities required. But the manufacturer can't do anything if the our work on the files is inconsistent and unprofessional.

We therefore worked in partnership with the Parisian agency Point 11, a design and packaging specialist who works for major brands in different sectors. These are highly qualified experts who accompanied us to adjust the colorimetry of each element of the game. And we would like to thank François Wendling (their president) and Krimo Marouf (their project manager). The latter spent dozens of hours with Bob to calibrate the colorimetry of each graphic element of the game, provide advice and print all the necessary proofs that will ensure that the game files will be printed as closely as possible.

Were treated as follows:

• 145 artworks, to display on cards, booklets, packaging...
• 76 visual objects used on the cards themselves, between the different factions, their card frames and finishes, attribute icons...
• 34 graphic objects ranging from tokens, rulebook page backgrounds, packaging decorations...

All these elements were adjusted one by one and checked by proofs printed on professional systems. The final step before sending to the factory will be provided by the Point 11 agency, namely: the production of all certified PDF files and printed proofs. The set will be sent to LongPack Games to produce the game while having a printed reference, calibrated, on which they can rely. We are doing everything possible in order to obtain the best possible result.

So, where are we on the components of the game?

After all these explanations, here is finally before your eyes the state of progress of all the components of the game!

The core-box

The packaging itself:

The packaging is almost ready (note that on the proof of the bottom of the box, the texts are not visible, this is normal). The last element remaining to be integrated is the block containing barcode, product reference and legal notices.

The Battle Mat

As it is a textile print which differs from the paper print, the battle mat file has undergone corrections to reduce the yellowish aspect of the prototypes and to reinforce the contrast (adjustments were also made on the battle mat of the Byartur Pack Expansion)

Printed artworks from Rob's BGG contest

Here’s one out of the four, but rest assured that they are all truly magnificent.

The rulebook

Here you see the cover of the rule book. It is on this booklet that we currently spend the most time. Compared to the prototype that we have shared, we reorganized its content to improve its educational quality and, like the texts of the cards, reformulated a certain number of paragraphs. There are still two good weeks worth of work to finalize it.

The punch board

Here is a preview of the back and front of the core box punchboard, with below a print of the 4-player dashboards that were in the Titan pledge and available as add-ons.

Moving Shadow and Singing Iron expansions

Here are the packaging of these two expansions, on which we still have to integrate the barcode blocks and legal notices.

For these two expansions, we have the layout work to do on the 16-page flyers that will display ready-to-use decklists.

Byartur expansion Pack

Here you can see the cover of the Byartur strategy guide, and the folded cardboard that covers the inside of the blister of this expansion.

Like the game's rulebook, the Byartur strategy guide also keeps us busy writing its content.

Show me the cards!

Here are some examples on proofs, between faction cards (194 unique cards, counting the different finishes), card backs and alternative mode card templates.

Show me shiny cards! (commonly known as foil cards)

Bob worked on each of the 18 shiny cards that are in the game (6 extremely powerful in the Byartur expansion and 12 cards that come with the Titan pledge). Technically, these are vector masks which will indicate to the machine which areas are to be treated with the special varnish which gives this “laser” effect.

Bob has prepared a simulation for you to show you a preview of the effect on a selection of cards:

[ Youtube video ]

Still to do on the cards:

• integrate texts into the French faction cards
• integrate the texts in the cards of the alternative modes (some cards of the "Objective" mode are being corrected)

We are coming to the end of this update, certainly a little technical but we hope it will be no less interesting. The stakes are high. We're not just refining a few fine details. We ensure the sustainability of the game and its evolution. It should be on your table more often than on your shelves. This is our mission! These final adjustments took us a bit of time, we are slightly behind schedule in production by a few weeks. We share this with you, as usual, in complete transparency. First game, first Kickstarter, first production... We prefer to take a little more time so that neither you nor us have any regrets. Next project update mid-May, until then, be well!

🇫🇷 AracKhan Wars - le point sur la gestion du projet
almost 4 years ago – Thu, Apr 21, 2022 at 06:16:56 PM

Bonjour chers contributeurs et visiteurs de passage, nous espérons que vous allez bien !

Nous voulons partager avec vous un point d’avancement global sur le projet, avec tous les sujets que nous avons travaillés depuis notre dernier passage : ce qui est finalisé, ce qui est en cours, et ce sur quoi nous avons encore du travail.

Au sommaire de cette news :

1. Équilibrage du jeu et affinage des mécaniques
   
2. Travail colorimétrique sur les ingrédients visuels du jeu
   
3. L'avancement sur les composants du jeu
   

Équilibrage du jeu, affinage des mécaniques

C'est un travail de fond que nous menons sans relâche depuis la fin de la campagne pour les raisons suivantes :

• 1- le jeu y était alors encore en développement
• 2- vous avez débloqué un certain nombre de nouvelles cartes en stretch-goal, qui n'étaient pas testées (de vrais stretch-goals pour ainsi dire).
• 3- AracKhan Wars repose sur l'utilisation d'un nombre restreint de cartes (23 dans votre deck), le "poids" de chaque carte dans le jeu est donc potentiellement très important.

C'est pour cela qu'une équipe de choc composée de Marcus Meyer, Nicolas Morin, Chandler Meyer et Bob Palmer s'est formée avec pour objectif de tester chacune des cartes au sein de combinaisons de decks toutes plus ésotériques les unes que les autres. Et ils ont mené patiemment des centaines de tests pour éprouver la solidité de l'ensemble. Leur travail est crucial pour donner des bases saines à AracKhan Wars et assurer sa longévité.

Ce travail nous a amené à corriger les valeurs d'un certain nombre de cartes. Et c'est là que le système complet d'équilibrage du jeu montre toute son efficacité :

- le système de double valeurs, en œuvre sur certaines cartes : la valeur du haut est utilisée pour des effets de jeu et pour le calcul des points de victoire ; celle du bas est utilisée pour la construction du deck (23 cartes, jusqu'à 125 points) de manière à pondérer à la fois la place d'une carte dans le deck, sa force dans le jeu et son impact sur le score final.

- le système de limite de cartes par les règles a été complété d'un système d'icônes affectant certaines cartes, qui en limite le nombre d'exemplaires au sein d'un deck.

Nous avons également corrigé et finalisé le système de "familles" qui constitue des groupes de cartes de même nature. Cette mécanique permet des effets de jeu affectant toutes les cartes partageant ce mot-clé. Exemple : l'attribut Nuée, qui donne +1 Attaque pour les cartes sur le champ de bataille d'une même famille qui ont cet attribut, au-delà de la première.

Ceci a amené à modifier le nom ou la famille de certaines cartes ; dans certains cas, ils étaient identiques. C'était le cas par exemple pour les Paladins de Glace qui partageaient le nom de famille Paladins de Glace avec les Paladins de la Garde et Gabriel. Vous voyez le problème : si nous faisions mention des Paladins de Glace, parlait-on des cartes ayant ce nom ou de cette famille ? Nous avons donc modifié la famille pour la nommer Garde de Glace et éliminer toute ambiguïté. De cette manière, nous pouvons créer de nombreuses interactions faisant appel soit au nom d'une carte, soit à une famille de cartes, soit à un couple des deux.

Un bon exemple qui montre comment nous exploitons ces interactions est la carte Rat Titan : il gagne +1 Attaque pour chaque carte alliée adjacente (de la famille) Rat et il gagne +2 Attaque pour chaque carte alliée adjacente (nommée) Rat Shaman.

Autre axe de travail très important : nous avons revu, corrigé et optimisé l'intégralité des textes des cartes, en Anglais et en Français. Pour gagner en lisibilité, être homogène dans les tournures de phrases entre les cartes, dans la manière dont les mécaniques sont exprimées, et écarter ainsi toute incompréhension et éliminer les interprétations possibles à la lecture.

Sachez que nous nous sommes réservé la possibilité de corriger les cartes jusqu'au tout dernier moment avant l'envoi des fichiers à l'usine ; notre processus de production nous le permet, et nous chasserons les coquilles comme l'Ordre Gris éradique la vermine !

Travail colorimétrique sur tous les visuels

En parallèle, nous avons poursuivi notre travail pour préparer la production de masse. Sujet complexe que nous avions déjà évoqué lors d'une news précédente. L'enjeu est de garantir que votre jeu sera le plus beau possible, tel qu'il a été imaginé et dessiné par Bob. Le problème réside dans l'écart qui existe entre travailler sur un écran et imprimer industriellement en offset de manière précise et reproductible année après année, un jeu de cartes de manière fiable et consistante. L'impression n'est en effet pas une science exacte, mais un art délicat.

Un élément essentiel de cette chaîne est bien entendu le fabricant, et sur ce point, nous pensons que LongPack Games a toutes les qualités requises. Mais le fabricant ne peut rien si le travail en amont sur les fichiers est inconsistant et non professionnel.

Nous avons donc travaillé en partenariat avec l'agence parisienne Point 11, un spécialiste du design et du packaging qui travaille pour de grandes marques de différents secteurs d'activité. Ce sont des experts hautement qualifiés qui nous ont accompagnés pour régler la colorimétrie de chaque élément du jeu. Et nous souhaitons ici remercier François Wendling (leur président) et Krimo Marouf (leur chef de projet). Ce dernier a passé des dizaines d'heures avec Bob pour calibrer la colorimétrie de chaque élément graphique du jeu, prodiguer les conseils et tirer les épreuves nécessaires qui permettront de s'assurer que les fichiers du jeu seront imprimés au plus près.

Ont été ainsi traités :

• 145 illustrations, utilisées sur les cartes, les livrets, les packagings...
• 76 objets graphiques utilisés sur les cartes elles-mêmes, entre les différentes factions, leurs modèles de cartes et leurs finitions, les icônes d'attributs...
• 34 objets graphiques qui vont des tokens, au fonds de page du livret de règles, au décors des packagings..

Tous ces éléments ont été réglés un par un et contrôlés par épreuves imprimées sur des systèmes professionnels. L'étape finale avant envoi à l'usine sera assurée par l'agence Point 11, à savoir : la production de tous les fichiers PDF certifiés et des épreuves imprimées. L'ensemble sera envoyé à LongPack Games pour produire le jeu tout en ayant une référence imprimée, calibrée, sur laquelle ils pourront s'appuyer. Nous nous entourons ainsi du maximum de garanties pour obtenir le meilleur résultat possible.

Alors, où en est-on sur les composants du jeu ?

Après toutes ces explications, voici enfin sous vos yeux l'état d'avancement de tous les composants du jeu !

LA BOÎTE DE BASE

La boîte elle-même

Le packaging est quasiment prêt (notez que sur l'épreuve du dessous de la boîte, les textes ne sont pas visibles, c'est normal). Le dernier élément restant à intégrer est le bloc contenant code-barre, référence produit et mentions légales.

Le tapis de bataille

Comme il s'agit d'une impression sur textile qui diffère de l'impression sur papier, le fichier du tapis de bataille a subi des corrections pour atténuer l'aspect jaunâtre des prototypes et renforcer certains contrastes (corrections également effectuées sur le tapis du Byartour Pack)

Les illustrations imprimées issues du concours BGG de Rob

Nous ne vous en montrons qu'une sur les quatre, mais sachez qu'elles sont vraiment magnifiques.

Le livret de règles

Vous voyez ici le fond de sa couverture. C'est sur ce livret que nous passons actuellement le plus de temps. Par rapport au prototype que nous avions partagé, nous avons réorganisé son contenu pour améliorer sa qualité pédagogique et, à l'instar des textes des cartes, reformulé un certain nombre de passages. Il reste encore deux bonnes semaines de travail pour le finaliser.

Le punchboard

Voici en une épreuve, l'aperçu des verso et recto du punchboard de la boîte de base, avec en-dessous un exemple des 4 dashboards joueurs qui étaient dans le Titan pledge et disponibles en add-ons.

Les extensions Ombre Dansante et Acier Chantant

Voici les packaging de ces deux extensions, sur lesquels il nous reste à intégrer les blocs code-barre et mentions légales.

Pour ces deux extensions, nous avons le travail de mise en page à effectuer sur les dépliants 16 pages qui vous présenteront des listes de decks prêtes à l'emploi.

L'extension du Byartour

Vous voyez ici la couverture du guide stratégique du Byartour, et la cartonnette repliée qui habille l'intérieur du blister de cette extension.

Comme le livret de règles du jeu, le guide stratégique du Byartour nous occupe également sur la rédaction de son contenu.

Montrez-moi des cartes !

Voici quelques exemples sur épreuves, entre cartes de faction (194 cartes uniques, en comptant les différentes finitions), les dos des cartes et les templates de cartes des modes alternatifs.

Montrez-moi des cartes brillantes ! (communément appelées cartes foils)

Bob a travaillé sur chacune des 18 cartes avec effet brillant qui se trouvent dans le jeu (6 extrêmement puissantes dans l'extension du Byartour et 12 cartes fournies avec le pledge Titan). Techniquement, il s’agit de masques vectoriels qui vont indiquer à la machine quelles zones sont à traiter avec le vernis spécial qui donne cet effet “laser”

Bob vous a préparé une simulation pour vous montrer un aperçu de l'effet sur une sélection de cartes :

[ vidéo YT ]

Reste à faire sur les cartes :

- intégrer les textes dans les cartes de faction françaises

- intégrer les textes dans les cartes des modes alternatifs (certaines cartes du mode "Objectifs" sont en cours de correction)

Nous arrivons au terme de cet update, certes un peu technique mais on l’espère pas moins intéressant. L’enjeu est de taille. Nous n’affinons pas seulement quelques menus détails. Nous nous assurons de la pérennité du jeu et de son évolution. Il devra être plus souvent sur votre table que sur vos étagères. C’est notre mission !

Ces réglages finaux nous ont pris un peu de temps, nous accusons un léger retard en production de l'ordre de quelques semaines sur le planning prévu. On vous le dit, comme à notre habitude en toute transparence. Premier jeu, premier Kickstarter, première production… On préfère prendre un peu plus de temps pour que ni vous, ni nous, n’ayons de regrets. Prochain point d’étape avec vous mi-mai, d’ici là, portez-vous bien !

🇺🇸 🇬🇧 Locking Credit Card information soon on Backerkit + faction name changes
about 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 07:11:44 PM

Hello everyone! We hope all is well with you guys.

In todays’news:

1- Final notice for your Pledge Manager (Backerkit) info

2- Faction name changes

We are charging credit cards on Backerkit tuesday March 1st, so if your payment or shipping information has changed be sure to update it on Backerkit, this is your last chance. You should receive an email from Backerkit very soon regarding this subject.

Faction name changes

It is very important for us that you are immersed in the world we have created, in AracKhan. So far we have used the names of the Provinces where each faction resides to name them. Those Provinces are the names humans use to speak of these geographical areas, but as you may know, humans are just one part of this vast world, and there are more appropriate ways to describe each faction.

Byartur becomes “The Grey Order”

The grey deck is home to a specific set of humans: The Grey Order. It is to be viewed as an armed political party. It has its own set of religious beliefs that are not necessarily held by other people. It has infiltrated Finistel, capital of Byartur and center of AracKhan but also other Provinces such as Vestur and Myrkur. They have agents in all fiefdoms and hold political and military leverage on most of humanity. Some of the other Provinces are resistant to the Grey Order’s influence, this is something that we will explore in future seasons of AracKhan Wars. The Grey Order is composed of the 12 Grey Legions, Artillery units, Cavalry, a regular army, and Mercenaries. The 12 Grey Legions are the elite, each has a speciality, in Season 1 we introduce the 6th Legion who are the best of the best when it comes to close combat.

Myrkur becomes ‘The Blight”

The red deck has a wide variety of creatures, ranging from corrupt humans to unspeakably horrible monsters. Leading them is a mysterious force that emanates from the depth of the endless Myrkur swamplands. It corrupts everything from plant life to humans. Its influence reaches as far as Hilgard and some say even further. The Blight’s strength resides in its ability to remain unseen, growing, expanding until it chooses to manifest itself in the most violent and treacherous way imaginable. We will learn more about this controlling entity as we expand on the lore, answers can also be found in the story of AracKhan.

Vestur becomes “The Nakka”

The land of Men goes as far west as the Poisonous River in Vestur. Beyond that is Nakka territory. The Nakka are the first born of the Tree of Life. They are as one with Nature. They can call upon the support of every living creature when their habitat is under siege, from the smallest butterfly to the most massive behemoth. Flora and fauna will act as one against the encroaching Grey Order and Blight. Leading the battle are Banshees, Musicians and Dancers, they are the children of Ylia the Matriarch, ruler of these lands. Deeper into the forest, plants will take on unexpected shapes, moving, mimicking, marching through enemy lines.

The Whitelands remain the same

Like the immaculate snow they are untouched by these name changes. These lands have been at peace for millenia. Creatures of ice and Children of Dawn, among others, populate this hostile region. They seek to preserve their sovereignty, fighting alongside each other when necessary. The Grey Order, hellbent on world domination will attempt to conquer the Whitelands and its precious resources, the Blight will seek to corrupt and infect it.

In the comments below, tell us what faction you’re the most excited about.

🇫🇷 Les cartes de crédits bientôt débitées sur Backerkit + Changement de nom de faction
about 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 27, 2022 at 01:13:19 PM

Bonjour à tous ! Nous espérons que vous allez bien.

Dans l’actu’ d’aujourd’hui :

1- Dernière chance pour modifier vos informations dans le Pledge Manager (backerkit)

2- Changements de nom de faction

Nous débiterons les cartes de crédit sur Backerkit mardi 1er mars, donc si vos informations de paiement ou d'adresse de livraison ont changé, assurez-vous de les mettre à jour sur Backerkit, c'est votre dernière chance. Vous devriez recevoir un email de Backerkit très prochainement à ce sujet.

Changement de nom de faction

Il est très important pour nous que vous soyez immergé dans le monde que nous avons créé, dans AracKhan. Jusqu'à présent, nous avons utilisé les noms des provinces où chaque faction réside pour les nommer. Ces provinces sont les noms que les humains utilisent pour parler de ces zones géographiques, mais comme vous le savez peut-être, les humains ne sont qu'une partie de ce vaste monde, et il existe des façons plus appropriées de décrire chaque faction.

Le Byartour devient “L’Ordre Gris”

Le deck gris se compose de : l'Ordre Gris. Cet ordre doit être considéré comme un parti politique armé. Il a son propre ensemble de croyances religieuses qui ne sont pas nécessairement représentatives de tous. L'Ordre Gris a infiltré Finistel, capitale du Byartour et centre d'AracKhan mais aussi d'autres Provinces comme le Vestour et le Myrkour. Ils ont des agents dans tous les fiefs et ont une influence politique et militaire sur la majeure partie de l'humanité. Certaines des autres provinces résistent à l'influence de l'Ordre Gris, c'est quelque chose que nous explorerons dans les prochaines saisons d'AracKhan Wars. L'Ordre Gris est composé des 12 légions grises, des unités d'artillerie, de cavalerie, d'une armée régulière et de mercenaires. Les 12 légions grises sont l'élite, chacune a une spécialité, dans la saison 1, nous introduisons la Légion VI qui est la meilleure des meilleures en matière de combat rapproché.

Le Myrkour devient “Le Fléau”

Le deck rouge offre une grande variété de créatures, allant des humains corrompus aux monstres abominables. Une force mystérieuse qui émane des sombres marais du Myrkour dirige ces alliances malsaines. Cette entité corrompt tout, de la vie végétale aux humains. Son influence s'étend jusqu'à Hilgard et certains disent même plus loin. La force du Fléau réside dans sa capacité à rester invisible, à grandir, à s'étendre jusqu'à ce qu'il choisisse de se manifester de la manière la plus violente et la plus perfide imaginable. Nous en apprendrons plus sur ce sombre mystère au fur et à mesure que nous développerons le lore, des réponses peuvent également être trouvées dans l'histoire d'AracKhan.

Le Vestour devient “Les Nakkas”

A l’ouest le territoire des hommes s’arrête au Fleuve Vénéneux dans le Vestour. Au-delà se trouve le territoire Nakka. Les Nakkas sont la première création de l'Arbre de Vie. Ils ne font qu'un avec la Nature. Ils peuvent compter sur le soutien de toutes les créatures vivantes lorsque leur habitat est assiégé, du plus petit papillon au béhémoth le plus massif. La flore et la faune agiront de concert contre l'invasion de l'Ordre Gris. En tête de peloton se trouvent les banshees, les musiciens et les danseurs, ce sont les enfants d'Ylia la Matriarche, souveraine de ces terres. En guise de soutien, les plantes prendront des formes inattendues, se déplaçant, mimant, traversant les lignes ennemies.

Les Terres Blanches restent inchangées

Comme la neige immaculée, elles ne sont pas touchées par ces changements de nom. Ces terres sont en paix depuis des millénaires. Les créatures de glace et les Crépusculaires, entre autres, peuplent cette région hostile. Ils cherchent à préserver leur souveraineté, se battant côte à côte si nécessaire. L'Ordre Gris, déterminé à dominer le monde, tentera de conquérir les Terres Blanches et ses précieuses ressources, le Fléau cherchera à le corrompre et à l'infecter.

Dans les commentaires ci-dessous, dites-nous quelle faction vous attire le plus.

🇺🇸🇬🇧 Happy 2022 + project management update!
about 4 years ago – Tue, Feb 08, 2022 at 12:36:44 AM

We would like to wish you a very Happy New Year, Warriors of AracKhan!!!!!!! Certainly with a little delay, but with just as much enthusiasm! May 2022 be the year of endless fun, good health and EPIC AracKhan Wars games!!

Here is the summary of this news:

1- The Pledge Manager credit card charge date

2- Download and test: the Print & Play of Event cards

3- Review of the white sample of the game

1- The Pledge Manager credit card charge date

Your credit cards for your pre-order and/or your game shipping fees on Backerkit will be charged on Tuesday, March 1st.

In the coming days, we invite you to check and possibly update your information on Backerkit concerning your method of payment as well as your shipping address in case changes have taken place in recent months with what you had already filled in as information.

If you have any concerns about implementing these changes, do not hesitate to contact us directly by e-mail at contact[AT]nothingbgames.com

2- Download the « Event » Mode Print & Play

An integral part of the “alternative” game modes, the Event mode puts you face to face with unforeseen events occurring in each Round, which will upset your strategy and play on your nerves! Nothing like wreaking havoc on the battlefield and in your heads, it's very very fun (or very very annoying, it depends)!

We therefore present you with a Print & Play version of this “Event” mode with its prototype cards for download. Do not hesitate to download, print, read and test it if you already have the Print & Play of the core game (click here to download it).

We are open to any potential feedback to improve this mode. The illustrations are not finalized yet, we will show them to you once they are.

3- White Sample review

In January, we received the white samples of all the game components manufactured by our partner LongPack Games.

This first production sample (non-printed, hence the name) is crucial to help us perfect the implementation of all the elements that make up the game and to have a precise notion of the dimensions, quantities and quality of these. Beyond these aspects, we can also check the ergonomics related to each component, for each product. This exchange with the manufacturer will allow us to finalize the development of the various elements and thus reach the next phase: the mass production sample.

We told you in the previous news articles that the manufacturing of the game had been entrusted to the pros; well, we were not disappointed! We are really satisfied with what has been produced. However, we have identified certain points to modify or correct with the LongPack Games teams in order to offer you the best possible game.

Ready for a detailed review of your game's components? Let's go!

The Core Box

As a reminder, here is a view of the core box and its contents:

And here’s its white sample:

For your information, at the end of December, we had planned to reduce the dimensions a little to alleviate our logistical problems. But this would have led to a complete rework on all the components, as well as ergonomic problems (storage of the components, folding of the mat, etc.). This is how we finally maintained the original dimensions, and we are delighted!

This box is a beautiful baby of 1.3 kg (35,3 oz), well filled. The quality of the casing is impeccable, the thickness of the cardboard is particularly suited to this format and the wrapping paper is perfectly applied.

The prototype battle mat:

The prototype copy of the battle mat has been printed, as we had requested from the textile manufacturer. This allows us to do additional tests on the rendering of the print. And it's a nice surprise! The fabric catches the light very well and gives a slightly iridescent appearance to the colors, making them stand out superbly. We have noted small colorimetric corrections to gain a little brightness and lower the yellows a little, adjustments that we will make with the agency in charge of conforming the colorimetry of all the components of the game.

This test will also allow Bob to optimize the size of each tile and each battlefield draw/discard pile, to ensure that the sleeved cards do not interfere with each other.

Note that, for the moment, the sides are not clean and not very straight. In addition, the manufacturer folded the carpet strongly before packing it, instead of folding it gently on itself. The result is marked creases. To play with it, a little ironing on the fabric side with a cotton cloth interspersed allowed us to put it back flat. We are therefore vigilant on these points and will discuss with the manufacturer on all these points of improvement.

The rulebook is currently 48 pages, we are seeing if we should increase the pagination. We have chosen a 128g/m2 paper so that the sheets are not too thin, in order to have a certain structure with the book in hand. The shaping with its broaching is very precise, it's great work.

The 4 illustrations from Rob's BGG contest are printed in 288 x 288 mm (11,33” x 11,33”) on thick 250 g/m2 paper. A beautiful hand therefore, and a finish that we asked for a satin finish to obtain a superb result. It's up to you whether you want to frame them or not.

Now it's the turn of the punch-board, which contains all the tokens and the Round track of the game. And it's a very nice punch board that LongPack Games has produced for us here: a 2.5 mm (0,1”) thick cardboard covered with two layers of 250 g/m2 paper, it's solid!

On the other hand, we noticed that it had a “linen” texture (fine grid texture often used in board games) which we had not requested, so we will replace it with a smooth paper.

The most important piece of info: even if the tokens are white, punching them is a real treat! The tokens "pop" particularly well and we have not observed any phenomenon of tearing of the paper at the attachment points. Very satisfying.

You will therefore have:

• 34 tokens for each of the 4 factions in the box (∅12.5 mm / 0,49”),
• 27 generic tokens, used as alternative and for future in-game effects (∅12.5 mm /  0,49”),
• 4 faction tokens to track who goes first each Round (∅25 mm / 0,98”), with the front and back sides differentiated in case you face the same faction as yours,
• …which are used with the Round track to track where you are in the battle.

Finally, 5 small plastic bags provided will allow you to store all your tokens by faction in the box.

The cards! This is what the game is all about, and we wanted to bring you great cards, both for your eyes and in your hands. And LongPack Games knows how to do it! We remind you of the format: 63 x 88 mm (2,48” x 3,46”). With 310 g/m2, they consist of 3 layers, including a central “black-core” to ensure perfect opacity. Once printed, they will then receive the protection of a matte varnish.

Last component of the core-box, and not least: the molded plastic storage compartment. This is clearly where we had the least skill, so Bob modeled a 3D base, and we got the LongPack Games team to work on it.

And it is on this object that we have noted a number of improvement points:

• the card slots are trapezoidal instead of rectangular,
• they are not at full depth (the total height of this compartment is 50 mm),
• they are not correctly sized to accommodate sleeved cards (reference model: Dragon Shield),
• we had requested 7 identical slots, but there are 6 here and a last one different to accommodate the tokens.

We therefore want to redo these 7 slots in an identical manner, in order to guarantee you maximum storage space.

You will also notice the presence of “rails” between the 4 slots of the Faction cards, which we will also modify.

Last point: we think that this compartment can be very slightly enlarged (we are talking about a few millimeters) to fit perfectly in the box, currently it moves a little inside the latter.

To conclude on the core box, a little more design work is needed on the storage compartment and we need to provide specific instructions on how the components should be arranged, in the correct order. At this point, we're very confident of getting a flawless finished product.

The “Singing Iron” and “Moving Shadow” deck building expansion boxes

Artist's view:

The white sample:

Your expansion boxes (70 x 95 x 40 mm / 2,75” x 3,74” x 1,57”, weight 150 g / 5,29 oz) for glorious deck-building are very neat. They open and close very well; the paper is a 320 g/m2, matt varnish. It's very rigid and it holds up.

They contain the right quantities of cards (same quality as before)! In addition, you will find an accordion leaflet (closed format corresponding to a card) which, as it stands, is 8 pages, but it seems that Bob has concocted lists of decks for each of the factions to compose with the core box and that the whole thing is closer to 16 pages full of good ideas to beat your opponents.

To finish on these expansion boxes, we have made sure that you can store the sleeved cards in each one; either the cards from the expansion itself, or up to 3 full decks (= 69 cards) plus your faction tokens to easily transport when battling away from home.

The Byartur Expansion Pack

Artist's view:

The white sample:

This Byartur Pack is a very special expansion, with lots of gameplay content, which we wanted to offer in a compact, resistant and beautiful package.

We therefore opted for a transparent plastic shell, 205 x 150 x 25 mm (8” x 5,9” x 0,9”) in size, with an opening on the top. LongPack Games gave us the choice between 2 types of PET: 0.3 or 0.35 mm thick, and the difference is significant, the 0.3 has a "soft" side that does not have the other. It is clearly on the thickest that we start, to ensure the whole a perfect rigidity, in particular at the level of the opening on the top and the sealing system on the bottom.

The Byartur battle mat, specific to this expansion, which is used with the “Terrain” game mode, has also been printed! And once again, the result is very pleasing to the eye, with the same types of colorimetric adjustments to be made and the same vigilance to be exercised on the quality of the cut as well as on the delicate folding of the carpet.

The Byartur strategy guide is 36 pages and uses the same quality paper as the core box rulebook. Very pleasant to handle. In addition to the rules of the “Terrain” mode, it will be full of information and crucial tips, faction by faction, to allow you to refine your strategies and deal effectively with opposing factions.

2 packs of cards: the 8 Terrain cards and 6 extremely powerful faction cards in foil finish (check out below the 11 Legendary foil card set for more details). Same quality as the others, of course.

Finally, all these components are placed in a thick paper folded on itself, which acts as exterior decorations for this expansion. For now, this paper has the right dimensions, but it was not folded correctly, so we will have that corrected.

The 4 Player dashboards

Artist's view:

The white sample:

2 beautiful punch boards (314 x 246 mm / 12,36” x 9,68”, for a weight of 277 g / 9,77 oz) which contain the 4 Player dashboards (1 dashboard = 288 x 106 mm / 11,33” x 4,17”), with the same quality as the punch board of the core box (2.5 mm thick + 2 layers of 250 g/m2 paper in the good finish of non-textured paper this time). They are thick, rigid and they will be very EPIC!

The 11 Legendary cards in foil finish

Artist's view:

The white sample:

Supplied with the Titan pledge, this exclusive set offers you the 11 Legendary cards from the base box in a superb foil finish, which will take the spotlight and dazzle your opponents. Even on white cards, LongPack Games was able to apply the special film that gives this superb iridescent effect.

The application of this film on the cards being done by means of vector masks, Bob will concoct a specific finish for each of the 11 cards, which will make them unique and very desirable. Note also that the print run of these cards is limited to 500 copies in the French version and 400 copies in the English version, a rather rare collector's item!

That's it for this detailed white sample review, we hope it satisfies you. We are therefore going to work with LongPack Games to refine and correct the points that have been raised and to concoct the best version of the game possible. We will let you know when we get to the mass production sample stage.

This is the end of this project update, we'll tell you very soon for the next one and until then, take care of yourself and have lots of great games!

Nothing But Games crew