Update on Temple Clock and Punchboards
almost 3 years ago – Mon, Jul 05, 2021 at 01:00:56 AM

Hi guys,

We still have no shipping date set, and still no production photos. I thought I was done with the print files but now I'm having to redo the punchboard files to fit them into 11.26 inch x 11.26 inch squares. (I previously made them 11.5 inches, since the box is that big, but even with the bleed lines there was a risk of them not fitting.) That should take until end of next week. Then we'll print a sample copy of the whole thing and I'll send photos or videos when I get them.

The character boards were slightly resized down (about 91% of their size from the base game) in order to fit them within the new parameters. I'm not particularly disappointed about this; the text is all vector now, so it will be very sharp and readable - and now there's less risk of running out of space in the box when everything is loaded. One goal of the Expanded size box is to have the space to keep everything "set up" in advance - for example, the envelope box won't have to be built each time you play.

I'm also discussing with the printer about possibly having a plastic (not cardboard) insert to hold everything firmly.

Another change with this updated version - the Upgrade tiles and Ally tiles used to "plug in" to the main boards like puzzle pieces. The problem is, the puzzle piece edges frayed very quickly with my prototypes!  So I decided to just make the tiles have regular squared-off edges. I actually think this is an overall improvement - players tend to absentmindedly fiddle with puzzle piece style tokens, plugging them in and pulling them out... I suspect the game will last a lot longer without the interlocking pieces.

Below you can see The Nomad's tiles, how they now sit next to the main board but don't have the puzzle piece edges. Hopefully this change is acceptable to you - I made the change with purpose and intention and I'm glad I had the opportunity to change this before we went to print.

Clocks Fully Assembled

One nice thing about redoing the boards is that the Temple Clock no longer fits within the 7 punchboards that come with the game. So instead of making YOU punch out and assemble the new 7 layers of clock (not an easy task), I'm just paying the factory to assemble each one. I included line-up marks on the files so the factory should do a great job putting the pieces together. The clock, as you recall, allows for Event cards to be inserted on three sides. The cards get triggered when the indicator hits the random turn for each particular Event.

Note the 4 new alien sigils (icons) added to the Temple Clock dial!

The reverse of the wormholes features alternative connections to make planets closer together. For a balanced map, use the "front side" that has the blue line connections. Some players don't mind if some planets are closer together, so we included the reverse side as an option.

Sleeves

The sleeves are in production. They are 66x90mm semi-gloss. They are very sturdy and can't be torn. The only flaw with them is that they are thicker than I wanted them to be, so you can only fit 15 in an envelope, maximum. Generally this is okay, but sometimes a Base could have even more cards. If you are buying the sleeves I recommend a houserule to limit envelopes to 15 cards for that reason - or just keep fat Bases outside the envelope box, with excess cards stored underneath. Overall I am a tiny bit disappointed that we can't fit 20 sleeved cards in the envelopes, but I trust this manufacturer - and I'd rather go with sleeves of a certain level of quality and color reproduction rather than risk working with a new manufacturer that could deliver an inferior product.

Message me if you'd like to add sleeves to your order.

I think we have only 100 sets left. The sleeves pack comes with all the sleeves you need for the 97 equipment cards, plus clear (see-through) sleeves for the 108 mini-cards (Events and Favors).

Sorry I don't have any firmer news yet. I'm just glad all my other projects are either finished (in production) or on hold until this one is complete. I have no other distractions other than the slow-paced work itself. I should have all the latest versions of the files submitted to the printer by end of next week. 

Everything is taking forever, but at this point the ball is back in my court to update these 7 punchboard files and resubmit them. Then we can print a test (preproduction sample). Usually production takes 45 days from approval of the sample. Shipping during the pandemic will not be easy, especially for Canadian and UK customers due to the tougher importing restrictions. But we'll get it done!!

-Joey

No shipping date yet.
almost 3 years ago – Sat, Jun 05, 2021 at 04:28:07 PM

Hi guys, I don't have anything new for you. Print files are with the manufacturer. The major work is done. I'm behind schedule... but I can't tell you the schedule because the manufacturer and I have not approved all the latest versions of everything (framing, cut lines, color profiles, color matching, paper and material quality, etc.) – once the files are approved on both ends I can clarify a proper schedule.

Nothing to see yet.

I don't yet have photos of production, and I won't receive a production sample for a couple weeks at least. There are minor problems with the new clock, for example. So far they have an engineer that claims the Temple Clock "will work," but I have not yet seen a sample. I should see production versions of the miniatures soon... but I don't know when. I am positive we won't ship this summer as I have not gotten back production samples. Without samples I can't approve anything. The print files look amazing on my my end, and I am very hopeful that they will look even better on the tabletop.

I sent a physical copy of all the base game components and samples of all the new components to the manufacturer to clarify my quality requirements. I'm going back and forth with them. Everything just takes forever - font issues, layer issues, communication has been especially difficult this time even though I've worked with this exact team before. I've produced enough goods overseas that I am used to back-and-forths to ensure quality. It just takes time. I think my project manager is working from home (rather than the factory) because it always takes a long time to get my notes to the engineer and then get feedback from them. I've had conversations on the phone with them in the past, and I'm sure I'll be able to iron out any lingering issues.

Whenever I submit art files it usually takes several days to get notes back. The templates my manufacturer uses are not very intuitive, and 90% of this project is custom-built. (The only pre-sourced item I can think of is the red glass hypertokens for Expanded Edition - the previous Collector Edition had a bunch of custom-melted glass tokens that were so variable in size and color that I knew from the outset this time to just us red ones.)

When is the shipping date?

I don't know. There's no major problems with this project – just delays. 

Are you going to run out of money?

No! I work for a living. Shipping costs this year are shocking and brutal, but that isn't your problem – if I had been properly ready to go to print last summer then things would have been done on time. I naively thought the pandemic would end and I was trying to wait it out until I could get my team back together. Now I'm just trying to keep marching forward. I do sometimes make decisions to save money (like when I switched manufacturers a few months ago), but that just frees up some costs so I can make a better product. And I have a trusting, prior relationship with the manufacturers I am working with. I always get insurance for my projects for the freight journey, so there's no risk you you there. 

Are you going to blame the pandemic for all of your delays?

No, not in this update. I'll blame the person responsible. It is my fault that I overcommitted to projects last year. I committed to six projects for 2020 - this one, two expansions for GROWL, a monster game that I'm delaying until this Halloween, and my Bad Koalas game that I have paused until Chaosmos gets shipped. I let all my work compound. I dramatically underestimated my schedules on all of them. My fault. Recently I got extremely mired in technical issues like UK VAT registration. It turns out that shipping internationally during these unique times... has been complex, and requires more planning and focus than I predicted. Luckily I'm not dealing with any personal issues or virus-related issues; mostly just a deluge of notes to address for our Chaosmos print files.

I'm sorry I incorrectly estimated when this project would ship. I created that estimation prior to the lockdowns; the original shipping estimate was baked into my first build of the Kickstarter page; when 2020 seemed like it would be one of the best years ever. I'll do better next time.

What I've learned

One solution I will commit to for future projects is to fully delegate production of my other, less important, projects to team members. I need to take the time to hire the right people and then I need to learn how to trust them. I really can't face another year like the last one in regards to these logistical issues. My game business should not have gotten in the way of your Kickstarter fulfillment, and I'm sorry about that.

I am definitely ready to simplify my life for 2021 and beyond. For example, I have been very stressed in previous years about finding distribution for my games and trying to print a large number of copies in order to sell to stores worldwide. But due to this unique global situation, my network of distributors and game stores has dissolved – so now I can focus on just fulfilling a game and moving on to the next project. And (other than Gen Con) I don't have any conventions on my schedule, either. Because they got canceled. Win.

I've had some really cool experiences during the pandemic, but I guess I'll wait to talk about that until you've actually gotten your games, or at least until they are in the mail. I have several new print-and-play and online games to show you, but I'll post about them elsewhere. I'm quite happy... not that anyone asked. But I recognize that these times have hit other people very, very hard. I know you want your games. I want the same thing, and I'll keep posting updates until you get them.

Okay, that's it.

As I said, no real content in this update. 

Joey

Rulebook! - Add your own annotations!
about 3 years ago – Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 12:15:01 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Update - shipping probably in late summer
about 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 16, 2021 at 10:19:55 AM

Hi guys, I noticed several of you wanted a shipping update - I'm happy to do regular updates; actually I guess it makes sense to try interacting more regularly with backers. It is frustrating to update when I don't have much to update, but here I go anyway:

The game has been done, the art has been done. The rulebook has been 80% done for months, and I finally got the newest version back from the graphics guy last week. It should finally get finished by end of next week - there have been ongoing issues with font corruption, plus and my graphic designer was already overloaded. I'll do another update when the rulebook is done and those of you who want to help proofread it will have the opportunity by next weekend. The punchboard/print files are a giant massive undertaking and I dramatically underestimated the complexity of doing it myself. But I'll be transparent and direct about when everything technical is finished and submitted for print.

This project is so personal for me - unlike the other projects this one is something that I want to get right. There's a whole history and legacy behind it - friends and family relationships... as well as collaborators who have since passed away, gaming buddies who I lost touch with over the years due to the logistics of life. So I'm not really sure how to talk about Chaosmos without getting too personal. Whenever I'm "professional" I get comments asking me to be more real, but when I get "real" I sometimes get comments asking for more professionalism. I do have a really cool personal update coming soon for those of you who want that kind of thing.

When is it shipping?

Likely not until late summer. I'm sorry. When 100% of the files are approved by the manufacturer I'll be able to give a better timetable. I was gullible in believing that things would soon get back to normal; that my team would maybe take a pandemic break and then come back to work. But I think the pandemic has shifted everyone's priorities, and I understand. But it is still my #1 priority. Every single aspect of producing and shipping physical products has been affected by the pandemic. I have had to change up my manufacturer  –as well as my European shipper – due to cost increases (and in one case the company went out of business). I made a lot of mistakes over the past few months in regards to the technical and logistical work of being a publisher. But the game itself is going to be great.

I'll do an update next week with the rulebook files for review - if anyone wants to see anything, I'd be happy to show people who join the discord channel and hit me up with questions or requests. As I mentioned, everything else is done, and has been done for a long while.

What's the holdup?

It isn't "business as usual" in the games industry right now. The pandemic fears shut down the entire game convention season - I have the production money and manufacturing and shipping money, but I still have to earn a living - without my convention income I coudn't afford to hire hire back contractors or employees - especially since several moved away during the pandemic and I don't work well with collaborators over the internet. This is a massive project with over 500 print files, and I had to make all of them - for the most part on my own. My European fulfillment company closed its doors and I had to move my stock of games elsewhere. Brexit has been an ongoing complex logistical issue because my VAT number is no longer valid in the UK, so there's just tons of paperwork and technical things to make sure I don't lose my shirt over my "EU friendly" shipping! 

I am not a computer person or a video gamer, and I don't really have much interest in social interaction online. Even most of my marketing for my games was done in person at conventions rather than social media. My playtesting groups and my local gaming groups all stopped a year ago and I've had to make online versions of my current and upcoming projects and meet a whole new crew of people. I did not expect delays related to the playtesting, but I was wrong about that - playtesting was a long and complex issue.

So the short version is that I've been testing the game, updating the files, testing more, and on and on. It just takes a long time. I'll make a conscious effort to be more present for you guys. I've been responding to emails and messages, but I was neglecting to check that there were many concerned comments on the page, and I'm sorry I missed those.

Ok, I hope this non-update at least alleviates any fears about the project. It's coming; it's just a giant behemoth-sized project and I'm way behind schedule. If you need any more details on anything, please message me or join the Discord.

-Joey

Modular vs. Static Boards, Play Online
about 3 years ago – Thu, Jan 28, 2021 at 04:59:59 PM

Hi all,

We are making progress on the rulebook. I've got a meeting with the graphic designer on Thursday to see how many pages are done so far. It is still the last unfinished item for the expansion. We're far behind schedule for printing, but nearing the end of the process.

Masters of Mutanite

I worked as a developer on a game that is currently in its last 48 hours on Kickstarter. It is a light deckbuilding battle game with some really cool mutations/combo powers. It's great; please give the page a few moments of your time. The designer, Andrew, has worked as a Chaosmos playtester and has been a great supporter over the years. I'd be happy to demo the game on Tabletop Simulator if people want to give it a chance before the Kickstarter ends.

Playtest Chaosmos online! Today and Friday!

I'm hosting a game of Chaosmos (with some expansion elements) TODAY at 4pm Pacific. You'll need Tabletop Simulator and hopefully will be at least a bit familiar with the rules. To sign up, go to the Discord  and post in the Schedule a Casual Game channel. I'm also hosting a game on Friday, and likely another on Sunday.

The ancient question - static fold-out board or modular hex board?

Ok, on to the not-super-important update! Here's links to the Temple expansion fold-out board - the front side is 10 planets for 3-4 players, and the back side is 12 planets for 5-6 players. There's many, many ways the starpaths could be configured, but I wanted to highlight some reasons for some of our decisions. (Please don't try to print these low-res versions - we'll make high-res board files available for free by request.)

On the 3-4 player (10 planet) side of the fold-out board (as well as the grip mat version), each planet is 2 spaces away from 2 other planets and 3 spaces away from 2 other planets.

• The travel limitations actually add some very interesting decisions to the game, and increase the value of cards like Booster Rockets and Evasion Rockets. Also, the Temple expansion allows players to "bank" up to 3 actions at a time, so planets that are 3 full spaces away are still within reach sometimes.
• In this version of the board, Evasion Rockets lets you move between two adjacent stars - the yellow stars - as a free action.
• This version doesn't contain wormholes, but wormholes may get added via Dreeg's ability or planet effects or Events.
• The Temple clock sits in the center and does not connect to the starpaths.
• If your group prefers, you can add wormhole tokens in the corners and house-rule connections between the inner planets.
• When playing with new aliens you can add planet tokens on top of unused planets to represent the new planets, Izikar and Talus Gate.
• You can still play on this board with 2 players if you want; you will just have a larger Cosmic Pool since there will be 1 fewer player hands in the game.

In the new 5-6 player board with 12 planets, we need more connections between planets because there are more places to go to. There's purposely asymmetry in the distances between the inner ring and outer ring of planets.

• The inner-ring of planets is 2 spaces away from 4 other planets.
• The outer ring of planets is 2 spaces away from 3 other planets and 4 spaces away from 4 other planets.
• The Temple Clock sits in the center and connects the inner planets together using straight vectors.
• Evasion Rockets card makes the inner-ring planets connect to 5 planets instead of 4.
• Each planet is 4 spaces from its corresponding toxic planet.

Some old board concepts from over the years:

We had played around with modular versions of the game board in various forms over the years. It never seemed important to me to make the board modular; at the time there were no planet abilities (later called planet effect tokens), so each planet was functionally identical other than the cards stored there.

But during the Kickstarter the backers absolutely demanded a modular board and so we ended up doing that. We still like the idea of a fold-out board just because it reduces the setup time so much. Here's some concepts from about 2012 forward of different versions of the static board, and also the modular board.

Making a balanced 12 planet board

For the expansion, we wanted a mostly-balanced 12 planet version of the board that could both be built using the modular hexes, and also played on a fold-out board. We really wanted the new Temple Clock to fit in the middle of the board because it is one focus of the expansion.

Making a balanced 12 planet board turned out to be a long, complicated process. One way to make a modular board that has each hex touch the same number of other planets is to put the asteroids in the middle and have new wormholes on the edges. But now the clock doesn't fit in the middle!

Ok, another update coming soon!

Joey