Project Update: Print Update - Advance Copies, No Dice (!)
Ray with your May update!
WHERE ARE WE?
The factory finished assembling everything - and everything looks great! We were on track to palletize and freight everything by April 27th, 2024.
But Unfortunately...
- The GOTY samples they sent us contained 1 Dice, not a Set of 6.
- In addition, the shrink wrapped copies were missing the information insert that was supposed to be included at the back of each GOTY copy.
That unfortunately has led to a significant delay of about 4 weeks, as the factory has to cast more dice and print those sheets, then repack everything. Womp womp. It was a big bummer to us but at least we caught it before things got worse.
Updated Timeline
- Ocean Freight Begins - May 22nd 2024
- Slugblaster Arrives in Warehouse - July 2024
- Slugblaster Fulfillment - July 2024
Not ideal, and way longer than we anticipated. Sorry about that, folks.
In the Meantime...
We're working out shipping rates so we can finalize those soon. That's the main logistics task for us this month.
If you are a physical backer of both Slugblaster and Wildsea: Storm & Root, could you please do us a solid by filling out this form?
Doing so will allow us to combine your orders so you're only paying one shipping rate. We know this has been requested by some, so hopefully this makes it easier on everyone to make sure that happens.
Next update we should have shipping rates ready and hopefully the game will be done-done printing as well.
Sansha & Blanco
Also, Mythworks has a new comic called Sansha & Blanco! It's a suburban fairy tale about dogs and we think it's pretty awesome. We need about $1,100 more buckaroos to get it funded. Spare a bone?
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Thanks everyone!
Ray
Project Update: March Update - Near and Clear
Ray here with a March update! Apologies for not updating in February - first it was CNY followed by a lot of back and forth between us and the printer, which is still ongoing but we're close! Very, very close.
PRODUCTION PROOFS
Here are some pics of our recent proof samples along with some tales of production samples to go along with them:
The Book looks great in hardcover, though this digital proof doesn't have the Spot-UV layer that will be in the final. The cover image also needs to be nudged to the right around 5 mm to account for the fold on the left.
Interiors for the most part were clean, but we found a couple of messed up pages that had to be corrected.
The Pizza Box looks great, but we had an extensive discussion about the green color on it, and how we needed to key it to a specific Pantone color rather than rely on CMYK which wouldn't be able to express the full quality of the illustration. We also had a couple of issues with the side panels and inside panels printed upside down, but you can't tell in this picture!
The Dice are nice and glossy and exactly how the renders look. No issues with these!
The Play Surface went through two revisions. We started with a glossy finish (top) but decided to go matte (bottom), which I think just looks a little nicer given the art. We also had to rotate the configuration of the images to make sure they folded properly.
No complaints about The Slugmix, which came out perfectly.
We did have to do a couple versions of the Enamel Pin, as somehow the original ended up being extra jumbo size. Something about inches and millimeters...
And we've yet to see the final proofs for the Stickers, though I'm sure they'll turn up great!
Here's another look at the book with the pizza box, all snug together-like.
SO, WHERE ARE WE?
So, moving! We're moving...
BONUS: A NOTE FROM MIKEY
Project Update: January Update: Celestial Moons
This episode of Slugblaster TV brought to you by:
ANOTHER sweet, sweet bundle of Slugblaster content designed by the awesome Wilkie's Candy Lab community during our second Wilkie's Goody Jam. New devices! New monsters! A Soundtrack! And a bunch more.
All earnings from these jams go to support teen mental health. This time we are donating proceeds to Strongminds. Strongminds provides therapy to low-income women and adolescents with depression in Uganda and Zambia. X Gone Give to Ya
Prepress
It's going well but it's taking a little bit of back and forth. A little slower than we'd like. That said...
Updated Timeline
Here's what we're working with now:
Deliver Final Print Ready Files to Factory (January 2024) - We did this, and now they're speccing things out.
Lunar New Year Shutdown (February 2024) - This happens this upcoming Thursday. Printers are back in office 02/18/24.
Printing & Manufacturer (February-March 2024) - Looking more like March, to be honest.
Ocean Freight (April 2024)- Boats! It's good to fill them up.
Fulfillment (May 2024) - Final leg of the journey.
Surveys Surveys Surveys
The surveys do not have shipping rates yet. We are charging for shipping later. We're still building out the prototype so... don't know how much it weighs yet :D
Alright, that's it from us for now. Stay groovy everyone!
Ray
Project Update: New Timeline
Ray here with a printing update!
Over the past couple of weeks we've been barreling towards delivering the print ready finals, and things are going really well! We've made significant progress on the design of everything, including the interior of the box:
We're super stoked at how things are cookin' and looking forward to getting the final proofs in our hand. That said, we do have a bit of bad news today: it doesn't look like we'll be able to begin printing before the Lunar New Year, meaning we're probably delayed around two months.
Updated Timeline
- Deliver Final Print Ready Files to Factory (January 2024)
- Lunar New Year Shutdown (February 2024)
- Printing & Manufacturer (February-March 2024)
- Ocean Freight (March-April 2024)
- Fulfillment (April 2024)
The Why
Basically, we were facing a situation where our window was becoming increasingly narrow and the hours longer and longer to meet the crunch. All of this is pretty normal for creative projects looking to hit market / fulfillment, but because we're making something we haven't really made before, there was a high likelihood that any round of back and forth with the manufacturer (box not quite right, colors not quite right, etc.) would've led to us missing the Lunar New Year cutoff anyway.
I didn't want Mikey and the rest of the team crunching through the holidays, and so I made the decision to push us back until after CNY, knowing that doing so pushes back our timeline a few months.
Plus! Doing so means we can definitely get the Solo Rules by Michael Elliot into the core book, which is a nice bonus :)
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Apologies for the delay, and thanks for understanding. Happy holidays, and see you next year!
Ray
Project Update: On Track! Solo Rules! Game Jam!
It is I, Father Wilkie, dressed for cheer in the likeness of your traditional Santa man! Can you not tell by this beard of hairs and swollen abdomen? What of my suit of red human clothing or my team of bound ungulates? Is it all not perfectly convincing? Here now, have a play-object from my donation sack. Lap sucrose from your fingers with good cheer as my most indentured toymaker gives you glad tidings.
We're Right on Track!
Solo Rules
Goody Jam
And that's it! Have a wonderful December, everyone! Stay warm and keep your loved ones close.
Grateful,
Mikey
Project Update: PDF download!
We're sweeping up the confetti and getting the lab cooking. We're very excited to see this beautiful new edition come together, and will keep you updated as it happens!
Project Update: We Did It!
Mikey and I spent the last hour of the campaign playing / celebrating Slugblaster on the Discord just now (and where we'll be for another little bit if you want to join us):
https://discord.gg/hm8AH2EJ
It's been an amazing campaign, and we have a lot of stuff in front of us. We're going to do the final scope of the campaign - I think we have one more ($40k) Stretch Goal for the Community to vote for - and then get to work on making everything.
More to come. Talk soon!
Ray
Project Update: Grind Your Way to Fame
Become a Famous Crew!
Mountain Dew-Brained
"Strong Mountain Dew-brained sensibilities... A beautiful art-style combined with THE best page layouts I've ever seen in a game"
Thanks Zayda!
We Hit 35k!
3 Days Left!
💜
Mikey
Project Update: Week 4: Campaign Close in Sight!
Welcome back to another episode of Slugblaster TV, this time brought to you by Panic Energy!
Because nothing says XTREME like anXiety!
$32k: More Maps!
We hit $32k, which means we've unlocked More Maps!
Calorium is a plane of fire with strange airships, boiling soda lakes, a napping phase dragon, and the glow of a dying late-stage sun. Sounds like the perfect place to film some content!
The Waking Pits are Slugblaster's version of a cold, dark hell, complete with blackened skies, mammalian fossils, swarms of starving phosphorescent bugs, and The Trench - the abyss of abysses. You probably don't want to go there; that is, unless someone called out your ego for a trip. We've all been there, right?
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With this achievement unlocked, 4 pack-in game surfaces / maps will be included in your boxed set of Slugblaster! Now that's what we call progress!
$35k: Roll for Stretch Goal!
Says it all, really. The publisher in me really hopes we don't roll a 6. Gamer Ray, on the other hand...
Wilkie's Goodie Jam #2
Want to make some fun kick ass content for Slugblaster, and do it for a good cause? Join us as we raise funds for teen mental health and celebrate the close of the campaign! This jam's theme is DIY, which means Deez Interstellar Yonders!
All proceeds from the jam will be donated to Good Minds, a charity supporting mental health in Africa.
Come up with cool stuff! Donate to a good cause! Roll some tables and do some game designing!
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Alright, everyone. One more week!
Let'z get it!
- Ray
Project Update: Week 3 - Funded! More Maps, Game Jams, and Slime!
DING DING DING
Thanks so much to everyone who's backed so far! The votes are in, and we’re celebrating by adding a limited-edition Slugblaster sew-on patch to the box.
It’s been a fun two weeks!
Plus I got to go to Big Bad Con! I met so many friends and see Slugblaster making so many tables smile! Someone told me it was the talk of the weekend!
More to Unlock!
$32k - MORE MAPS! Two more location maps for the box! Can you guess which ones?
$35k - MORE SWAG! Unlocks a RANDOMLY ROLLED PRIZE for the box! Watch in real time on the discord!
$40k - ???
Powered by Hype
Here are some ideas for how you can help!
- Share this or this! Retweet, post in your discords, etc!
- Tell a friend about it! Ask your gaming group if they want to go in on a copy or two for your campaign.
- Buy a copy to donate to a school gaming club. I've done it and it rules. They are starved for new cool games. Kids swarm over to huddle around and plan new campaigns.
Other Fun News!
- We're planning a Slugblaster game jam starting on Tuesday and running for the next 6 weeks. We'll each make something fun for Slugblaster—a world, a device, a fun table, a monster, whatever! Then we take all the submissions, put them in a bundle and sell it to raise money for teen mental health. Our first jam raised over 1000 dollars!! Join us! It's fun! Full info soon, but for now you can vote on the theme here!
- There's always a ton of fun on our discord. We share slugblaster stories and art, we talk about candy and horror movies, we design games together, we have a in-character chat and league-play events that you can infect your own games. All sorts of stuff.
Project Update: Treats for our 420 backers! 🤙
Yesterday we got our 420th backer 🤙, and to celebrate we're giving all our backers download access to full-resolution maps. Get both the new Thennis Spar and Golden Jungle maps in two variations— a blank version for your table and an action-packed vignette for your desktop wallpaper.
Project Update: Week 2 - Feelings, Cons, and Tricks
Another week, another episode of Slugblaster TV, coming to you live at our irregularly scheduled time of Thursdays half past moon! Ray here with another mondo update brought to you by Teenage Angst.
Did you know that Slugblaster has a powerful yet simple engine to help your characters grow?
Because here at Slugblaster, we believe in deeper roleplay through narrative arcs. Like eating a bag of chips.
With infinite Doorways, the choice is always yours.
BIG BAD CON
Holy moly wasn't that something? I'm not even quite sure if I'm fully decompressed yet. So many cool people. So many games. Absolute 0% brainpower left by the end of the con. It was great. Can't wait to run it back.
Here are some pictures:
The Blades in the Dark Discord Crew, or at least as many as we could muster. Mikey, MK (She who Ships in Darkness) and ThisisVictor.
Me after my second session of Slugblaster. Yes, I wore the same hoodie all weekend. And I'd do it again, damnit. I'd do it again.
Overall, I think we managed to get Slugblaster one of the most played (I counted 10 seshes) and talked about games of the show.
Mikey running a playtest of Street Gods, his last game of the evening. By all accounts it slapped.
Right after Moe, me, and Mikey after a very long Saturday night unwinding with some whiskey. Sorry not sorry we ran out Zeb before you got there. Moe necked the last of it shortly prior before this picture was taken. It was delicious.
(but not as delicious as your one million beer varietals plucked fresh for the juice of the gods. freakin' norcal.)
Yeah overall it was a good time and I probably should have gotten a haircut before. Oh well. You live and you learn and next year you sign up for the POC Meet and Greet properly so you don't get dirty glances when you crash the party.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!!
Mikey, the mad lad, did it. A 180! It took a lot. But y'know what? If it were easy, we would've had it up a long time ago. No. This shit was hard. So hard that we only have it now. Like, a couple of days after we unlocked it.
Check it here or in the achievement below.
SO FUCKING CLOSE
As of writing we are $3,685 dollars away from funding. Can y'all help us make that happen? Pretty Please?
There's a couple of things that can help us out. First, if you can please help us spread the love to your gamer friends, skater friends, and that small little intersection of skater and gamer friends. Surely we haven't tapped them all.
The other thing that really helps is if you interact with our posts, comment, upvote, etc. here on BackerKit. Doing so increases our visibility on the platform. Speaking of which...
New Poll!
Originally the plan was to release a sticker at $30k, but we figured we'd throw it to y'all to see what goes in the box. So, what do you think? What should we throw in that ultra deluxe primo pie?
The Choice is Yours!
OTHER COOL PROJECTS
If you like RPGs, you should check out Dice Exploder! Each week, Sam Dunnewold goes deep with a co-host on a new RPG mechanic. I love it. Listen to it on the road and at the gym. They're looking for a couple of bones to fund the next season, and maybe if we all collectively say yay we will have the power to summon Lord Harper, The Family Bakers, and other illustrious luminaries of our little corner of the industry.
Also, do you like Owlbears? Because Metal Weave Games and Andreas Walters, the lord of Owlbears, has a new Baby Beastiary Calendar for 2024 featuring the art of Nala J Wu. That's a woohoo from me because physical artefacts are necessary to preserve the past. And, like, help, with organizing events. Like haircuts.
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Alright! That's all from me! Word on the street is Mikey is going to decompress and debrief about Big Bad Con as well. Did you know he was in and out in less than 32 hours? The mad man.
Peace!
Ray
Project Update: Live from Big Bad Con!
Ray here, welcoming you to Slugblaster TV, coming at you live from Big Bad Con! There's a man dressed up as Ronald McDonald directly in front of me. I have no idea what I'm in for.
But before we find out!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us continue make this new edition Slugblaster. I've freakin' loved Slugblaster from the moment I laid eyes on it in the Blades in the Dark Forums back in 2019. It was - even then - one of the sickest looking, most polished games in our little scene.
Over the years I've seen Mikey open up, examine, discard, and rebuild every part of the original Blades in the Dark system. I can confidently say that there are few that understand it better, and perhaps no one has better retro-engineered a slicker, more fun and beautiful system than Slugblaster.
Mikey pitches it as Adventuretime or Enter the Spider-verse. My own games lean a little Rick & Morty, and I've heard Zeb pitch it as Stranger Things. Whatever the flavor, Slugblaster has enough heart and zaniness to support it.
If you haven't played yet, hop on our Discord and pick up a game! You'll be glad you did because Slugblaster slaps!
Achievements Unlocked!
Check out Mikey rapping here.
I throw a Frisbee here.
Thanks fam. We couldn't have it done it without you.
Next up at 360 backers Mikey will film himself doing a 360. Well, more like I will be filming him! This could be really good. Or bad. Or both!
Help Us Spread the Word!
Mikey and I will be at Big Bad Con this weekend. If you're going, please stop on by and play some Slugblaster! We're running games all weekend - at Games on Demand and on the official schedule. We're also going to do our best to be interactive from there including filming that 360 (hopefully) and some other fun content.
1st: Poll - What should Ray run at Big Bad Con?
Alright, so that brings us to our first poll of the campaign: what should I run at Big Bad Con? My typical one-shot of Slugblaster looks a little like this:
Except Robo Dinosaurs is interchangeable with any number of zany creature thingy. So... what should it be?? Vote in the poll or let me know in the comments below!
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Alright, that's it for me. Going to go socialize in meat flesh now.
Cya!
Ray