November 2022 Update
over 1 year ago – Thu, Nov 10, 2022 at 07:06:17 PM

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

October 2022 Update
over 1 year ago – Mon, Oct 10, 2022 at 10:39:37 PM

Hello everyone, and welcome to October's update.

September was spent continuing the file formatting and handoff to the manufacturer. here's where we stand with the tasks so far:

Some tasks are simple

Some of the tasks were relatively straightforward, aside from the manual labor of moving elements into the files sent over by the factory. The tokens, the game board, and (surprisingly!), the cards were all on the simpler side, since they fit into the templates without much modification. So the majority of the game content is handed off.

Some tasks are.... not so simple

Getting the player screens formatted correctly was much trickier. The template didn't exactly fit the scenes I'd made, so I needed to back to the original 3D files and rework each of the five scenes, repositioning some characters to get them all to fit in the bounds. Then of course, re-adding the linework detail, and formatting the files.

Then there's the box itself. While the box top is complete and ready to go, the interior needs to be laid out. And the box bottom still needs some work. That deserves its own section.

The Box Bottom

This part is incredibly important for retail. It needs a product shot well as written copy that really represents the game's heart and soul to potential buyers who might see it in a store.

This is also where all the legally-required information needs to be, such as manufacturing origin, company information, choking hazard warnings, CE mark (certifying that it meets EU standards for selling) as well as a unique UPC code. As of today, all the legal requirements and information has been added. The product shot and writeup are currently in the polishing stage and should be done soon.

What's a spot gloss map?

You may have noticed there are items on the to-do list labeled 'spot gloss map'. That's a separate file I send to the factory to tell them where to add gloss to particular things. It's a black and white file and the spots that are white have no gloss and the spots that are black have gloss. Here's an example of the gloss map for the game board.

Manufacturing Schedule

Based on our talks with the manufacturer, it's going to be about 15 weeks from start of production to when the shipment arrives at our fulfillment centers to be delivered to you. That includes time to review digital and physical proofs, production itself, packaging, QC and certifications and freight shipping time. That means in order to hit our deadline of March 2023 delivery, we'd need to have everything complete by the end of the year.

It's my goal to have all the files handed over by our next update, which would possibly put us a month ahead of schedule. That would be a nice cushion to allow for any unforeseen delays or issues that might pop up. Fingers crossed! Overall, things are moving along smoothly.

Next month I'll post more information about each of the stages of manufacturing as we transition to that phase.

Till then! As always, if you have any questions or comments, please send them my way.

Mike

September 2022 Update
over 1 year ago – Thu, Sep 15, 2022 at 12:32:11 AM

Hello backers-- September Update time!

Visual Updates

I'm happy to report that the visual updates on the card artwork are all completed. The latest batch were focusing on the Protectorite visuals, to improve the texture and lighting and adding some landscape detail. I wanted to make the characters pop off the background while also better conveying the feeling of a bright morning sunrise.

The player screens for all clans are currently undergoing the same visual treatment, and are about halfway completed. They'll be finished by our next update.

Preproduction Begins

I'm currently working with the manufacturer on file prep and handoff, This means making sure all graphic elements are formatted correctly for the manufacturing facility to properly produce each of the components. The first up is the tokens.

This is an image of a punchboard. The pink circles are the cut lines, (the edge of the token), and the green dotted lines the border for all key imagery. Each copy of Unition will ideally have two punchboards: one for the large tokens, one for the small tokens. Once we get proper signoff on this board and know the formatting "rules" we'll move onto the small tokens file. And then from there, the cards, the player screens, the game board, and the instruction manual.

Playtesting and Balancing

Playtesting is complete and the card values are locked. We're still noodling around with the variant rules, but are 99% complete there too.

It's looking like the Clan Affinities variant is going to be part of the base game: whatever player screen you choose will automatically grant you Unition for cards of that clan whenever they're played. We've found this is a great way to speed up the early game, as well as allow for more consistent performance throughout. And it also gives players an early sense of their opponent's general strategy and direction.

That's about everything for this month. It's exciting to start getting things into production and I'm looking forward to sharing the ongoing progress on that in our next update. I hope those of you in the states had a great Labor Day, and happy Moon Festival to those who celebrate!

What games have you all been playing?

August 2022 Update
over 1 year ago – Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 01:01:30 PM

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

July 2022 Update
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Jul 08, 2022 at 01:25:09 PM

Hi backers, it's time for our monthly update for July!

Production

First, I'm excited to announce that our manufacturer has been selected and the initial deposit has been wired over.  I've chosen a company that has been incredibly responsive and attentive and whose components are of excellent quality. Their commitment to client satisfaction should result in getting an excellent product to you all.  Over the next few months, we'll be formatting materials to start sending them over for production.

Game Board

Last month I shared the rough blocking of the game board for layout. Today, I have a finished version to share:

The game board is on the bigger side (18.5x16.5"), so a lot of work went into the detail of the scene. The board itself will have a matte finish, with spot UV (glossiness) on all the card outline overlays to help them pop off the background a bit more. I'm going to keep a close eye on the overlays as we near print production and make sure they're readable. Some more tweaking may still need to be done there. 

Visual Updates

After developing some detailed looks and textures for the game board, I'm going through all the card and divider art and adding them into the scenes for consistency and overall better polish and detail. Sometimes its as simple as a texture update, other times, it means a small scene rework. Some examples:

Right now, the Commune cards are mostly all refreshed, and I'll be working on the rest of the clans once they're done. While I think these improvements are important, I'm also trying to make sure they don't delay production. I'm keeping an eye on the calendar, and hopefully by next month these visual updates are completed which should align with the end of our playtesting phase. 

Playtesting

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback. The input has been very helpful. Right now, I'm leaning on two of the variants in the PnP becoming part of the baseline rulebook, but just need a little more playtesting to confirm. I suspect that by next month's update I will have made a decision on that. In the meantime-- keep sending us your feedback!

That's it for now. Hope everyone's having a great summer (and 4th of July for all those of you in the states!) Stay safe, enjoy it, and I'll see you in August with our next update!

~Mike