Unboxing Videos 1 & 2!
over 6 years ago – Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 10:43:30 PM

Hi All!

Here are  the first of the UNBOXING VIDEOS I've been promising for forever! Sorry to make you wait for these. I'd still consider these "advanced screenings" - I couldn't fit them directly into the Update, and had to post them on YouTube due to file size. But I'd have preferred to shine them up more & add a few more details before spreading them all over the internet. But its definitely an instance of the Perfect being the enemy of the Good, and I don't want to keep you guys from getting a good look at the finished product any longer.

Before we dive in, though, some bits of business. If you need to update your address, now is the time. I'll be sending out a heads up email next week from Backerkit, giving you a 2-day notice that I'll be locking down all addresses. Updating your address is super easy, and many of you have contacted me about doing so - all you need to do is email [email protected] with your info, and a Backerkit rep will make the switch for you.

Also, I did get that confirmation I was waiting for that our inventory has set sail! It actually left port in China on December the 6th, and will be arriving in the US potentially on the 31st (I might warn it to try and find an alternate route around Times Square that night.) US customs gets to snuggle with it for several days, and then they release it to me, which should have it arriving right on time if not a few days early! It's definitely time to start getting excited, and should be a great way to start off 2018 after an eternity of waiting.

And on that note, have a look at these videos, & tell me what you think!

Inventory Arrival News
over 6 years ago – Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 12:16:22 AM

Hi All,

Forgive the lack of visuals here - I wanted to get something out to you sooner rather than later. There was some activity in the comments thread today, and I wanted to try and touch base with all of you to try and mitigate any frustration or general feelings of "WTF?".

I appreciate that there is some impatience out there. Don't blame you, really - the final product is obviously overdue, and it's doubly frustrating that it's the holiday season and the decks are not in. There have been some setbacks and delays on the manufacturing end that I have had absolutely no control over. I've been working with my designer, our consultant, and the printer get them resolved as quickly as possible, and get us back on track. The good news is, we're there. The final production proofs are in, & things look great! There was one error the manufacturer had to address in the WONDERLAND Expansion Pack, and that set us back still more. But that's resolved now (win!), and the completed inventory should already be on its way to me here in the US (I've been waiting for some form of confirmation or departure date, but as of yet still don't have that. But, I've been assured that the projected delivery date of the inventory to my warehouse facility is JANUARY 15th. Thought you'd want to know that ASAP. 

UNBOXING VIDEOS

I've shot a series of unboxing videos for you, that show off the production proofs from the manufacturer, and talk about the functionality of various things. In them, I go through all the stuff - 

• Volumes 1 and 2 
• The Magnetic Boxes 
• The Expansions 
• The Apprentice Pack and its categories 
• The Worlds Deck and its categories, and also, how the Civilizations expansion adds to the capabilities of the Worlds Deck

I just haven't finished editing all the clips together. I know you want to see how it all looks, so trust me, it's a priority. December is an intense month for me work-wise, and I've had a lot of late nights on deadlines. I'll get you something to see before the end of the week for sure.

Holiday Gift Certificate

I also want to get you a downloadable "gift certificate" of sorts, for those of you giving RD as a holiday gift. It will be something official that you can wrap in a box or put in an envelope saying your recipients will be getting this cool stuff in just a few short weeks. It'll have all our logo and branding on it, and some cool artwork, as well. I'd much rather you gift-givers have something that looks legit to offer on Christmas morning instead of empty pockets and a bunch of excuses about how awesome its gonna be when it finally shows up. 

Coin & Minis

As you know, the full coin inventory is IN. And I could not be happier with the results.

There's a lot of progress on the minis, as well. Ryan and I are super psyched with how they're looking. I've been waiting for finished resin casts of all 4 of them before I post, to really amp up the Wow Factor, but I'll send you progress shots the next time I meet with Kevin and Ryan.

Lastly, in case you missed it, the inventory's (estimated) arrival is JANUARY 15th!! Fulfillment will begin immediately after that - stay tuned for more! Until then, hope everyone is enjoying their Holiday Season!

GOOD AND EVIL COINS are in!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Dec 04, 2017 at 10:14:53 PM

 Hi All!

THE COINS ARE IN! Check it out: 

 SUPER PSYCHED. They came out perfectly. Couldn't be happier with them! And remember, every backer gets one. So if you backed us, you're covered. If it turns out you want more than one, or want to give them as a gift, you can either pre order them on Backerkit, or email our message me. Our website isn't officially open for sales business yet, but if people want to give these as stocking stuffers, we can get it up and running to sell and ship this one item right away, if there's demand for it. This would be a great stocking stuffer for the Artist, Writer, or Gamer in your life.

There's been developments on all fronts! First, I HAVE THE PRODUCTION PROOFS. Everything looks amazing. I'm trying to put together a fun unboxing video for you, an I'm juggling that with art deadlines. Give me another day or two. Kevin at Forge Prints showed off some stunning preliminary minis on Friday, as well. These minis will be competitive with the highest end products in the gaming & collectible minis world, and I  can't wait for you to see them. Finally, we're hoping to hear some good news about our FINISHED INVENTORY LEAVING PORT on its way to us sometime this week!

Let me know what you think of the Coin in the comments!

Clark

More Fulfillment News - & PRODUCT PHOTOS!
over 6 years ago – Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 08:16:37 PM

 Hi All,

Hope everyone is having a good pre-game leading up to Thanksgiving next week. As usual with our updates at this point, I have a LOT of stuff to fill you in on - the past few days have been VERY eventful.

Not gonna lie - there's good news and bad news. Hopefully, the bad news isn't all that bad, and is mitigated somewhat by all the good. So, let's start with the bad news: Our grand plan to air ship a bunch of the inventory isn't going to work. The entire time we were working off of unofficial cost estimates, and experiences of other Kickstarter creators who decided go that route. We were prepared for our shipping costs to double - and possible even a little more than double. Our view was that was worth getting the KS fulfilled, and having product to sell in time for the holidays. Unfortunately, the official number for even a partial inventory air ship was SIX TIMES our initial shipping costs, bringing the total well into the TENS OF THOUSANDS. Everyone - from us to our consultant to our printer - was blown away by this. Sorry, guys, but there's just no way that was doable. Which means we're out of Harry Hamlin-esque CLASH OF THE TITANS  magical helmets & mechanical owls. In other words, I've got no more aces to play, & we're just gonna have to put our stuff on a boat and wait it out. 

Now, for the good news. The printing is DONE. And, my box of physical proofs is (finally) on its way here from the manufacturer. As soon as I approve them, the printer has reserved us an early spot on a ship that can have our inventory underway as early as the end of next week. Unfortunately, this does not guarantee pre-Christmas arrival of our stuff, and for that I sincerely apologize. Give or take 2 to 3 weeks is no big deal in the greater scheme of all things Kickstarter, but when those 3 weeks make the difference between before Christmas or after, that's a totally different thing. I absolutely get that, and I share your frustration & disappointment. If the inventory arrives before Christmas (and there's a decent chance that it will), I'll do what I can to get as many rewards in the mail as possible.

For those of you who are planning to give RD as a holiday gift, I will be creating a downloadable "certificate" of sorts, with some cool artwork on it, so you at least have something to present. If our stuff doesn't get in in time for you to have your rewards prior to Christmas, the good news is it should be arriving right after the holiday or in the first couple of weeks of January. If you're among the backers who is feeling extreme urgency around this being the holiday gift you were really, really counting on, message me.

PRODUCT SHOTS! 

Thanks for bearing with me through all of that. As a reward, here's a first look, freshly sent over from our manufacturer!

That's all for now. Hopefully, I'll have another Update for you this weekend or shortly after, with more product images from my box of proofs. How do you like what you're seeing so far? Discuss!

Fulfillment news, and Final Minis Sculpts!
over 6 years ago – Thu, Nov 09, 2017 at 01:10:07 AM

Hi All!

I've got some news to share: In order to get our inventory here in time for the holidays, we've decided to take the drastic step of having a large chunk of the total order air shipped here. And, now that we've put that in motion, we have a projected arrival date for our stuff: NOVEMBER 25th! My consultant made a point to mention that that was an estimated date and not a guarantee. But even so, we should be looking at getting all the goods in some time in the days surrounding Thanksgiving Weekend. As soon as the stuff shows up, we'll get it all loaded in, get set up, and start packing boxes. 

We're still expecting the final proofs to arrive literally any day. The estimated date for those was this past Monday, so hopefully tomorrow or Friday. I'll definitely be posting with pictures as soon as they get here.

While we wait for that momentous event, here's something to tide you over: our 3D sculptor Ryan Lesser has finished his work on the minis, and they look AWESOME! Have a look...

 I'll have updates & photos for you about how the molding process is proceeding. Finally, to all our NaNoWriMo backers (who are all currently engaged in a national month long writing challenge) - good luck, and also: how's it going? I'd love to see some excepts and progress posted in the recklessdeck.com writing forum!