FIGURE MOLDS STARTED
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Sep 03, 2019 at 11:51:35 PM
A few minutes ago, I sent a wire to the factory to begin making the figures for Gatefall, and I have some good news for you and terrible news for me. The terrible news for me is I agonized over the decision about which factory should produce the figures, which are in every way to me the biggest part of the game. And I ended up switching to a factory that specializes in figures like these, and that will really get these right. That's bad news for me because that factory has a much higher per-unit cost than the factory I had originally planned to use. So I made this game more expensive to make FOREVER. But I want good figures. Like REALLY good figures. So I chose the factory that will work with the sculpts to make sure they translate even better into a physical form and will be better to paint. This is what I meant when I said I don't do stretch goals because my approach is to make the best game I can with what I have. Had I committed to small not-very-important things as stretch goals, I very likely would not have been able to upgrade the figures like this.
So the good news for you is the figures are going to look and feel even better than planned. Because Alexei's sculpts deserve it, and because we will all enjoy the game that much more. This decision set us back a little because it took me a lot of spreadsheets and walking and thinking and sleeping and repeating, but I don't expect the schedule to drift too much as a result.
Thanks for everything, and I'll keep you updated as stuff starts getting made. Surveys are up next. I don't have a set target for when to send them, but now that this huge decision has been made, I can focus on that.
Thanks again,
Jack
THANK YOU.
over 4 years ago
– Thu, Aug 08, 2019 at 01:30:11 AM
A few days ago, Gatefall became my most successful Kickstarter ever. It beat Superfight, Red Flags, You've Got Problems, everything. Both in number of backers and pledges (this campaign charges shipping later through a pledge manager, and that's the first time I have done that, so some of my other campaigns look like they raised more, but actually didn't).
This is the first campaign where I really felt a sense of community. People were talking to each other about painting these figures. People were commenting just to say they were excited. I actually got to know people and recognize names. That is a first for me. And I love it.
Kickstarter isn't always a kind place. In fact, the opposite can happen. People can pay $1 to say whatever they want, and that comment stays there forever. All while a creator lies split open on a table for everyone to see. It's maximum vulnerability as a creator asking people if they like your idea enough to part with their hard-earned money for it.
But people were so great on here, talking about cosplaying as Exile and Firebug, talking about trying to find ways to use these giants in their regular-scale D&D campaigns, etc.
It's worth bothering you all to let you know I appreciate that, and will remember it.
As far as updates go, those prototype figures I showed you last time still have not arrived to my actual hands, but I have zero reason to expect that they will look less amazing in person.
We are testing and testing and testing to get this ready for print, and I am very happy with the results. Games are very frequently close calls, and testers are showing a LOT of different play styles. We still have some things to try to make sure we find the most elegant version of the game possible, and it’s all very exciting.
Thank you very much for such a great campaign, and I can't wait to get this thing in your hands.
-Jack
FIGURE PHOTOS FROM THE FACTORY
almost 5 years ago
– Wed, Jul 31, 2019 at 02:05:41 AM
I am very very VERY happy to announce that the figure prototypes from the factory look absolutely perfect.
The one part this project could have really gone sideways on me was this part. I have never made a game with minis. I didn't know how Alexei's insanely detailed sculpts would translate in the final physical form. But look at this:
Gildri's armor is the ultimate test. Some of the detail in really hard to capture without precise tooling, like the lower hem detail here:
And they got all of it. I am so excited to hold these and paint these and send these to all of you to hold and use and paint.
Thank you all so much for your continuing support and love for this game. More soon!
Jack
GATEFALL IS OFFICIALLY EU FRIENDLY!
almost 5 years ago
– Fri, Jul 26, 2019 at 07:51:01 PM
I just heard back from the EU fulfillment service I will be using, and am happy to say this project will be EU friendly. I didn't want to make that claim before I really understood this method, since I have never used it before. It is still a little terrifying, but I have some fantastic advisors steering me through the process of moving product around the world so it can get to people for less money. Which is amazing, since shipping from LA to Belgium standard rate would have been near $100.
Check out the chart below to get a better idea of what it will cost to get the game to you if you are an EU backer. These are still estimates since the weight is not determined yet, but I'm comfortable saying they are very reliable estimates.
Thanks for your patience and support, EU friends!
Sit tight, Canada and Australia. I'm waiting to hear back from your fulfillment centers, and will post an update as soon as I know what's what.
GATEFALL CHAPTER TWO SNEAK PEAK
almost 5 years ago
– Thu, Jul 18, 2019 at 01:22:31 AM
A lot of people have been asking and wondering about Gatefall's future, so here is a:
It may seem off to be developing so much ahead of time, but I really wanted to see the game's expandability before launching Chapter One. And the answer is "it's all the way expandable."
If you think this is insane, you should hear my ideas for other chapters.
