Expansion Box Art, Painted Miniatures, and More Insights

What's New in Our Upcoming Game?

This time, I want to share a list of exciting updates about our upcoming game. First, let's delve into the details of the expansion box, focusing on its content. Next, if you haven't seen the stunning painted miniatures on social media, you’ll want to check them out. Additionally, I am thrilled to announce that the edited online rulebook is finally accessible. We've also introduced a rule tweak for testing groups. Finally, I will discuss the structure of the rewards and add-ons for the upcoming campaign.

Expansion Box Art

For the expansion, we needed a new cover art. The title art posed a few challenges, as you can see in the overview. However, I am probably leaning toward the last design Diego created with the quill pen. I wanted to avoid using the first draft Nasalization font. This choice relates to Arman Piñata's backstory involving the old observatory and references to 18th and 19th-century astronomy when Newtonian physics thrived. These principles are still essential for spacecraft traveling to the moon today.

Painted Miniatures

Previously, I showcased the print run for rescaled miniatures, displaying their actual size. The second print run targeted painting, and the results are indeed impressive. The miniatures are beautifully painted by Javier González from Aries Studio.

This project will have miniature stretch goals and unlockable add-ons, but we won’t provide painted miniatures. The painted images serve to inspire painters and showcase the potential outcome. However, unless the project sees massive success and demand for prepainted miniatures, we currently have no plans to offer those.

Rulebook Access

The updating process for the rulebook took about a month. This delay was essential for those holding the latest prototype, which came with my initial rough draft of a rebooted rulebook. I apologize for the oversight, as I felt rushed to print the prototype and was inexperienced in professional rules writing. Fortunately, I reached out to Paul Grogan from Gaming Rules, only to learn he was stepping back from that role. He kindly referred me to another excellent rules editor, Miguel Conceição, who was quickly interested in the project.

One key suggestion I received from working with professional rules editors is to maintain a living online rulebook. This format allows anyone to comment and offers updated clarifications.

If you have a prototype and are struggling with the rules, this living rulebook is your chance to help us better understand how to explain game elements to a broader audience. Next week, I’ll provide draft images to complement portions of the rulebook. These images will be updated by Aleksandr from Dina Said So with professional graphics once the concept designs are confirmed.

Here is the link to the rulebook: Online Living Rulebook.

Gameplay Rule Test

I would like to introduce a new rule tweak inspired by conversations with Paul Grogan from Gaming Rules. Some test groups reported a lack of agency when playing as the 3rd and 4th players, especially in the astronomer versions of the game.

This rule has been tested and shown to create interesting choice combinations. It requires further testing, which is why it hasn’t yet been incorporated into the current rules. It could serve as a module variant, adding some complexity to the gameplay. However, if this rule significantly improves player experience, it might become a standard rule.

We plan to include three two-sided punch board tokens with the following actions and bonuses:

• Direct Observation / Traveling (action)

• Planned Observation / Scheduling (action)

• Car +1 / Train +1 (bonus)

  
  

A board will be provided to place the action tokens on the availability areas. In a 3-player game, the first chosen action will be locked for one turn. In a 2-player game, two actions will be locked in the order they were chosen.

At the beginning of each turn, players in Astronomer status (not Astronaut) will select an action or bonus token, starting with the last player in turn order and proceeding anticlockwise. The first player can only select the first player token and cannot take any action or bonus token. During the action selection, a second consecutive action can be chosen, but both actions must differ and be in the same week.

Gamefound Structure

We are currently finalizing the structure of the project on Gamefound. This time, I will present the base game along with the expansion, titled "Philosopher's Orrery." The expansion was initially part of the base game. However, some players found the combination overwhelming while others deemed it essential.

Though the base game has lost a module, it will feature a stretch goal with a Sphinx module that includes humanoid upgraded abilities. The expansion will offer additional content, all within the solar system theme.

Apart from the basic astronomer characters and CSM Apollo spacecraft (which are included in stretch goals), other miniatures will be unlockable stretch goals. Once unlocked, you will have the option to add them on. The image shared showcases only a portion of the stretch goal draft.

This strategy aims to ensure the basic game can print if the number of backers isn't sufficient to cover the molds for all miniatures. To keep the base game affordable for a larger audience, it's crucial to implement tier availability incrementally based on funding.

Shipping and Tariffs

I’m currently examining fulfillment prices and impending tariffs. Gamefound is developing a calculation application to help estimate the total cost, including VAT and shipping. This is likely more problematic for US customers, but it's important to mention as there is a large following for this game in the US.

For fulfillment, I am considering equalizing shipping costs for Non-EU countries in Europe. I’ve learned that followers in those countries faced unfair shipping prices compared to their neighbors. For instance, the recent quote for a base game box weighing 2.5 kg for Europe is around 20 EUR. This shows a slight price increase compared to two years ago.

I am still working to understand how tariffs will affect the project and what can be done to mitigate them. I will gather more information from my contacts at Games Quest and Gamefound.

I wish everyone a splendid Easter weekend. Please feel free to comment on this blog or explore previous posts for background stories and scientific or historical references related to our characters.

As always, ad astra!