Big update - soundtrack, painting competition, pre order store and more
over 3 years ago
– Thu, Feb 09, 2023 at 09:08:37 AM
Hi everyone,
As promised, here's the update for February. Following January's disappointing news regarding the manufacturing delay, this update is going to be filled with positivity! As a reminder, we're currently waiting "patiently" for work to resume on manufacture at the end of the month with an estimated completion of the end of March.
In the mean time, let the positivity commence!
Soundtrack Sample and Competition
Despite the delay to manufacture, the team at Fordj have been working flat out to get everything finished on the soundtrack. All of the tracks have been recorded and it's just a bit of tweaking that remains. Below, we have another track for your enjoyment. This one is quite possibly the most unsettling of the whole soundtrack in my opinion. I'm getting strong Bloodborne vibes, which is both awesome but also a sad reminder of the countless deaths I endured playing that game. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Name the track competition!
As a bit of fun for the community, we're going to run a small competition to come up with a name for this track. Jack (from The Fordj) will choosing his favourite and the winner will receive a free download of the soundtrack when it's released. Email your suggestions to [email protected].
Good luck everyone!
Painting Competition Results
I'm sure you'll all be aware of the bust painting competition that was held, which closed a while back. I'm delighted to showcase the entries of the winners below, along with the comments from our wonderful judge, James Stone.
In first place, we have this phenomenal entry by our winner, Andrew.
James's Comments:
What a gorgeous piece of art, complimented with beautifully subtle shading drawing the eye in to the face details which are perfectly lit and highlighted. The thin drip of blood from the lips is the cherry on top. A wonderful rendition of the miniature.
The runners up are as follows (in no particular order):
Runner up: Eugen
James's Comments
A particularly ominous and grim interpretation, Eugen’s Dracula showcases lovely technical ability with the hair and face highlights with also an eye for the playful, filling the candle stumps on the base with blood. The red glowing eyes really bring the miniature together.
Runner Up: Luca
James's Comments:
Beautiful! I love the way the ashen base fades into the red of Dracula’s cloak, drawing the eye to the eerie grin of the face. Some lovely detailing on the skin in particular. The sharp contrast of the colours used really helps this model stand out.
Runner Up: Mikael
James's Comments:
It’s difficult to talk about this model without the fantastic glowing eyes and shadowy cheeks. The painting has really accentuated the facial features, showcasing the devilish grin. A super creepy entry.
Painting competition wrap up
I want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who took part in this competition. It gave me such joy to see how everyone brought them to life. It's been an absolute pleasure - thank you!
If any of these has inspired you to give painting a go, we still have some copies of the bust left for sale. You can buy them from our website using the following link: https://www.blacklettergames.com/dracula-bust
If you do paint one and want to make my day, I would absolutely love it if you would send me a photo. You can do that to this email address: [email protected]
Character Spotlight: The Sister
One fan in particular has been clamouring (in the best way possible) for a spotlight on a character from the expansion, The Sister.
The Sister is a highly thematic character that's perfect for those people who enjoy the idea of terrorising their friends as a demonic nun! That description applies to one of our most frequent playtesters, who always chooses The Sister whenever possible.
One With Darkness
When choosing The Sister's talents, we wanted to explore the relationship of this character with darkness. While the other characters in the game struggle in the dark (Vampire aside of course), The Sister thrives in it. First up we have 'One With Darkness' which is rooted in the idea that The Sister can almost warp through the darkness. This is a fun passive talent as it will trigger quite frequently, meaning other players will rarely feel safe if they're positioned in a long, straight corridor. Aside from being used aggressively, it's also a great way for this character to get around parts of the castle very quickly.
Shadow
One of the issues we faced when designing The Sister was that a key element of darkness in the game is that characters trigger traps they pass if the darkness symbol has been rolled. The Sister was originally immune from this effect, but it became apparent that was far too powerful. This is where The Sister's second talent comes into effect: Shadow.
This talent effectively allows The Sister to trigger their passive without having to have rolled the darkness symbol. This means they have total control over how and when it is used (at least, the first time). In addition, by using Shadow, The Sister doesn't trigger traps during their turn. So this becomes a really useful talent to save in the event of running into an ill timed trap.
One final benefit that's available to this character is that The Sister synergises extremely well with certain cards that influence darkness. For example, there's a curse found in the expansion called Black Cat, which turns all Candlelight symbols to Darkness symbols, which can be an extremely powerful strategy for this character.
Both of these talents make The Sister a versatile, highly mobile, and fun character to play.
p.s. I hope you like The Sister, Luk!
New passive talent: Ransack
The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that there are five talents listed on that character sheet above, not four! Your eyes do not deceive you - a fifth passive talent has been added to every character: Ransack.
This is something that was implemented months ago during the intense playtesting / development period that followed the campaign - lead by our brilliant developers, Stefano and Aaron.
The talent reads:
After drawing a card from a Standard Room, suffer 1 Damage to draw another unless an Event or Curse has been drawn. You may repeat this.
Essentially what this does is give players a much higher chance of finding the cards they're looking for - providing they're willing to sacrifice their Health in order to do so. This has created quite an interesting dynamic in terms of playstyle: are you cautious with your health, or are you going to be a bit more aggressive looking for cards that can swing a game in your favour? And of course, those decisions will change as the game develops and you get a sense of what your chances are.
There remains the limitation around drawing an event / curse, which we felt was important for balancing. Without this exception it would have been easy for characters with high health, or healing items, to cycle through decks and pick up what they wanted - it would totally break the experience.
This change has helped to add consistency to the game around players finding cards that matter to them. And it also has had a big impact in terms of finding cards that 'combo' well with others, meaning that seeking the missing piece you're looking for is now a more realistic prospect than it was before.
As per the other changes, this one was made following extensive playtesting and feedback and I'm really pleased with the positive effect it has had on the game.
Pre Order Store reopened for 1 month
Due to popular demand, and given the delay in manufacture, we've decided to re-open the pre-order store on Backerkit. This is so that anyone who didn't get a chance to back the game first time around now has a chance to do so.
Here is the link that you can use to purchase Damnation: The Gothic Game: https://damnation.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Taxes and shipping will be charged separately - if applicable - as close to actual shipping as possible to ensure the pricing is accurate.
The store will be open for a month, meaning that this really could be your last opportunity to get your copy of Damnation: The Gothic Game.
Next update
That's pretty much it for this update. It's been nice to focus on all the positive things that have happened over the course of the past couple of months. And what's more - we're now a month closer to fulfilment as well! I'm still waiting for news that manufacture has resumed, but I was given a date of the 22nd of February, so I don't anticipate hearing anything before then.
My hope is that in the next update I'll be able to give definitive news on a completion date and an updated timescale in terms of delivery - one that should be accurate.
I'm also planning to run an interview with Jack from The Fordj regarding the soundtrack. If anyone has any questions around that you'd like answered, please post them in the comments.
Oh and we're also working towards having a video 'how to play' done with a great friend of ours, Adam Trezise of the Die Rollin channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXZdZngAPAmlYtqujRVtcLw). So there's still plenty happening in the background!
I'll sign off here, but I just want to say thank you once again for your continued patience and support. It makes more of a difference than you probably realise.
Kris
Shipping Update
over 3 years ago
– Mon, Jan 09, 2023 at 07:17:06 AM
Hi everyone,
First of all I just want to wish you a happy new year for 2023. I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Christmas.
Unfortunately I have received some bad news in terms of the game. The manufacturer has been hit with Covid over the past couple of months. This has severely impacted the production of all their games, which includes ours. Furthermore, the factory is due to close imminently for the Chinese New Year.
What this means for the game is that manufacture will now be completed in March. The 20th at the latest is the date they have given me. With this estimated completion date we're now looking at delivery in May. What can I say - I'm absolutely devastated by the setback.
I know how frustrated you all must be, because I’m frustrated too. All I want is to get the game delivered safely into your hands and so to be hit with another delay is a real blow.
I’ve spoken with the factory and tried to see if there was some way to expedite the production, but there’s nothing they can do.
It’s important to say that I don’t blame the manufacturer at all. They have been brilliant to work with from day one. As you’ll know, there are global issues around Covid, logistics and fulfilment affecting the biggest companies in the world. And we’re being swept up in that to a certain extent. I know that these issues will be affecting many other Kickstarters.
This has been a horrible message to type but as a Kickstarter Backer myself I know how important it is to be up front and transparent - especially with bad news.
I can only apologise for the delay once again. I am expecting to receive confirmation that production has resumed when the factory reopens in February. I will be in touch again at that point to hopefully give a positive update. In fact, I will make sure to pack that update with only positive news - another music sample, a character spotlight, the results of the painting competition, and hopefully a firm delivery timescale.
Finally, I do really appreciate your support for the project and your ongoing patience. I truly don’t take any of it for granted.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023,
Kris
Shipping update and soundtrack sample track
over 3 years ago
– Tue, Dec 06, 2022 at 04:48:31 AM
Hi everyone,
As I've mentioned in the comments, I wanted to wait until I had some concrete news before posting this update. I've now heard back from the factory in relation to a new shipping date. They predict they'll be able to begin shipping around the end of January, so the new estimate is that you will receive the game at some point in February or March at the latest.
Obviously this is frustrating news and I apologise to you all once again. I just want to reiterate the obstacles that have caused these delays. Firstly, when I received the test sample of the game there were a few issues with some of the components which meant these had to be redone and checked - the acrylic standees, size of the card trays and the thickness of the cards being the main ones. Subsequently, I then discovered that the rules around the safety certificate testing are being tightened, which meant I've had the back of the box reprinted. And all of this is set against the backdrop of the ongoing lockdowns in China which of course has had a big effect for the industry as a whole. This is not a list of excuses - I take full responsibility for the delay. It looks as though the project is going to miss my initial delivery estimate by six months. It's hugely upsetting to me personally as this is that last position I wanted to find myself in but here I am. I'm so sorry that you've been forced to wait longer than you should have done.
It's only right that if anyone wishes a refund then I will of course honour that (please message me directly). If not, then thank you for sticking with me. What I can say is that I'm now very confident that everything *should* progress smoothly from here on out. Everything is signed off with the factory, with all the fulfilment partners ready to go. We're basically in a series of queues at this point. I don't forsee any other problems. My plan is still to wait until the last possible moment to charge for shipping and taxes as a way of ensuring the charges are as accurate as they can be.
As a backer myself I used to read about how the fulfilment stage was the most stressful part of a Kickstarter campaign - I can tell you it's absolutely true! There have been some pretty low points over the past few weeks.
Soundtrack
As you'll know if you've been following the updates, we've been working together with the team at The FORDJ on a soundtrack to compliment and enhance the game. They are doing an absolutely wonderful job and I'm happy to be able to share a track from the forthcoming album. This one is called Carpathian Path. I hope you like it.
If you'd like to find out more about The FORDJ, I highly recommend you give them a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefordjsoundtrackteam/
***
I'll post another update before Christmas and that one will include some more information about the soundtrack (including a special reveal I'm excited to share with you all), photos of the winning entries from the painting competition, and some more background information on the development of the game mechanics.
Thanks again for all the support you've shown me. It means the world.
Kris
Happy Halloween - Release of Damnation The Gothic Game Novel
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Oct 30, 2022 at 06:50:12 AM
Hi everyone,
I hope you're all keeping well! I have a couple of updates to share today. Let's begin with the exciting news...
The Damnation: The Gothic Game novel is now available
The Carpathian Mountains, 1897.
An impassable storm forces a group of travellers to disembark from their steam train and take shelter in a remote castle for the night. Their enigmatic host invites them to take part in some after-dinner entertainment. But as they each explore the castle’s rooms and passageways, they discover they have become part of a deadly game. Only one guest may leave in the morning and it is up to each of them to use their wits, and weapons, to survive the night.
For the others, Damnation awaits.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PDF
Frazer and I have been working hard to try and get the book finished in time for Halloween. I'm happy to say that we've been able to accomplish that and your free pdf copy of the book is now available for you to download. You can access your download by clicking on the following link: https://www.blacklettergames.com/damnation-book-download
The password is: thankyoubackers
Warning: this book is very much a horror! It features graphic violence and a dark storyline. Frazer Lee is an award winning horror writer so please do not read if you think this would be unsuitable for you.
The book is also available as a paperback and for the Kindle via Amazon. Here's the link if you'd be interested in purchasing a copy: Buy a copy of Damnation: The Gothic Game novel
***
I really hope that you enjoy the novel! Being part of something like this has honestly been a dream come true for me. I think what I love most about this story is how closely it's linked to the game - it truly reflects how a game of Damnation: The Gothic Game might play out. Frazer has done such a wonderful job and I'm so grateful to him for all his hard work.
Shipping Update
I'm afraid I have some bad news on the shipping front. There's no easy way to say this but unfortunately we have hit another delay. It's come to my attention that we need to have some safety certification done on the game before they're shipped from China. In the past, games marked as being 14+ (which ours most certainly is) have not required these checks, but this is changing and I heard a horror story from our distributor about a shipment of games being denied entry into a country based in the EU because they lacked the appropriate certification. For me, there would be no coming back from an obstacle like that. I just don't know what I would do.
So, I have asked the manufacturer to arrange to have these tests done. This also means that I need to have the back of the box re-printed to reflect that we have this certification in place.
I am deeply, deeply sorry for this everyone. When I found out about it my heart sank, but since then, I now feel lucky that this came to my attention while I was able to correct the situation.
My ultimate priority is to make sure I get the game delivered to you all and that's what I'm working hard to do. As soon as this work is done, everything else is ready to go. I will send an update on shipping estimates as soon as I have one. Once again, I'm so sorry for this. It's been a stressful time, but I'm in constant communication with the factory and we are getting there I promise.
On a separate note, for those asking about the size of the box insert - this has been changed so that sleeved cards will fit.
Painting Competition
The painting competition for the bust closes on the 31st of October. So if you haven't had a chance to submit your entry, you still have a little bit of time to do so. You can email me your photos at [email protected]. I'll announce the winners in the next update, which I hope will coincide with some more information on the shipping situation.
Have a lovely Halloween everyone. I hope the book is a nice surprise. Thank you all once again for all your support.
Kris
