Late pledge store closing
over 3 years ago – Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 11:19:17 PM

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all keeping well! I have a few updates to share today concerning the closing of the late pledge store, the shipping / tax costs which will be charged in the future, and a manufacturing update.

Pledge store closing

The late pledge store will be closing on the 10th of October at midnight BST. So if you've been holding off on backing the project, you have until that time to guarantee your copy. Here's the link if you'd like to pre-order Damnation: The Gothic Game: https://damnation.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Retailers

We do also offer a retailer pledge. If you're a retailer please reach out to us directly on [email protected] to finalise your order.

Taxes and Shipping Costs

This is just a quick update to remind backers that relevant taxes and shipping costs will be charged separately, as was outlined in the campaign. The shipping situation remains extremely volatile so I am still in the process of finalising the charges. It's no secret that the costs of shipping have gone up, and the recent impact on the Pound Sterling really doesn't do us any favours. None the less, I am going to do my absolute best to keep shipping costs as low as I possibly can for you all, to the extent that I will try to part subsidise costs where possible.

Please bear with me on this - I will be in touch with a more thorough update in the next week or two.

Manufacturing Update

I'm delighted to say that mass production has now begun on the game. The issues I identified with proof copy have been resolved and the manufacturer is now working hard to get everything made. This is obviously a gigantic milestone in terms of the game. Here are some more product videos and images for the game.

Standees

As you can see from the videos, the standees are now very easy to remove from their frames.

Box Insert

The box insert has also been produced and checked. It keeps all the components neat and tidy and I'm personally very happy with it.

Next Update

As I said above, the next update will cover the taxes and shipping. I'll also use that update to give out more information on the final changes to the game that were made during our additional development period.

Best wishes to you all,

Kris

Major update: game images, painting competition and more
almost 4 years ago – Wed, Aug 24, 2022 at 11:22:43 PM

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I've got a big update to share today, so without further ado...

Proof Copy Received

I've finally received the proof copy of the game, which the manufacturer sends out to make sure everything is fine before they hit the go button on mass production. It was a huge moment for me personally to see this near final version of the game after over 6 years of working on it. At some point I'll post an update that showcases the journey - to go from a board created in Microsoft Excel and hand made cards to this feels surreal!

Here's lots of photos. I hope you like them :)

Component upgrade and delay

Ok, I have some good news and some bad news. Ideally everything would have arrived, it all would have been perfect and we could have hit go there and then. Unfortunately there were a couple of elements that I wasn't satisfied with.

Standees
First of all, the acryclic standees were a little difficult to remove. To be honest I'm worried that people could snap the standees as they're punched out of the plastic. So I've asked the manufacturer to look into this. I hope you can appreciate that it's just not worth the risk to leave them as they are. 

I've also asked them to reduce the size of margin on the standees themselves. This is a little fussy perhaps but as of right now they look like they're floating off the ground when they're in their stands. They'll look much better with this small adjustment.

Dice, box insert and Deathknell

Unfortunately they weren't able to send me a proof sample of the box insert, the dice, or the foil stamped 'deathknell' cards. I've seen the dice and they look excellent, and I'm sure the Deathknell cards will too. I don't foresee any issues with any of these, but just wanted to explain in case anyone was wondering why there's no images of these.

Cards

The cards are ok, but they did feel a little flimsy to me - I'm a bit concerned about their durability. So I've spoken to the manufacturer and have arranged for all the cards to be printed on thicker card. If anyone has played Nemesis, they'll now be the same thickness as the cards from that game. There is a cost implication to this, but I think it will make a big difference to the sustainability and feel of the game. Just to be absolutely clear, everyone will receive this upgrade free of charge.

Delay

The downside of all this is that these changes now have to be actioned and possibly re-checked, which takes time. I am so sorry but this is going to add to the time it takes to get the game into your hands.

In terms of the estimated timeline, we're now looking at November in all reality, but I will push to get everything done as quickly as possible without compromising on the final product. I will keep everyone updated as I hit the next milestone, which is final sign off.

The Black Die

In the last update we looked at the changes to The Arrival. This time we're going to take a look at the changes we made to the Black Die and a little bit on traps in the game as well. Just as a reminder, all these changes were made since the review copies went out and are the result of a lot of playtesting - both internally and externally by myself and the development team.

Previously called The Darkness Die, the Black Die represents the lighting conditions found in whichever part of the castle a Villain is in at that time. It can also lead to unpredictable events that can have some pretty big consequences.

This die is rolled at the same time as a player rolls for movement on their turn. Previously, there were four symbols on the die: Candlelight x 2, Darkness, and a Castle Event, with two blank sides. Now there are six (no blank sides), the two additions being a new result to the die - Brazier - and a second Darkness symbol. We've also changed how Darkness works from the review copy of the game. Here's an outline of what each result on the die means.

Candlelight (x2)

The area you're in is illuminated by candlelight. The Villain may choose to add or remove 1 to their movement total this turn.

Brazier

This area is well lit thanks to a flaming brazier. The Villain may choose to add or remove up to 2 from their movement total this turn. So a roll of a 3 could become a 1, 2, 3, 4, or a 5.

Castle Event

The player immediately draws a card from the Castle deck. This deck contains all manner of events, some of which have an ongoing effect - for example, Lightning Storm (which gives all players +/- 1 to their movement rolls until another Castle card is drawn). These cards add so much theme to the game and help ensure that no two games ever play out the same way.

Darkness (x2)

Now this is where things can get really interesting! This result means the area the Villain is in is pitch black darkness. Instead of being able to cross traps in safety (as they usually can - Villains must end their movement on a trap to trigger it), now they must stop and trigger the first trap they pass. This means players need to think a little more carefully about where they position their Villain each turn.

We've also added an additional effect to Darkness. When this is rolled, that player's Villain can choose attack another Villain inside the same standard room instead of drawing a card. This is a big change to the dynamic of the game and increases the number of interactions between players, which is definitely where the game shines.

***

Traps

One of the observations that came from playtesting was that traps weren't really being triggered too often. Traps are a really important aspect of the game and it's theme, so we felt it was important to address this.  We approached it in a few different ways. Firstly, adding another Darkness symbol was an obvious boost to the number of triggers, but on top of that, we added a new type of trap called 'Bear Trap'. This is a low damage trap that is now the most common in the castle. All the other traps are very punishing and so we felt we had to balance the increased trap triggers a little bit.
The positioning of the traps has also been tweaked somewhat. We're now at a stage where traps are triggering more frequently but chances are the damage they cause will be less than before. Despite the Bear Trap, players can never take landing on traps for granted as we still have The Oubliette, Trap Doorm and Saw Blade, which can be hugely damaging. 

All in all I'm much happier with the balance we've struck with it and it feels just right. 

In the next update I'll talk about the changes to some of the passive Talents, including a completely new passive Talent that all Villains have access to.

Painting Competition

The painting competition is underway and we've had a couple of great submissions! However, we've had to change our plans a little bit and so we've decided to extend the deadline until the end of October. This is so everyone who has a copy of the bust has a chance to enter. As a reminder, here's what entrants can win:

3 winners will receive

• a £50 voucher to their favourite friendly local gaming store.

and 1 winner who will receive

• a £150 voucher to their favourite friendly local gaming store.

The competition will be judged by the wonderful painter responsible for painting the bust on our behalf. If you haven't done so already, please email photos of your bust to [email protected].

Closing the pledge manager

We're going to be closing the pledge manager in the not too distant future. I will make sure to give everyone plenty of notice before this happens - this is more like an early warning! This will be covered in the next update.

Next steps

Of course the major thing for me now is to ensure that the final version of the game is to the standard it needs to be. In terms of the delay, I'm so sorry for this. I'm only going to get one shot at getting this game sent out to you all, so I want to make sure it's perfect. I hope you can understand, and I hope that once it's in your hands you'll feel like the improvements we've made are worth it.

In the next update, as well as announcing the closing date for the pledge manager, we'll also be talking about the book and the soundtrack. There really is so much going on in the background right now. Step by step we're getting there!

Thanks again for all your support, and I'll be in touch again soon.

Kris

Big Update: shipping, painting competition and more
almost 4 years ago – Mon, Jul 18, 2022 at 04:03:52 AM

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. First of all I want to apologise for gap in time since the last update. To get straight to the point, I'm very sorry to say that there has been a delay in terms of manufacture. I've been holding off on sending this update because I wanted to give everyone an accurate timescale for delivery. I still don't have that exact date from the factory but they believe they can complete manufacture by early September, which would hopefully mean the game will reach you by the end of September / early October. As soon as I have that confirmed date I will of course share it with you.

There are a couple of reasons for the delay. The first is that China recently experienced another lockdown, which has obviously had a big impact. In addition to that, I made a decision a while back to revisit the rulebook after a few people seemed to be consistently misunderstanding certain rules. Obviously, this is a really important aspect of the game. This work is complete and I'm satisfied that the rulebook is in better shape, but this set me back as well. Related to rules, I have also added eight player reference cards to the box that will help make it as easy as possible to dive into the game.

I'm so sorry to you all for this delay. Ultimately this is my responsibility and I take it very seriously. I'm very disappointed with the situation, as I'm sure you all are too. Everything is in the hands of the manufacturer - they have all the files, everything is complete. The game is looking fantastic and I really believe it will be worth the extra few weeks of waiting.

Vampire Bust

As per the last update, the bust has been shipped out. If you ordered a bust and have not received it, please contact: [email protected]

Painting Competition

We’ve said for some time now that we’re going to be running a competition on painting our Vampire bust - this is being launched today! As a huge far of mini painting, I’m really excited to see what the community does with The Vampire. I hope it will be a lot of fun!
 

We will choose 3 winners who will receive

• a £50 voucher to their favourite friendly local gaming store.

 and 1 winner who will receive

• a £150 voucher to their favourite friendly local gaming store.

 
In order to participate in this competition, you must email us a photo of your painted Vampire bust to [email protected]. We will be posting the winning entries on our website and social media channels, so by entering, we will assume your consent to use any photos you attach for this purpose.
The closing date for the competition will be the 31st of August 2022 at midnight BST.

If you don’t have a copy of the bust but would like to enter
Don’t worry, we still have a limited amount of busts left from the campaign that you can purchase from our store.

Help with preparing the bust to be painted
We encourage everyone to check out our guide on preparing the bust, which can be found here: Bust Assembly Guide.
 

Haunt Deck Final Art

I covered the changes to the Haunt system back in Update 20. We actually made some refinements to the artwork since then that we can show you. We wanted to create a tarot style deck that would feel like almost like a prop from inside Dracula's castle. I really hope you like them.

There are 2 Blood cards, 3 Vengeance, 2 Madness, and 2 Death cards in the deck (9 cards in total).
 

The Arrival

For the past couple of updates, I've been writing about some of the changes we made to the game over the course of the additional testing phase that we ran. So far, we've covered The Vampire, The Haunt, and the changes to The Descent. In this update, I'll be writing about The Arrival.
In the original Gothic Game, all players would begin the game at The Gate. While this was thematic, what would often happen (particularly at larger player counts), was that a kindof bottleneck would emerge. It really just didn't work effectively and I always knew that this was something I wanted to address in Damnation: The Gothic Game.
The review copies of the game featured a new system, where we introduced a series of 'acts' to the game. The Arrival is the first act and would see each player take 4 consecutive turns. This would allow each player to wander the castle before the action really heats up, picking up a couple of cards in relative safety.
This approach served two purposes: to distribute the players throughout the castle at the very beginning of the game, and also to give players an opportunity to pick up a couple of extra cards. To that end, this was a big improvement over the original's approach, but the development team and I all agreed that this could be improved upon further. The major issue was that at higher player counts this phase of the game could take a lot of time. We found a way of accomplishing the main goal of this phase in a much quicker time.

The text above has been lightened for print. A player drawing these cards could choose to begin in one of: The Great Hall, The Cemetery, The Master Bedroom, or The Gate.

We have added the name of a room to every Heirloom card in the game. Each player receives three of these at the beginning of the game. Each player chooses an Heirloom card and places it face down in front of them. Once all players have placed their cards, they are revealed at the same time, with each player starting from the room that is listed on their Heirloom card. Then, in turn order, each player draws the top two cards from that room deck, chooses one to keep and places the other at the bottom of the deck. By the way, the players don't lose the Heirloom card they chose to reveal. This is returned to their hand. For players that don't wish to start in a room, they can instead opt to begin from The Gate, in which case they draw an additional Heirloom card.
This change has had a dramatic effect on the time The Arrival takes. It now typically last 2-3 minutes, with nothing really lost from the experience.
In the next update, I'll cover changes to The Black Die (previously called The Darkness Die), and also reveal details on a new passive talent that all players have access to.

***
That's it for this update. There's still lots going on behind the scenes as we approach the final stages of this journey. It's certainly been a learning curve. Thank you once again to everyone for all your support.
- Kris

Vampire changes and bust update
about 4 years ago – Fri, May 27, 2022 at 04:49:12 AM

Hi everyone,

Some people have been asking for more information about changes to the game over the course of its final development phase, so I'm going to cover some of the improvements we've made to The Vampire in this update. But before that, I just want to give a quick update on where we are with the bust:

The bust has shipped

The bust has now been shipped out and many of you should have already received it, or if not, will receive it soon. All of this is being handled by our fulfilment partner here in the UK, Spiral Galaxy Games. If anyone doesn't receive the bust in 21 days from today, please contact [email protected] and one of their lovely team will get it sorted for you. 

Bust assembly

Please be aware that assembling a resin bust like this one will generally require some preparation. If all the pieces don't fit together perfectly this is a normal part of the casting process and can easily be fixed. To help with this, our brilliant painter, James Stone, has put together a guide on how to do just that. It's step by step and should be easy to follow, but please reach out to us on [email protected] if not.

A lot of this advice contained in the guide will be useful in miniature assembly in general, so if you have any interest in this area then I definitely recommend you check it out. You can find James's guide on our website: https://www.blacklettergames.com/assemble-dracula-bust

Damnation: The Gothic Game Development - The Vampire

As outlined on our campaign page, once the Kickstarter concluded it was always my plan to dedicate some time to giving the game a final polish. To help me with this I partnered with two fantastic developers who worked closely with me on refining all aspects of the game and ran a tonne of focused playtesting. The two developers that worked on the game were Stefano Moscardini and Aaron Beedle. I honestly can't thank them enough - the game is all the better for the energy, passion and creativity they brought to the table.

I've already written about one of the biggest changes to game in a previous update (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blacklettergames/damnation-the-gothic-game-0/posts/3483804), which was about the changes we made to the Haunt system. 

Today we're going to be taking a look at The Vampire. I'll cover the other developments in future updates.

THE VAMPIRE IS DEADLIER

When we sat down as a team and looked at where improvements could be made, one of the first priorities we identified was around making The Vampire a little more interesting to play. This has meant making him stronger in some ways and weaker in others. Let's dive into it:

Movement

One of the key things we identified was that we wanted to give The Vampire far more consistency and control over their movement. Unlike the other characters in the game, The Vampire is the master of the castle and is perfectly at home in the darkness, so we've tried to reflect this in a few ways.

The Vampire continues to roll two movement dice but now the highest result will act as their movement total for the turn. The biggest change is the introduction of a 'movement value' to each Vampire card. Now, each turn, The Vampire player may choose to discard a Vampire card (max one per turn) to increase their movement total by that amount for the turn. So a player who rolls a 3 on their movement die would have the option of discarding one of the cards below to give a variety of movement total results.

In addition, they no longer need to move their full movement total, and can move any number of spaces up to that total, including 0. Again, this gives The Vampire options in terms of setting up ambushes and traps for players.

Finally, The Vampire can now attack at a range of 1, rather than having to 'land on the same space as a player' to bite them. This is another buff to The Vampire and also serves to make the rules a little more consistent around attacking.

Vampire Cards

Another big change to The Vampire has been to the way in which Vampire cards are drawn. Previously players would draw three cards from the deck and that would typically be their hand for their time as The Vampire. Now players draw a Vampire card at the end of their turn provided they don't already possess three. These cards offer the most interesting choices when playing as The Vampire and so we really wanted to make more of them. This means that The Vampire player can discard a card to boost their movement every turn if they wish and return to three cards in hand. 

This change in particular provides players with a range of strategies for playing as The Vampire. For example, does the player choose to stockpile high movement cards, or focus on retaining cards based on the abilities written on the cards. Do they play all three cards in a single turn for a burst of power only to limit themselves on subsequent turns, or choose to take a more balanced approach, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?

Harder to kill

We have reduced the number of cards that can 'one shot kill' The Vampire. While there are still a couple, most anti-vampire cards now reduce The Vampire's turn tracker between 1 - 3 turns. As before, if their turn tracker reaches 0 at any time they are slain. This creates an interesting dynamic in terms of how far the player is into their time as The Vampire.

Balancing

Obviously by adding so much power to The Vampire, we've had to scale him back a little bit in order to keep things balanced. We've done this in a few different ways:

• The Vampire now begins with 5 turns rather than 6.
• Becoming The Vampire now deals 4 Unblockable Damage to the player, but biting a player now increases their turn tracker by 1 (or 2 if they manage to slay that player).
• Bite now deals 7 Unblockable Damage as opposed to being an instant kill.
• Some of the other changes we've made have made it easier to avoid The Vampire, or locate cards that harm him.

All of these changes have been thoroughly tested and every player we played with agreed these changes improved the experience. In short, I'm really happy with where he's at now :)

Final word

We'll be back with another update in a couple of weeks time with final details about the painting competition. 

Thanks again everyone for all your support,

Kris

Bust shipping early next week
about 4 years ago – Sat, May 14, 2022 at 08:41:45 AM

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to keep everyone in the loop in terms of where we're at right now. We hit a couple more stumbling blocks in terms of shipping the bust, which lead to another short delay, but I'm happy to say that they are now in the hands of our shipping partner (Spiral Galaxy Games) and will be sent out early next week.

Spiral Galaxy Games have great experience in Kickstarter fulfilment and I'm so happy to be working with them to get these busts into your hands safely. Once again, I apologise for the delay. This has been a steep learning curve, but we're finally there. For those of you that have ordered a Dracula bust, I hope that you enjoy it. I just want to give another shout out to the people responsible for creating it:

Hue Teo - Concept Art

Arsen Asyrankulov - Sculpt

Painting - James Stone

I also want to remind everyone that James has developed a step by step guide on how to prepare the bust for painting. You can access this from here: https://www.blacklettergames.com/assemble-dracula-bust.

I'll post another update next week with an update on our painting competition - by that time, many of you will have received your copy.

Very best wishes,

Kris