Status Report - 2017.05.24 - Poker Chip Add-on Survey
over 7 years ago – Thu, May 25, 2017 at 01:09:24 AM

First things first.  We were devastated to hear what has happened in Manchester. :(   Our hearts and thoughts go out to the victims families and all of you who may have some connection to them.

Current Work

Rulebooks (text version) - We continue to work on the rulebook and hope to be completed the initial draft by the end of the week.   We are very happy to have some of our internal editor team who worked on Santorini back again for this project: Michael Van Biesbrouck and Simon Rourke.

Poker Chip Designs - We are still working on the poker chip designs, and hope to have something to show by June 1.

Poker Chips Add-on 

We have received a quote from the manufacturer for a poker chip add-on.  

• Each set would include 100 chips of 6 denominations
• These would come in their own magnetic unfolding box much like Onitama box: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2904048/onitama
• It would include a flocked nylon vac formed tray
• The box would be stamped in foil

There are significant tooling costs and minimum order quantities associated with creating these chips.  As such, we would like to gauge the interest level of people interested in buying extra chips for use in other games.

If you could legitimately see yourself wanting to buy clay chips as an add-on for your other games, please fill out this survey!

 

Pledge Manager

We are in the process of creating all the pledge levels and addons within Backerkit.  We need to ensure everything is correct and tested before sending surveys out because if we make an error it will be a nightmare to fix everyone's survey.   We are still waiting for the funds to arrive from Kickstarter.  We also want to wait until we have decided on the poker chips addon and have some initial designs to show off before sending it out.

We currently have May 30 slotted as the survey send out date, but it will depend on how quickly we accomplish the BackerKit setup this week.  

Preorders 

if you are viewing this update as a non backer and are interested in preordering the game, thank you for your patience.  We will be allowing for preorders when backerkit is setup.  

As always if you have any questions or problems, please email us at [email protected]!

Keep rollin' sixes,  

Team Roxley

Status Report - 2017.05.17 - It Begins!
over 7 years ago – Thu, May 18, 2017 at 01:13:51 AM

 Greetings everyone.  Welcome to the first of many status reports you will receive between now and when you receive your game(s).  Below is a graphic showing the status of various tasks we are currently working on.  Eventually other categories will appear as these ones are completed.   It is important to note that the deadline dates for some of these items will change if unforeseen delays occur.  

We will be sending these status reports out once per week until things slow down a little, at which time they will be sent bi-weekly.  

Current Work

Rulebook (text only) - In the next few weeks we will complete a text only draft version of the rulebooks.  Once we are done these drafts, will open them up to scrutiny from the community.   

Poker Chip Designs - We submitted 3 different design patterns to our manufacturer, Grand Prix International, of varying levels of complexity.  They have come back to us and said that the most complex version is actually possible.  This makes us very happy.   We will complete all 3 designs and have them approved by the manufacturer before we show reveal them to you folks.  

Many have asked for an addon featuring other denominations.  While this is possible, there is a challenge: with 2 color insert molding, we cannot have isolated pools of a color.  In other words, we cannot have a zero.  Luckily none of our base denominations feature zeroes.   We will converse with them more to see if there's a way around this, but at the moment, the only way we can pull off zeros on the design is if they are a stencil style zero.   The manufacturer has also let us know that the bricks will not be possible unless we did them in ABS (plastic), as clay would be too brittle at the size we want.  Because we would like to keep these chips all clay, we will likely not be able to produce the bricks as part of the addon (we will continue to see if there is a way around this).  

Above is Damien Mammoliti's additional art rendition of the pottery card!  

Errorred Payments

Some of you have reported that you're having trouble with your payment going through.  If you are not a Canadian resident, this is likely related to the fact that the project charged in Canadian dollars.  Sometimes when you make a purchase in a foreign currency, it triggers fraud protection on your credit card.   If you've experienced errorred payment, please contact your credit card provider to allow the payment to proceed.  

If your card has errorred Kickstarter should send you an email asking you to resolve the issue. If your card is incompatible with Kickstarter system, or continue to have trouble, we can make alternate arrangements, but please try to resolve it with Kickstarter first.   If you are still experiencing problems, please contact [email protected], as kickstarter payments are out of our hands.

Pledge Manager

 We have decided to use Backerkit as the pledge management software for this project.  If you backed Santorini, it is the same system we used there.  We are currently working to setup all the pledge levels and addons.  When this is completed, we will send out your survey!

Translators

We received many offers from backers to assist with translations.  We have logged all of these requests, and we will be reaching out to all of you in good time.   If you missed this request last time, and are still interested, email [email protected].  Thanks so much for your support here!

As always if you have any questions or problems, please email us at [email protected]!

Keep rollin' sixes,  

Team Roxley

Where There Is Muck, There Is Brass.
over 7 years ago – Tue, May 16, 2017 at 05:15:47 PM

It's over!   Well, actually the work has just begun for Team Roxley.  There is a lot of work to be done before we can get these games to the factory, but our team is excited for the challenge... right after we sleep for a few days. :)

A lot of people made this production possible, and they need to be thanked.  First and Foremost we need to thank Martin Wallace trusting Roxley with his Masterpiece.  We would also like to thank him for trusting us with the co-design responsibilities of creating Brass:Birmingham.    Next we need to thank our artists, Mr.Cuddington and Damien Mammoliti, who really came through for Roxley when we needed them.  Matt Tolman was imperative in assisting in the design of Brass:Birmingham and conducting the many many playtests we've performed over the last year.  A big thank you to our key playtesters, Ed Chen, Jim Drinkle, Carlyn McGeean, Jasen Robillard.   Adrian Vaughan also needs to be thanked for being the voice of Roxley's videos.   Adam Wyse was key in performing all of our logistical calculations in a hurry, and Joseph McDaid helped out with Facebook videos.    Last, but certainly not least is thanking Paul Saxberg... Paul works as the community manager and customer support person at Roxley and he does an absolutely amazing job.   

Price Is Right!

Nearly 500 people submitted their answers to the Price Is Right challenge. 

Closest Funding Amount Guess - Matthew Anderson - $1,718,680

Closest Backer Amount Guess - Tony Balazs - 13,699 <-- Exactly correct!

Ok, I backed it, but what happens now?

• 1) We Sleep - Team Roxley takes a short break until early next week. 
• 2) Payment - Your credit card attached to your Kickstarter account will be charged your pledge amount.  If there is a problem, they will continue to retry for 1-2 weeks.  If you have a problem with payment, please contact Kickstarter support, as we will not be able to assist.
• 3) Pledge Manager - You will then receive an email requesting that you provide information to the pledge manager website.  Here, you will be asked to confirm your order, and will also have the option to add more copies of either game. Roxley will be using a reputable and secure pledge management platform.  You will also be able to pay for any shipping charges that you owe.  
• 4) Production - Our team will work on everything from rules, to polishing the graphics, to designing the vac trays and clay money chips.  Once we have completed this work, we will submit the files to the manufacturer, who will print and build all the components!
• 5) Fulfillment - After the games are finished at the factory, they will take a long journey across oceans.  They will then be shipped out to you.  The target delivery date for this is January 2018.  

Interested in helping with rules translation?

If you are a gamer and are very fluent in both English and French, Spanish, Italian, or German, and are interested in becoming a translation editor, please email us at [email protected].  We perform rules editing in a collaborative environment via Google Docs, which can be an addictive and rewarding experience.  

Fortnightly updates     

Keeping you informed is extremely important to us. Starting on Wednesday, May 17, we will begin our trademark Fortnightly updates. 

These updates will occur every 2 weeks from now until fulfillment of the game is complete, regardless of whether or not there is anything to report. We will also include some more daily trivia and other fun stuff in these updates.  

But best of all, our updates are full of progress bars showing you every single type of work we have remaining and how much of it we've finished.

You helped shape this game.

Your compliments have helped push our team forward, and your criticisms have ensured that we continue to analyse our design and do whatever we can to make the game better.

While Roxley has a very clear vision for all of our products; we take great pride in not designing inside a box.  Many creators on Kickstarter today create a preset list of stretch goals before the campaign.   At Roxley, we believe that creating and introducing stretch goals during the campaign is the true spirit of crowd funding, as it allows us to feed off of your needs and creativity.  In a way, Roxley Kickstarter campaigns are a live broadcast, not a scripted one.

Your comments were all read and analysed by our team. We thank everyone who contributed constructively to the discussion.  

What Does "Brass" Mean Anyways?

Someone asked during the campaign "What does the title 'Brass' mean?". Many people answered that Brass was often seen and used during the industrial revolution... which is true. But the title comes from a quote which originated during the industrial revolution: "Where there is muck, there is Brass". The meaning behind this quote is that there is money to be made in dirty or unpleasant jobs... something the industrial revolution was known for. Martin Wallace has a talent for titling his games. 

Thank you. Good night.

Team Roxley

Final Week! Brewin' Up New Art
over 7 years ago – Tue, May 16, 2017 at 02:39:48 AM

Well folks, with less than a week left, we are in the home stretch!  A huge thank you to all of you new backers, welcome aboard! Also a massive thank you to all of you who aren't new to this campaign.  We really appreciate your efforts in helping spread the word about the campaign.  You are all amazing.  

Speaking of home stretch, let's checkout the status of the stretch goals!

 Damien Mammoliti has finished another piece of additional art for the brewery cards in Birmingham.   Check it out! 

The industrial revolution was a dark time for workers, and after coal workers in the area now known as Stoke-on-Trent found out they were receiving no notice of a drastic pay cut one day in 1842, they went on strike.  

The strike spread throughout much of the area, but was seemingly having no effect. After several months, magistrate Arthur Powys ordered troops to fire on a group of strikers. Several people were injured and one person died as a result of the attack. The injustice of Thomas' actions enraged the strikers, and they immediately went on a rampage, burning his house to the ground. Other powerful industry persons office and industries were ransacked, and even a church was looted. By the time the troops rounded everyone up, 274 people were charged. Of them, 146 served time and 54 were shipped to Australia. Their sacrifice, however, was not in vain. These "1842 Pottery Riots" are credited with being one of the primary drivers of trade unionism.

Heavy Cardboard Lancashire Playthrough

If you'd like to get to watch a full play through with rules explanation, be sure to check out Heavy Cardboard's live stream of Brass:Lancashire!  At 4.5 hours, this is much longer than a normal game of Brass, but that is because they spend a lot of time interacting with with the viewers and discussing strategy, as well as the game. 

 

They will also be streaming Brass: Birmingham Sunday, May 7th at noon MDT (6pm UTC).   Rumour has it they will also be giving away a Roxley prize pack to viewers. :)

 As always if you have any questions or problems, please email us at [email protected]!

Keep rollin' sixes,  

 Team Roxley

ALLLL ABOARD!
over 7 years ago – Tue, May 16, 2017 at 02:38:41 AM

21 Hours Remaining.

1,515,766 dollars raised.

12,103 backers.

Infinite thankfulness.

This train is still chugging along as we enter the final day of the campaign.   We are so very thankful to all of you.   

Price is Right!

Something we do on the final day of our campaigns is play The Price is Right.  Without going over, enter your best guess of the final funding amount and number of backers. If you are the closest without going over, we will mention you in our next update and in the comments! Entries close tomorrow at 10am MDT!  Click here to register a guess!

Resulting Riches Result in Regal Restoration

While very few, became rich during the industrial revolution, the Empire was doing splendidly. 

Everyone knows Buckingham Palace, it's one of the most famous buildings on the planet. The original structure was constructed in 1703, but was renovated over more than 100 years to become the building it is today. Acquired by King George III 1761, he later renovated it to celebrate Britain's success in the Napoleonic wars and the Industrial revolution. The palace was renovated with great extravagance, and was considered one of the most, if not the most, palatial (no pun intended!) interiors ever created. This was all possible due to the immense fortune accumulated directly because Britain was the heart of the industrial revolution.  

Fun fact: Matt Tolman, co-designer of Brass: Birmingham, is a direct descendant of the Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, the man who built and lived in the original structure. The duke's illegitimate son, Sir Charles Sheffield, later sold the building to King George III for the handsome sum of £21,000 in 1761.  

Last update's trivia was answered first by backer Norvern Munky

$1 Pledges and Preorders

We've been asked a few times if people can pledge $1 and be able to upgrade their pledge after the campaign.  The answer is unfortunately, no. However, $1 backers will be considered "Pre-Orders", and will be still be able to purchase the games and a higher pre-order price.  

 

As always if you have any questions or problems, please email us at [email protected]!

Keep rollin' sixes,  

Team Roxley