On Snowcats and Colonial Embassies
over 5 years ago – Thu, Nov 01, 2018 at 10:03:09 PM

Back from Essen!

Hey Colonists! I’m working on getting life back on schedule after a crazy Essen. 2 nights ago I awoke in the 2 o’clock hour, and last night in the 3 o’clock hour. Slowly I’m getting back on track. I’m going to focus on TAP in this update, but if you want to hear about the other Essen shenanigans, please sign up for our e-mail list at the bottom of the page.

TAP saw great success at Essen. We dedicated 1 of our 4 tables to TAP on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday of the show, and people were playing from open to close.

Dominik

One of the great pleasures of Essen was in knowing that I would see TAP artist Dominik Mayer again.

Not only was it the first time that Josh and Dominik got to meet, but it was also the first time Dominik saw TAP on the table. We also got to spend time with Dominik and his girlfriend Mimi outside the show. It was incredibly gratifying to see everything begun a full year ago come full circle.

Surveys & Preorders

Since my last update, you wonderful Backers continue to fill out your surveys, and we are now up to 88% completion. I feel pretty good about that.

In part fueled by Essen, preorders continue to come in. I think we have averaged a preorder per day since the campaign closed. I also know that you Backers continue to be excited about TAP, and to spread the word. It means a lot, so keep going!

The plan right now is to lock down surveys and preorders on 31 Jan 2019, and to charge credit cards 2 weeks later on 15 February.

Like many projects, we have subsidized shipping. Incomplete surveys that result in individual shipments outside of bulk fulfillment will result in additional costs that we will pass on to those Backers.

Minis

One of the things most exciting about our return was knowing the package that lay in store. Truth be told, this arrived in the mailbox only days after I left. Talk about agony. Without further ado, I present to you the miniature proofs!

The pictures don’t do justice to the reality. I did my best to take good shots, but I am a poor photographer indeed. But holding them in hand, the Snowcat is nice and chunky, very satisfying. The Colonial Embassy lays on the board, very nicely framing the event indicator.

PAX Unplugged

Will you be at PAX Unplugged? If so, please stop by our booth #3056 (right next to Burnt Island Games in #3058). Come see The Artemis Project prototype, get in a demo of Endeavor: Age of Sail--which you can preorder for PAX Unplugged pickup, or just say hello to the booth team, including Melissa Delp and Sara Meadows from Tantrum House.

Okay, this update turned out much longer than I anticipated. Colonists, I’ll keep you apprised as we see more progress. The plan is at least monthly, but things are moving pretty quickly, so it may be more frequent that that. Never hesitate to reach out.

Playfully,

The GuildMaster

The State of Europa address
over 5 years ago – Tue, Oct 16, 2018 at 12:52:13 AM

Colonists, Essen is less than 2 weeks away, and the Guild is on the move. Let's get to it, shall we?

BackerKit Surveys and more

Surveys went out last week, and things are going very well. There's always a few hiccups, but by and large you awesome folks are gettin' it done! As of this writing, 73% have completed their survey.

To North American Backers, all other Guild products are available for purchase with NO ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGE. Guild T-shirts too! For those not in North America and coming to Essen, I will have a few of our titles with us for sale.

The plan is to lock down everything on 31 January 2019, and charge cards 2 weeks later on 15 February 2019.

All the while, things have been moving forward behind the scenes...

Gimme some sweet content!

As part of our campaign, we unlocked 4 new buildings. We'd hoped to show them to you as finished tiles, but...life. Nonetheless, we think you'll agree that the raw art is stunning...

They almost...almost...make me want to actually live on Europa. Dominik just kills it every time.

Preorders

Even though the Kickstarter is over, preorders are coming in at quite a clip. If you know anyone who is kicking themselves for missing the Kickstarter, they can still get a ticket for the 'second mission'. Please share the preorder link: https://the-artemis-project.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

The next 2 weeks

Essen doesn't start until 25 Oct, but we are leaving for Germany tomorrow. 20 years ago my wife and I hosted foreign students. Those girls are now all grown up with families, and we're taking a week pre-Essen to spend time with them. I'll be on top of things electronically, but if I'm a bit slower to respond please understand.

I'll do my best to do another update while in Germany, but if you want to see all things Essen, I'd point you to follow the Guild Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Playfully,

The GuildMaster

Grand Gamers Guild Top 10
over 5 years ago – Sun, Oct 07, 2018 at 12:44:36 AM

Good morning Colonists--we're exhausted! But in the best of ways.

You might think that after the big finish that we'd let up, but no, the team have already been talking this morning, plotting and planning.

I don't want to spend too much time on business--we have weeks for that--but I do want to make sure that I say 'Thank you!' on behalf of the team. The campaign was amazing, and that is due in no small part to you Backers: your comments and messages, your feedback and ideas.

The Artemis Project is not only coming to life because of you, but it will be a better game because of you.

Okay, enough! Time for a little levity. We're going to take a break from the publisher-speak and share with you...

Top 10 Things We Could Have Done to Make The Artemis Project Even Bigger!

10. Components bathed in genuine solar radiation

9. Endeavor: Age of Europa

8. Cthulhu

7. More 3D minis

6. The Artemis Project...LEGACY

5. One Night Ultimate Artemis with app voiced by Eric Summerer

4. Gameplay now based on Fortnite

3. Tiny Epic Artemis

2. Europa mission officially endorsed by Alan Moon (see what we did there?)

And the #1 thing we could have done to make The Artemis Project even bigger was...

1. Ticket to Europa

Colonists, have a spectacular weekend. If you know anyone who says, "Golly, I missed the campaign!", Let them know that preorders are open.

Playfully,

The GuildMaster

4 Oct 2348
over 5 years ago – Fri, Oct 05, 2018 at 11:15:28 PM

Diary, I was on an Expedition to the trenches to rescue a trapped Engineer from a debris slide on the side of a large vent. I can confirm now that there is some terrifying life beneath the ice.

I was in the waterlock, readying myself for the rescue when I saw a tentacle emerging from the blackness. It was thick and purplish in the headlights of the Nautilus. It seemed to stretch endlessly, and I couldn't even see the body it was attached to.

I opened the waterlock and swam from our Nautilus as quickly as I could. Pulse saw extended, my spinning blades bit deep. I was engulfed in a cloud of...what? Ink? Blood? I didn't manage to saw through the tentacle entirely, but the beast felt it, and it whipped away with unnatural speed.

My efforts gained me a shiny medal from the Stewards, which I'll wear on my lapel, at least for a while. There are whispers that I'll also be recommended to Stewardship. Time will tell. This is still one of the greatest honors a Europan can receive.

So Diary, one part of my Europa journey may end here, and another may begin.

*****

Colonists, this is the last sunrise on our campaign. In 17 hours, the Kickstarter concludes. 390.4 million miles of social media posts, Backer updates, and unlocked stretch goals...all done.

If you'd have asked me 30 days ago what I expected out of this campaign, I'm not sure what I would have said. As a Creator, we hope for a lot of different things. I think most of all we hope that what we did matters.

I can say with 100% certainty that The Artemis Project has exceeded my expectations. That second week was quite a struggle, stuck in the pull of a mighty black hole, wondering if we could blast free. But we got creative, recovered, and since then we've been through a heckuva campaign together. I am grateful to each and every one of you.

If you have it in you, please take to social media one last time today. Shout from the rooftops about your favorite stretch goal, or what's coming next, or how you love the art, and ask your friends to take a look before it comes to conclusion.

It is a humbling and awesome experience to serve you Backers, and I look forward to getting The Artemis Project to your tables as soon as possible.

Playfully,

The GuildMaster

3 Oct 2348
over 5 years ago – Thu, Oct 04, 2018 at 01:58:51 PM

Diary, I thought I'd seen it all on Europa. I got to visit the Colonial Embassy today, one of the most impressive buildings here on Europa. It is compact and officious, and doesn't accommodate much else besides Stewards. Having a Colonial Embassy signals to Earth that no matter our differences and challenges, we are all here for the sake of mankind.

The Embassy also has an interesting function - the flags flying on high let all Colonists know about significant events. A red flag means inclement weather, a purple flag indicates a vehicle crash, and a green flag points to an incoming shuttle to the Doorstep.

On days where Stabilizers from different Colonists clash, the Embassy is a symbol that we are all still just human. It's hard to process this when we are all fighting for survival, but we always need to remember that despite our differences, we are all neighbors in this deadly wasteland.

*****

Overnight

It's not even 7a (when I began typing this) and I am already in awe of the overnight activity! Plastic energy cubes are unlocked and we are well on our way to wooden Tools.

We have hit the final 48 hours, and the spaceplane has left the hangar! Wow.

Post-campaign pledge manager

I've spend a good part of this week setting up the post-campaign pledge manager. We'll be doing preorders for at least a month, so spread the word. You'll also have the ability to add on additional copies or change your pledge from Pioneer to Galileo (or vice versa).

Many of you have asked if we'll be including our other Guild titles in the pledge manager. The answer is yes and no. There are 200 copies each available of Stroop and Pocket Ops--with promos--you can add to your order.

We'll also be producing Grand Gamers Guild T-shirts. We get so many compliments on our T, we thought we'd give Backers the chance to show their Guild support.

The games and T can be added to your pledge with no additional shipping charge.

Unfortunately, I'm NOT able to include Endeavor: Age of Sail. The units are being delivered this afternoon, and there is much to sort and take care of before I can release them for sale in any way beyond our original Backers for that campaign.

Kickstarter Live

Yesterday I scheduled my first ever Kickstarter Livestream for tonight at 9p EST. I'm both excited and nervous. As long as we have some folks show up, I'll answer questions for at least an hour. It will be an 'ask me anything' type of event, and I believe some of the rest of the team will be there as well. See you tonight!

Playfully,

The GuildMaster