• So, I dragged my butt by not staying on top of registering a booth and now I didn't go to GenCon nor Pax Unplugged. I DID go to Strategicon and Comic Con, but (especially Comic Con) I don't think I got my name out enough. All of this is also due to being unemployed for a bit. Either I'm working a lot and can't go due to the nature of construction work, or I'm unemployed and have all the time in the world but no money.
• I did a panel at Strategicon about Kickstarter, and the main area I'm lacking in is advertising/marketing. I need to get the word out on the game but have no idea how other than sending the game to reviewers. There's that problem though: Money. I have to blow 50 bucks to each reviewer. Gotta spend money to make money, I know. But, I'm not about to go into debt and credit cards just to gamble on who I give it to and the potential outcome.
• I finished uploading "Dungeon Brawl" to The Game Crafter after SEVERAL setbacks, mainly color issues, to my game. The rules are free to download on the site as well. It's more expensive than I would like but that's TGC pricing for you. 25 bucks for the cards alone (granted there are 252 cards) If you want to check it out, here you go: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/dungeon-brawl5
• I have contacted 2 companies for quotes which seem really reasonable. The problem is, I want to have 5 miniatures in the final game. I need .stl files of the minis. I was quoted $225 for a fully-rigged 3D sculpt per 1 character. That's 2k, folks. 2k which I don't have, which means I can't get a quote from the manufacturers until they get the sculpts. Which means I can't give a proper number for kickstarter, should I launch. I don't want to make the minis an add-on because there is room in the box for them. Plus the added shipping for a separate box will hit hard. Manufacturing them with and without minis is also a no-no. I'd have to make 2 separate orders which then is double the price.
That's the stuff I'm going through right now. The game is FINALLY finally finished so I can rest in that sense.
Comments
Some comments
• The cost for a Booth at GenCon is very pricey, no? Enough that you could use some of that cash for the cost for the .STL files (For your minis), no?
• $50 bucks is the going expense of mailing and producing a copy for each reviewer. Hand pick about five (5) reviewers and try to go for the more well known reviewers.
• Looks cool - but the card count is a "killer". Personally I'm going the other way with a "Micro CCG". Small Micro Deck and Stretch Goals for extra cards available to players. I can't afford artwork for 200+ cards. Even "TradeWorlds" has about 100+ cards x 4 Factions. We're just over the 500+ cards per game box.
• Quotes are important. Minis are too... How about ADD-ON in the SAME box??? Like give the "Standies" are the BASE version and include a KS ADD-ON for the price of 5 Minis... And put the "add-on" content into some boxes. The manufacturers are NOT jerks -- If you get 250 "base" and 250 "add-on" that counts as a 500 minimum order. OLG did the same with "TradeWorlds": there are currently 3 versions of the game. Only the "base" option will be available at RETAIL Level.
So don't stress out about that one. Make it an ADD-ON and have two sets of specification for your quotes indicating that you are working to meet a 500 MOQ using two game options: one without minis and one with minis.
Best,
Kristopher
Aka QuestCCG
"Indie" Game Designer
BGDF Moderator - Publisher List
Oh and how you price it...
Just figure with the "base" version with the standies, what is your minimum order of 500 of those box sets. And then the ADD-ON is just a BONUS which will help you meet your MINIMUM Goal quicker!
Something positive like that is really beneficial.
Have a Stretch Goal that "unlocks" the ADD-ON. That too is fair: if you reach your goal of IDK $10,000 USD, the first stretch goal is the OPTIONAL Add-On of miniatures above and beyond the "base" version's content.
It's fair - minis are not exactly cheap to produce (as you must know already)... Those who WANT the minis pay for them and those who just want the "base" game get it at a lower price point. All fair and equitable!
Gotcha. Thanks for the input!
Gotcha. Thanks for the input! I don't believe the manufacturer will split an order of 1,000. And if I make two orders of 500, it raises the price point of the game. Let's say 1,000 base games cost $10 each. 500 of the same game would cost $18 each. 500 with minis is 27.
This is assuming that the manufacturer will not accept this mix and match you propose. I would assume they wouldn't. I guess I can always ask.
Any manufacturer that doesn't is ...
Well "nuts". First of all, look at it from a PROCESS perspective.
A> Your "base" game is a box with 200+ cards and standies.
When they make this game, they preset the machinery for bulk loads in batches... So they need to make ALL the games using this PROCESS.
B> Your ADD-ON is PUT INTO THE SAME BOX as the "base".
This means before shrink wrapping the boxes, for CERTAIN order quantity, they need to MODIFY their PROCESS and ADD "Minis" that were manufactured SEPARATELY from the game.
It's purely a PROCESS modification. It's still 1000 or 500 orders. There is only a slight difference in how THEY need to handle the production...
This is silly if they can't change it and add to the MOQ. If it's 500 or 1000 MOQ, you should be able to add ONE EXTRA STEP in their process for "miniatures".
Any manufacturer that says NO is as I said not a manufacturer you want to deal with... Be FIRM, OLG did it with the WinGo quotes too. So whomever is your manufacturer... make it clear this is "base" + "minis" and part of the MOQ.
There is NO SPLITTING 1000 into 2x 500. It's 1000 "base" + X "minis added" IN TERMS of process.
Cheers!
Question for you
How are you fulfilling the orders?
Will you be shipping everything to your HOME and then mailing out games.
Or are you using a warehouse to centralize shipping like Ship Naked, Happy Shops, Snakes & Lattes, etc. ???
Just curious... Because you'll want MINIS boxes marked with a STICKER.
So the EXTRA process is:
Do something VISIBLE like that so nobody can F- up the orders.
I honestly don't know which
I honestly don't know which I'll be going with. Probably with Ship Naked. The sticker is a really good idea. I'll be talking with all the companies if they can pull that half and half deal. Of course, after I get the whole .stl out of the way.
If you do end up getting
If you do end up getting minis produced, let us know, because we're always looking for more parts to add to our shop. We may be able to add enough to your order to make your production run cheaper.
Just some additional background
"Ship Naked" is in the USA. Other regional warehouses (or consolidators) are "Snakes and Lattes" for Canada and lastly "Happy Shops" in Germany for European orders and the remainder of the World.
If you do it this way - It MIGHT be a little less expensive to more remote areas like Asia, Africa and the Philippines.
Check those others out and figure out from your manufacturer where the games need to be sent. You can of course figure this out AFTER the KickStarter and use a "generous" approximation on the overall cost to backers.
We (OLG and I) got a TON of orders from the UK! Guess it was the lower price point which attracted a LOT of attention from the United Kingdom.
Just sharing some more information to help you make a better decision.
And yeah the "Sticker" is SIMPLE and effective. It will tell you which games are the Premium ones and which ones are the "base" ones... That's a good way to handle the two (2) formats of the game.
Cheers!