FAQ
about 7 years ago
– Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 04:47:53 AM
Will you be translating Root?
I don’t think translation is a good idea for a company our size. I now base my campaigns around the idea that printing 2500 is where I will turn a comfortable profit and 5000 is my desired print run. I pick materials accordingly, so that the price point of those materials at that quantity will work for our budget. Root (and Vast) are printed on the best materials our manufacturer knows how to work with. We have learned how to make inserts and will work with that knowledge among other improvements.
For Vast a game I have sold many more units our current best offer for any one language is 2000 units. That puts our price at a really hard point to sell at. Also EU “distributors” are typically publishers in disguise that demand a cut of the game. So I’m pinched on a higher cost and a lower selling point. This has literally stripped me down to less than 5 percent of MSRP per game while assuming a ton of risk.
It just isn’t cost effective for me right now to do translations right now. License offers are a thing that happens but for the amount of money I get offered and the time it takes to manage these projects it would still be more cost effective for us to work on other things. If someone wants to provide me with some mentorship on the topic (and has had experience with it) feel free to message me.
Can I translate Root to language X to upload on BGG and the like for private use?
Yes. Please make [email protected] aware you are doing it. We also reserve the right to cancel this agreement.
If we do decide to publish in another language (which isn’t likely) we need to be able to protect our translation. That being said if your translation is a solid translation we would be happy to make an offer for it, after professional review.
Can we get minis?
We discussed minis a great deal in the studio. We declined to work on them for the following reasons.
Our schedule for getting this to the printer is tight. We wanted to focus on the game design and getting the rules right the first time out.
We tried mocking up some minis with the characters from other games and we didn’t like how they looked on the map. We tried different scales and we weren’t super happy.
We didn’t have a strong indication of how the game would do and if we could cover the cost of molds. In hindsight we could have afforded it.
I want to order multiple copies of the game. What should I do?
You can back up to four copies by just adding $60 per extra copy. If you want more, contact Clay at [email protected] and he will figure out the cost.
Will you mark this as gift/effects/personal/used for me when you ship it to me?
No.
Why is it 60 dollars?
What you see in the video is a paper prototype. The game is still in development, and we don't want to finalize components until we are ready. The final product will include the following components:
The cards will be heavy-weight, have a linen finish and ebony core, and feature dozens of pieces of unique full-color art.
The board will be a quad-fold mounted map board. If we reach the 200k stretch goal, the board will be double-sided.
The dice will be a pair of custom-engraved twelve-sided dice.
The meeples will be custom-cut wood, and there will be around 70 to 80 of them.
The faction boards will be thick, like the player boards for Vast: The Crystal Caverns.
We will include both a learn-to-play guide and rules reference, and we have stretch goals planned to add more scenarios to further increase replay value.
Wait the video has 4 sided dice in it and you are offering 12 sided dice what gives?
They will be twelve sided numbered 0, 1, 2, 3 several times.
I hate 4 sided dice why are you making me use them?
They will be 12 sided dice.
Are you sure? You look like the sort that likes 4 sided dice.
I love playing Wizards in D&D and the attendant Magic Missile but I assure you we will not be using 4 sided dice.
I saw you buying 4 sided dice at the game store. Are you sure?
Positive, also creepy. I use the extra ones for home defense.
How can I review your game?
Due to our timeline we didn’t send out a ton of review copies but we are starting to release more now. Contacting [email protected] is a great way to get started. You can also play against me if you are local or willing to meet me on TTS or you could make your own PNP when it is out.
Contacting me other ways can be a disaster. I just can't remember every little message.
Why is attacking so good?
The action economy is pretty tight. Using an action attacking frivolously can be expensive unless you are the Eyrie player in which case you might have to waste actions attacking.
What is 2 player like?
It can be a 2 player match up with anyone but the Vagabond. It works well but once core development is done we will take another pass on making sure each match up is tight. This could involve alterations to scoring. That being said we use 2 player in the studio frequently to rapidly test concepts and I really enjoy it. Expect games to clock in at around 30 minutes.
What are the Otters like?
Right now I know they sell the other factions privileges and build their economy by moving a barge up and down the river. When the privileges come back they earn coins which slowly bleed off to gain the Otters points. Their warriors can act as advisers, workers, or guards for the other players depending on where they are placed.
I don’t think they will be suitable for 2 player yet since they are about interaction. And yes we are adding a river to the map.
What is the Winter Map like?
I hope we have the map done before the end of the campaign. It will focus more on activity in the center of the board and allow some randomization of setup. It is for advanced play.
What are the bots/cooperative mode/solo play like?
I am excited that people are excited and we will try to provide information during the campaign but we did add these features based on requests from folks. I am very excited to work on design like this. I have an outline of how they will work but we are not currently done enough to release them. I am more worried about getting the PNP in people’s hands. I will do what I can to complete them before the end of the campaign or at least provide an outline of how they will work, but we for sure have development work to complete on them.
Can you add anything from the Vast series to my order?
No, we don't want to complicate our logistics further. You can still pre-order it on backerkit if you want. Shipping is just around the corner and we will close backerkit down around 12/1.
Will you be using backerkit?
We had not settled on a post campaign solution as we are negotiating with Backerkit and others and I would hate to disrupt that process by tipping my hand. That being said whatever you hope to gain from Backerkit we will provide in some form.
I need to contact you what should I do?
Here is fine though if it is anything I need to follow up on please use [email protected] so we can track the issue more easily. Please think twice about Facebook it is very disruptive to time with my family.
