Art and minis galore
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Nov 05, 2024 at 03:13:04 PM
Good day! Welcome back to your bi-weekly Gloomhaven update, where things keep moving along! We've got progress reports on
Gloomhaven, which is so very close to completion, along with the RPG and minis.
There were some concerns about the content of the RPG brought up in last time's comments, which we'll do our best to address down below, so let's get to it!
Gloomhaven
All files have been sent to the printer, except the startup guide (the piece of paper that gets put on top that tells you how to organize the box), which is in progress, and the rule book, which is in the final editing stages. Digital proofing is well underway, and once those final components are in a good place, we'll be moving forward with physical proofing as quickly as possible so that we can still hit the milestones we need to get the game out of the factory before the Lunar New Year.
Here are some images of cool stuff!
Minis
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This week we have some exciting photos to share of a selection of approved miniature samples that we finally have in hand! These are all polyurethane (PU) samples that were already approved in the previous red wax phase and are representative of as close to final production detail/quality until mass production begins. It's really exciting to have these in hand, and we're very happy with the detail and character in each. Price took some photos next to the City Guard miniature we've shown off previously for scale.
We have a few other models that passed through digital modifications since last update, and we're continuing to put pressure for more wider sweeping progress with sculpting now entirely behind us! We're also being told the final production
Gloomhaven mercenary molds should be completed in the next two weeks, so we'll be sure to share final samples in another update or so once we have them.
RPG
Update from Danielle:
This week we have a few updates. Some good, some not so great, and some just a little neutral.
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The good: we’ve still got more art coming in, and it’s looking great! I’m excited to share a few pieces with you today.
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The not so great: our layout artist, Miguel, came down with a rare version of Dengue Fever that nearly hospitalized him and has left him unable to continue freelancing while trying to catch up on his day job and recover. Thankfully, I know a lot of people in the industry, and I was able to tap a replacement layout artist the same day Miguel informed me that he needed to step away, Adam. So while we’ve lost a little time from Miguel’s illness, we won’t lose any time from this point on.
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The neutral: I saw a lot of folks asking about mechanics and play on our last update. I’ve written up a bunch of designer diaries over the past year that delve into mechanical considerations and talk about how the game works. You can find them all here: https://cephalofair.com/blogs/blog. Additionally, we’ve tried to include those in our bi-weekly updates, and I’ve included some mechanics in our updates separately from that. But if you missed those for whatever reason (or just forgot because it’s been a hot minute), I’ve got some basic mechanical stuff from the introduction here to share with you that should get you up to date.
The Rules
Gloomhaven: The Roleplaying Game uses a unique rules system based on the board game’s mechanics. Mercenaries use Attributes, Backgrounds, and Skills to interact with the world around them. Attributes measure the character’s innate abilities, Backgrounds represent the character’s upbringing, attitude, and past circumstances, and Skills represent their education, training, and cultural ethos.
Whenever a mercenary wants to interact with the world in a way that carries risk, the player uses their Modifier Deck to determine the outcome. The Modifier Deck starts with 20 cards, which are shuffled together to create a random draw pile. The player draws the top card and adds the number printed on the card to their action’s ability to determine the end result.
Modifier cards have two numbers on them, one (in a hex on the right side of the card) for challenges that use Attributes to determine a success or failure outcome, and another (in a circle in the center of the card) for attacks to determine the amount of damage inflicted. Certain cards might create a critical success (x2) or critical failure (Null) state, and players can add additional bonuses and modifications to their Modifier card draw via Backgrounds, Skills, and a system called Advantage and Disadvantage (draw twice and take the better/worse result).
The game assumes mercenaries are competent individuals who can successfully perform most tasks associated with their profession, such as using their weapons and dealing with the necessities of travel. Therefore, success and failure are not binary pass/fail results. Sometimes failure still achieves the desired outcome but carries consequences for the action. Sometimes success can be so great that it carries additional benefits.
And here’s a modifier card for reference:
Perk cards will similarly carry an Attribute modifier number as characters advance in their class.
As for Skills, all ancestries and classes have Skills (ability cards) that explain their abilities. These are similar, yet different, from what you’re used to in the board game, and they’ve been renamed and given utility for use outside of combat. You can use Skills outside of combat to cast magic, do things normal people just can’t, and get bonuses on mundane actions. Using them this way gives a bonus to the check and Advantage. Then in combat, you still choose two actions from the set of Skills, but you also have two always available Talents that you can use, which never get lost or discarded. All mercenary classes have an effective “hand size” of 6 Skills made up of both class and ancestry Skills, and players must pick carefully which Skills they want to use after each Long Rest.
Finally, here’s that art I promised to share.
If you live in the US, it is election day! This is just a simple reminder to
please vote! Even if your options don't excite you, it is still vitally important to make your voice heard. It's the best way you'll get to see the changes you want, even if they are slow and incremental.
Also, if you're planning a trip to PAXU in month, know that we will be there with a dedicated RPG room! If you're interested in checking it out, we'll be running 4-hour games every day at 10:30 and 3:30 in room 104A. You can sign up with the PAX Nav app the day of, or just walk in and hope to get a seat.
More info here!And that's it.
Catch you next time!
Movement on all fronts
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Oct 22, 2024 at 05:19:43 PM
Good day! I hope you are doing well! There has been some interest in bringing back the larger progress graphic for all the different projects, rather than just the miniatures graphic, so you can see that below. I stopped posting it because there wasn't any visible progress on the graphic, and you can see we're still in the same place we were before, though that's obviously not indicative of how much progress has actually been made on this campaign.
We are getting so close to getting the final elements of Gloomhaven off to the printer, at which point we will be able to see progress on the chart, and we are also nearing completion of the RPG. You can read the details of both below, along with an update on miniatures.
Gloomhaven
A vast majority of the game's components have been submitted the manufacturer for production. We've been giving a steady stream of approvals for the digital proofs. The next step for these components will be physical proofs - We'll continue our collaboration with the manufacturer by reviewing them for color and overall quality.
The scenario book is among the files submitted for production review. The solo scenarios are currently in the hands of our playtesters for a final round of review and revision. We're ready to act quickly on their feedback when it arrives!
In terms of the core box, the only outstanding elements are the box itself, the quick start guide, and the rulebook, which are all being worked on as we speak and are nearing completion. As anticipated, these have been the last pieces of the puzzle as they picture other components that are now complete.
In particular, we wanted to highlight the box today! You've all seen Phan Tuấn Đạt's beautiful key art and character art, and making a worthy layout for it is a tall order. We're working on a design that pays homage to the original Gloomhaven while being undeniably "new." Check out the preview below! (This is a work in progress. The final design subject to change.)
Miniatures
This update, we are excited to share we have achieved 100% COMPLETION of all original sculpts! A big thank you to our hardworking sculptors Chris Lewis and Sarah Dahlinger for helping us with this monumental project. We're also pleased to see a greater movement from our manufacturer in the realm of red wax sculpts, seeing 25 submitted to our team for approval last night (all approved and moving forward). Please see below for some of our favorites!
RPG
Danielle here! At the start of October, we took a trip to Spiel Essen to show off more of the RPG. B and I ran 1.5 hour sessions, much like I did at UKGE, and we ended up with some really good play groups, good feedback, and even more information for ensuring the game is top notch.
Our internal playtesters (and we noticed this too) noticed that combat was feeling particularly easy for mercenaries to just slam through. We took a moment to consider why that was, and realized that we had increased all the class’s attack values slightly to accommodate for the smaller number of skills overall. But, we didn’t adjust antagonist stats accordingly, which meant the mercenaries were killing the enemies faster (yes, good, exactly what we wanted), but the enemies weren’t making the combat feel threatening or dangerous (boo, bad, not want we wanted at all). So we adjusted antagonist attack numbers (literally by 1) and tried that at Spiel. Lo and behold, it fixed the problem. Of course, now I have to go through the entire bestiary and make educated decisions for each antagonist so that we don’t end up accidentally overpowering some, especially at higher campaign levels.
On the production front, art is running smoothly. I’ve gotten several finals in, and the whole team is thrilled with what we’re seeing. I love showing the classes represented with different ancestries, and characters just existing in the world of Gloomhaven without a clear tie to a mercenary class.
Layout has hit a minor snag as our layout artist came down sick. We’re 80% of the way done, and I know it won’t be long before I have the final book to proof and make edits to. But it’s slowed down a tiny bit.
Here’s a few pieces of art finals that we’ve gotten in.
In other news, I (Isaac) will be at
Big Bad Con this weekend, running a couple games of the
Gloomhaven RPG (all booked up unfortunately) and playing other stuff. I'll also have "office hours" 9-11am on Sunday in room 6052 if you want to come by and talk about anything.
The seventh scenario of the
Frosthaven community-driven campaign is up, and you can find it
here. Just three scenarios left, and I have no idea how it will end.
That's all the other news I have. Catch you next time!
PS Sorry this was a little late and posted under a different account. I was having some trouble getting it to publish and Backerkit helped me out through their own account.
Gloomhaven and miniatures progress
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Oct 08, 2024 at 01:23:15 PM
Good day! Most of the team is still recovering from a big weekend in Essen, but I've still got progress reports on miniatures and Gloomhaven.
Most notably, we are very close to finishing up the files on Gloomhaven. I know we're behind schedule on our latest estimates, but it still feels good to finally be wrapping this up after a lot of hard work. More details below!
Gloomhaven
We are working diligently to finish up the last of the edits and get the last of the files to the printer, which we're hoping to have done within the next week.
There are not many files left! The two that still need the most work are the rulebook and the setup guide, as we need to wait for all the other components to be finalized before we can drop final graphics into them, but as that day approaches, it should be quick work to get all the graphics in there.
Other than that, we are still finishing up the last round of edits on the scenario book, section book, and event cards. There's a lot of text and a lot to review here, so they're taking longer than other components, but they should be good to go by the end of the week.
And then there are a few small files that need minor work that is still in the queue: card dividers, random scenario cards, and random dungeon cards, but those will also be very short work. Everything else (which is quite a lot) has been sent to the printer, and we are working with them on digital proofs.
Miniatures
We received the flight stands this last week and did some office testing on their fit and usability. We aren't 100% satisfied so have given feedback to our manufacturer and set expectations of what we want to see from the next samples - we'll keep you posted!
This update sees a few more sculpts and digital modifications approved. We're waiting on production samples of the new Gloomhaven miniatures, which should be coming along very shortly now out of molding.
RPG
Nothing new to report on this front as art continues and the first draft of the book layout finishes up. We should have more notable movement on this soon!
And that's all we have this week. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at Essen! If you missed the new
Buttons & Bugs promo scenario we released there, you can find it and all the others on
the official website.
You can also find the latest
Frosthaven community campaign scenario
here, and I must apologize for not providing the
Gloomhaven pre-order link in the last update.
We'll keep working on getting these mammoth projects out the door, and we'll catch you next time!
More sculpt revisions and RPG pages
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 02:30:33 PM
Good day! Things continue to move along over here! There is so much to do, but things are getting done, and we are happy with the progress we're making on all projects. So let's get on with the news.
Gloomhaven
Arch has been hard at work buttoning everything up to send along to production. I am hoping to have a more comprehensive update for you next time, but for now, we are still in the tail end of the thick of it, completing the plethora of little things that need to be done to ensure the files are print ready.
We have started the proofing process on the files that are complete, most notably the punchboards. We're already making revisions on those to send them back to the factory for further review.
Minis
We saw 9 more factory revisions across
Gloomhaven: Base Set,
Forgotten Circles,
Frosthaven: Base Set, and
Frosthaven: Summons. In addition, our factory has completed samples of the base rings and flight stands, which are being mailed to us for physical testing and approvals. Once we get our hands on them, we'll share some images with you.
There was a slight delay in our final sculpt submissions due to health delays, but we are back to wrapping up our final digital files and advocating for more movement in the red wax/physical sample phase with our manufacturing partner.
RPG
There's not much new to say here. Book layout and art commissions continue to move along. It's a time-intensive process, but here is another page for you to peruse, now with actual art from Mates Laurentiu.
In other news, Essen is fast approaching! I (Isaac) won't be heading out this year, in an effort to get more work done, but we'll have RPG demos, among other exciting things, and we'd love for you to come out and say hi!
I also just wanted to let you know that the website pre-order for
Gloomhaven is closing at the end of this weekend. The pre-order price is $160, whereas the MSRP will be $180.
The next scenario in the
Frosthaven community-driven campaign can be found
here, and that's about all I have for you.
Catch you next time!
Progress Continues
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 01:18:57 AM
Good day! We're feeling optimistic over here at Cephalofair and we get to check off lots of boxes for elements that are ready for the printer on Gloomhaven! We'll talk more about the progress below, but it feels good to finally start wrapping things up.
Some people ask why it took so long when it wasn't even a new product, but, from a production standpoint, it basically was. We built this game fresh from the ground up, and hopefully that shows in the final quality.
So, without further ado, let's get to it!
Gloomhaven
From Arch:
With drafts of nearly all components in hand, game design and graphic design teams have had their hands full in the past month with final component proofing and revisions. We’re thankful to our playtesters who have been particularly thorough in their ongoing reviews and feedback!
The flowcharts and punchboards are some of the more complicated components to produce. While the game design team reviews these, the graphic design team has been working on color correction and optimization for print. We’re looking forward to getting those boards out to the manufacturer within the next week so they can begin to build the custom tools that are needed to cut them.
The scenario books and rule book are also well underway. The scenario books are currently being reviewed, while the rule book is just waiting on final component images to get dropped in before a final design and playtester pass.
We’re expecting to have all final game component files off to production by early October.
That’s all for now! Back to work for me!
Miniatures
Our miniature manufacturer is preparing samples of our flight stands and base rings for physical product line testing. Our team has requested samples of these so we can make sure we're happy with the usability, design, and fit before things move further and faster with wider sculpt production.
We received and approved a few more digital modifications this week, but are still largely waiting for the factory designers to shift focus back to our project this month. We've been told they have several new artists and production team members being prepared to move back onto our production line and we're excited for this, continuing to communicate that we all hope to start seeing that progress soon.
RPG
As you saw last time, the layout of the roughly 300 pages continues. It looks like at this point the last thing we'll be waiting on to send this to the printers are the art pieces, which are about 2 months out from completion.
In the meantime, we are continuing to do high-level playtesting to make any tweaks to cards and stats that are needed. Then, when the full layout comes in, we'll do a thorough review pass on the book with the sketches and rough color art. Then it should all come together as the final art comes in so that we can drop those in and then begin work with the factory. And once that process has started, we'll be able to put together a much more thorough timeline.
For now, here is the latest designer diary from Danielle:
Greetings Mercenaries!
It’s time for our August update! Layout is moving along nicely, and I’ve contracted artists for about 70% of the book. I’m currently working with our layout artist to put placeholders within the rest of the book so I can get those pieces of art commissioned. The process of getting art takes time. I’ve definitely let all our artists know that we would like these illustrations sooner rather than later, but I’m determined to take the time to ensure that we are getting the best illustrations. So if that means corrections or edits that make it take a little longer, those are a necessary step. The Gloomhaven RPG is the first time we really get to show off so many parts of the world that just aren’t in the board game, or aren’t illustrated there. So we want to make sure that everyone’s first look is as creepy and beautiful as it is in our imaginations.
Once I start getting sketches in, I’ll share them, but that won’t be until next month’s update. Instead, have a couple of layout images from the ancestry chapter so you can get an idea of what the Skills look like in RPG layout as opposed to what they’ll look like on the cards. I’ll note that the 3-column design here is specifically so that each ancestry fits exactly on two page spreads, which makes my ADHD brain that craves organization extremely happy. The class Talents and Skills might not get the same column treatment, but the Skills will look the same for consistency.
We are also beginning playtesting of the higher levels of character play. We feel we have a good handle on how the game plays at level 1, but we want to make sure nothing falls apart as characters level, or if a group has a mixed level party. So far, the playtesters are feeling really good about the game, and we’ve had some great feedback coming in from them already.
Finally, I’m going to be attending Spiel in Essen, Germany at the start of October. If you’re in the area, come by the booth and I’ll be running folks through demos much like we did at UK Games Expo. Come by and say hi, and maybe get a game in. I’ll also run folks through character creation using the materials we had available at Gencon.
Until next time!
Danielle
And that's about it. Sorry for the lateness on this one. You can find the latest scenario for the
Frosthaven community-driven campaign
here. And thanks to everyone who came out to the booth at PAX West and Grandcon!
Catch you next time!
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