The July Update
almost 5 years ago – Fri, Jul 26, 2019 at 02:37:28 AM

We said July would mark a substantial update, and we meant it!

First up, we are expecting the final proofs of materials, but we have proofed the dice (this manufacturer made the cards for Beast Master Duel for us) and are not concerned about the other components. We should have some stuff posted on instagram and in the next update with our Designing Guardians Blog #2.

Also, as we wind down the kickstarter development and production, we wanted to talk about our goals for this kickstarter, but also for the game moving forward.

Designing Guardians Blog #1 - Forging our own Path

Originally, we miscalculated and thought that by offering a cooperative dice building game, we may see some substantial crossover from the Dice Masters Community. While we love that community, post Kickstarter, it became clear to us that to make this game and make it successful post launch, we needed to further remove ourselves from the Dice Masters Comparisons, and so in each change we have shown, you will see those changes.

So leading up to the Kickstarter, we were molding the look to attempt to appeal to a market who had little to no interest in a cooperative, non-Marvel/DC Dice Building Game. This was time we should have been using marketing to other groups. 

Once we learned this, we did begin to explore the differences you have seen in the previous updates. How we could better define the game post launch as it's own style of dice building game.

Our focus all along though in play style, was to make it feel more like an engine builder. Where dice masters had a heavy focus on making each die feel like an individual, we wanted each to feel like a cog, added to your machine, each one, combo-ing off the next and off previous ones at the same time. This gives the game a whole different "feel". Rather than celebrating your "hand" or draw as it were, we had players celebrating their plays, their rolls, their re-rolls. 

These design decisions also lead to a more impact draft. Rather than wanting unit x and unit y, players wanted 1 or 2 of this type, while also having a few low/high cost dice etc. The combinations and strategies were surprisingly endless. 

Post campaign, our focus was on making that as interesting, dynamic and different as possible. We did this by refining colors, making sure that the "how" of combos, was simple and elegant. We also clarified things on the dice and cards, as well as terms we use in the game. We had a ton of feedback from you all as well, and we will be posting the final rules in the next few updates, likely right before the release.

Expect one of these in each update leading up to the release later this year!

Time Table

Right now, we are waiting on the production timeline and where we wrap up and can ship to everyone. Once we have that information, we are going to convey it in a "Timeline" Update, which will go over the following;

• The Last Day to change your address with us. Yes, the Pledge Manager is closed, however, we have edited a few addresses for you since then.
• The delivery window for each region.
• Unboxing and Final Rules Upload.

In Closing

Lastly, we want to leave you with a few things. We have BIG plans for this franchise and series of games. We worked for some time finding ways we could innovate the series as we moved forwards, beyond simply adding in more "schtuff". With that said, we of course did make more things, like characters that were not in the base set.

With characters like WIlhelm Grimm, we wanted to begin to add some characters that dramatically altered drafting ideology. Characters and items that had little to no relative combat value themselves, but excelled in other areas.

Guild area related changes as well via scenarios that add new win/loss conditions and situations. 

Basically, we have 1 million ideas on how to expand this game, and undoubtedly, you all will have 100 suggestions a piece when the game releases and we cannot wait :D 

June Update!
almost 5 years ago – Mon, Jul 01, 2019 at 03:08:50 AM

Hello there Guardians! 

This will be a shorter update this month because most of our resources were set on making sure Beast Masters Duel was mailed half a year early! I know we said June should be more substantial, but now it looks like mid July there should be a substantial Update!

One thing we will say is, July and August should be fun and you all should be pleased!

We thank you all for your patience and next update, mid July, should cover some of the other stuff discussed in the previous update, as well as some exciting manufacturing and shipping news for the game :D

May Update!
almost 5 years ago – Thu, May 30, 2019 at 09:35:45 PM

Just in the nick of time! May's update is going to be mostly a "we are in production" update while also saying, if you are reading about the tariffs on manufactured product into the US, we are working on our own work around for this and it shouldn't effect the project's timelines or ability to deliver. So while we are in production, here are a few things we have talked about in previous updates that we wanted to "show off".

A few things in the final cards you will notice or should pay attention to are as follows;

• Subtitles were added to each Champion, Spell and Item. This is, in the case we unlock more versions of Abe that use the same dice, we would want to differentiate them beyond just details.
• Dice Legend on the cards seeing simplification to help speed up purchasing decisions. One goal of the game was to make sure, after blind testing post campaign, was to ensure the average games took 45-60 minutes, with 90 minutes being the tougher opponents and full player counts.
• Ability Clarification and Dice Coding. Another goal was to ensure that when playing dice, it felt like you were playing and building combos and synergies. To do so, we have been altering iconography. This now reads, "If you have used an Attack Die, Threats in the Darkmarsh have -2 Toughness." This is the same as it was, just displayed clearer here and in the rules.
• Definitions and Keywords. Already using Keywords, we decided to clarify abilities on the cards with things like Active, which means while an Abe die is in your pool, gain the effect. This one being that Squire Dice gain +1 Attack and a re-roll.
• Victory Points. Another thing we heard over and over from the reviewers and backers was a balanced system to reward players for what they purchased. With that said, all player dice now have a value assigned to them. Some may be worth none, but be cheap and powerful, while others may be medium priced, useful and worth a few points. Overall, players will also score for buying a great pool of dice!

And of course, the Guild Squires are worth nothing.

The next update (June's Update) should be far more substantial, but we wanted to give you all something this month, let you know this train is chugging along and we are so excited for Guardians in 2019 to be played by YOU!

Backerkit Closing and Pricing
about 5 years ago – Tue, Apr 23, 2019 at 12:11:32 AM

Welcome fellow Guardians!

Let's start with Backerkit. 

A shocking 52 people this Kickstarter have still not filled out the Backerkit. As of now, we have begun the locking down of all the pledges. Once they are locked, if something needs to be changed, please email us and let us know, otherwise this is where your game is being shipped and what for. Everyone who hasn't filled it out yet... see the previous update. 

Development Updates

We have been hard at work making sure everything is now ready to hit print. When it came to out Loadout Cards and Guild Cards, this was easy as all of the balancing work was done and reaffirmed in blind testing since the campaign had ended.

So what was balanced in the blind testing?

• Economy. We worked off the original model that Mike Elliot had created for Dice Building games, where varying economies lead to a vibrant design. We have since then, simplified ours to meet the demands of a difficult semi-cooperative game.
• Combos. We have also worked with our blind testers to resolve the combinations of the dice. We found that while the "type" combinations gave us a lot of design space for future content, they were hard for new players to follow, and there may be better ways to do this. We have resolved this in the final build of the game by having the dice colors be simplified to show said combinations. This, like the huge poll on how to detail the dice we did during the campaign further separates us from Dice Masters comparisons as well when the game releases. 
• Victory Points. We added a minor thing through development that the team enjoyed. Points via dice bought as well. One thing engine builders like Tyrants of the Underdark and DC Deckbuilding Game do well is reward players for building their engine. We thought with the large number of utility cards and dice, that may be wise. When it was added and tested, it was a through the roof positive experience. From a design perspective, it also lead to the choices in game of keeping a slim, powerful and efficient engine, or creating a huge pool of dice, which while less efficient, was also worth a buncha points!

We think all of these changes to the game state was for the best, and upon testing they achieve the things our team was wanting to see post kickstarter. We wanted more space from Dice Masters, a healthier game state for points, as well as a great space for design in the future because we have a great deal of plans for this game!

In Closing

Thank you for everyone who has filled out the pledge manager and we cannot wait to get you your copy! This is the best experience we have ever had in cultivating a fan base and making something we are so incredibly proud of. We cannot wait as the first post funding chapter closes and the next one begins. Next up will be some physical stuff.

Pledge Manager Update and KLTG News!
about 5 years ago – Thu, Mar 14, 2019 at 02:45:00 PM

Let's start this update with the pressing KLTG News!

KLTG Staff Changes

*This is pulled from an update on another of our games.

Addition by subtraction happened the past few months.... well... not really but. We added a few people to our team. One resides in China, and is effectively our liaison to manufacturing. We think this will make sense a few sections down as to why we felt we needed this. Another resides in the UK, which, while a mess right now is going to help with our EU backers, both in shipping but also replacement parts.

The next though make us very sad as we said goodbye this week to a good friend and amazing talent!

As you all know, our margins are pretty tight. So we do this for the love of doing this, and right now, Ben simply couldn't. Pulled from his statement;

"Due to things going on in my personal life, I have chosen to step down from the team. I am not myself and haven't been for some time." 

The rest of his statement was more personal and to the KLTG Family. For those of you who know Ben, demo'd this game with Ben through one of the numerous conventions we had it at, loved him in the play videos and streams, this is a heavy loss we are feeling at the moment. No one runs demos the way Ben does, no one has such focused development notes and ideas as Ben. Whatever part of this you are thinking of, Ben will be missed from it.

Backerkit Updates

Right now the backerkit has been filled out by about 65% of you. Because of this, we thought an Update was important to get out now, to remind you all of the following things.

• March 15th, the prices were set to increase. We understand the influx of kickstarters this quarter may have given some of you a hit you weren't expecting. While you should have been expecting our pledge manager since November, we empathise, and will be keeping the pricing as is until it closes for all of you, as well as late pledges.
• The closing date is March 31st at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time still. If your pledge is not filled out by that time, we will be locking them and locking in our final numbers. 

Development Updates

Notes from our blind testing have come in and warranted some changes, and we talked briefly about them in a previous update. But, rest assured, all changes we have been making are for the best for the game and our backers, but let's begin to break down some big ones!

• Changing of the card size for Threat Cards. In doing this, we were able to make the following changes; the size and Glory Value of each Threat has been increased to be seen from anywhere around the table, the title and subtitle are located in the same region as well as sized up 2 points, the toughness of the threats were relocated and sized up to be seen anywhere around the table, the base test of their keywords and abilities have been sized up as well as clarified with symbology and plain text to the understanding of new and old players.

• Keyword Changes. We kept things like Appearance, Defeated and Siege because they seemed clear to all our testers. But we have since altered/added a few like "Rescued" for villagers and "Active" for Threats that remain in play. While these may seem minor when described, this cleaned up a lot of text on the cards. The Guild Dice Pool area is now titled the "Marketplace". This is also because of the teams plans for future expansions and how that area fits into the design.

We think this clears up even the Villagers, as the "When rescued" text was removed. While we cannot wait to talk about future plans for the Marketplace, for now we just wanted you to know there is a reasoning behind the changes and we think they are for clarity and for the best.

• We finished the development of the final factions for the threats. One of which is called "Heroic Crisis". This is an example of them that was used in Blind Testing since November, and these are for non-beginner games because of the difficulty.

Here, this card advances the field, the way a normal threat would, and specifies during your turn you must recruit 2 magic dice. Seeing the blue cubes as dice iconography, yes, we have been working to clarify dice types, so that combinations of "used" dice make the most sense, and can be seen at a glance.

You can also see what happens if this isn't resolved by the end of your turn... and it isn't good. We think these cards are really interesting, non-combat interactions players will take in the game. 

The next update will be centered on our Champions, Items and Spells, changes to the iconography and such to further clarify, but again, all for the best!