The Abomination Onslaught
about 5 years ago – Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 04:15:31 PM

There's something looming in the distance, everyone. It's hard to make out, but I see it twitching through the fog. It's rising, rising - how can it be so huge? 

Wait. No. There are two of them. Both seem radically different. In fact, you think... you think they may be enemies.

The fog clears slightly. You see one is large and bulbous, with small... creatures bursting out of pockets of flesh bubbling on its body. A porcelain mask has been stapled to its head with thick, corroded metal. The mask looks so happy. It seems to be such a strange contradiction to the lumbering, twitching thing that wears it. Appendages like crab or insect legs flail spastically around its body, pressing out of its mass between the chains that encircle it, contain it, and bind  it.

The other creature, meanwhile. is muscled and imposing. Seeming to be a combination of flesh and bone and volcanic rock, fire leaps inside its cracked, jagged skull. Its guts, which almost seem to have a mind of their own, twitch spastically, and its left (actually, only) hand cradles a mallet made of bone and stone that is larger than the creature itself. With uncanny strength and nimbleness it raises its giant hammer. Underneath the mallet you can see the jellied remnants of its previous victims adhered to its surface.

The beast with the masquerade mask raises its razor-sharp appendages as the other slowly turns. It has become clear to you that these two monstrosities are about to rip each other to pieces.

Meet the Masquerades. This family of Abominations is all about appearances - though what lurks beneath their masks is not at all the image they so carefully project. They are mad, cunning, deceptive, and hungry. (You would be, too, if you had a mask stapled to your face.) The Masquerade featured in this image is Masquerade Bliss. She seems like such a happy mother, with her children skittering around her feet. But the chains, and the wounds that look like howling mouths, seem to imply otherwise.

And then let me introduce you to the Executioners. This family is utterly brutal, overpowered, unforgiving, and consumed with carrying out the sentence they have imposed on their victims. Forged of fire, flesh, and bone, there is only one thing left in their warped, feverish minds - and it involves you. The one displayed here is Executioner Gallows. When his mallet doesn't finish the job, his intestines will.

One of these families will be one of our next series of stretch goals (for both Core and Otherworld) in the not-too-distant future. The other will be included in a future add-on expansion. So which will it be? The Masquerades? Or the Executioners? Tell us your favorite in the comments, and let the battle begin! (We'll let you know in a future update when voting is closing!)

Drowning in Despair, Video Update, and a Sharing Stretch Goal!
about 5 years ago – Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 04:15:16 PM

Hi there, my friend! I hope you've had a great day! 

We keep plugging along on Dawn of Madness. There's some fun stuff coming up, and some fun stuff that's happening right now! Let's get to it!

Dawn in the News

First, there are a couple of different videos that have prominently featured Dawn recently, one from our friend Adam over at Rolling Solo, and another from the fine folks at Roll for Crit! This is interesting because Adam was a pretty big Deep Madness fan, while the gents at Roll for Crit found it... a little on the difficult side? So it's cool to see both groups excited for Dawn. (In both cases Dawn is at the start of the video, so you won't have to look far.) 

Also, for those who didn't see them on the campaign page, we also have two videos thus far from our good friend Michael the King of Average, one about the campaign and one about the miniatures. He will be diving deeper into the game before too long here, so expect another one from him. 

There will obviously be a number of videos from other reviewers and board game channels as well, so we'll let you know when they come out. Speaking of videos:

Video Updates

Some of you may have already heard about our (now infamous) try at a live stream yesterday. We struggled valiantly on two different services, but apparently my internet connection is junk. So we're going to try to work out the bugs, and have another shot at this live stream soon.

In addition, I am currently filming several videos for you, and I think I've just about worked out the kinks to be able to tell you what I've been hinting at the last few days.

I am going to do rules and how to play videos. But, at the same time, I personally find that sometimes  How to Plays can be... kind of dull? Nothing against them, and obviously they are a very necessary part of deciding if you actually want to buy a game. Plus, there are those videos that rise above the rest and really are engrossing to watch. But for this campaign I want to try something a little bit different. I want it to be interactive! 

So, what I'm going to do is play a bit, explaining how things work, and then pause and ask you what you think I should do next.  We'll let people vote for a day or two, and then I'll come back with the next installment. 

Could this completely fail? Absolutely. Maybe there's a reason I can't remember ever seeing this done before. And, if it doesn't work, then we'll scrap it and I'll just do a proper, normal walkthrough. But I think this could be fun. So what do you think? Should we give this a try?

Let's Get Social!

If you're an introvert like me, hearing those words might make you feel... conflicted, to say the least. =D But this isn't that kind of social, and it's for a good cause!

We're currently just under 40 backers away from unlocking this lovely damsel:

So, to help push us over the edge, we decided to put out another stretch goal: this time for a new final boss for Catherine!

In order to unlock this stretch goal, all you have to do is spread the word! Click the share button right below the campaign stats, and we'll get this swamp thing (with no disrespect or copyright infringement intended to DC (translation: please don't sue us)) unlocked in no time! 

The Depressions Arrive

But that's not all we have for you today. There are new horrors arising from the depths, new creatures that are shambling toward you through the mists of the Otherworld. Their heads hang in dejection, their limbs ripping in angst at their skin. They are the Depressions. And they come for you.

The Depressions are available right now as an optional buy for $14, which will include both the miniatures and the standees. If you would like to add these to your pledge, just follow these steps:

Click the "Manage your pledge" button.

Next, click the "Change your pledge" button.

Lastly,  add the amount for the add-on that you would like to buy to your total (in this case $14) and click Continue.

That's all you have to do right now! We'll determine what additional items you ordered in the pledge manager later on.

I'll do more of a centerpiece on the Depressions soon (once I have some more time to get away from video stuff), and go over more about them and their stories. But, for now, let's all welcome the sunny new additions to the Dawn of Madness family!

Also, just as a reminder, we haven't yet finished voting on our epic Abomination battle! If you would like to decide if the Masquerades or the Executioners will be a future stretch goal, click here to go to that update and vote in the comments! (For those interested, of about 600 votes cast the Masquerades currently have about 400, so if you're team Executioner go make your voice heard right away! And Masquerade fans, this is no time to be idle! Be sure to still cast your votes for them, too!)

Lastly, we are also running a poll to determine if we will offer an Italian translation of the game. If you're an Italian backer and you want to see that happen, let all your friends know and click here to go to the poll. (Only one vote per backer, and you must be a backer to participate.)

Okay, that's it for this update! Talk to you again very soon, guys!

Portals Written in Words, The Plant, A Frail Masquerade, and a Great Video!
about 5 years ago – Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 12:20:27 PM

So much to discuss, so little time. Let's get to it!

I hope you all had a great weekend full of rest and relaxing. As for us, we've kept going full-steam ahead, and now we're back with more fun stuff. First of all, though, we have something we are dying to show you, and many of you are extremely excited to see. Our good friend, Lance, over at Learn to Play released his video overview for Dawn of Madness! He'll have a playthrough video coming soon as well, but in the meantime you can whet your appetite on this:

Our own video has taken yet a little longer to get finished, but it will be out in tomorrow's update. For real this time. It will be the first of two, with this one focusing on the components and how they work, and the next one focusing on actual gameplay. It's also right around 45 minutes long currently. So, yeah. It's detailed.

Anyway, while that is some of the biggest news for the day, it is far from the only news!

A Thanksgiving/Black Friday to Remember

In the US, this week we celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a time when families come together, eat copious amounts of food, and also remember all the things they have to be grateful for. Our US team members love Thanksgiving. But we arguably feel even more at home on the day that comes after it: the day where Stygian madness reigns, and sanity (as well as safety) is discarded for unnatural lights dangling oppressively overhead, fist fights in aisles and parking lots, and the snarling menace of holiday cheer. We speak, of course, of Black Friday. And, with this campaign launching in November, we couldn't resist throwing our hat into the celebrations. 

So here's what we're going to do. We are going to have a Thanksgiving weekend blowout, complete with early bird doorbusters. We are going to offer our gameplay mostly-all-in really early in the campaign, and those who act during this coming weekend will get a deal so good it's... insanity. (Or terrifying? Maddening? Pick your favorite horror marketing pun and insert it here.) 

Now, there are certain items that will not be included in this pledge. Some things we can't talk about yet. Others (like the Watchers) many of you are already getting free, so it doesn't make sense to include them. And others just don't really fit in this particular pledge level. But essentially, it's a pledge level that will be $348 for most of the rest of the campaign. And during this weekend, the prices will start at the 9am PST doorbuster level of $288 (in limited quantities on Thursday, Thanksgiving day), and will go no higher than $313 (with no quantity limits) over the rest of the weekend. 

We'll be revealing much more about this in the coming days (including what you'll find inside this pledge.) 

The Dust Clears, and Anita Remains

This one was much tighter than the Abomination vote, but, in the end, only one Wanderer remained. Anita Clavell, the author, has officially become our next series of daily unlocks for the Otherworld pledge level following the Masquerades, alongside the daily unlocks for the Core pledge level already listed on the campaign page.

The words are being written. The portal is beginning to open. What lies on the other side? I suppose we'll all find out soon enough, won't we?

The Executioners Come to Call

You didn't think you had seen the last of them, did you? Of course you didn't. After all, when they have punishment to mete out, they don't stop until the job is done. What makes matters even worse, though, is that you didn't choose them in the vote. So now the Executioners are out for vengeance. It will be bloody, and it will be brutal.

The Executioners are now available as a $30 add-on. You can add them to your pledge by clicking on the "Manage your pledge" button. From there, you will click the "Change your pledge" button, add the amount of the add-on to your total, and then click "Continue". That's all you have to do for now! We'll figure out what you ordered in the pledge manager after the campaign closes.

Today's Unlock: Masquerade Frailty

Masquerade Frailty's mask is full of despair and pain. He wants you to think that he is frail. Broken. Weak. 

It is a lie.

Masquerade Frailty is a brutish, hulking beast, with thick limbs to snare you, retrieve you, and crush you. There is no joy in Frailty, at least on the surface. But could it be that, beneath its mask, it is reveling in the destruction? Could it be gloating and sniggering at us right now, as it slithers in our direction? Something tells me we'll find out soon enough.

The Plant Grows

We have finally unlocked The Plant's miniature! Thanks so much for all of the shares, guys! You did it!

Catherine has a very special connection with the plant. It is almost as if they have become one in the same. Or perhaps it just germinated in her mind. In any case, the plant may be a friend - or it may be a foe. Or, possibly, it's a little bit of both. Only time - and your choices - will tell us for sure.

Okay, that's it for this update! See you all again tomorrow!

Translation News, Stretch Goal Explanation, Deep Madness, and Other Q&A Stuff!
about 5 years ago – Mon, Nov 25, 2019 at 01:40:53 AM

We're not yet through the first day, and it has been one to remember. We have over 5,000 backers, almost 1,200 comments, and a lot of questions. So, in this update I'm going to try to answer some of the most common questions we've been seeing. 

Translations

As our backers from Deep Madness know, with that game we released translation packs that covered the rulebooks and all of the cards for the game and expansions. So, an obvious question has been, are you doing that again with this game? The answer is, we will be doing translations, but we won't be doing the packs. Here's why.

Dawn of Madness has a TON of written content in it. Even with all of the cards and everything, though, it's the books that really push it over the edge. Because of this, translation packs would be extremely expensive to make - and extremely expensive to buy. Even if we subsidized them, you would still end up paying at least $30-40 for translations on top of the core game. So, rather than doing that, we have decided to release full language core boxes of the game. The core box will be available in each of the languages (English, German, French, and Spanish) at no additional cost, and then every expansion will contain each version automatically.  (It could end up you would choose a language version for really big expansions, but for most cases every version will just be included.) The biggest problem with this is that there will be a delay of several months as we create the alternate language versions versus the English version. However, you will be saving a good chunk of money on translation packs, so hopefully that helps to offset this.

Now, one other thing that has been noticed is that we haven't committed to doing an Italian translation at this time. The reason for this is that, across both Deep Madness campaigns, the total number of Italian translation packs sold compared to the next lowest translation was about 1/5th. We lost money on all of the translation packs, but we lost a lot of money on the Italian translation. Now, several awesome backers have offered to help with the Italian translation (here's looking at you, Fabios and Luca), but even with their help the cost of the Italian translation would still be exorbitant for not necessarily very many copies. So, we're not writing it off yet. But what we need is to see confirmation that there is indeed interest in an Italian translation - and when we say this, we mean hundreds of confirmed individual backers who are interested in it. Having said that, I've set up a poll to gauge the interest on this. Italian friends, please forward this to every Italian backer you know, and please help us by answering truthfully. You can find the poll right here. (Should you want to spread the link, by the way, it is https://forms.gle/WWvqFZgbcYd62Sn77.)

Will Deep Madness be available in this campaign?

Currently the only Deep Madness expansion being offered is Faces of the Sphere, and if anything else was offered it would likely be more crossover content rather than previous expansions. While we know this will likely be disappointing for people, the reason for it is that adding in the Deep Madness stuff on top of the Dawn of Madness stuff would be a logistical nightmare. Deep Madness was not a small project, and Dawn could very well be pretty big, too. So, combining the two would make a lumbering beast the likes of which would break factories and shipping companies (and poor Cherry, our production manager) the world over. Speaking of shipping companies, they charge for every different SKU that they have to handle. So, if we add in Deep Madness, we will suddenly have something like 40 more SKUs we'll be paying for - regardless of how many people actually purchase it. (Translation: you think shipping prices are rough now? Hold our beer.)

For these reasons, we think our best bet is likely to postpone offering much of the Deep Madness content in this campaign, and instead offer it as a second reprint at some time in the not too distant future. If you guys would be interested in something like that, let us know.

(Side note: speaking of Faces of the Sphere, people have been wondering if they need Deep Madness in order to play and enjoy it. The answer is, not at all! Faces of the Sphere will be an awesome addition to Dawn of Madness whether you have DM or not. Additionally, DM backers have been wondering if they are eligible for the free cards mentioned for Faces. If you bought Faces in the reprint, then you are eligible for the free cards. No worries. And, if you own DM but didn't get Faces in the reprint, the Dawn cards will be automatically included if you purchase it now.)

How do I know if I'm eligible for the early bird?

If you back the campaign by 9am PST November 20th and eventually end up backing at least at the Otherworld Experience, then you are eligible. Whether you upgrade later on or in the PM doesn't matter. We are going by backer number with this campaign rather than having an actual early bird pledge level, so as long as you back in those first 24 hours and the pledge manager closes with at least an Otherworld pledge in your order, then you'll be good to go.

And, if you miss the early bird, fear not. The Watchers will be available as a separate $14 expansion after that, so you will still be able to get them and they will be just as awesome. 

Why are some stretch goals not available for every pledge level?

This one is certainly a pain point, both for us and we know for a number of you. We would love nothing more than to offer every stretch goal to every backer, regardless of pledge level. But the truth is, these things cost money, with some items costing significantly more than others. And, while our margins on this game will hopefully be better than our margins were on Deep Madness, on Deep Madness they were basically non-existent. LOL! So some things are obviously expensive, such as miniatures (which require tooling, etc.), but other things are less obvious - and those other things actually dwarf the cost of making the miniatures. Books, for example. Or double-thick player dashboards. The cost for these items is actually exorbitantly more than the cost of making miniatures, which is why it is basically impossible to offer them at the lower pledge level, as much as it may suck. 

We realize some people will be extremely disappointed in this, and we may even lose a few backers because of it. But we feel that it's always better to be up front, honest, and integrous about this stuff, and the honest truth is that this isn't a ploy to get you to up your pledge. We just can't do it, as much as we want to. I hope this makes sense, and that you can understand our reasoning on this. And even if this is a deal-breaker for you, I hope we can still be friends. =)

Why so long for delivery?

Have you ever backed a Kickstarter campaign, gotten really excited about it, and then been told "Oh, shoot! We've run into some delays, guys! We're going to have to push back the Kickstarter delivery by 6 months!" (Or 9 months, or a year, etc.) I have. Dozens of times. Maybe more than that. And, to be perfectly honest, it's also what happened on the first Deep Madness campaign. 

One of our main deals (as I've mentioned) is being up-front and honest with our community. We know that we still have a ton of content to make for this game. I personally have three more books and some change to write on this, and that's just my stuff. (And not including stretch goal content.) We are a passionate team, but we're also a small team, and we know we have limits. As such, we don't want to give you a rosy picture up front that we know we will have to smear later on, even if it costs us some backers and support now. There are enough problems that arise during a Kickstarter without being knowingly dishonest up front. And, hey, maybe we'll have a shot at actually delivering early for a change. Wouldn't that be a Kickstarter novelty?

Will there be gameplay videos?

I actually touched on this in the last update, but the answer is: yes! We're going to have a bunch of videos during the course of this campaign. You will end this campaign knowing exactly what type of game you're pledging for, and hopefully we'll all have a great time with it in the meantime. (You'll see what I mean soon.)

Okay, that's it for this update! I know that for some people this may have been a dryer update, but I also know that for others these are the answers to some of your biggest burning questions. We'll be back with more fun stuff very soon, though, so stay tuned! We're just getting warmed up!

P.S. I just realized that you could probably start a drinking game for every time I said "honest" in this update, should you be into such things. LOL! Have fun, guys! (Don't go too crazy, Russ, Kevin, Jim, and Shane!)

Purging Flames, A Mother's Child, and a Clockmaker
about 5 years ago – Sun, Nov 24, 2019 at 11:33:26 AM

So, funny story. Today I had to go to the studio where I shot the last two-thirds of the campaign video and clean everything up, because I hadn't gotten a chance to get there yesterday. As I left I thought, "It'll be fine." "No worries," I thought. "I won't be too far behind by the time I get back."

And then I come back to see that we have over 3,300 backers and are also currently over $430,000! WOW! Thank you all so much! We appreciate you all and are so humbled and grateful that you've joined us! 

But, as I said, I'm way behind. I don't have time to go really in-depth with the new unlocked stretch goals, but I can at least parade them past you!

Purging Flames

After the three Toxins, the next stretch goal you unlocked was a new final boss for Lynas the priest. On the campaign page this mini is currently called Flame of Purge, but I have a feeling its name is going to change to Purging Flames very shortly. ;-) 

Lynas Gershwin's story involves a lot of fire. Even the title of his book is In Fire Cleansed. So perhaps it's no surprise that his next boss apart from Eminent Glory is a pyre. The question is, though, were the people on that pyre already dead? Were they a sacrifice for some strange, otherworldly beast? Were they burned alive as a punishment for their wickedness? Or is the truth something else altogether? The answer is... complicated. And, as with most things in Dawn of Madness, it's ultimately up to you and your choices to determine what actually happened. 

That's all we have time for right now about Purging Flames, because now we need to get onto Claude's next boss!

Mama's Boy

Claude the detective is a family man. A good chunk of his story revolves around his wife and unborn child. As such, this boss might be another one that is no surprise at all. (Then again...) 

Meet Mama's Boy. The little bundle of joy is nestled securely in one set of his mom's arms, snug as a bug. It's honestly kind of touching, when you think about it. 

Is this Claude's wife and child? What happened to them to turn them into these horrific monstrosities? Are they just a manifestation of Claude's haunted psyche? Or are they something far more sinister? You'll find out when you play the game, and the answer might be different depending on your playthrough - as might be their dispositions. In one ending they may be helping you. In the next, they could be actively trying to relieve you of your face. 

You might think that's enough for one update. But oh no! You guys just couldn't slow down! (Which we are extremely grateful for, once again. =)

Edward Hirshfield

We have officially begun unlocking our first Wanderer expansion for Edward Hirshfield! Unlike in many games where the characters are the stretch goals that everyone groans and bears with, in Dawn of Madness the Wanderers are the game. As such, this isn't just a character we're unlocking: this will be a major expansion to the game. And Edward's story is going to be a doozy. 

Edward is a clockmaker who, like Claude, also happens to be a family man. Unlike Claude, though, he knows that it is already too late for his family. Or... is it? What if there was a way to undo what had been done? What if he could bring her back?

We'll have a lot more about Edward as we move deeper into his expansion. But for now, here's a picture of the Wanderer dashboard that was just unlocked! 

Since we happen to have his dashboard right in front of us, I might as well point out a few things. On the bottom-left is Edward's Existence and Mental Capacity levels. Existence is his health in the Otherworld, while his Mental Capacity determines where he will start out on the Mental Capacity track. Every time he takes actions he will move down the track, and then the characters who are now above him will take an action - whether a monster, or a Wanderer. Edward will go again as soon as he is once again on top of the track. Then, when all characters have expended all of their Mental Capacity, the round will end.  

On the right side of his board you'll notice the two concentric circles of symbols. The inner circle (with the numbers around it) contains the Sentience icons. The icons themselves aren't really important, but the color is. The numbers next to each color reflect how many dice you will begin the campaign rolling for tests, as well as the number of resources you'll start off a round with. Next, the outer circle are called Concepts. These five images show up regularly in Dawn of Madness, from the dice to the story books to cards. And when they are combined with a certain color of Sentience, they become a Domain. So you would spend a Red Skull Domain when that is called for, or a Yellow Tentacle Fingers Domain (my own loving name for them) in a story's test, etc. If this isn't quite hitting home yet, don't worry. We're going to start having all sorts of game-related videos very soon, where we will dive deeper into this topic and many others. Speaking of which:

Videos

I'm not yet quite ready to start doing videos for all of you as I just got all my equipment back and haven't had a chance to set it up yet. But as soon as I have then we'll get this video thing rolling. I'm hoping to do live videos again (like we did in the Deep Madness reprint campaign), as well as gameplay videos and everything in-between. I have another idea, too, that's kind of crazy. I don't want to tell you what it is yet because I still have to work out how to do it, but if I can then I think we are all going to have a TON of fun with it. 

Okay, well that's it for this update! I will talk with you all again very soon!