Backerkit / Map Updates
over 2 years ago – Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 10:50:59 PM

Hi folks! Hope your week is off to a good start! Wanted to share a few things with you quick:

BackerKit

Higher # of mats pledges

For those of you in the USA who wanted to get > 16 mats, I have added pledges going up to 22 mats. If you're an international backer who wants > 16, please get a hold of me via a KS message! If anybody wants more than 22 in the US, get a hold of me also!

Issues with switching pledges

Some folks ran into challenges switching to the appropriate pledge - particularly on mobile phones. It seems the UI for BackerKit is a bit more confusing/limiting on phones. If you're stuck selecting the correct pledge, or advanced the survey without switching pledges and can't seem to go back, shoot me a quick KS message and I can reset your pledge.

How long with the pledge manager stay open?

I've received this question quite a bit - I'm planning on leaving it open for at least a few more weeks. THAT SAID I'm putting in the production order at the end of this week, so if you have the ability to finalize your pledge this week I would be tremendously grateful, as it helps me get closer to the actual #'s I need to get printed by the manufacturer.

Farmland Design

Lots of folks didn't like the farmland design we came up with, and had valid concerns about playability and it being too busy. We took that feedback to heart and tried to create a new version that is less busy, potentially more usable (especially with some companion terrain like a barn/house, etc). We came up with something much more simplistic - a simple, large hay field. Take a look below.

Please note that we will only use this design if nobody who already chose to purchase the farmland map has done so and does NOT prefer this design, as it's pretty late in the game to be making changes. If you are interested in the farmland map please drop your feedback below in a comment if you prefer the new design.

**A NOTE** - I've had many folks with lots of design suggestions, which I always appreciate. However, with the need to get this order in in a few short days, we cannot make further complex changes to this, or any of the other designs at this point.

Pledge manager - Open and ready to rock!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Sep 09, 2021 at 05:18:14 AM

Hi folks! 

By now you should have received an email from BackerKit. If you did not, give it a few minutes to arrive, or just login with your Kickstarter email here: https://dungeonmats-wave-2.backerkit.com. I hope to have this out earlier but the holiday on Monday here in the US delayed things.

[ THE PLEDGE MANAGER ]

The pledge manager is pretty straightforward - you will start on your original Kickstarter pledge, which will now be labelled with **SWITCH OFF THIS PLEDGE**. As the name implies, you MUST select a new pledge level, which matches up with your shipping destination (USA or International) and the # of mats you wish to receive. You can, of course, pay additional in the pledge manager beyond what you pledged on Kickstarter to receive more mats.

If you have any questions, please watch the quick overview video below. Also PLEASE NOTE the sooner folks can fill this out the better as it'll give me more knowledge for placing my production order, which I hope to do at the end of next week.

[ VIDEO OVERVIEW OF BACKERKIT ]

[ OTHER STUFF TO KNOW ]

• I've shared previews of the last stretch goal mats in the last KS update - check it out to see if you are interested in those mats.
• I got some feedback that the farmlands map could work better a bit differently than we designed it (more open space, one large field). We're going to do a few exploratory test designs, but we'll only change the final design if there's unanimous decision that it works better from backers interested in that mat.
• I will -- of course -- keep you all updated on production and logistics as things keep rolling! 

Lastly, thank you all so much for your support on this project and I look forward to getting these mats on your table!!!

Design Updates + Pledge Manager Update
over 2 years ago – Sat, Sep 04, 2021 at 05:30:01 PM

Hi folks! Hope you're well.

Pledge Manager

The pledge manager is 95% setup and I expect KS to finalize fund transfer this weekend, so I'm expecting to send out links to the pledge manager on Mon or Tue. I will post another update with a detailed video overview and instructions for all backers. I'm also asking that you please plan on trying to fill out the pledge manager as soon as you can. I'm going to be looking at numbers folks have selected for each mat design and extrapolate that from the total surveys completed to place the production order ~1 week after the pledge manager opens. The pledge manager will remain open for a few weeks though.

Design Updates

RIVER / FARMLANDS

This map is completed! We tried to make the farmlands generic enough that you could use multiple together if you wish, or place some terrain (like a barn, windmill, home, etc) in the center. Here's the design tile for it:

And here's the full design preview (click for zoomable version on Imgur)

JUNGLE / FAEWILD

Here's the preview of the finished jungle / faewild map (again, click for zoomable version)

EVIL LAIR / XENO

We're designing this map to be usable as possibly a sci-fi or fantasy map.  We don't have full designs yet but I can show some work in progress previews. Here's an example of the Xeno side (which could be an alien hive, mindflayer warren, etc)

For the "Evil Lair" here's an example of what we have so far below. (note - the sigil on the floor is a placeholder, there will be some symbols/scrawling in the bordered tile area that can be either alien or fantasy runes)

Not a lot of room to make much in the way of changes at this point in the process, but I hope you all like the stretch goal designs so far!

KICKSTARTER SUCCESSFUL! Next steps + a few questions/answers
over 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 24, 2021 at 08:38:19 AM

WOOHOO! Thanks so much for you support folks! Now that the campaign was successful, the hard work starts. I wanted to outline a few next steps and timelines, and answer a few common questions I've been getting.

Common Question: Can I increase my pledge and/or get more mats?

Answer: YES - you cannot make changes in Kickstarter now that the project has ended, but in the pledge manager (BackerKit) you'll be able to add any additional funds to get any number of mats you wish.

[ TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS ]

Over the next 2 weeks, Kickstarter will charge your cards, deal with rectifying any issues there, then deliver the funds to me at the end of that 2 weeks. In that time, we'll be working on finalizing the remaining stretch goal designs we haven't shown yet.  

Towards the end of the 2 weeks I'll send out a survey to estimate the numbers needed for all mat designs so I can place an order with the manufacturer of the mats & tubes. 

Then after the 2 week funding period, I'll open the pledge manager and you can finalize your order, add additional funds and choose the mat designs you want.

Over the next 45-60 days the factory will print and ship the mats to me, as will the tube manufacturer. This is the piece I have no control over, but the manufacturer has been wonderful to work with so far and I hope to keep this estimated timeline. 

As soon as we receive the mats, we'll have everything ready to start stuffing mats into tubes and shipping out orders. Based on Wave 1, we estimate to have all orders shipped within 3 weeks of receiving the mat delivery.

Thanks again for your support on this project -- stay tuned for more updates as we work on designs, and let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

River Map Preview
over 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 18, 2021 at 09:24:27 PM

Hi folks! We are working on the unlocked stretch goal designs and we just finalized the river. It's designed to tile seamlessly with the other grassy texture mats (plains, beach, roadway, etc) and also tile with itself to make a longer river (flipped either way).

We also designed it as such that it barely appears to be less wide in the middle (which would be used as a ford/crossing) or just left as normal river bank. I hope you dig it!

Here's the preview tile showing the detail of the mat:

And here's the full design (linked to higher res you can zoom FYI)