Expansion Bundle Development

We here at Watchtower Games like to keep our players informed on the status of what's going behind the scenes. This may be much more detailed information than you normally receive from a board game publisher, so just understand that items may change and that different items listed have different weights in how long they take to complete (testing for example takes a lot of time). Also, as we get closer to release, the detail level zooms in to keep you more informed. So more items added to the list do not mean more tasks added, just a more detailed look at a task to finish.

Here's the current progress on the Expansion Bundles:

Overall: We're waiting on samples for both expansions to approve their manufacture.


Depths of Glarr
- Samples received. Waiting on changes from manufacturer for larger box size.
- Manufacture Depths of Glarr


Cursed Sands
- Samples approved
- Manufacturing completed

Finished
- Finish box cover layout
- Have external editors edit the Story cards
- Final layout for all cards
- Final approval of files by game producer before being sent to manufacturer
- Test Domain and Loot system complete
- Test Necromancer Hero complete
- Expansion Rule Book complete
- Edit Story cards
- Reading test for Story cards
- Edit and reading test for Quest card
- Art completed: Elven Armor & Unstable Beacon & Vorathe & Curator
- Writers finish Story cards
- Enter Story cards into templates
- Write Quest card (both sides)
- Cursed One Final Battle cards written and tested
- Test Cursed One Dungeon Lord

Just signed off on the Cursed One's testing. He's good to go. That took quite a while to get him where we needed him to be in both win rates and feel. Necromancer should be close behind.

We're still waiting on the last few pieces of art. Now it's time to get the Story cards into the system and reviewed, finish up the missing cards (FB and Quest), and do the final card layout.

- Tom

Update 6/1/15
- Finished writing Quest card
- Finished writing Final Battle cards for Cursed One

Update 6/4/15
- Entered all Story cards into the templates (whew!)
- Curator art complete
- Vorathe initial sketch received

Update 6/6/15
- Edit Story cards
- Reading test for Story cards
- Edit and reading test for Quest card
- Art completed: Elven Armor & Unstable Beacon

Update 6/8/15

We just had a delivery arrive at our door not moments ago. Let's take a look inside.

Special Delivery #1

Special Delivery #2

Special Delivery #3

Special Delivery #4

Special Delivery #5

Special Delivery #6

We'll probably need to make some changes to the glue for the boxes to make sure they stay shut nice and tight. A few of the tabs were a little loose. Other than that minor issue, they look very nice indeed. Once the Game Producer is back in the office (tomorrow?) and signs off on them, we'll send in payment and get the Depths of Glarr's production run going in full swing. Yay!

Update 6/12/15
- Expansion Rule Book completed
- Vorathe creature art completed

Update 6/15/15
- Testing Loot & Domain systems completed
- Testing Arvane the Necromancer completed

Another big milestone with all testing completed for the expansions. We need Story card edits from our external editors next and then layout of the cards before we send the files to the manufacturer. Getting close.

Update 7/28/15

- Card layouts completed.

We're just waiting on the box cover design to be approved and then we'll send in the files and payment for the samples to the manufacturer. This should hopefully happen in the next few days, and we'll drop a message here when it does.

Another update on the expansion bundle progress:

Last week and today, I've sent in changes requested by the manufacturer for the samples to be made. The changes were small issues to fix, but important ones to catch during the process, such as the border on one card not fully extending to edge and adjusting text on the box cover to help visibility according to how they want it printed. So everything has been tweaked (except for the Curse tokens I need to adjust tomorrow) and should be good to go.

This should be the last of the fixes, and then they'll send the samples our way soon.

Latest word from earlier this week from the manufacturer is that they would finish the samples for Cursed Sands (Exp #2) as well as the new boxes for Depths of Glarr (Exp #1) this Friday (yesterday, September 18th). No message from them if this happened yet, but I wouldn't imagine that it will take much longer to get the samples.

Once the samples are approved (assuming no problems), we'll start the the full expansion run and ship them out as quick as we can.

Manufacturer says that the samples are en route as of yesterday. I'll post some pictures when they arrive.

We just received the sample for the Cursed Sands expansion as well as the bigger box for the Depths of Glarr. Overall, the samples look good. Definitely playable. But there are some changes we want to make for things to look better.

- The box covers and cards need to be lightened up
- The rule book has a spacing issue that looks weird between two pages but is very easy to fix.
- The title "Cursed Sands" looks perfect on the rule book, but the gradient of the color on the box top and sides is missing for some reason.
- A few other minor issues

So we're going to see if they fix the issues and then send us another sample. If that takes something like 2-3 weeks, then we're happy to take a look at another sample. If they tell us that another sample will take 2-3 months then we may just have them fix the issues, skip the second sample, and have them start the manufacture run.

Tom


Fantastically mediocre quality photos below:

Sample Image #1

Sample Image #2

Sample Image #3

Sample Image #4

Sample Image #5

Sample Image #6

Sample Image #7

Hello again,

Here's the latest update with more nit picky details than you probably wanted to know:

The last holdout for the sample is this annoying font/gradient on the cover (and sides, as well as a small rule book fix too). Apparently, every time I send the files to China, they receive the files "perfectly" and proceed to send back a sample with a box with a dark font, no gradient, and missing drop shadow.

Here is what I send to the manufacturer:

Expected


And here is the box top I receive:

Result


So this morning, I sent them the full, RAW files (we're talking GBs of data) for these images including PDF and PSD versions (with every version variation I could manage to ensure compatibility) and told them to figure it out and send another sample.

If the end result comes back again with the same ugly title, then we'll just run with it. It's just taking too long at this point.

Sorry for the delay. I know it's taken some time to get this made.

So the plan of attack is:

1) Have them fix the cover with the files sent this morning
2) Have them send over a new sample.
3) Start the full run (assuming no bizarre, massive issue pops up in the sample).
4) Get them out to you.

I really want to get this expansion into your hands. The new Dungeon Lord's Curse tokens are really fun and create a dread for the poor hero. And the new Necromancer hero is a new take with keeping your undead pet alive in front of you as long as you can, and hoping the Dungeon Lord doesn't punish you if you're on your own and exposed.

It's all in the hands of their layout guy and his photoshop skills at this point. Fingers crossed!

Tom Green
Watchtower Games

Any updates? Also, happy birthday Tom!

Hey Tom, just checking in to see about any updates on the status of the expansions. Take care.