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Gamefound page launched!
We are (previewing) live on Gamefound!
The link above is just a preview page and the project won’t fully open to pledges until we get enough “traction” in the form of follows/comments/likes/etc. We expects to get a few YouTube video reviews or mentions in December and we will update our timeline depending on the response. If everything goes according to plan we expect a 30-day campaign launching early January.
November 2024
After finally selecting the manufacturer that provided us with the best quality/service, we asked them to ship us a few pre-production copies pretty much identical in quality/content to the final mass-produced product.
We are currently in the process of forwarding those copies to content creators, influential in the hobby, that will help us boost our visibility.
We calculated that we need approximately 200~230 backers in order for our campaign to succeed. So far we are not reaching that number yet thus the need to get the word out there!
Our two playthrough videos for Scenario 1 (the short infantry only introduction. scenario) and can give new players an idea of how the game is played, along with a read of the latest rules (2.2).
Hello everyone!
We have a winner! We have indeed selected our manufacturer for “1811: Albuera” and so we ordered from them a few pre-production copies that should be pretty much as close to the final product as can be.
We also published part 1 of our “How to play” video for scenario 1: you will find it here.
The play-through gives you an overview of basic game mechanics as far as infantry goes. Familiarity with the core rules (v2.2) might help you follow the flow of the game. They can be downloaded here: v2.2 Rules
We plan on sending review copies in November to Youtube Wargame reviewers in order to boost our exposure before pre-launching the crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound in December.
Late October 2024
Coming soon on
October 2024 newsletter
Arrival of our 3 prototypes for “1811:Albuera”.
In the past two weeks, we received physical copies of our three prototypes. As we are new in the business, we asked for the help of three different game manufacturers to test them on customer service, prices, manufacturing quality, component fidelity to our blueprints and shipping efficiency.
The first prototype we received arrived in a large and heavy box containing a fully mounted map. While the map was quite heavy duty and impressive, the printing quality of the counters and cards was not and we cannot accept that as a final sales product. Additionally, the weight and form factor of the box (larger than “standard GMT” boxes) seem too bulky for anything but a “deluxe collector’s edition” type of wargame. The charts, dice and booklets were industry standard.
The second prototype was quite different. The box was lighter (cheaper shipping costs!) and had the standard small wargame size that most of us know. The booklets, charts and dice were essentially of the same quality than those of the first prototype but the cards were slightly larger and without printing flaws. The counters however were a pure joy to look at, feel, punch out and manipulate! The map however came folded in 8th with very thick (almost rubbery) paper, difficult to unfold and lay down on the table. I contacted the company to advise them that, if we make our final choice for a paper map, I would like thinner paper (similar to the one used by GMT/MMP/Compass). This would make the map less unwieldy and less susceptible to damage at the creases.
A week later, the third prototype came with slightly thinner cards, booklets and charts of similar quality as the first two and a sturdy glossy box with a form factor close to the thick GMT COIN boxes.
The counters were beautifully printed in vivid colors, easily punchable with slightly rounded corners and just a slight drift on the back side of two of the five sheets. The map, cut in two halves to fit the box, was mounted and printed matte which gives it a slight ‘period’ look. Both halves aligned, not quite perfectly but not off enough to cause any game play or visual discomfort.
After review, we think that prototype 3 was the winner both in terms of quality and box format. We will settle on a manufacturer after we get our final production quotes and then prepare the crowd funding campaign.
A video of the unboxing will be up on our channel shortly.
Playtesting and corrections
After we put the prototype 1’s map on the table with prototype 2’s counters and markers (box 3 arrived too late), we started immediately testing, once again, the historical battle scenario to see if the latest rules changes were not inducing strange game behavior.
The game seems to run fine and the morning of May 16th, 1811 saw the French army cross the Albuera river to face the Spanish on the hills and the British in the village.
We finished the scenario after a 3 afternoons of play (frequently interrupted for rules tweak and corrections) with a French automatic victory around the 3:00pm turn.
This play test allowed us to finalize version 2.1 of the rules. You can see the changes from the first edition and download them here.
Thank you for reading our first production update. We will keep you posted on our progress within the next month!
Fred
August 2024 announcement
The GameCrafter just announced yet another price hike (see their website).
This, we believe, makes our boxed games products just too expensive to justify producing and selling.
Fortunately, we started the process, a few months ago, to attempt a switch from the print on demand system to the more common [crowdfunding -> bulk printing at industry standard level -> online sales] model.
Our first attempt at such venture will be to initiate a Kickstarter campaign for the second edition of our "1811: Albuera" game.
This edition will feature many changes and improvements from the original, including a re-write of the core rules. For more information on the reboot of Albuera, click here. For an overview of the new components, here.
We are currently in talk with a few manufacturers for the production of a physical game prototype and will be choosing which one to go with after assessing components quality versus production costs.
It should take one or two months to evaluate our prototypes and setup the promotional materials for the various online platforms we use (our website, Facebook and Kickstarter). We will then launch our Kickstarter campaign to gather the funds for the initial print run of 500 units of the game.
Only if the campaign gets funded will we be able to go ahead with production. If it fails, we will have to consider closing the door on all our boxed games projects.
As such, we are discontinuing the sale of our two original "Fix Bayonets!" games on The Gamecrafter. Other products (free, add-ons for other games) will still be available there for sale as print-on-demand items.
If this course adjustment succeeds, our plan is to produce volume III for "Fix Bayonets!" which will be "1809: Talavera" then release "1810: Bussaco Second Edition" in 2025. We will then work on completing "Tracers & Torpedoes Core Set" for future release, also following the crowdfunding model.
For more information on pricing and how our company is evolving, see the FAQ.
