Mistfall: Heart of the Mists

A slightly longer production (and sundries) update, now with pictures!
almost 10 years ago – Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 11:05:12 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen,  

Once again we are happy to let you know that everything is still proceeding as planned. I know, we’re boring this way, so to make this update worth your while, let me add a few more interesting and pertinent announcements.

Firstly, we will be keeping the Pledge Manager open until September 1st. We will update you at least once again when the time starts to close in on us, but since we already know, we wanted you to know as well.

Secondly, although we have already processed some refund requests, we will continue with processing only after the Pledge Manager is closed. We’re sorry for the extra time you’ll have to wait, but we want to resolve all requests in an orderly fashion, and after everybody has made their mind, so that nobody falls through the cracks. Thank you all for your patience.  

While we’re on the topic of Pledge Manager and refunds: if you have ordered the Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack via Backer Kit (only after the funding was over), and you want a full refund, please remove the set in the Pledge Manager instead. We will not be refunding Miniatures Sets ordered exclusively via the Pledge Manager.  

Thirdly, last time we told you that all files were submitted for Heart of the Mists, Sand & Snow, and Shadowscape. We’ve just approved the digital proofs (you can take a look at some samples below), so everything is moving at a proper pace.  

Finally, NSKN Games is once again preparing to send one of our own to China, just to make sure that you get the top quality product you deserve. However, production does not stop in wait for this event. This is more of a final check than anything else.  

As always, if you have questions, we’ll be happy to answer.  

Have a great day!  

Błażej

Short production update
about 10 years ago – Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 12:23:52 AM

Ladies & Gentlemen,

We're happy to let you know that we're proceeding according to the original schedule and we're on track for October delivery.

For the past several weeks we have been working like crazy to finalize all files and get games ready to print. Here's a quick overview of what's going on:

• Heart of the Mists - all files submitted 
• Mistfall (reprint) - all files submitted with the exception of the rules which are undergoing an overhaul 
• Sand & Snow - all files submitted
• Valskyrr (reprint) - all files submitted
• Miniatures Pack - molding in process
• Shadowscape - all files submitted with the exception of the rules which are almost ready

Next step is to approve the e-proofs from the manufacturer, which will happen just before or during Gen Con.

This is all for today, we'll get back to you with more news as the production process moves forward.

Have a great weekend,

Andrei

Lore Update: The Keeper & Velkar the Devourer
about 10 years ago – Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 09:16:11 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen!

As we are hard at work on Heart of the Mists and Shadowscape, I would like to take a short breather, and bring you what is probably the last Lore Update. The stories of the final two villains are thus revealed, together with their images, so that all can wonder and despair!

The Keeper

The Keeper is a partly mythical being, and up until his recent reappearance many believed him to be no more than a folk tale. Described as a giant skeletal figure wielding a sword, The Keeper was thought by many to be a godlike being, or a personification of neutrality and judgement. The truth is, however, more complex.

Once a warrior and an explorer, the Keeper’s name has been forever lost in the tides of time. What some of the most ancient and ambiguous texts tell of him today, is that he was a man determined to find out the true nature of the Mists, so that their threat could be dealt with forever. Yet, as he explored further and deeper into the lands taken by the malevolent force, both his mind and his body did not remain untouched, for the Mists can find a way to unlock the door barring the way into the mind of even the strongest individuals, and all they need is time.

Some believe that The Keeper became what he is now as punishment for his unparalleled hunger for knowledge. Others believe that it was his relentlessness in achieving his goal that brought him too far. Most scholars agree, however, that he did eventually find the knowledge he had been seeking, but that the journey itself consumed him in the process.

Headstrong and unyielding, The Keeper was nonetheless transformed, the Mists allowing him to witness their greatest secret, while binding him to it as a guardian of what he had so much craved for. However, as he still retains parts of his former self, The Keeper still resists the corrupting power, hanging on to what is left of his original purpose.

Now, having gathered enough energy to breach back into the lands of men, The Keeper awaits the heroes able to best him, so that the secrets that lie beyond the Black Gate can be revealed. And while the power of the Mists holds enough sway over his current form to make him stand against whoever wishes to walk through the door to the Heart of the Mists, his appearance may be humanity’s greatest chance of winning back the world half-devoured by what seemed like indomitable and unrelenting darkness.

Velkar the Devourer

The story of Velkar almost mirrors that of The Keeper. Similarly little is known about him, as he was once a man whose hunger for knowledge and power was only matched by his desire to remain unnoticed by those who would work to foil his plans.

Believed to have been a Duskbearer priest once, he has since left the shadowy path of the Nightfather to step into the black madness of the Mists, embracing their gifts willingly, wholeheartedly, and deliberately. Melded with the darkest energies of the Mists, Velkar has become one with the Mists, becoming the only living being fully aware of the oldest and darkest chapter of their history.

Once proud children of Dawn and Dusk, and struck down by their father’s fiery rage, the Firstborn where not annihilated. Their suffering and anger remaining in the ashes of their violent demise, the Firstborn’s souls melded together, giving birth to the corrupting power known as the Mists. Their torment and lust for vengeance fuelled by the divine might that destroyed them became the power able to sow destruction, and corrupt everything in its path.

After reaching the Gorge – a cursed place where Nightfather's hands had struck the world to annihilate his children – Velkar became an unspeakable, malevolent abomination, and the source of the corrupting power of the Mists. The will of the Firstborn is now his will, and as he grows in power, the day the world will die tormented the way the first children of the gods died seems closer than ever before.

How do you like the stories of the mighty servants of the Mists? Are you ready to face them? Tell us what you think and - as always - have a great day!

Błażej

Implementing the solution for the minis issue
about 10 years ago – Thu, Jul 07, 2016 at 07:20:51 PM

Ladies & Gentlemen,

We'd like to thank you once again for showing such tremendous support and understanding for the whole minis situation. We welcome all criticism and opinions, and we are going to provide below the details of how we are going to handle this.

Continuous search for an alternative painting service

As some of you requested, we will continue looking for a solution to paint some of the miniatures sets. If we manage to find a positive answer, we will offer this option to those who want it, without forcing it on anyone. However, we have quite low expectations in this quest so far we have not found any suitable service.

Compensation

We've looked into the best option to provide compensation as we promised and we believe we have found a solution that is:

• simple enough to not cause havoc or any delay
• flexible
• manageable - so that we avoid mistakes during fulfillment
• requires only a little amount of involvement from your side

1. If you're OK with the compensation in the form of microgames added to your pledge, you do not need to do anything. With every copy of the Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack, you will also receive 3 Wishes and What's Up. 

2. If you want a partial refund of $6 instead of the microgames, please write to us a short email at [email protected] with the subject $6 REFUND stating your KS email and your PayPal email. All these refunds will be processed via PayPal.

3. If you want a full refund for the Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack ($28) please write to us a short email at [email protected] with the subject FULL REFUND stating your KS email and your PayPal email. All these refunds will also be processed via PayPal.

We will leave this on the table for as long as possible, most likely until September when we will prepare for fulfillment.

Thank you,

Andrei

About the miniatures and a problem with painting
about 10 years ago – Sat, Jul 02, 2016 at 12:24:06 AM

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Today we come not bearing good news as usual, but quite the opposite.

A few days ago we have received pictures from our manufacturer with the final miniatures for Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack and you can see some of them below. These are pre-production samples, so bear in mind that the final models, made by plastic injection, will show a higher level of detail and will be overall still a little better.

While the quality of the models is up to our expectations and we could also confirm the timeline for production, the situation with the paint job is quite the opposite.

A bit of background

The manufacturing process of In the Name of Odin - our previous KS project - involved me going for a visit to Shanghai, China to see the manufacturing facilities and approve final files. During this meeting with our manufacturer, I have had the chance to see painted minis made for another company which led me to believe that with their help we will be able to deliver very good quality painted miniatures for Mistfall and Heart of the Mists. As you can probably already predict, this did not work out the way we wanted.

The problem

Together with the final 13 models, we have also received the proposal for a high quality paint job. What you see below is the second iteration and the second time we have had to reject the proposal from the painting studio employed by our manufacturer. 

The quality of the painting is way below what we have expected, and what we would want to offer to our fans and backers. The paint is too thick, which significantly lowers the level of detail of the miniatures. Also, this is not what we were led to believe we could reasonably expect.

Now, the truth is a bit harsh here, and I wish I were able to tell you that we can add a small delay to our production schedule, and keep going back and forth with feedback until the moment we will see properly painted models. This is not the case. The lack of improvement seen between the two attempts (after specific guidelines given to the manufacturer by an experienced painter) simply tells us that the quality of the painting will not be up to your and our expectations.

The solution

Since the problem with painting became apparent, the whole NSKN Team (and a few of our friends) was hard at work to find a proper solution, and to deliver the quality you would expect from us.

We have been in contact with several painting studios in Asia and Europe, and we could not find a deal which would allow us to deliver good quality on time and inside a reasonable budget. We promised to deliver the whole combo of products on time and we plan to keep this promise.

I know that some of you will be disappointed with what we are about to propose, and that some of you will be as forgiving as our friends. The only thing all of us want you to know is that we have never intended for this to happen. We wanted to be true to our words, instead we have to offer you alternatives in place of what you were promised.

After thinking long and hard, here are the options we want to give you, hoping none of you will be left dissatisfied with your NSKN Games experience. They do appear in the order of our preference, but each of you is free to choose on their own. So, if you ordered the Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack, you can:

• add for free 2 microgames*** to your pledge (worth of $20) together with the unpainted minis,
• receive a partial refund of $6 together with the unpainted minis,
• or receive a full refund for the Heroes of Mistfall Miniatures Pack, if the lack of paint is a deal breaker for you.

At the same time, we will explore other options for painting the minis and if we find such an option we will pull the trigger, but we have to be realistic and acknowledge the fact that there are small chances for such a deal to come through.

(***) The microgames we're offering are 3 Wishes and What's Up, two smart little games which are published under the logo of Strawberry Studio, a daughter company of NSKN Games.

I want to apologize to all of you on behalf of our team, I understand the disappointment you must feel for getting the minis unpainted. We have come up with the best possible solution we could find and we welcome any comments, suggestions or criticism you might have.

We will also get back to you next week with an update which will explain how this solution will be implemented, or, to put it simply, how you can get the games, or the refund.

Yours,

Andrei