TTS Demo, Summer Playtesting, Plushies and Factories!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Apr 24, 2020 at 11:18:16 PM

Hello friends and backers! I hope you all are enjoying Spring in whatever fashion you are able to. The situation at hand has had an effect on just about everything, and we're no exception. 

Convention Playtesting -> TTS Playtesting

We'd planned on testing out our stories this summer both at conventions and with friends, but that does not seem super feasible right now! We've tried out playing through the demo on Tabletop Simulator, and it was pretty fun - we still get to do silly voices, move cards around, and all that fun gamey business, but without the threat of spreading plague across the table. So we're going to be aiming to do a lot of our testing there, both internally and with outside playtesters.  

We're planning to do playtests of individual chapters with outsiders starting in June (around when Origins would've been held). Our May update will include information on how to sign up, our schedule, and tech requirements. This isn't going to be some 30-page NDA to sign, but...please don't spoil the stories for everyone, you know? 

As things return to normal this summer, hopefully, we'll try and do some live testing as well. That all depends on how things go out there in the world, though. We'll keep you posted if and when there're any live playtest events which need volunteers. Given the lack of conventions, those are likely to be in the Boston area. 

How are we? How are you? 

We're doing OK! It's been a rough couple months, not gonna lie. We definitely are excited to bring you some fun stories and space adventures, and hope everyone's getting through this as best you can. Plumplim Ambassador Thonis Falokin delivers an important message of wisdom: 

"It is not the hug outside, but the hug inside your heart that matters most. Unless you are an artichoke."

Thank you, Ambassador.

Factories, Plushies, Distribution?

We don't have a date yet on Plushies, but things are starting to return to normal for our factories and production partners. We're hopeful that the supply chain will be reasonably intact this summer and fall. For all of our paper goods, there's likely to be little impact. We'll keep you posted if anything changes! 

Meow

Ivy was napping, thank you very much. But also, please pet-pets?

Demo on Tabletop Simulator, and also Puppers!
over 4 years ago – Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 06:43:00 PM

Last week we released the Print & Play demo that we've been running at conventions to you all, and we're excited to announce that it's even easier to check it out now! One of our fantastic backers went to the effort of importing the files into Tabletop Simulator, and the module is available for free here. If you're not familiar with TTS, it's a program on Steam that allows you to play games on a virtual 3-D table, moving around cards and objects like you would in person. Pretty useful in this era of social-distancing! 

 Some tips for using the TTS Mod:

• "Subscribing" to the Module means it'll download to your computer, and be available inside TTS. It'll also update automatically if needed.
• If you click the white box on the top-left of any of the booklets in-game, it'll pop up a larger view of the book where you can turn pages easily.
• If you right click on a deck and select "Search", you'll be able to see all the numbered card-backs, so you can select which card you want to draw, as instructed by the Updates section in the book.
• Location cards will snap into place on the grid. While it's fun in person to get the edges to line up perfectly, that's a little cumbersome in TTS :) Maybe if we embed magnets in all the real cards...
• Have fun! Do silly voices (in your head if you're playing alone). 

All the Goodest Puppers

In non-Odysseys news, we've launched a campaign for a cute little card game called All the Goodest Puppers, featuring art from Cari & Amanda in similar watercolor style to our Odysseys maps. It's easy to learn and family friendly, and we hope to put it out this summer. It was a brain-break project for myself and the artists back in the Fall. Sometimes, you just need to take a few days and make a cute game about doggos!

Print and Play Demo Available!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Apr 03, 2020 at 11:58:05 PM

Hello explorers, adventurers, and friends! We are delighted to present to you a demo version of 1001 Odysseys that you can print and play at home. This special short adventure will let you experience our gameplay and storytelling firsthand. The crew of the Odyssey (that's you!) is visiting Avallonis, the central hub of the Federation government, and an important location in the sector of Insula. The choices you make will bring you through dozens of potential blurbs, and you'll be able to replay the whole story a few times to discover different endings.

To launch this adventure, you will need to download all of the files for the Print and Play. The pages are formatted to fit on letter-sized (8.5x11 inch) paper and a complete list of all of the things that you'll need to print is included on the first page of the Rulebook. You'll need a pen, four game markers, and a crew of 1 to 4 (or more) to play along with you. A small amount of cutting is also required for the included cards.

So gather your crew and set a course!

The print and play is available for download as a ZIP at http://www.plumplim.com/game.php

BackerKit Surveys are sent!
over 4 years ago – Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 01:49:33 AM

We have just pressed the button to send out BackerKit surveys to everyone, so you should be seeing that email soon. If you have any questions, or if the email does not arrive, please let us know and we'll help you out. 

1001 BackerKits: Timeline, Adventures, and News!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Mar 13, 2020 at 02:39:52 AM

Greetings and hellos to all our backers - I have recovered from the PAX plague, and in the meantime, we've been working on the BackerKit. It's ready! We encountered a bunch of technical hurdles that had not come up with past campaigns, so it took a bit longer to work them out than intended. Thanks for your patience :)

Phase 1: Smoke Test

When deploying a BackerKit to a large campaign such as ours, the preferred method is to do a small release (5% of backers) as a "Smoke Test" - make sure there's no huge glitches with shipping costs or the like. We'll be pushing the button to send out those surveys this afternoon. 

Phase 2: All Surveys

Assuming nothing explodes, we'll be sending out the rest probably on Monday afternoon. 

If you have any trouble with the BackerKit, let us know! Email is best - [email protected], but you can send a Kickstarter message or leave a comment if that is easier for you.

Add-Ons:

In the BackerKit, you'll be able to add on copies of 1001 Odysseys,  the Fates of the Iliad expansion, pins, canvases, plushies, and refresh kits. One Add-on is available that didn't exist during the Kickstarter, a second pin:

Molia Thagdin is a Plumplim mechanic on Brumigum, who you'll meet early on in one of the stories (You might recognize her from the Gen Con demos of previous years!). She has a carrot wrench, is adorable and awesome, and is available in limited quantities - she was our PAX Unplugged pin as part of Pinny Arcade. 

Shipping Costs:

We're charging flat shipping rates regardless of add-ons, by region. The costs came out reasonably close to our estimates during the KS campaign. 

US - $8

CA - $18

EU / GB / AU / NZ - $28

Everywhere else - $36

Some US backers were already charged shipping during the campaign - for everyone else, shipping will be charged when entering your info during the BackerKit, after purchasing any add-ons you'd like.

Print and Play News:

We're nearly done setting up the files,  and are working on writing up a simple rules document for just the Print and Play (Target: next week). Here's a little preview:

COVID-19:

It's been a bit of a chaotic week, and I wanted to briefly address what that means for us and the project. We're a remote office, everyone works from home and collaborates using Slack, so we don't have any direct immediate impact from social-distancing. We're going to bunker up, stay safe and hopefully get lots of writing done! If unforeseen obstacles arise, we'll let you know. Be well, wash those hands, and hopefully we're all through this soon!