Development Continues
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Oct 18, 2024 at 07:30:30 AM
Hey, everyone. I’m back from Essen Spiel. It was a great show, but I’m happy to be home.
Last update we talked about the revised timeline and shared the calendar for base game development, expansion development, app implementation, and manufacturing (as well as all of the other pieces of the puzzle to be worked on along the way).
Our design and development team continues to make progress on the base game, in line with the schedule we’ve shared previously. And other Lucky Duck team members are hard at work with art, logistics, and other essential details.
Scenario development
From a design perspective, the team is working on the story for the second of three arcs. The mechanical design of core game scenarios should be finished around the end of 2024 before the team progresses to the expansion.
All class and lineage cards for base game and small expansion classes are already designed; currently they are evaluated and balanced. We are tweaking the traits, polishing texts, balancing the cost ratio, et cetera.
The story and points of interest are currently being written as the mechanical design finishes for each scenario.
And now the rulebook is undergoing testing from outside the development team in order to streamline and improve the learning process for new players.
Art development
Here are some of the art pieces that have been created since the new director has joined the team :)
Thank you
It’s never an enjoyable thing to share disappointing news, so I wanted to personally thank all of you for the kind and supportive reception that you gave after the last update. Your empathy and understanding was really welcoming, and it’s been a great part of this new position for me to interact with all of you.
I appreciate it!
Questions and concerns
As always, please reach out in the comments and after updates with any questions or concerns you have.
We believe in responding to feedback and being an active part of the community.
Best,
Devon @ Lucky Duck Games
Where We Stand
about 2 months ago
– Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 09:09:09 AM
Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for being here. I cannot express enough how appreciative I am of your patience as I talk with the development team and evaluate the project to see where we’re at with Into the Godsgrave.
You’ve all been waiting for the revised timeline of the project, and so I’d like to jump right in.
Production timeline
*Art development, STL work, DTP design, molding, and sampling corrections are all a part of the process as well, but have been removed to streamline the graphic
Since the last update, our focus has been determining when development will be done and when we’re going to production. Our current deadline is to be completed and ready for manufacturing in July 2025.
Our aim is to deliver the game to you as fast as possible without sacrificing any of the innovative experience that we promised backers during the campaign. The teams have been working diligently to improve the timeline, identifying every gap that can be optimized. While the schedule revision may frustrate you, we are confident that we’ll be able to deliver the best version of Into the Godsgrave we can. The current schedule has been prepared with great attention to detail and includes realistic deadlines.
Scenario development
Part of the development adjustments involves reducing the complexity of what we planned for the base game. There are 10 base game scenarios, and players experience 8 of those scenarios in one larger story arc during a single playthrough. The planned content remains the same, but we’re aiming to streamline app development and testing.
Since the last update, we’ve made significant strides with the base game. A new Art Director has joined the project. Development of Scenarios 4 and 5 are undergoing playtesting for iterative improvement. The team has started to work on stretch goals tied to the base game. Final card layout design for DTP is underway. And new card artwork has been created. There are examples of those below.
Development, production, and other milestones
As with all of our campaigns, the timelines shared with backers are estimates. A project of this complexity brings its own set of challenges, and we are always working to quicken the process when and where possible
I say this to reassure you all that for Into the Godsgrave we will be looking into every avenue that would move up our development, production, shipping, and delivery timelines. However we can speed up the process and get the game to you sooner than expected, we will consider.
Reassuring backers
While Lucky Duck Games has always delivered their projects, it’s understandable if this revised timeline frustrates or upsets any of you. We are more than excited to realize this game’s potential and deliver it to backers, but we’ve experienced a considerable delay with Into the Godsgrave.
I’d like to stress that as part of the delayed fulfillment of this campaign, backers will not be charged anything more! We are accepting the responsibilities of additional costs. We believe you, our backers, should not be financially impacted for our delays or challenges.
If, after learning about the game’s delay, there is anyone seeking a refund, please reach out to [email protected]. While we will be sorry to lose your support, we will be happy to help you.
A delay like this can bring about mixed emotions; we appreciate your patience and understanding. We truly value your feedback, be it positive or critical. As mentioned recently, a main focus for us is to keep the conversations respectful and constructive, as we work together to move forward. We want this space to remain supportive and focused on the project.
Again, I know that this is upsetting news and that there will be a longer waiting period before you’re able to play the game, however please engage in discourse responsibly.
Thank you
As always, I want to share my gratitude for all of our backers, on this project and others. We believe that everyone is a gamer, and our team makes games so that people can make memories together.
Best,
Devon @ Lucky Duck Games
The Pre-Update Update
2 months ago
– Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 02:25:58 PM
Hello adventurers,
I know this is "last minute on Friday" and I know you’ve all been waiting for the update sharing the revised timeline. I’m unfortunately still working with the team to get the needed details, and we were unable to lock in a few details regarding manufacturing, which is the pivotal moment when the base game is done and when Into the Godsgrave moves into production. I had hoped to have it by now, but working with partners and time zone differences has been prohibitive.
Unfortunately, that means I can’t post a major update today, given the absence of that crucial information.
That said, I didn't want to go into the weekend with people waiting and wondering, so I wanted to make a small update letting you know we are working on it, the update is coming and I will share the news with you all, hopefully by end of next week.
Best,
Devon @ Lucky Duck Games
New Adventurers Join the Party
3 months ago
– Fri, Aug 16, 2024 at 08:39:24 AM
Good afternoon, mortals!
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for being here 🙂
I’m Devon from Lucky Duck Games. I’m joining the Crowdfunding Team, and I’m excited to build the crowdfunding community to the best of my ability. I’ll be hopping into comments and also working to provide updates for this campaign (and others). I look forward to engaging with you!
I appreciate your patience as I have returned from GenCon 2024, and I’m throwing on my adventurer’s cloak to step foot Into the Godsgrave.
Scenario development in full swing
We’re progressing through the development of base game scenarios right now, and we’ll be prioritizing the completion of the necessary manufacturing files ahead of the digital scenario work so that production isn’t delayed by digital-only milestones. The expansion scenarios will be completed once we’re done with the base game. We want to guarantee that backers can immediately enjoy Into the Godsgrave when they receive their pledge rewards.
Addressing the game’s delay
While Lucky Duck Games is experienced in creating digital hybrid games, Into the Godsgrave has posed a unique challenge–the ramifications of which have had unintended delays on the game’s development and consequently also on the timeline for delivering this ambitious title to all of you.
This adventure integrates deck customization mechanics that have to seamlessly fold into the digital hybrid elements of the game. The architecture of our digital hybrid designs–already a nuanced system–now has to support additional complexities.
Rest assured, we are working on solutions to tackle this challenge, and we want you to know that we are just as frustrated with the delay in delivering this game as you are in the delay of receiving it. Knowing that, we’re happy to say we have some new team members focused on helping this project get into your hands and onto your tables…
New hires at the studio!
The Lucky Duck family grows larger 🙂 We’ve got a new Head of Studio who is joining the flock and will be responsible for improving our internal processes. Both crowdfunding titles and upcoming retail releases will feel the momentum of this wonderful new addition. Also, a new and talented Art Director is stepping in to lend their skills to our party of adventurers, ensuring the experience of playing Into the Godsgrave is the best it can be.
What’s Next?
Our development team in Poland will be photographing the 3D-printed minis for the game, so the next update shared will include some exciting visuals.
Next month’s update will include the revised timeline for the game’s fulfillment, after confirming with the development team and project managers.
I want to thank you all for joining us on this campaign! We know this has been a bumpy road; however, we are committed to delivering a tremendous experience with this game for everyone, and we all appreciate your involvement and passion. I look forward to engaging with you all in the comments, and I hope you share my enthusiasm for this project 🙂
Talk to you all soon!
Best,
Devon @ Lucky Duck Games
How It’s Started, How It’s Going
6 months ago
– Fri, May 24, 2024 at 06:26:28 AM
Greeting Mortals!
We have recently reviewed the game components and started to implement a few artistic changes. As the game evolves during the creation process, along with stories and scenarios, we decided to reflect this process into the most basic of components.
All-New Dice
During testing we came to the conclusion that dice on the table and their representation in the App, on the smartphone, could be more readable and sleek. We re-designed the dice, to be more visible in the app, even if they are tiny, allowing everyone to clearly see the symbols/results. Take a look:
Streamlined Player Boards
Through continuous playtesting of new scenarios one thing became obvious - we want player boards to be more handy. This is a game that uses plenty of cards and our previous approach to this needed attention. As such, we have a new player board that we believe helps make the experience much better.
Small icons
In a card-driven game descriptions are often rich and to make them shorter, often symbols are used. The same rule applies to “Into The Godsgrave”. Our Art Director has been putting in extra effort to make these User-Friendly.
The App gets more attention
We’ve also been applying the same focus to the App icons’ usage. Plenty of small adjustments, changes, polishing - and voila! Behold new revision of icons for the Companion App. As those are displayed on the electronic device, we want to ensure they are detailed and colorful!
Flipping the map tiles
We have also been hard at work on the map tiles. We have introduced terrain icons, re-painted the tiles and redesigned borders of the areas. All to make the tiles easier to navigate and work better with cards that require a certain type of terrain to work. Example below compares "explored" and "unexplored" map tile:
More and More artwork
The core value, and most awesome thing, on the cards are always the art pieces. And since the game is going to have (have we mentioned this before?) plenty of cards, we are working hard on creating the right assets for them, to make the experience enjoyable, and one that players want to come back to. Take a look at the latest batch of images painted by our artists.
That's it for this month's update, fellow mortals.
If you have any questions, please add a comment below or if you need specific help with your pledge, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].
Take care,
Michał @ Lucky Duck Games
