The Rival Networks

Some proofs have arrived!
almost 4 years ago – Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 09:50:54 PM

Hi Rival Networks backer! 

First off: it's been a wild couple of weeks here in the US, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it here. Formal Ferret stands with protestors demanding changes to policing and government; they've been overdue for a long time. Black lives matter.

I've been talking a lot about these social issues on Twitter, so if you want to know more about where I stand, you're welcome to join the conversation there. I'd rather talk about these issues than stay silent - staying silent, even if in the effort to "stay neutral" or "stay apolitical," is a political decision that accepts the status quo. And the status quo is broken; it's been broken for a long time.

Regarding Rival Networks, things are still happening! We're working on components. Here's a white box sample we got for the houses.

A "white box" is a manufacture of the components with no art - everything is white. We're doing this to make sure the houses fit together.

This is the second white box sample we got for the houses. The first sample had slots that were too small for the tabs, so assembling the houses was really frustrating and difficult.

For this sample, we widened the slots by half a millimeter, and we created two sets: one with a slot in the satellite dish, and one without. You can see the one without in the image above; the protrusion from the roof is where the satellite dish art will go.

We did this because we wanted to know if a house with no slot in the satellite dish would be easier to assemble, and still have structural integrity. Compare it with this:

This is a house with a slot in the satellite. And as you can see in this photo, while these houses were much easier to assemble than the last sample, the slots are still a bit too tight. You can see fraying in the tab in the satellite dish protrusion, even on the first assembly.

Our next proof will be the PPC - the pre-production copy. In that proof, we will widen the slots by another half a millimeter to see how it feels.

We also got samples of the wood discs. These are blank on one side, and say "+20" on the other, so you can flip them if you exceed 20 Ratings Points. These samples were useful - can you spot what we're going to change?

If you guessed, "change the text color on the yellow discs from white to black," you'd be right!

The art assets are all in. Our next steps are versions of the game playable in Tabletop Simulator and Tabletopia, and a completed rulebook.

Thanks for your support, as always!

Finishing up custom art now, and updated TTS mod coming soon!
almost 4 years ago – Wed, May 06, 2020 at 02:10:39 PM

Hi Rival Networks backer! I hope you're doing as well as can be expected.

Heiko, Travis, and I are working on finishing up the art for Rival Networks. It looks, really, really good.

We have an expansion module called "Documentaries and Game Shows." Here's a couple of illustrations of game shows: "Wheel of Fungus" and "Press Your Duck."

I've been working in Tabletop Simulator a lot, so you can expect an official updated TTS mod, which perhaps might become official DLC in the future; I'm still gathering information about the best way to do this. We're also going to be updating the version of Rival Networks on Tabletopia with full art once we have it all.

One of the things that's kept me so busy lately has been pivoting to online platforms like Tabletop Simulator and Tabletopia; you can expect a lot more online support from Formal Ferret in the future.

I'm also working with Panda to finalize the physical components. We're taking this time to make sure the houses are right; that they don't fray when you assemble them, and that they fit in the box without having to take them apart (and have room for everything else). I'm expecting more samples, including the wood bits for the Timeslot tokens, next week.

That's all the news I have for you today! I hope to have more for you soon.

Shipping cost snafu on BackerKit
about 4 years ago – Mon, Mar 30, 2020 at 06:44:31 PM

So, file this under proof that you can double- and triple-check everything, and still things will go wrong...

I meticulously set up all my BackerKit shipping levels last week, and I got some strange messages in the past few days. Checking it today, I found that all the shipping levels got scrambled! The retailer pledge was paying for On the Air shipping, the On the Air customer were paying retailer prices for shipping... it was not right.

I've just fixed the shipping costs, and they're as they should be. This means that your total bill may be higher than you originally saw. Please go back to your BackerKit survey and double-check everything, and make sure it's what you expect!

Note that your card has not yet been charged. Cards will not be charged until about September, so there's plenty of time to make adjustments as you need them.

Also, I have added the Networks: Executives expansion as a pre-order item! Note that this is an expansion of the base game, not for Rival Networks. You must have the base game to play with Networks: Executives. 

The Rival Networks has an unlocked stretch goal of 9 Executives cards, but you will already get that as part of your pledge. This add-on is for the expansion for the base game.

Thanks for your patience, and sorry for the trouble!

Surveys are out! Retailer pledges are open!
about 4 years ago – Fri, Mar 27, 2020 at 08:07:45 PM

Hi Rival Networks backer!

I've sent out surveys! Check your email for something from BackerKit. If you don't see it, wait an hour or two and check again; it could take some time to arrive.

If you're a retailer, you may now back at the retailer level! 

Thanks so much for your patience! Travis, Heiko, and I are working on the premium backer submissions, as well as the art for the Documentaries & Game Shows module.

Thanks!

Quick update: premium backer messages, and BackerKit opening soon
about 4 years ago – Tue, Feb 25, 2020 at 07:46:19 PM

Hi Rival Networks backer! Very quick update here.

If you backed at a premium level ($150 or above), check your Kickstarter inbox. I've messaged all premium backers asking for your submissions.

The BackerKit will open for add-ons in about 10 days or so.

Thanks!