International Shipping Update and Final Hours for a Classic Game Accessory
about 5 years ago – Tue, Apr 02, 2019 at 12:13:57 AM

First, the big news for the international supporters. The last of the paperwork is underway and we expect to ship everything to our international fulfillment partners this week. Better still, Darryll has negotiated shipping rates that may allow us to get the pallets of games to their destinations within a few weeks instead of the usual four or so weeks. We'll know more by the end of this week and update you on where everything is at in the process. 

Bag of Bags Kickstarter Coming to an End

At over 20,000% funded, the Bag of Bags project on Kickstarter is set to close successfully later today. This is your chance to own a reproduction of a classic game accessory . . . and we even have reward slots available for The Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition signed by Steve Jackson. If you want storage solutions for your counters, the Bag of Bags can help!

Back now, because the project is over soon and you can always use more bags.

- Phil Reed

Shipping Update and New Megahex Tiles
about 5 years ago – Thu, Mar 28, 2019 at 01:36:23 AM

Good news! The bulk of the U.S. packages have shipped or are shipping today (Darryll and the team identified an oddity that they've corrected). The international shipments are still in the paperwork stage (coordinating across multiple companies and countries requires a lot of paper, which is exactly why the international packages were started first) and we expect those rewards to start their official journey next week. How long will the international packages take to reach their destinations? We are still working on that answer; we'll know more and post an update once all of the paperwork is completed. 

More Megahexes?

One of the components that we've seen many of you emphasize as fun: the die-cut, dry erase megahex sheets that were packed inside the Legacy Edition box. We've heard "Can I get more?" come up in multiple spots across the web, and the answer has two parts.

• 1. We should have some extras of the original megahex set available for sale on Warehouse 23 in the future. When? April? May? We'll have an exact date (and make an announcement) once the remainders reach our Austin warehouse.
• 2. The upcoming Decks of Destiny campaign -- please follow Warehouse 23 on Kickstarter before the end of this month -- will include new megahexes illustrated by Rick Hershey. How many? Unknown . . . how many Decks of Destiny stretch goals will tell us more. Here are some samples to give you an idea of what to expect from the new megahex sheets . . . awesome work, Rick!

Hexagram

The TFT zine that was funded on Kickstarter last month is this close to going to print. We identified one file error that needs attention; Sabrina, Darryll, and I will handle the problem and officially send the zine to the printer before the end of this week. With luck, we'll have the printer proof to show at FnordCon the first weekend of April . . . and we'll share pics of the printer proof once it arrives.

If you missed out on Hexagram (or Adventures), you can still preorder at BackerKit. Click this link to see all of the TFT extras that are available for preorder; you wanted more stuff? Now is your chance!

- Phil Reed

A moment for those that made The Fantasy Trip possible
about 5 years ago – Mon, Mar 25, 2019 at 02:58:01 AM

Big things have small beginnings...

The Fantasy Trip started as a game created by Steve at the onset of his career. Back on December 26th, 2017, Steve made the announcement on our Daily Illuminator blog that he had recovered the rights. From that moment, Steve and many others have been working so very hard to bring back The Fantasy Trip. 

Over the last few days we've seen so much amazing feedback from everyone involved in this project. Both Phil and I receive many comments as we are often the closest to the public. While we both definitely put work into the project, I wanted to take a moment to share with you the key folks that without their hard work, this would not have been possible. 

Steve Jackson - The brains behind The Fantasy Trip. Steve worked (before principal production even began) to secure the rights, and he continued well beyond that to deliver creative direction and execute on the game contents. 

Ben Williams - Ben served as the lead production artist on The Fantasy Trip. His contributions to the project cannot be overstated. From the moment you open the Legacy Edition box, flip through the pages of the Companion book, to the wonderfully colorful and complicated map found in Tollenkar's Lair, Ben was there every step of the way, working closely with Steve to implement feedback to deliver a truly amazing product.

Sabrina Gonzalez - As our Production Manager, Sabrina oversees the production team as her majority role. However, her impact is seen on both the Melee and Wizard playmats, the GM Screen, as well as quality throughout the entire TFT line. Sabrina was directly responsible for reviewing all of the game contents during the tooling and production sample phases, and ensuring that they met our quality standards. 

Gabby Ruenes - Gabby threw his hat into the pile, and provided the necessary support to both Ben and Sabrina to keep them from being completely overwhelmed with the project. Gabby's handled the bulk of the layout work on In the Labyrinth.

Shelli Galey - With as much art as we have in The Fantasy Trip, Shelli was working round the clock to make sure that our artists were able to turn over their best work. In addition to working with our artists, Shelli worked with Steve, Ben and Sabrina to make sure everything went smoothly integrating it into the necessary locations.

Brandon Moore - Brandon created the cover artwork for the box set, Melee, Wizard, the GM Screen, as well as the back of the Legacy Edition box. 

Rick Hershey - Rick produced a lot of art -- in a very short time! -- for the game and has since continued to create new artwork for The Fantasy Trip, including illustrating two new sets of dry erase megahexes that will be included in the upcoming Decks of Destiny Kickstarter campaign.

Liz Danforth - It was a real treat for Liz to return to TFT  to create counter artwork for Melee, Wizard, and Death Test. Seeing her work roll in was exciting for everyone in the office and her new counterwork turned out amazing!

Guy McLimore - There came a point that The Fantasy Trip required more editorial support than Steve alone could provide. Steve looked to Guy to provide the necessary assistance to help review all of the components in the game. 

David Blanchard and everyone at GPI

David and his team at GPI has worked with us for many years. His attention to detail and mastery of game production allowed us to get a handle on all of the files and components, and create an amazing game. From the smallest counters, all the way up to the I Want It All packaging, David worked just as hard as many of us here at SJGames.

But wait, there's more!

As you can see from the credits, there are so many people that pour their time and attention into creating the games we make. And while they may not have been called out by name on this project, know that they are working on other aspects of the business all in hopes of creating something that can be enjoyed.

Selfie time!

Without all 3,300+ of you, we wouldn't have anything to make. So thank you for spending your hard earned money on supporting us. It means more than you can imagine to know that at the end of the day, we get to do something that brings joy, fun and laughter to people around the world. It makes everything worth it, I promise.

- Darryll

And we're not done! Shipping of the rewards continues (the international shipments should be picked up by the freight company soon, we're waiting for trucks) and, at the same time, we're taking two projects into the premortem stage -- Adventures and Hexagram, both of which should be at print before the end of this month -- as well as preparing to launch Decks of Destiny on Kickstarter. As Darryll said, we wouldn't have anything to create for TFT without your support, and we hope to keep making new TFT expansions and accessories for a long time, so please play the game with your friends and keep your eyes open for more stuff! Thank you.

- Phil Reed

I Want It All Update and FnordCon Pre-Registration Closing
about 5 years ago – Thu, Mar 21, 2019 at 03:05:47 AM

Another update from the fulfillment warehouse, this time with info on the I Want It All cartons that are mailing out starting today. The team has constructed a tool to calculate the dimensions of add-ons and, where possible, will be packing add-ons into the larger box. If your carton was shipped on Monday or Tuesday, any add-ons (and the Companion) will be coming in a separate shipment. If your carton shipped today, and if the add-ons fit, your shipment will include all of your rewards.

Please give us time to work through all of the shipments. We will post an update when the last package has shipped and, at that time, please start watching closely for all of your rewards. In a few weeks, U.S. backers who feel that something may be missing should then email [email protected] for support. Until then, please hold off and be patient as we handle shipping packages.

FnordCon Pre-Registration Closing Soon

If you would like to visit Austin on April 6 and 7 and play The Fantasy Trip -- as well as Ogre, the new edition of Car Wars, Munchkin Warhammer 40,000, and any number of other games -- please pre-register for FnordCon today. We're closing pre-registration soon, so this is your chance to grab a ticket and visit us for two days of gaming.

We'll also be talking about upcoming projects, Steve will be signing games, and our team will be available to chat and answer what (minor) questions you may have. We look forward to seeing some of you at the convention in a few weeks! Pre-register today!

- Phil Reed

Shipping Error and Solution, Kind Words, Preorder Hexagram and Adventures Today!
about 5 years ago – Wed, Mar 20, 2019 at 03:02:12 AM

First up, the big one. The fulfillment team identified an error and they're taking steps to correct it. The first wave of "I Want It All" cartons does not include the Companion. The plan was for the box to be cut open, the excess packing material removed, and the book packed inside the box before shipping. Unfortunately, a number of cartons were shipped without the Companion. The team has the list of affected backers and we will be mailing out the books. Please give us time to resolve this; if you receive your box this week and do not see the Companion, hold off until April 15 before notifying us. That should give us time to get the books through the postal system.

Thank you!

We're already starting to see several kind comments and posts online. When you receive your package, please feel free to share online so that everyone can get an idea of just how much your support has created for the return of The Fantasy Trip. And, as some of you now know, it's a lot!

 Hexagram and Adventures 

We know that some of you missed out on supporting the Hexagram and Adventures campaigns because you wanted to be sure we would deliver the game on schedule before adding more to your collection . . . well, now you can see that we were serious about being as on schedule as we could manage! And, better still, there's still time to preorder both the Hexagram zine and the Adventures hardcover; the BackerKit preorders for Hexagram close soon, so please join in before we finalize our print numbers for both titles.

An update on those two projects: Both are in the final prepress stages and enter premortem on Monday. If all goes as scheduled, both Hexagram and Adventures will be at print by the end of next week. If you want more for your TFT sessions, preorder these two today!

Thank you.

We know we've had a few stumbles and made a few mistakes over the course of the campaign, and we appreciate all of you who have stuck with us as we took the game from last summer's Kickstarter campaign to the delivery stage. Thank you for sticking with us, and we hope that you'll join us in creating more material for The Fantasy Trip in the months to come.

- Phil Reed