The Ancestors - Tenjin

Packaging & Solutions, Portal Stretch Goal delivery and 2nd Ancestor small teaser.
over 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 11, 2021 at 02:39:13 PM

Contents on this update:

1 - Packaging & Solutions

2 - Portal

3 - 2nd Ancestor

1. Packaging & Solutions

A member of our small team was working with the local packaging company when he felt in their last exchange of emails that they were purposely delaying our packaging due to our small order request (230 items).

That is a big disappointment for us since they gave us a quotation back in February and confirmed that they would be happy to proceed with that number in May, even if it was lower than the required (500+). So from now onwards, I (Luiz) will be the one in charge of the packaging.

I've been contacting Chinese manufacturers and will make a decision soon on which one to go for.

I expect to receive a sample faster than the previous company (NZ local) since our experience with Chinese manufacturers from the collectibles/board games area has been positive so far. As a consequence, I can offer all of you awesome people two options:

a. Wait for the official packaging to arrive. I will continue with the updates with samples and delivery time.

b. Don't wait and get your Tenjin shipped asap. We will order boxes from our post service that fit all Tenjin's pieces which will be individually wrapped in Polybubble bags.

Now I must warn that such bubble protection might not be enough to protect the delicate pieces such as the ones seen below:

Therefore, we cannot guarantee that these parts will arrive intact with this method. Although we will always do our best to package items safely, this option has a higher risk of parts moving and the potential of breakage during shipment.

These (and the others) parts should be okay with minor risks of breakage when bubbled wrapped.

I understand the delays can be frustrating, and that's why I would like to offer this extra option as a quicker method.

Our official packaging has a good layer of foam which will offer a nice fit and protection for these parts. As you can see below.

ETD for each option (batches of 20 units):

a. Premium (batches of 50 units)

• 1st on 25/10/21;
• 2nd on 01/11/21;
• 3rd on 15/11/21;
• 4th on 22/11/21.

b. Basic (batches of 20 units)

• 1st on 30/08/21;
• 2nd on 06/09/21;
• 3rd on 13/09/21;
• 4th on 20/09/21;
• 5th on 27/09/21;
• 6th on 04/10/21;
• 7th on 11/10/21.

I had allocated time for bigger batches in June and July, but with the packaging delay and the next Ancestor approaching, I must be realistic with the time and workforce available to keep our small team sane and avoid possible snowball effects. Again, I understand this is not the best thing to read, but I will get 

I've also decided to move the Soul Collector pledge for the next Ancestor to Late Pledge only since I don't want these delays ever happening again. Once we have received the packaging, tested it, and shipped it, I will add this option.

Please let me know in the form below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoSLnEe9amEOR4L1Arv04Nt5bUEqlFXuuEy5AGHiRHCVGZ3w/viewform?usp=sf_link

2. Portal

The Portal Base received more tweaks throughout these last weeks and will be released in the Pledge Manager today. Due to the final tweaks, the pre-supported version will be available later this week since its supports must go through rework. Thank you all for your patience and allowing us to deliver you the best experience possible with this stretch goal.

 3. 2nd Ancestor

We have been working hard on the 2nd and 3rd Ancestor, and this is a small teaser for what is coming.

Here are some extra notes:

• You can expect a smaller timeframe between their two following Kickstarters instead of 7-8 months.
• They will have Concept Arts for all Stretch Goals to speed up the delivery process.
• The 2nd Ancestor will possibly be the only Ancestor to contain two other high-quality sculpts as Stretch Goals to go along with its lore.

Packaging, Shipping Status, Lore Skirmish game & More!
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 02:45:10 AM

Contents on this update:

1 - Packaging

2 - Shipping

3 - Physical Sales after end of campaign

4 - Lore Skirmish Game

5 - New Base Render

6 - Moonstruck Joining BFG Team and new Swords & Soul Ambers pictures

7 - Dark Elve Ancestor, Blood Oak and Discord

8 - Website & Community pictures

1.Packaging

Thank you for your patience. At this stage the packaging is not the standard we want to achieve. We apologize that you all have been waiting and we ask you to continue to support us as we want to ensure Tenjin is bought to all corners of the globe with the love and care that we imagined for him ❤ from us to you thank you and pictures coming soon!

2.Shipping

Due to the last change in the packaging dimensions (size being increased), the shipping cost will likely increase, but we got this covered for you, so don't you worry about extra charges! We have part of the Tenjin army ready to be put in the box and sent to their new homes. We just need the packaging completed now.

From the beginning, we decided that Tenjin would be a premium experience, from opening the box to the painting process.

As mentioned before, our plan to avoid this delay on future Ancestors will be to give it to licensed Merchants (Merchant pledge will be available on future Kickstarter) who will be able to sell it from the moment the STL's become available. We will share their websites in our site and help them with packaging (if they wish) to maintain our standard. We should have done this with Tenjin, but we are very happy with the experience and connections that we've acquired because of our decision to make everything within NZ.

3.Physical Sales after end of campaign

To everyone that have messaged us on both Instagram and Facebook in regards to physical Tenjin. Please wait just a bit more while we get all the Kickstarter deliveries completed. We will have a few left in stock afterwards but bear in mind that they will be sold at a higher price since we lowered it quite a bit to make Tenjin affordable for those who didn't have 3D printers during the campaign. After all it is significant the amount of resin it requires for his full scale.

4.Lore Skirmish Game

The game has been playtesting outside the team for sometime now and on Sunday (11/07/21) we had another team testing to check on the latest changes. We will post pictures of it once we have the first sample ready (we are using placeholders/proxies at the moment).

One trait that people will enjoy about it is the triggered events when two power cards create an event because of their specific type. It makes events from the lore, which affects the game and further immerses the players into the story. We love it so far, and we can't wait to showcase more of it.

Note: If you live in Wellington - NZ and want to playtest it, send us a message! You would be allowed to share your experience in online discussions afterward if you wish so.

5.New Base Render

 We are starting the pre-supporting ant printing phase of the new base and we are aiming to have sent to all backers within one week. Here is a preview of it (Render)!

 Dan, the 3D sculptor behind Tenjin, will now jump to complete the Kojiro Panther and then proceed onto the final Stretch Goal, Corrupted Tenjin.

Thank you for your patience so far, it means a lot the space/time that you guys have given us to deliver the quality we want for the final steps of the campaign. 

6.Moonstruck Joining BFG Team and new Swords & Soul Ambers pictures

Mark from Moonstruck has officially joined Black Forge Head Team and we couldn't be more excited!

Below a few more pictures of his Swords & Soul Ambers

A few of the Soul Ambers have not reached the standard that our team envisioned and Mark is already working on the solution for it! Pictures soon!

7 - Dark Elve Ancestor, Blood Oak and Discord

 We have currently two Ancestors on the work on the background, and the Dark Elve has just entered the roster for this year! 

Check out below his short teaser!

We will have in total tree Ancestors launched by the end of 2021. And then jump on the Blood Oak - Chapter 1 sampling/launching. 

For 2022 we plan to have four more Ancestors delivered, which will tease the tribes of Blood Oak - Chapter 2 and unveil the mystery around the Undead (which Tenjin is the Ancestor of). We are incredibly passionate about this universe, and we won't stop until we tell the meaningful story of the Twelve Tribes and their Ancestors.

If you would like to know more, or just have a chat with us feel free to join our discord here: https://discord.gg/ZUdB5MGz

8 - Website & Community pictures

Our website is finally live! 

Make sure to keep an eye on our blog posts if you would like to see behind the scenes and news around Blood Oak Board Game and its mechanics! 

And to end with a golden key, here is some amazing new community pictures of Tenjin and Kojiro!

Best regards,

Luiz Lima

Shipping, Packaging, Late Pledge and more
almost 3 years ago – Wed, Jun 16, 2021 at 10:48:26 PM

Contents of this update:

1.Shipping

2.Packaging

3.Final Stretch Goals and the piracy issue

4.Late Pledge

5.Lore

6.Extra item for Soul Collectors

7.Lore Skirmish game

8. Thank you

Shipping

We are still currently waiting on the packaging to arrive and because of it, we will be locking addresses on the 17th of June and pushing the delivery for Tenjin for early and mid-July. As a consequence, we will send it in batches,  and once your items are shipped you will receive a notification of it from the Pledge Manager.

Packaging

Here is the design for Tenjin's Soul Collector packaging. Cursed Scholar packaging will differ slightly from this one since it will contain the sword designed for LED instead of the one with the sides separated (While Soul Collector will contain both).

Final Stretch Goals and the piracy issue

We are still working on the final stretch goals and due to the delay, it became quite a challenge to predict when they will be ready. We could always rush them to release asap but that would result in fewer details. So we made the decision to keep diving into those details until mid/end of July which will make them equal to Tenjin, with details that can surprise those who intend to print them at large scales.  Dan can't wait to jump on one of the incoming Ancestors, the Dark Elve's lost king (we are sure you guys have seen him by now), so we look forward to completing Tenjin deliveries with a golden key as soon as possible. As mentioned in previous updates, we will be focusing on higher-quality concept arts for the incoming Ancestors to speed up this process, but they are quite costly which leads us to another issue: Piracy.

We learned throughout these months that it's impossible to create an exclusive STL to Kickstarter, and if people really want them and can't find them for sale they will look into the darker realms of piracy. So in order to avoid that - whilst keeping an open channel for support -, we would like to make these STL's available for purchase on our website post-Kickstarter. We understand this is an unusual step and to give you an insight into the barrier piracy has caused. For every sale we make, 2-3 STL's are pirated through the various channels. With what we have planned and the level and quality we have achieved with Tenjin and want to continue with the next ancestors, it is the decision we have had to make.

Late Pledge

We will be closing the Late Pledge on the 17th of June and plan to move all the STL's to our website www.blackforgegames.co.nz

The digital files for Tenjin and all of his stretch goals will be separated and priced as seen below:

• Tenjin: NZD$15
• SG Base: NZD$10
• SG Kojiro Owl: NZD$10
• SG Kojiro Fox: NZD$15
• SG Base 2: NZD$15
• SG Panther: NZD$15
• SG Corrupted Tenjin: NZD$20

Lore

"After completing his exhausting morning tasks, Sugawara—an old scholar—sat beneath the lofty branches of his favorite tree and gazed out across the blue horizon. "Peace at least," he thought.

But peace is a short-lived indulgence for those who seek fulfillment. And this scholar was yet to fulfill his purpose. 

"Wake," a sudden voice whispered behind him. Startled, Sugawara jumped, and as he turned, he felt with wonder the ultimate truth: that he - like the now missing tree - was but a memory, made real by the longing of an old soul. 

Tenjin woke from his stasis, and for the first time, he felt confused.

Was he dreaming of Sugawara? Or was Sugawara dreaming of him?"

Lore is something always challenging since we know how easy is to come across pretentious. So we focus on evaluating it several times and tweak it accordingly. 

We are huge fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin and as such, we seek inspiration for our universe from a variety of myths, historical events, and old poems. We are also deeply exploring the ideas behind Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler writings to improve the way we will deliver the messages behind each planet, its tribes, and the whole universe of the game. It's really challenging but rewarding when done well.

Extra Item for Soul Collectors

We have decided to include one more STL item for the Soul Collectors pledge to match our plans for the incoming Ancestor. So all backers for that pledge can expect to receive this gift before the pledge manager closes. This item will be also made available for purchase as an add-on for the other pledges.

Lore Skirmish game

We have been playtesting the lore game for the Ancestors and we can't wait to have a full/proper sample to show to you all! It has in its mechanics the traits that we were hoping for:

• Takes the player into the heart of the last event of each Ancestor;
• It's competitive, but it also offers small random events that when considered can be really rewarding;
• 2 to 3 players;
• It's REALLY fun!

Thank you!

We have been receiving a significant amount of attention lately, and we would like to take the time to thank you all for supporting us. You have made not only Tenjin possible, but also all the incoming line of Collectible Ancestors.

Our community will keep growing with time and prosper on the quality we aim to deliver with each of our characters. But now and then please take the time to stop and remember that you, yes YOU, were the spark of all that. Five years from now you can say "I have been here with them since the beginning", so again, a huge THANK YOU from all of us from the BFG team!

Physical production + Collectible Soul Amber + 12 Planets Teaser
almost 3 years ago – Mon, May 17, 2021 at 11:56:12 PM

Hello everyone!

Physical Production

We have been producing the parts for Cursed Scholar/Soul Collector and below you can see the clean-up we have been doing for our backers. We noticed that not all Kickstarters 3D print-related do this since it is time-consuming (remove/sand support marks), but since we are picky about quality - and thankful for your support on our first Kickstarter - we are putting the work on it so all you need to do is prime it once you receive it (if you haven't ordered the painted version).

We have tested a few different resins for the prints and, as expected, the cheaper ones presented poor quality. Below you can see the difference between Resin 1 on the left and on the right Resin 2 (ESUN Water Washable Grey, the one we are using for the parts).

We are not being paid by ESUN to advertise their product, but with their quality still surprising us, we feel like they are worthy of this mention.

Collectible Soul Amber

Here is the first picture of Tenjin's skull which will go inside the Collectible Soul Amber. This is an initial color test so it might change in the next few days.

The first teaser for Blood Oak's twelve planets 

It's a small teaser with hints for all the 12 races you will be able to find in Blood Oak. 

Please note, we didn't make it easy to discover them lol.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

Kojiro Fox Stretch Goal Release Date + Call to all 3D printing merchants!
almost 3 years ago – Tue, Apr 27, 2021 at 09:56:06 AM

Hello everyone!

Updates schedule

We will be changing the updates to a fortnight schedule in order to have more content per post.

Kojiro Fox Stretch Goal + Its form explained

We will be releasing Kojiro Fox on 03/05 (Monday). Dan has finished its tweaks on it and we are now in the pre-supports testing phase. 

Regarding his form, the fox is the representation of the "metamorphosis" of Kojiro after consuming the new animal.  A similar example would be the alien in the movie "The Thing" (a great movie btw).

Therefore the Fox Sculpt is the in-between transformation from the Owl to the Fox.

You can see below a few more renders with her details.

Final 3 Stretch Goals release dates

Dan had a family-related issue and required some time away, but he is now back and we are assessing the best directions to go in order to finalize the final 3 Stretch Goals asap. We are considering hiring another modeler to help him, but at the same time, we are afraid that this could change both his vision and the quality that he wants for these final 3 (especially the Corrupted form). We will look into this carefully and inform our decision on the next update.

Merchants

If you own a 3D printing business/site and are interested in selling our next 11 Ancestors (3D printed only), please send us a message in private with your email and website. 

We will create a close group to discuss the best way to help you guys with not only ready-to-print STL files but also options for special packaging, etc.

What we are planning to improve for the next Ancestors

Producing Tenjin has been a ton of fun and it has taught us a lot (just as we wanted), and we noticed a few things that we are looking into changing from the 2nd Ancestor onwards:

• Having the in-house production of the resin version of Tenjin has taken a noticeable time from our creative time & Blood Oak. Therefore for future campaigns, we will be looking into focusing more on the Soul Collectors side of things for the physical versions and offer merchants the chance to sell our high detailed figures (3D printed only).
• In order to improve on Stretch Goals deliveries, we will have concept arts ready for ALL the campaign rewards before it goes live, and one more talented modeler as a backup in each of these campaigns.

And that's all for today.

If you have any questions or would like some clarification on the things mentioned above please feel free to contact us via private message or by email at [email protected]

Best regards,

Luiz