Down to the Wire (and a Dog)
over 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 30, 2023 at 03:34:27 PM

Folks were complaining about too many cats and not enough dogs. This moved me. So here is a dog.

I really don't get the attraction, but I want to be an equal-opportunity pet promoter.

Thank You! 

We are about 12 hours away from the end of the project, and perhaps 7,000 of you have made it a great success. Thank you for the enthusiasm and the humour; we have a tremendous Obsession community!

Cooperative Note

The mad scientist stuff is chugging along—er, wait, I can't take this dog staring at me—

Ahhhhh, much better. They're just cuter, although they are a little wary of Fido up there. 

As I was saying, cooperative is moving along nicely. Some expressed concern that this project was just getting started; even in the open-ended development stage. This is not so. I am skinning an engine that has been around and played for the last 5 years. That engine has two failings: it has minimal theme, and it was too hard. So I am punching up the theme and tinkering with the difficulty.

The punching up the theme is adding components, art, and a new board. As a result, I have to increase the MSRP for the Characters expansion from $33 to $38. No change for any of you, except that you can feel better that your discount off of MSRP just went up from 33% to 38% on your bundle! I cannot edit the reward text to reflect the new MSRP, but I have edited the Late Pledge & Retail Pricing Disclosure at bottom.

Pledge Manager Timing

This project ends 10/31/23 at 6:00am EST in the United States. On 11/1/23, a pre-order store will open up for those who missed out, and their price points will be as detailed below (also in the Late Pledge & Retail Pricing Disclosure at bottom).

Approximately 14 days later, I will open the pledge manager for all of you. Those who want to increase the quantities or create a group pledge from your single pledge will be able to do so there. I have compiled the shipping tables, but I am still trying to get some final details settled. To give you an idea, here is the shipping table for the region where I expect the most group pledges. The Range referenced below is the number of units, in this case, the number of bundles being ordered.

I am still working on quantities above 16. Please don't bombard me with questions just yet; I will have a future update before the pledge manager opens giving complete detail.

More to come. I will be in touch, and thanks again!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

Fun Stuff
over 2 years ago – Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 11:25:58 AM

Market Butler App

A gent named CJ O'Hara is truly some pumpkins (a little Victorian slang there). CJ created the Market Butler app, which permits you to avoid wear and tear on your tiles that comes from mixing them in the purple bag. The app can accommodate any mix of expansions and is free on Apple and Android devices. If you download, please reward CJ's hard work by leaving a rating. Thanks!

Podcasts 

In October, I was able to accommodate three podcasts in the busy lead up to the crowdfunding project. All three groups were outstanding, and I think each conversation went in a slightly different direction. I would never condemn even a mortal enemy to listen to 3 hours of me talking, but I do highly recommend you listen to these excellent podcasters; if so inclined, pick a favorite and give it a listen!

• Level Up Board Game Podcast
• Meeple2Meeple
• Lay It On The Table

Poll Results

As some of you know, my previous career was in health care, with a focus on blood (blood pumps, artificial lungs, blood salvage and diagnostics). There is a saying about sampling (and I paraphrase): "If you don't believe that sampling works, next time you have your blood drawn, tell them to take it all." The reason I mention this is that the poll for whether or not to include printed rules in the Characters expansion is conclusive. The answer is yes.

After reflection, I think this is the right answer. I place a high value on meeting my Kickstarter delivery date, but the product being perfect is more important. That said, the worst case scenario I see is maybe 4-6 weeks late.

Thanks for the feedback!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

VAT and Cooperative Obsession
over 2 years ago – Fri, Oct 27, 2023 at 03:22:05 PM

VAT

In my lead video, I talked about this campaign being my "Thank you!" to those who have made Obsession what it is. I explained what form this would take for my US backers, which was to deliver the bundle to your door for $49.00. That plan is firm. The environment in Europe, Canada, Asia, Australasia, and the rest of the world is a tad more complicated. 

VAT is particularly troublesome, but VAT must be paid. There's that old saying about the inevitability of death and taxes, and, last time I checked, this year is not exempt. What makes your eyes bulge are the VAT rates—20%, 21%, 25%...27% (I am looking at you, Hungary!)—and that VAT is applied to the total of product and shipping.

After a couple conference calls and a many numbers crunched, and I am happy to report that my non-US "Thank you!" will be that I will pay all VAT taxes, not you, the backers. This campaign has been wildly successful, and I now have the ability to pay the VAT. 

The details of who pays the VAT in a pledge manager is actually not something visible or interesting to the taxing authority—at the end of fulfillment, the taxing authorities collectively require that I pay VAT for every package my agent ships into a country that charges VAT.  If I collect Swedish gingersnaps in the pledge manager, Sweden doesn't care; Sweden is still going to get their 25% VAT in kronor from me. 

So, as it stands, only what is referenced in the Shipping Table below will be collected in the pledge manager, and then I will pay your VAT.

Cooperative Obsession

That's the good news! Now for not so good news. 

My plan with Co-op was to dust off my 2018 cooperative mode that I posted on BGG (a simple Word Document). It was fine (brutally hard), but it needed updating as it predated Upstairs, Downstairs and the new supplemental servants. This was the last module for the Characters expansion and time has been tight. Furthermore, the theme sunk its teeth deep into my brain. Once I dove in, I was overwhelmed with ideas to enhance the cooperative experience; instead of just reskinning the 2018 version, I was testing and designing and testing and designing. Mad scientist stuff.

Featuring a loving family. Neville Sneyd is smug with certainty he will wed the lovely Elizabeth...

Well, what's the bad news? I may be confronted with a choice between finishing the cooperative module and making my fulfillment deadline. I think I will have the components done in time, but not the rulebook/playtesting. So I ask a question: If I had to publish the cooperative rules as a PDF online, would that be objectionable? I do think I can make my fulfillment deadline if I had that luxury. 

To manage this outside the comments, here is a link to a BGG poll.

Thank you!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

Solo Playthrough and a Closer Look at Coins
over 2 years ago – Wed, Oct 25, 2023 at 06:36:54 PM

Solo Playthrough

I am honoured that Obsession placed 18th overall in the 2022 People's Choice Top 200 Solo Games (1-200), and I hope that it breaks into the top 10 in 2023. Quality solo play is very important to me, and the Characters expansion gives solo players fascinating new choices without changing the relaxing puzzle at the core (the dance between reputation, servants, activities, and guests). In typical chaotic fashion, I attempt to demonstrate this in the following video:

 A Closer Look at the Coins

I realize that, for all the glamour shots I have of coins, the backs are not clearly visible. Let me amend that: 

Here is the technical file submitted that shows the back side detail (the orange & black depth colours are just for establishing the bas relief):

Variant Catalog

I have a logistic hiccup with the final editing of the Variant Catalogue. As a result, I will link to a rough draft this weekend and follow with a November update with the final product. I apologise, but I cut that project a little too close.

Thank you!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games

Guest Designer Tony Boydell's Promotional Tile
over 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 23, 2023 at 02:25:54 PM

 Obsession Promotional Tile

It somehow makes sense that the creator of Snowdonia has developed for all of you an improvement tile that involves locomotion. Not of the mechanical kind, but locomotion nonetheless. 

I have always been honoured that Tony Boydell, the designer of Snowdonia (and many other games), is a big fan of Obsession. I am an equally big fan of his work; my Snowdonia Deluxe Master Set sits in its own Kallax square behind me as I type this (it's a beast). 

In his blog a while back, Tony proposed a tile that would permit players to visit other estates and use their tiles. I was immediately intrigued because Obsession can only benefit from increased player interaction. The Characters expansion sideboard accomplishes this, and now Tony's tile will add something else, something fascinating. What I love about his form of player interaction is that there is no 'take that' or any confrontation at all. In fact, the player who is loaning the tile receives modest compensation.

Behold the Pony & Trap (and Hansom Cab)!

 Our Derbyshire families are competitors, but friendly ones, I tell you. I've known Howard thirty years now; met him on my first ride to hounds back in '33, a big Arabian threw him. Never much of a rider. Sure, petty gossip always flows downstairs like a swollen burn in spring, but old Wessex has a standing invitation for tennis to all who are interested (he fancies himself a player, what?). And Lady Cavendish is all too eager to show off her gabled conservatory; my Mabel took Baroness Haworth to see it not three days ago! I say, I take no little pleasure showing Asquith a thing or two in my new billiards room. Now that I think on it, I wish we were set up here for tennis. I think I'll have Barrow bring around the trap for the boy and I. I'll show Wessex a thing or two!

 Some rules (continued playtesting will refine these rules, and your comments are welcome!):

• This tile stays in your tableau; when used, your footman is placed on the tile just as with the Servants' Hall. 
• The player with the tile you want to use (Lender) physically gives you the tile, which you place on your player board Activity square. The improvement you request must be a tile you can legally play.
• The Lender then receives a reputation benefit (1 or 2) depending upon whether the Pony & Trap or the Hansom Cab was the conveyance.
• You now host your activity normally following all rules (as if it were your own tile).
• During cleanup, you return the tile to the Lender. If the front side was used, the Lender does not flip it. Place your tableau footman into expended service. If you used the Pony & Trap, flip it to the rose side (Hansom Cab). 
• When the Hansom Cab is used, everything happens the exact same way, except that you may optionally move the footman from the Hansom Cab and use him for activity service as if he were an underbutler (any male role except Useful Man). 
• You cannot use this tile to borrow the Private Study, Business Room, or Butler’s Room. We are still evaluating some other service and promo tiles (more to come). 
• Sure makes the Lionheart Suite an interesting choice!
• Second chance servants may not be used on this tile.

Thanks again to Tony for his design and love of the game!

Dan Hallagan, Kayenta Games