Gunfighter's Ball Wild West Miniatures Game

Backer Names for Book
almost 6 years ago – Tue, May 15, 2018 at 02:20:04 AM

A quick question for everyone. 

A good number of people have responded to my previous post specifically asking who would like their name in the book, but I haven't heard from everyone.

If you have any objection to having your name listed as a backer in the rule book, please let me know. I think it will be easier to list everyone with exceptions for those who do not want to be listed rather than the other way around. If you're fine with having your name in there, you don't have to do anything at this time. If you're in a witness protection program or have another reason to lie low, let me know!

News:

The final proof of the mat is headed this way from China--should be here any day now.

Dave Taylor is waiting on a few odds-and-ends from us so he can wrap up the book design (i.e. backer names). It's looking beautiful. We'll scare up some screen shots soon.

Putting the finishing touches on the cards.

Casting is probably 85% finished. We'll be packing the last of the longhorn cattle, Blazer mounted, and Honest John mounted tomorrow. Not much left after that.

A shipment of buildings and resin casts are coming in this week, with more coming every week after.

We've been running demos at conventions all spring, and we've seen some of you there. The enthusiasm is running very high among those trying out the game--I really think we have a tiger by the tail!

Adios,

Forrest

Production Update
about 6 years ago – Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 05:04:20 PM

Lots to report!

1.  A proof of the mats is due within a few weeks. After that, production will go forward and won't take too terribly long. Hoping for a good color match the first time around so a lot of revisions won't be necessary.

2.  The book is expected to be ready for the printer in early May. Soon after, the PDF copies should be available to backers.

3.  Most of the Death Dealer deck is laid out. Still need to finish up a half-dozen face-card paintings.

4.  The character cards are being laid out painstakingly--lots of graphic arts work on these, but they will be pretty snazzy when completed.

5. Check out Wild Bill on horseback! We're bagging the castings for the stretch goal packs at the moment. I pulled one out for myself, hand-sculpted terrain with green stuff on top of a Warmachine base, and primed one for you to see. I'm going to enjoy painting him. If the pose and overall aesthetic of the piece looks familiar, it might be because you are a child of the 80s like me--let's just call the finished product "flirting with disaster."

The pre-order/backerkit is now closed. Thanks to all of you. I'll be collecting the information together and launching into the fulfillment phase in June, so don't be surprised if I contact you with a question or two!

If you would like your name in the book as a backer, please let me know, and tell me how you would like it to appear. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

Adios!

Forrest

The Gate is Swinging Shut Tonight
about 6 years ago – Fri, Apr 06, 2018 at 10:40:33 AM

Howdy pards',

Just a reminder that I'll be locking down the Backerkit tonight--I've decided to hold fire till bedtime. There are still a few backers who have not completed the survey--even though your payment has been made this is still important because we'll need your most recent shipping address!

We've introduced a lot of people to Gunfighter's Ball thanks to your support and the word-of-mouth from your engagements with your own gaming communities. I can't begin to thank you enough for all you've done.

The files for the mat graphics are in the hands of the middleman who will have them manufactured. Their estimate is June. The book files will be delivered May 1st from Dave Taylor (who is running his own kickstarter, by the way. He is producing a beautiful book about painting miniatures and managing large painting projects). 

That's all for today!

Adios,

Forrest

Time to Lock it Down
about 6 years ago – Mon, Apr 02, 2018 at 02:56:06 PM

Hi everyone,

The time has come for us to put together our final numbers so that anything left for us to order can be requested in the proper quantity. Take one last look at what you've chosen and if you have any changes to make, or have any friends who still want in, I'll leave it open till the end of business on Friday.

Thanks again for everyone's support. Production is commencing and everything is coming together nicely.

A quick shoutout to everyone who joined us at Adepticon in Chicago the last weekend of March. I hope to see some of you again at Little Wars at the end of this month.

Adios!

Forrest

Progress Report
about 6 years ago – Sat, Mar 10, 2018 at 12:57:29 PM

We're making good progress on all of the items. Here's the latest:

1. Mats--the final design has gone to our middleman who is arranging production. Now that Chinese New Year is over, that can get rolling. The target for completion is mid-May, but I don't have enough experience with this type of thing to know if that's a reliable estimate. If anything pushes us into June, it will be this item.

2.  Cards--proofs of the Pistoleer and Black decks are expected any day. Photos of the figures for the character cards are finished and those are ready to be composed, and the paintings for the Kings and some of the Jacks are done for the Death Dealer Deck. I've learned that once composition is done, it doesn't take long to get them produced.

3. Book--Dave Taylor, our designer, is toiling away at the layout, and what I've seen looks really sharp.

4. Figures--this is old hat for us (after 15 some odd years making figures). Casting is proceeding on schedule.

5. Greenhorn Edition--we'll be reviewing our first version of the Greenhorn Edition to see if anything needs to be updated and we'll probably be issuing a second edition of the free PDF sometime in the next few weeks.

6. Community--I'm researching the best resources for creating a hub for Gunfighter's Ball online so players can share scenarios, house rules, character designs, etc. My goal is to get everyone involved in growing this system into something really special. Just as PC games that can be modded (think Minecraft) by players take on a life of their own, I'd like to build a platform that unleashes the creativity that you all have in such abundance!

7. Backerkit--I'm leaving the pre-order/backerkit open for the time being. As soon as I reach a point where I place the large card and mat orders, I'll close it down so we're sure to have the supply on hand to fill the orders.

8. And finally...Knuckleduster will be at Adepticon the 22nd of this month with our current selection of figures and terrain as well as samples of the new stuff. Hope to see you there!

Adios,

Forrest