Forges of Ravenshire

Manufacturing Complete, Freight and Shipping Update, Update on the Special Dice
6 months ago – Tue, May 21, 2024 at 06:05:57 PM

Manufacturing Complete, Freight and Shipping Update

All of the manufacturing of Forges of Ravenshire has been completed! Everything has been made and we just recently received a few advanced copies and I think you will be pleased. 

We are working on getting an unboxing video and other media content to share with everyone over the next few weeks. That content will likely be in June.

Here is where everything is at right now in terms of freight and shipping:

North American Kickstarter Backers Shipment - Currently on the water and heading to our port on the West Coast of the USA. It will then be fast tracked by train (LOL) and then finally placed on a truck to haul it as quickly as possible to our fulfillment center.

We are doing our very best and we have reasonable hope that the games will start shipping to backers in June and in time for Origins Game Fair.

2nd North American Shipment - Palletized and waiting for pickup at the factory.

European Shipment - Palletized and waiting for pick-up at the factory.

Australia/Oceania - Palletized and waiting for pick-up at the factory.

Rest of the World - Palletized and is being loaded for transport. 

We are excited all of the manufacturing is done and we will keep you updated as we have progress on fulfillment. The hype train is real!

Special Dice Update

This part of the update is for those who ordered the special custom dice. 

At this point in time, we can't get product from Downpour Dice, who is the dice maker in charge of creating the special hand crafted dice sets. 

Due to the current situation, we cannot speak for them and are not at liberty to discuss the situation. We understand the incredible frustration this may cause, so the best solution we have at this point in time is the following:

We will be providing a substitute option with gemstone dice.

Purple Dice = Amethyst

Green Dice = Aventurine

Yellow Dice = Topaz

Badger Die (Black & White) = Snowflake Obsidian

Raven Die (Black) = Obsidian

Examples below:

Amethyst

Aventurine

Topaz

Snowflake Obsidian

Obsidian

We are confident in the quality of these dice and you as the backers will not be charged any additional money for this substitution. However, we understand that this is a drastic change. 

Due to this change, we will very likely be sending out these dice approximately 4 weeks after the initial shipment. There will be no extra charge for this extra shipment.

If you would like a refund instead. We understand and we will process that refund. Please email Ed directly, [email protected] , if that is the case.

We apologize for the late notice. Until very recently, we were under the impression that everything was completed.

Please do not contact Downpour Dice about this issue. Please do not review bomb. Please let us handle this business to business. We just wanted to inform you as a backer some of the workings of why things are changing and why certain decisions are being made.

Thank you for your patience and we will keep forging on!

-Sam Stockton

1st Batch is Complete, Final Printing, Freight and Shipping Info, Origins Game Fair 2024
7 months ago – Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 01:12:01 PM

1st Batch is Done!

The first 1300 copies of Forges of Ravenshire are done. We couldn't be more excited! We asked our manufacturer in China to make some videos and they sent us these unboxing videos split into 2 halves. The videos are not the best in quality and detail but we promise to make a higher quality unboxing video when we get copies to us personally. 

Final Printing Timeline

The rest of the copies of Forges of Ravenshire are being completed as we speak and should be done by the 1st week of May. We had to split the printing in order to try and meet deadlines and get copies to all backers (you all!) as quickly as possible.

Freight, Shipping, and Origins 2024

Fulfillment Timelines:

Asia - June

Australia/Oceania - June

Europe - June

North America - June

We have the 1st batch done, so what is the plan? Why are we doing this in batches?

We are shipping out an early batch of games to North America for 2 reasons:

#1) Our first goal is to get as many games as possible into our backers hands in June. North America takes longer to get games for fulfillment than Asia, Australia, and Europe. By sending it earlier, we should be able to have fulfillment happening closer to all at the same time.

#2) Our plan is to have Forges of Ravenshire debut at Origins Game Fair, June 19-23. We acquired additional booth space, set up ads, etc. based on the fact Forges of Ravenshire would be there a year in advance and we are definitely cutting it close for it to arrive on time.

No guarantee!

However, there is no way to guarantee that we will have it in time. Freight is a crazy world and as mentioned in previous updates there are issues in the Red Sea, Panama Canal, and on the East Coast of the U.S.

Which is why the early shipment will be going to the West Coast, then moved to a train to go across the country to the East Coast, and then a truck to our fulfillment center in Florida. 

Yes, it will cost more but it is projected to speed up transit time by 1-2 weeks. This 1st batch will be for Kickstarter backers (consumer and retail) and a very limited qty. for us to have at Origins.

The rest of the games will go directly from China to Florida by boat through the Panama Canal, which will be for distribution and additional copies and will take longer to get to our warehouse.

Origins Pick-up Potential

If you are interested in picking up your order at Origins, we can do that for you if the shipment gets to the warehouse in time. Please send an email to [email protected] with your full name, what you ordered, and that you would like to pick-up your pledge at Origins.

We will keep you updated on the shipment and if it doesn't get here in time, then your order will be fulfilled as normal with all of the other backers.

It's Happening!

This is an awesome time for us as we get closer and closer to getting the product into your hands. We will keep you updated as we go and if you are going to be at Origins Game Fair, come by and see us, Booth #831.

Until next time, keep forging on!

-Sam Stockton-

Manufacturing Updates and Freight & Shipping Update Soon
8 months ago – Sat, Apr 06, 2024 at 09:20:27 AM

Manufacturing Updates

Manufacturing has been going full steam ahead now for a few weeks! Today, we will be showcasing some of the videos we have received from our manufacturing partner.

First, we have the video for the box of the game. I am quite green with envy and can't wait to have these games in all of our hands!

Second, we have a video covering the trays. This is something we have been keeping a lid on for a while and are glad we can share it with you now.

Overall, manufacturing is set to be completely done by May 9th at the latest. We will be keeping you updated over the next few weeks.

So, What about Freight and Shipping?

The most important question, "So...when do we get it?" TL:DR, we are currently working on that question and we will give you an update in about 2 weeks. 

We are currently working with the manufacturer, our freight forwarder, and our fulfillment companies across the world to organize the quantity and timing of shipments. However, you should note a few "issues" in the world have caused delays. To be clear, our goal is to still deliver games in June 2024, but going through this process has made a few things clear depending on what part of the world you are in.

1. The Red Sea situation is causing a lot of stress for cargo and freight companies and some have decided to go around Africa instead of going through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which adds to more time on the water and distance traveled. This mainly affects Europe and some shipments going to the East Coasts of North America.
2. The Panama Canal is struggling with drought conditions as they are dependent on lakes to fill the lochs to get ships through. They have a number of water conservation efforts which helps the system keep working but it has slowed down the passage through the Panama Canal, which adds more time on the water for those shipments going to the East Coasts of North America.
3. The Baltimore Bridge Incident has had a definite impact and has caused quite a few backups and disruptions across multiple ports. This has lead to more time on the water and distance traveled.

In the end, this has caused a lot of volatile variables as we look at pricing, speed of delivery, and types of transportation options. However, we are committed to trying to get these games into people's hands in June.

We will be updating you exclusively on this within the next 2 weeks. So please stay tuned and we will get back to you on this.

Thank you for being awesome and keep forging on!

-Sam Stockton

Production Started, Locking Shipping Addresses, Check Email, Unfinished Pledges and Carts, Wooden Box
8 months ago – Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 11:59:56 AM

Production started on Forges of Ravenshire!

As of last Thursday, production has officially started. It's an exciting time! 

It will take about 35 days from start to finish for all of the paper components. The other components like the metal coins, wooden tokens, and the playmats will take less time. 

We are hyped to be getting this done so stay tuned over the next month or two!

Locking Shipping Addresses

As you all have noticed, we have been locking shipping addresses. We are currently coordinating a dialogue between the manufacturer, the fulfillment companies, and freight forwarders in order to make the process from finished games to final delivery as quick and efficient as possible. Knowing how many games are going and where is helping us plan our freight and shipping.

However, there are always challenges. A few right now are the Red Sea re-routing troubles and the back-up at the Panama Canal. Just want to let everyone know we are aware of these issues and looking at various solutions. Specifically for the U.S., we are comparing freight cost and time for ships going to the West Coast and then moving the games by truck and rail to our fulfillment center on the east side of the U.S. versus a ship straight to the east coast. 

If you think you MIGHT have an issue with your shipping address or if you are unsure what address you have listed, please check it. This will help you get your games as quickly as possible. If there is an issue, please email [email protected]. He will take care of you. 

Estimated Freight Shipping Start - Mid-April

Estimated Fulfillment Start - June 19th

Email Check

We have had a number of bounced emails recently. Make sure your email is correct in Backerkit. It will be important in letting you know when packages start shipping and any future updates. Please also double check for Kickstarter, Backerkit, or B.A. Games emails in your Spam folders. 

Unfinished Pledges and Carts

We currently have about 40 pledges and carts that remain unfinished and open. If you want to make sure you get your stuff in the first wave of shipping, please make sure any open carts and pledges are closed out and finalized. We can't move on to shipping anything to you if things are not finalized. If you have an issue, email [email protected]. 

Wooden Box Is Looking Nice!

Just got the recent sample of the Forges of Ravenshire Wooden Box. It is looking nice! A few small adustments need to be made but here are some pictures. Enjoy!

We'll talk to you all soon and until next time friends, keep forging on!

-Sam Stockton

February Update, Planned Production, 2 Final Obstacles
9 months ago – Wed, Feb 14, 2024 at 05:16:13 PM

Hello Fellow Blacksmiths!

Checking in to give you an update on Forges of Ravenshire. There are only 2 things preventing us from getting this game manufactured.

#1) Lunar New Year - For those who don't know, it is a HUGE deal in China. To quote from an article written on Forbes.com, "Even if CNY is only a seven-day public holiday in China, the break in production for Chinese based suppliers, contract manufacturers and partners, can last an agonizing four weeks. During this time, almost everything shuts down including the government and factories, while ports and customs usually operate with a minimum staff focusing on perishable and priority items."

Lunar New Year officially started February 10th, 2024.

We were not able to get the final aspects approved in time due to some file miscommunication on the factory side of the equation. 

#2) Final Approvals - However, we were able to get a new set of games in before they closed up shop for the holidays and we can approve many of the samples. There are a few tweaks to the files in order to push the game to the standard you should all expect from B.A. Games. Examples below:

What's the plan?

We have been told we will be the first to production when they open back up since we are so close to being ready to go and we have already scheduled a video call to go over all aspects of the game a final time. So to re-iterate the schedule.

Production Start - March 1st

Production Finish and at Port - March 31st

Arrive in the U.S. - May 15th (assuming issues with the Red Sea)

Fulfillment Start - June 19th 

Until next time my friends, keep forging on!

-Sam Stockton