Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The Agents project update #19 SAFEHOUSES UNLOCKED

SAFEHOUSES UNLOCKED - You guys are the key!

My awesome backers. You keep on blowing me away with your support, enthusiasm, kind messages and crazy conversations about maple syrup over on comments.
The last couple of days have been exceptional. We hit 5,000 backers, closely followed by 5,000 comments. And at some point when my back was turned late last night we went ahead and hit TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!!
Wait. Isn't there something that's meant to happen about now? Oh yes. SAFEHOUSES UNLOCKED!!!
Home Sweet Home
This is the moment you've all been waiting for. I introduce the Safe-house booster to the base set, adding another dimension of game-play to The Agents.
The way that Safe-houses work is that they act as the foundation of each Faction i.e the first card laid down, in position, for each Faction, around which the Agents are placed. Agents can then be placed on either side of the Safe-house. Safe-houses feature data-token halves on each of their four corners, and therefore deliver a new way for players to gather points throughout the game. I've found this really helps the game kick off in a fun way, as players immediately have a way to gain points from the get go.

The Safe-house cards are double sided with a different point layout on each side, making them even more flexible and varied. You'll also find a couple of cool Agents in amongst the expansions that can interact with, move, or manipulate the Safe-houses.
Follow up expansions and modes of playing will also allow players to do much more with these special Safe-houses, bringing even more layers and complexity to the game!
I hope you like Danny's incredible, scenic, atmospheric artwork for the card and are excited to see how the game plays with this new feature. I know that a few lucky backers have tested it out already, and it's been met with great reviews!
Agent Transformation
Many of you have been asking to see some of our favorite 'The Agents Celebrities' undergoing their 'Agent-fication' process. With the express permission of my dear new friends Tucker, Muhammad and Jennifer, you can get a glimpse of how these incredible backers are being immortalized as Agents by Danny.
Remember, there are just a couple more slots left in the Spoofspansion if you want to be brought into the fold as well. We'd love to have you join our ranks!
Did someone suggest a new Stretch-Goal?
As you know, a couple of days ago, I went rogue and unlocked 'Plastic Surgery' early, so that you guys could revel in our new plastic wonderland. And seconds later came the cries for a replacement Stretch Goal. It seems you guys like a tough challenge to work towards!
And there was really only one Stretch-Goal that remained to complete the game. So, to please the masses, Danny and I will indeed be entering the fray and joining the gang as specially designed bonus Agents. 
No doubt you'll have an idea or two about how our Agents should take form...
Behind the Scenes
I spent another happy day at the printer's yesterday, surrounded by cool machines, gruff men and pallets of paper. I managed to have a play with a few models for the packaging line-up and am delighted to show off some of the goodies now.
I know many of you are waiting for photos of the Fancy Box, but I was told yesterday that the final model won't be ready until next week. Don't worry - you can add (and pay for) the Fancy Box to your bundle AFTER the campaign ends on the backerkit survey if you'd rather see before you commit. Otherwise you can just trust me when I tell you that we're making it FAN-FRIKKIN-TASTIC.
I'm going to leave you today with a pretty extensive list of FAQs, helpfully collated by Matt "comment sniper" S.
Here's to a magnificent final 4 days!!
Saar
Q: I've selected my tier but want to add a couple of add-ons or expansions. What do I do?
A: All you need to do is keep the tier that you've selected and bump up your final pledge amount by the appropriate amount. Use the chart below for guidance.
Q: Do I have to pledge for 'The Take' if I want the Fancy Box and/or Spoofspansion?
A: Nope. See above. You can just pick and choose which items you want and add it to your existing tier.
Q: How can I let you know which add-ons, expansions or translated PnP I want and have included in my pledge?
A: You'll be able to do this in the backerkit survey at the end of the campaign. I'm going to tell you more about this process in the next update, but it's super easy and intuitive.
Q: How is the Fancy Box different from the standard 'Black Box' that comes with the game?
A: The box that comes as standard with the game will fit only the base set ie Agents, Missions and Points. The Fancy Box will fit each and every expansion that is part of the KS campaign as well as a few empty slots for follow up expansions. It's also sturdier, more robust and generally much fancier.
Q: What do I do if I want the Fancy Box add-on AND the standard box?
A: Simple, just add an additional +$5 to get hold of the standard box as well as the Fancy Box. So you'll be looking at $30 for BOTH boxes.
Q: How will the expansions be packaged?
A: Each expansion will come in its own designed, re-usable, card envelope. See the photo above of the model packaging.
Q: What will be the final card material and dimensions?
A: The plastic that we're using is specially designed to be used for playing cards. It's 0.4mm thick and is slightly textured in order to help shuffling and to be even more durable. I gotta tell you - it feels fantastic to shuffle and hold. The dimensions will be 87mm x 56mm - a standard US bridge size.
Q: Do I need a different set for each player?
A: Nope. One base set is good for 2-5 players.
Q: I'm a Collaborator, Collector or Customized tier backer...what is the difference between the early print edition of the game and the regular version?
A: The early print is a physical full-color version of the game that will be printed on regular cardstock at a printer opposite my apartment! I will sign each copy of this early edition that will be sent out within a couple of weeks of the campaign ending. You'll then get the final game, like everyone else, later in the year.

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