Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Update: 11/2/16

Preventing a Switcheroo

Since we (GNL) were told by the factory & Aptus to expect to move to production in two weeks, we've still been working on getting those final master samples.  The master samples, of course, are needed in order to establish a contract.  A spec sheet will do for most of the components, but showing an acceptable range of real products is what is required for a good contract that involves a printed product.  

In the time since the 9/1/16 update, we have had three more rounds of samples, but none of them were even close to correct. They were a significant step backwards, actually.  The factory decided to glue a layer of card stock (thick paper) in between the backing layers, to help make cutting the backing easier.  This is in exactly none of our communication with anyone.  It makes the boards not spring back into shape when bent (they stay bent, like card stock would), and we have no plans to allow for something that can absorb water to be a part of this board. 

If your reaction is, "Well tell them to stop doing that," we have.

Repeatedly. and emphatically. 

It really seems a habit of material suppliers to try to swap out for inferior (or simply different) materials at the end.  And that is precisely what we are experiencing.  And precisely what we aren't going to allow.

You Will Get What You Paid For!

As a reminder of our commitment to this project: Jerry literally sold his house to ensure that there is money to move forward, despite the shenanigans of the prior factory.  

We have no intention of providing inferior quality stuff. The bait-and-switch nonsense we are experiencing now is precisely what we do not want to do to anyone else, and we refuse to do it.

Now What?

The factory reads these updates as well.  They know the history of the project, and how long people have had to wait.  And not unlike the previous factory, they seem to think that we might just be desperate to move forward with something different from what we originally discussed.

We're not.

We (GNL) will continue to insist to the factory that we want the final product to match the construction of the samples we initially showed you guys in our videos.  (Not the color, don't worry!)

So we are still waiting for the factory to produce the correct master samples, and to make it match what we agreed upon earlier.

This is certainly not where we were told we would be two months ago, either.  But we're not daunted; we're going to make the boards.  It's just a matter of time.  And we have no intention of being swayed by 'hardball' negotiation tactics. 

Thanks for reading, and thanks for backing us.  We really do appreciate all your support!

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for taking the time to do this *right*, not just 'get er done!'

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  2. Oh my goodness. Don't you have a lawyer or three involved with this? Great, so you aren't going to give into hardball tactics. What exactly IS your plan? I've backed a LOT of things on KS and I have never heard of any of them having production issues like this. So now we are back to... what? No timeline? No solution? May I suggest a project manager who has experience handling these kinds of problems?

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  3. I would rather have an inferior product in my hand, than no product at all. I have asked for a refund in the past, as was told that no refund would be extended. It's time to produce something or give us back our money. This is getting ridiculous. Alan Weymouth

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    1. ? What part didn't you understand.
      Alan

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    2. I'm sure what he didn't understand was your desire for an inferior product. I feel confident you are in the minority on this. Please Jerry, don't settle for inferiority here. If I wanted that, I would go buy a big mat to cover my table... or draw squares on a piece of paper. Take the time to get it right. Alan, it sounds like you need to just cancel your order and move on with Chessex mats. Here is a link:

      http://amzn.to/2eRGWCL

      Good luck

      (PS, I don't care if you are a Kickstarter backer or not. Same thing holds true.)

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  4. I understood you are doing everything you can but this enormous delay deserve a gesture toward your backers.

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  5. Kickstarter isn't a marketplace for finished goods, it's a crowdfunding platform enabling entrepreneurs, inventors, and artists to fund their creations. We signed up to fund the creation of these game boards knowing that they weren't finished products being made in a factory but were instead prototypes. It's taken a while but the prototypes are finally at the final step, why wouldn't we wait for them to be completed as promised instead of getting crap? I certainly wouldn't say no to some extra stickers/stencils though.

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    1. I hope the factory doesn't make the mistake of thinking the few whiners represent anything more than a few percent.
      We have Jerry's back.

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  6. Let me be clear about one other thing. I am NOT a Kickstarter backer. I purchased the mats through the website, and thus I did trade for finished goods....that have never been delivered. So, call me a whiner if you wish, we will see where this "project" stands in another few months.
    Alan

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    1. That's a lot more understandable then. I haven't looked at the sites for anything other than updates so I'm not sure how they were presented. I hope you find the mats worthwhile when they're finally ready.

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    2. Being denied a refund (the amount I purchased was small)set off major red flags for me. We shall see, what we shall see.

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  7. I purchased after the Kickstarter too. But, I had kept an eye on it and knew I was, for all intents and purposes, essentially a Kickstarter backer because the product was not ready. I knew there was still work to do.

    I'd still love for there to be more blog updates. :)



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  8. If I get a half-assed product, I'm not going to be happy.

    I don't mind waiting; I'd mind getting something poor after this long wait.

    I'll feel the same in two years from now, should it come to that.

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  9. Who manufactured all those mats you show in your videos? Did you fabricate them yourselves in your garage? Were they made by the original third world company. I'm trying to be patient, but being almost a year and a half behind schedule is getting ridiculous. I didn't back you but I did show your kickstarter to a couple of good friends who did back you. I feel guilty about getting them involved in this. All my characters may die soon if you guys don't get it together...lol. Keep fighting the powers that be, and give us more updates...weekly updates.

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    1. Weekly, or at least more updates would be nice. Though I understand that sometimes there is nothing to update on. Tough spot to be in for Jerry.

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    2. Some time ago Jerry commented that sometimes we don't get updates because their lawyer said no.
      Also who wants updates that say: "Nothing new to report."
      Some, like me, would be happy with that, but have you read the comments? Sheesh, they'd get slaughtered.

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    3. There will be an update apparently (check the Kickstarter page).

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