How to Change / Update Your Shipping Address If Needed
over 3 years ago – Tue, Nov 03, 2020 at 08:06:07 AM

I wanted to share a quick reminder on how to update your shipping address if needed. BackerKit is how shipping addresses are being gathered and managed, so you'll do it there. (And if you are one of the small number of people who have not filled out their BackerKit surveys yet, please do so as soon as you can.) Addresses in BackerKit can be changed at any time up until shipping begins. 

To change or update your shipping address:

• Use the special URL sent to you by BackerKit (each backer got their own URL) and you can change your address any time as long as shipping hasn't begun.
• You can recover your BackerKit pledge URL here: https://dm-advice-dice.backerkit.com/

I am going to try to lock people's addresses as close as possible to when their shipping actually happens (but the shipping tools are not really made for this, so it's a bit frustrating.)

Cheat Sheet for Shipping & Address Questions

Need to Change Your Address?

• Check your inbox (or spam folder) for your personalized URL from BackerKit. Click it and you can make changes (as long as shipping hasn't started.)
• Can't find the email?  Click here to recover it: https://dm-advice-dice.backerkit.com/

Not sure if you filled out your survey right?

• Check your inbox (or spam folder) for your personalized URL from BackerKit. Click it and check what you filled out.
• Can't find the email?  Click here to recover it: https://dm-advice-dice.backerkit.com/

Need Something Else?

• If all else fails, send me a message here on Kickstarter and I'll do my best to help you out.

What happens if I just don't do anything?

• If you filled out your survey with BackerKit and provided a shipping address, your order will get sent to that address when shipping begins.
• If you have NOT provided a shipping address at all, no shipping will happen until one is given.  You can do that with the BackerKit URL emailed to you (or click here to recover it).  Or you can wait until BackerKit reminds you about it.
• Before shipping starts, you'll get a notice before your address is locked-in and can no longer be changed.

Finally, Here's a Picture

Dice bags and dice, ready for processing!

What Happens Next: Add-ons Will Be Charged
over 3 years ago – Wed, Oct 28, 2020 at 09:07:02 PM

A quick note to let you all know that if you ordered any add-ons through BackerKit, those charges will happen in the next day or two. (This has to happen before any shipping can happen, which is right around the corner!)

Shipping is Right Around the Corner!

As I said in the last update, the first batch of 10 Limited Collector's Editions will be shipping within the next week (these had an early shipping date.)

After that, all the rest of the orders will begin to go out in batches until they are all done. Some people will get their rewards before others -- there is only so fast I can package stuff up.

Despite the hiccups during this campaign (most notably me having to re-do the production with a different manufacturer) things are pretty much on schedule despite the issues. Thanks for helping make this a success.

Stay tuned, I'll be in touch!

Here Are Shipping Timelines!
over 3 years ago – Wed, Oct 14, 2020 at 09:57:47 PM

Timelines and Shipping

 I'm well into the process of building the first batch of Collector's Editions, which will begin shipping by the end of the month!  That first batch was 10 units, and they will get shipped first.  After that, the rest can get rolling!

After the first batch is done, all other orders (including the other limited collector's editions) will begin shipping as quickly as I can package them up and mail them, and that process will continue until completed.  This is expected to begin sometime in November.  I am not entirely sure how long that process will take to complete (because I have never shipped 700+ packages before) but I want to make sure people know not everything will get shipped all at once -- I am not a fulfilment center or warehouse, I'm just a guy in a workshop doing everything by hand.  Thank you up front for your patience and understanding as the shipping process will certainly take many weeks to complete once it begins.

So to summarize:

• First batch (10) of Limited Collector's Editions will begin shipping by end of October. (These rewards had an early shipping date.)
• After that (sometime in November) all other orders -- including the rest of the Collector's Editions - will begin shipping.  I will do them in batches, as quickly as I reasonably can.  Just to be clear, they will not ship all at once.
• This process will continue until done, but it's over 700 orders so it will definitely take many weeks before shipping is complete. (This means not everyone will receive their orders all at once, because they won't ship all at once.)

Normally I prefer to share news only when I can answer questions about it, but at this point you're all with me on this journey as it happens. I don't forsee any real problems, so let's hope things go smoothly!

BackerKit Add-Ons

Because shipping will begin soon, add-ons purchased through BackerKit (dice backs, extra sets, etc) will be locked and charged within the next week or two. I am really glad I was able to provide dice bags and fourth die add-ons (as well as extra dice sets) to people who wanted to purchase them.

What To Look Forward To

I have been keeping the Collector's Editions secret because they come with a special storage box that I designed and made from scratch, and I want the people who pledged for them to be the first ones to see them.  Once those first ten are out and delivered, I'll finally share details about what it was like to make them while shipping progresses!

So there's still a lot of work waiting, but it's all finally coming together.  Thank you for joining me on this and for backing my project.  I can't wait for you all to start receiving your dice.

Progress is Good!
over 3 years ago – Wed, Sep 23, 2020 at 11:57:23 PM

Progress is Good

Now that the dice production (and quality!) is sewn up, I have been working on packaging and shipping organization. This part is pretty boring, without much to look at, but it is very important because it's how you, the backers, ultimately get their rewards.  

What Shipping Will Look Like

I am cautiously optimistic about getting shipping started in a few more weeks.  First the early backers for the first ten Collector's Editions get their rewards (this tier had an early shipping date), then shipping will begin for other reward levels once that is done and kinks are worked out. 

Let's Roll Some Dice!

I want to spend a little time talking about the dice results. Let's take a look at a sample die roll.

Interpreting the dice rolls requires a little imagination, a little like fortune-telling. The dice will provide data points and you need to tie them together with whatever is happening in your game.

Here is a three-die roll (not including the optional 4th die, just because I don't have a lot of three-dice examples, so here is one) and here is how I would interpret or implement it in a game:

NEXT DOOR (or TRAP) -- "ARE YOU SURE?" -- PRAISE OR VALIDATE THEM is the result, but how exactly would that get implemented?  Here is what I would do:

• The next time the players come across a door (or portal, or gate, or any threshold) or trap:
• Whatever course of action the players choose, ask them the magic words: "Are you sure?"
• Then, no matter what they choose or why, validate it. Whatever they decided, it was the smart or "right" thing and you let them know it. This could mean that their gamble paid off, their decision was the smart one, or it could just be simply validating them with some praise. It doesn't have to be something big, it could just be you telling them "smart thinking!"

Here's an example:

"You approach the end of the hall, and behold a small, reinforced door. A prominent padlock is on the hasp, but it hangs open and unlocked. The door is slightly ajar."

"I open the door."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, maybe I use my spear to push it open without getting too close?"

"Good decision! The door pushes open easily, and as it does so, you hear a click and a stone block falls from the ceiling. But since you're not in front of the door, it crashes harmlessly to the floor." (Here is where no matter what they decided to do, it was the "right" thing or a smart decision, and you make sure you let them know it.)

Which One is the 4th Die?

The (optional) 4th die is easy to identify: the die with face that reads "SINGLE OUT ->" with a red arrow is the 4th die. It acts as a modifier and can be added or left out without meaningfully altering the basic results of the other three dice.  Here is an example:

In this case, the "SINGLE OUT (arrow)" simply directs you to focus on a particular player (or direction, or map feature, whatever.)

I'm sure you're all very curious as to what the other dice faces are.  The good news is that you'll only need to be patient for a little while longer.

Collector's Editions

All the design work is wrapped up and production is underway for the initial ten Limited Collector's Editions!  It is very gratifying to be moving away from design issues and settling down to actually make something!  Here is a teaser image of one of the parts that I am making in my shop.

That's it for this update.  Stay tuned, because things are happening soon!

Production Update: Good News!
over 3 years ago – Fri, Sep 04, 2020 at 02:09:35 AM

Production News, and the News is Good

Hello backers!  I got production photos from my new supplier, and I like what I see! With the previous supplier, I could tell even from grainy photographs that something was not right, but things look great now. I like these and I know you will, too!

The photo above shows some of the finished units, so that is going well! It is a big load off my mind, knowing that production is just a matter of time instead of quality. 

Now I can focus on making sure shipping and fulfillment is organized. That means prototyping not just the product, but also the packaging and the shipping details. Packaging can have a big impact on shipping and costs, so it's important to get it right and make it efficient. After all, processing a few dozen orders is one thing, but processing hundreds is quite another and any issues -- no matter how small -- are guaranteed to snowball. I've always told people that fast is good, but right the first time is better. It's absolutely true, because having to go back to fix a mistake is just about the most wasteful thing that can happen.

Collector's Edition Boxes

I was hoping to be into production of the Limited Collector's DM's Dice Boxes by now, but I have had some final design issues to sort out. I am producing these all by myself in my workshop, and I'm both excited and a bit impatient to start making them instead of dealing with fixing design mistakes. But it's "finishing touches" stuff, not "OMG how I am going to make this work?" stuff, so that's good!

I'll leave you with a closeup teaser photo of some of the parts in production on one of my 3D printers and ready for cleaning and post-processing. This is what they look like fresh from the printer, still coated with a thin layer of resin (which will be cleaned off.)

Until next time, and thanks for your support on this project!