Divergent Realms Playing Card Series [Faraday Deck] BackerKit surveys incoming! 💣💣💣
over 4 years ago – Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 03:54:49 PM

Hello everyone!

Just a quick update to let you all know that your BackerKit surveys are nearly ready and will be hitting your inboxes in the next 24-48 hours!

I supported this campaign but missed the previous campaign, will I be able to secure the previous Gottlieb deck and add-ons post campaign?

Yes, there is a small set amount of the decks from the previous campaign which will be carried over onto the BackerKit add-ons section for this recent campaign. This process repeats with each campaign and each deck until all are sold out. Due to these decks being very limited across the board it is advised to commit to securing them during the live campaigns however if the campaign has ended and afterwards you have decided that you would like to secure any additional decks be sure to jump into the BackerKit surveys as soon as they land in your inbox as any remaining numbers will be available on a first come first serve basis.

I haven't supported the previous Kickstarter campaigns, will I be able to secure the previous decks and add-ons post campaign?

For those who did not participate in the Kickstarter campaign, the pre-order link is also live on the main Kickstarter page and will remain live for the next 4-5 weeks in line with the BackerKit surveys being locked.

How long do I have to fill out my BackerKit survey?

Surveys will be locked in mid-January (4-5 weeks from now). Addresses will be locked nearer the time for fulfillment in March. I will leave the addresses unlocked until nearer the fulfillment date in case any of you need to update your addresses for any reason. 

Manufacture Phase and addressing previous delays experienced in the last campaign.

As you all know the first deck in the series, the Gottlieb deck experienced huge delays due to external factors such as the pandemic, even with additional completion times outlined from the very start. Given the current climate offers no guarantees for planning with 100% accuracy I had to step back and look for ways to address this important issue and thankfully I did manage to work up a good solution.

In order to knock down the manufacture  and delivery times to what we are all normally used to pre-pandemic I decided from this point on to submit the art for approval pre-campaign and with this also at my own expense begin the manufacture process by paying the initial deposit which locks the print date for the decks prior to the campaigns going live.

So you will all be pleased to know that by the time you have received and are filling out your BackerKit surveys the decks will have already been manufactured or manufacture already underway. With this all that is left is the gilding - the number to the nearest 100 being finalized with the completion/locking of your BackerKit surveys 4 weeks after you receive them.

How long does the gilding take?

The gilding process incurs a 6 week waiting period from the date the number of decks to be gilded is confirmed. The final number will be confirmed after the new year period with the surveys being locked as well. The completion for the gilded decks will then fall into the mid-February period.

Shipping and fulfillment timeframe?

Once gilding is done the fulfillment is booked up 2-3 weeks in advance and during this time your decks and add-ons are sorted and prepared with shipping beginning in early March.

Manufacture timeframe overview:

December 2021 - January 2022

• Playing Card manufacture already completed and delivered to Gambler's Warehouse (as outlined above) 
• BackerKit surveys sent out to all backers.
• Manufacture begins for the Faraday planchette / coin and Divergent Realms metal cards (CoinsForAnything).

January 2022 - February 2022

• BackerKit surveys locked. 
• Gilding process begins.

February 2022 - March 2022

• Faraday planchette / coin and Divergent Realms metal cards delivered to Gambler's Warehouse.
• BackerKit survey addresses locked. 
• Fulfillment begins.

Future campaigns?

With the above methods implemented and completion times bought back to what we are all accustomed to with playing card campaigns this will allow me to return to hosting at least three campaigns per year so over the coming 2022 period we should be able to breeze through the next three decks in the series and the final taking place in early 2023. Although I haven't set a date/period yet the third campaign on paper for the third deck in the series, the Gaddis deck is scheduled for April 2022.

See you all soon with the next update!

Costa

Divergent Realms Playing Cards Vol. 2 [Faraday Deck] closed with 100% funding! ♠♥ ♣♦
over 4 years ago – Tue, Nov 23, 2021 at 05:33:38 PM

Hello everyone!

We done it! The second deck in the Divergent Realms series has closed with 100% funding!

What happens next?

Kickstarter will now charge your registered payment methods for the amounts you pledged on the recent campaign. There is a 14 day window following the project’s deadline where they will be collecting and processing your pledges and allowing you time to update your payment details in case of failed payments. After the 14 days have passed, a payout will be initiated and the funds will be automatically transferred directly to me in order to start the manufacture.

When will we get our BackerKit surveys?

During the above timeframe I will be preparing your BackerKit surveys so they are ready to go out as soon as possible. After Kickstarter has initiated the funds transfer over to me your pledge data will also be imported into BackerKit and synced up. At this point I will be sending them out to you all. The timeframe for receiving your individual BackerKit surveys roughly 2 weeks from now. 

I missed the previous campaign, will I be able to secure the previous Gottlieb deck and add-ons post campaign?

Yes, there is a small set amount of the decks from the previous campaign which will be carried over onto the BackerKit add-ons section for this recent campaign. This process repeats with each campaign and each deck until all are sold out. Due to these decks being very limited across the board it is advised to commit to securing them during the live campaigns however if the campaign has ended and afterwards you have decided that you would like to secure any additional decks be sure to jump into the BackerKit surveys as soon as they land in your inbox as any remaining numbers will be available on a first come first serve basis.

Manufacture Phase and addressing previous delays experienced in the last campaign.

As you all know the first deck in the series, the Gottlieb deck experienced huge delays due to external factors such as the pandemic, even with additional completion times outlined from the very start. Given the current climate offers no guarantees for planning with 100% accuracy I had to step back and look for ways to address this important issue and thankfully I did manage to work up a good solution. 

In order to knock down the manufacture  and delivery times to what we are all normally used to pre-pandemic I decided from this point on to submit the art for approval pre-campaign and with this also at my own expense begin the manufacture process by paying the initial deposit which locks the print date for the decks prior to the campaigns going live. 

So you will all be pleased to know that by the time you have received and are filling out your BackerKit surveys the decks will have already been manufactured or manufacture already underway. With this all that is left is the gilding - the number to the nearest 100 being finalized with the completion/locking of your BackerKit surveys 4 weeks after you receive them.

How long does the gilding take?

The gilding process incurs a 6 week waiting period from the date the number of decks to be gilded is confirmed. The final number will be confirmed after the new year period with the surveys being locked as well. The completion for the gilded decks will then fall into the mid-February period. 

Shipping and fulfillment timeframe?

Once gilding is done the fulfillment is booked up 2-3 weeks in advance and during this time your decks and add-ons are sorted and prepared with shipping beginning in early March. 

Future campaigns?

With the above methods implemented and completion times bought back to what we are all accustomed to with playing card campaigns this will allow me to return to hosting at least three campaigns per year so over the coming 2022 period we should be able to breeze through the next three decks in the series and the final taking place in early 2023. Although I haven't set a date/period yet the third campaign on paper for the third deck in the series, the Gaddis deck is scheduled for April 2022.

Also with everything going to plan and less distractions or last minute issues presenting themselves during the manufacture phases myself and Blackout Brother can finally sit down after new year and start working on some new deck designs as well (finally!) 

Right everyone, I am off to prepare BackerKit surveys for this campaign while Kickstarter processes your payments and once done I can sync all your pledges and date into the system and have them sent out to you all once done. I'll drop another update to give you all a heads up on the exact date your surveys will be sent out once I have everything ready to go.

See you all soon with the next update!

Costa

Divergent Realms Playing Card Series: A closer look at the campaign add-ons ♠♥ ♣♦
over 4 years ago – Mon, Nov 01, 2021 at 08:48:25 AM

Hello everyone!

We are currently halfway through the campaign and currently sitting just just short of the original target amount!

I just wanted to share with you a little more about the add-ons and what you can expect from them when they are manufactured and delivered.

Faraday Coin & Divergent Realms Metal Cards

The planchette, from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood equipped with two wheeled casters and a pencil-holding aperture, used to facilitate automatic writing and as a movable indicator to spell out messages during a séance. The Faraday coin is struck in black nickel with a diameter of 2.75" x 2.75" inches and includes 3D graphics on the front. Due to it's larger then normal size It can also be used as a card guard you prefer. (manufactured by Coins For Anything)

Another Kickstarter exclusive, Divergent Realms engraved laser etched antique gold card. Each etching is standard 2.5" x 3.5" poker-card size. Like our previous Primordial metal cards and the coins above the cards will also be manufactured by CoinsForAnything to ensure the highest quality. If you would like to get a feel for what the end results will actually look like take a look at the photos below for same add-ons that featured in the original Primordial Playing Cards campaign last year.

How do add more items to my existing reward selection?

Once pledged if you wish to add any other items select the option to 'Manage Your Pledge.' On the next page, simply edit the only the pledge amount to reflect the cost of your additional rewards + shipping.

Video Guide (Tutorial)

Projects We Love

Also, feel free to check out the latest project by our friends over at Shift Publishing and CTB who have been assisting independent creators in bringing their titles to customers and stores for 3 years now. Having launched the first independent comic to newsagents in nearly a decade, SHIFT now brings its Winter Special to Kickstarter! Featuring a plethora of carefully curated comics from across the genres, this 128-page volume is full of exclusive new tales. Click the image below to check out the campaign!

See you all soon with the next update!

Divergent Realms Playing Card Series [Faraday Deck] is now over 50% funded! 🤘🤘🤘🤘
over 4 years ago – Tue, Oct 26, 2021 at 11:56:28 PM

Hello everyone! 

Just dropping everyone a quick message to say thank you to all who have pledged so far on the new Divergent Realms Playing Cards series and for the for the overwhelming support and love for this project leading up to the campaign. This second campaign is now funded 50% after the first day and looks to break the target funding amount shortly.

So just a quick update for any new backers who will be joining us.

Will there be any add-ons appearing throughout later campaigns?

Each campaign and the reward tiers will remain the same and as you can see on this one they will be focused more on the actual decks themselves. This also simplifies the reward and add-on structure for backers. Each will have it's own unique custom coin/card guard like the one you see in this campaign.
There will also be a 6X carat case with a custom die-cut sleeve appearing in the later campaigns which can be used to display the Divergent Realms decks - a one design fits all which can house both the the revealed editions, the concealed editions side-by-side, or even a mix of both.

No dice and pouches this time around?

Dice and pouches were the most popular add-ons on the last Primordial campaign so they would have been the obvious items to repeat on this one. They are planned though, but as there are six different designs covering six different deck themes this leaves the option open for me to do a dice only campaign once all six decks are finished.

Will you be using a pledge management facility after the campaign?

Yes, as with the previous campaign I will be using BackerKit. The survey will be sent to you about one week after Kickstarter has collected your pledges. From here you will be able to finalize your existing pledges, purchase additional items from this campaign and confirm your shipping addresses for delivery. The Backerkit surveys will be locked 3-4 weeks from the time you receive them so up to this point you will be able to edit and change your shipping address if needed. (I will also post a project update to inform you about the surveys being locked when the time comes so you are all notified in advance).

Is there any way to preview the other decks in the series before they launch?

Yes of course, you can preview all the decks that will make up the Divergent Realms series on the United Cardists forum which can be found here: PREVIEW

I've only just discovered the Divergent Realms series with this current campaign which means I missed the first deck in the series. Is there any way to secure this deck?

Yes, following the each new campaign the remaining stock of the previous deck in the series will be included as add-ons on the BackerKit surveys which are sent post-campaign on a first come first serve basis.

What are the seal numbers on the Divergent Realms decks?

Each version of the Divergent Realms playing card decks are printed on a run of 1000 (the minimum requirement to manufacture). The final seals numbers are calculated post campaign after all backers have filled out the BackerKit surveys confirming their orders along with any additional add-ons. From this point we calculate the total number of special edition versions sold and separate this number of decks from the 1000 printed to be gilded. The number is rounded off to the nearest 100.

So for example, on the previous campaign the gilded editions of the Gottlieb deck both sold just over 250 decks each so from the total print run of 1000 we allocated 300 of each for gilding leaving 700 decks remaining - seals numbers 001/up to 300 were applied. The remaining decks then made up the standard editions which had seal numbers 001/up to 700 applied.

How did you address issues in manufacture time of the previous deck considering it took much longer to complete then anticipated and how could this effect the current and future campaigns?

As you know the first deck in the series experienced severe delays due to external factors, mostly due to the pandemic. Even with extended manufacture time advertised to accommodate possible delays the manufacture deadline still couldn't be met. So with this, things had to be reassessed and after going over everything the solution was to fund the initial deposit for each deck with USPCC in order to secure an earlier print date prior to launching a campaign. This means that before a campaign launches the artworks are approved, initial deposit paid and print date booked. By the time backers have filled out their surveys post campaign the decks will have already been manufactured and delivered to Gambler's Warehouse with the gilding underway. The gilding process takes up to 6 weeks to complete and once done fulfillment begins shortly after with completion of the project being done within the timeframes we originally used to be able to work to. Also, this ensures that the next three Divergent Realms decks can all be launched and fulfilled during the coming 2022 period.

See you all soon with the next update!