to answer some of the questions and doubts that have arisen over the past weeks/months. Here's a quick translation:
For several weeks I've seen many of you rightly wonder about the future of the game, sometimes with unnecessary anxiety rushes, so I took some time to write you all a reply. I'll try to go around all the questions I could read, hopefully I won't overlook anything. First thing first, I would like to clarify some important points:
- Geof no longer takes the time to read the forum. He's overloaded with work and his current involvement in Hell Dorado focuses on tranfering the baby to the future buyer...
- At this time I'm one of the only ones to read the forum more or less regularly here in Asmodée. Basically if you have a question, if you request an "official" answer, I will most likely be the one to see it first. I'm taking off on vacation for the first 3 weeks of August, this message may well be the last for a little while.
- I am also the only one in charge to send primae materiae prizes. There have been many requests in the past few weeks and a lot of prizes went out of stock. The delay was caught up last Friday (July 24). If a prize was no longer available, I replaced it the best I could with goodies (T-shirt, tape measurer), and I also added in each shipment a set of the latest Strategic Advantages cards and faction stickers from the last two GenCon / "Salon du jeu de société"
The future of the game:
The taking over is well under way by an American who's followed the project since the beginning. He found an agreement of principle with the team of sculptors, and he has all the English files of the rules.
Today the question remains of the technical feasibility for him to cast the models. Therefore we sent him the molds, and he is going to try them. If everything goes well, he will produce the sold out references, in particular the Saracen/Demon/Westerner Company boxes.
We know nothing about future prices, nor even about future packaging. Maybe he will decide on a blister packaging. In any case, his priority will be to have an English version and products in English for the U.S. market. For now, selling 1635 cards has not been mentioned. Likewise, the English translation of the book corresponds to the currently available French. We do not know if he will take the time to make an English 1635 version of the rulebook.
If the project materializes, Asmodée will remain the French distributor. The miniatures will probably be produced in the U.S. and then imported into France. So this time, it is Europe that will wait for the news. I do not know whether the boxes/blisters will come with French cards
The development of rules / the background: The future buyer will not be abandoned as for the development of the game. He is in touch with Geof who will give him the ideas and everything we already developed but haven't used yet. Geof will even remain a consultant on the development of the rules, the fluff,... Asmodée still owns the Hell Dorado license!
Thomas and the team from Nantes, who were also involved in the development of the miniatures, will keep working as freelancers to sculpt and paint the models. This is one more element to ensure the consistency of the future developments. On the other hand, there is no date announced for the release of new references.
As for the background, it's not planned to be altered and stripped of its core. This is a game for an adult audience that can handle its mature aspects.
Organized play:This is a big question mark. As of now, this point has hardly been talked about in discussions. The chronicles Zaebas will most likely end here, and the storyline side of official events will be put on hold for some time.
The best advice I can give you all is to organize your own "resistance"
Confrontation or GW tournaments have taken place for years without any support from the publisher, organizers were working with LGS,... Then with the Internet, communities are created and structured. I hope the Pioneers will play an active role.
Primae Materias:
Again, let's not dream, the Primae will certainly not be maintained.
As of now, we're starting to run out of models, but we still have goodies.
I had set July 31st as the shipping deadline, but since there are goodies left, we'll keep going (with no set deadline for now). Watch what is available or not.
I'll add 6 season two Strategic Advantage card and stickers to each shipment, so don't hesitate to use your Primae Materiae.
As a reminder I'll be on vacation, so no shipment before August 25
Prizes of the "Salon du jeu de Société" and other:We ordered enough resin miniatures of the alternative retiarius and hashishin miniatures to the resin caster, but they haven't been made yet. These models will be sent to the participants of the "Salon du jeu de Société" tournament, along with the remaining prizes, but only once we get them. To save money I won't do several shipments. I just ask you to be very patient.
As for the artworks promised at the Strasbourg and Sartrouville tournaments, it is my fault. I'll send them as soon as I get back from vacation in late August / early September before the "Monde du Jeu"
The "Monde du Jeu":Asmodée will participate in the "Monde du Jeu" from September 18 to 20. But we won't have any HD demo, we'll only have boardgames/card games. If some of you want to see some HD, you might want to check out the gaming areas. Again, nothing prevents you from contacting the organizers and organizing your own stuff.
I hope I answered quite a few doubts and questions. Otherwise you have until Friday to send me a PM