Dear backers,
We launched the Kickstarter campaign - OrcQuest WarPath - in June 2018 thinking that a few months would be enough to finalize the development and deliver the game in July 2019. Following this, 6 months later, we wanted to relaunch a KS with the aim of keeping the project alive, proposing additional content and thus absorbing the fixed costs (miniature molds, illustrations, sculptures...).
At the end of the KS we knew that it was going to be tight. However, we accepted the fact that we would not make any profit on this project, with the idea of making up for it on the reprint. But we got carried away with this exciting project, both during the fundraising campaign, by trying to offer as many Stretch Goals as possible or by applying the lowest possible shipping costs, and during the development because we really wanted to offer you the most fun and the most accomplished game possible. An offer like the one we presented, with 1 Core Box and 10 Expansions, more than half of which are Stretch Goals, requires a lot of tooling for its content. Due to a lack of experience and now with the benefit of hindsight, we have to admit that we made a very poor estimate of the scale of this project.
The problems we had to face, both internally with the departure of certain collaborators and externally with this crisis that everyone is facing, did not help matters.
The updated quotations finally arrived a few days ago and, as you can imagine, we have not escaped the rise in prices. Whether it's raw materials that have increased by more than 30%, labour or transport that have seen their prices multiply by 5, 6 or even 8, the entire production/delivery chain is affected by these increases.
Amongst all this, there is some good news: all the upstream work has been finalised, and that's no mean feat! The files are ready to be sent to the printer, so we are not far from the end. Unfortunately, we are short of funds to produce everything as we had initially imagined.
But I'm still trying to complete this project with all my time, my energy and my savings. Because despite what some people think, I didn't run away with the money, on a beach sipping cocktails, or buy a new car. The money I spent was only used to develop the project or pay for production tools. I didn't even get a salary for this project and had to live on my own money.
The margin of manoeuvre was too small to be able to support all these hazards. I am currently studying all the possibilities to optimise the budget and find viable economic solutions, surrounding myself with experienced people, to avoid the mistakes of the beginning that led to this complicated situation. Our work over the last few years must not have been in vain, and for you, the backers, as well as for all the people who have contributed to this project, the project must succeed. Whether it is by reducing the manufacturing costs or by trying to find an external investor, all solutions are considered with the same goal: To succeed in delivering the game to you.
I also want to apologize for my lack of communication and I will of course keep you informed of the solutions taken or envisaged as soon as I have more concrete news.
Be bad, be tough, be Orc!
Yoann - MAZE GAMES