Canopy

Pre-Press Begins and Backer Help
over 3 years ago – Sat, Nov 07, 2020 at 12:19:38 AM

Hi Canopy Dwellers,

Welcome back to another Canopy Update. Today I'll cover the start of the pre-press process, all the great help that you have provided on proofing the rulebook and science of the game, and about Canopy playtesting on Tabletop Simulator.

Pre-Press

This is the start of the manufacturing process where we submit digital files and the manufacturer reviews them and let's us know of any errors or issues that come up. For Canopy we are working with Panda Games Manufacturing and they have some very talented and helpful pre-press specialists that review our files. 

The main issues had to do with cut lines and file set-up. For example with the Deluxe Board, I submitted it as one file and they need it split into separate files for each board. There are a couple of other fixes like that, that just require adjustments of how the files are submitted. We still need to submit the box and rulebook, which might need some massaging, but as of now I am feeling confident we can complete pre-press by the end of the month.

Backer Help

I want to say a very big thank you to all of you who helped proof the draft Rulebook and the cards. You all came through in a big way, as can be seen on the extensive comments on the rulebook. 

I will be reviewing the feedback and updating the rulebook and cards. My goal is to share the updated version around mid-November and then make any final edits before sending it off to print. Thank you all for helping make this game as great as it can be and for being involved in the process. It feels really good to have your support and help along the way. 

Playtesting

It ended up taking us a bit longer to finalize the Tabletop Simulator version of Canopy, because we ended up making some scripts (light programming to handle basic functions). The good news is it is now completed and we have a great version available for testing. If you signed up to provide playtesting help I will be sending an email to you with info on how to test. 

If you haven't signed up you are still free to help test. Tabletop Simulator is an online platform that requires a purchase and takes a little getting used to. If you are interested in testing check out this Google Doc for the specific info on how to access the game: Canopy Playtesting Info

Testing is open starting now and will run through November 15th. If you are looking for other people to test the game with we are going to use the comments section on this Update as a hub for folks to post about when they are playing and if they are looking for someone to play against. 

That is all the news for now. I'll be back in 2 weeks with more info on the pre-press process and other fun Canopy news. 

Tim 

Pledge Manager Closed and Wildlife Samples
over 3 years ago – Sat, Oct 24, 2020 at 03:18:16 AM

Greetings Forest Dweller,

As the weather in Oregon grows colder it has been nice to spend much of my days working away inside the warm rainforests of Canopy. I have been busy finalizing the rulebook, printing up prototypes and reviewing samples from the factory. 

Pledge Manager Locking

We have set up the pledge manager on Backerkit to lock orders in the next 48 hours. Once all orders are locked, we will charge credit cards for shipping and add-ons purchased through the survey. You should see a charge on your card early next week from the Canopy campaign. 

We are still quite a ways out from shipping so if you need to change your address do not worry. You will be able to change it until at least early March and I will send an update before addresses are fully locked. Backers who have not completed their survey yet will still be able to do so for the next few weeks, but please get those in as soon as possible so we can finalize our manufacturing numbers.

Rulebook, Online Testing and Proofing

It has taken a bit longer to finalize the rulebook and get the digital version of Canopy up and running for testing. I plan to have a draft version of the rulebook and the Tabletop Simulator version of Canopy ready for proofing and testing by early next week. We are slightly behind schedule in this area but my goal is to submit the card and rulebook files to Panda as soon as they are ready to insure that they meet the printing specifications, and then make any needed text adjustments to the rulebook and cards after external testing is complete. 

Wildlife Samples

Earlier this week we received samples of the Wooden Wildlife tokens for the Deluxe version of Canopy. We got samples in two different thicknesses (6mm and 10mm) and we ended up preferring the 6mm. They are more elegant and show off the silhouette from a larger variety of angles. However, the 10mm tokens felt a bit sturdier so we are looking at splitting the difference and making them 8mm thick.

The manufacturer forgot to send us samples of the unstained wood so we only have samples with stains. The red and yellow stains both work okay for us, with a slight preference for red, but we are waiting to see what the unstained ones look like before making our final decision. Check them out in the images below. 

Next Steps

This weekend I will be handing off physical prototypes to two playtesters local to me and next week we will commence online testing on Tabletop Simulator. I will share the cards and rulebook with proofers to help review the grammar and science early next week. Vincent is working to finalize the box layouts, card formatting, and create textures for the rulebook. Those should be complete in the next week and I will start submitting files to our manufacturer by the end of next week to start the pre-press process. 

Thanks for tuning in and I'll be back in two weeks with another update on all things Canopy!

Tim 

Canopy Pledge Manager Closing Soon and Timeline Update
over 3 years ago – Sat, Oct 10, 2020 at 10:37:08 PM

Hello Backer,

As we continue to prepare the Canopy files for print and finalize the graphic design, we are also preparing to close the pledge manager so we can lock in our order totals for production. 

Pledge Manager Closing Soon

The Backerkit pledge manager will close in two weeks on October 21st and all credit cards will be charged for shipping and add-ons. If you have not completed your order by then, you will still be able to complete it, but no add-ons or additional purchases will be possible. You will still be able to change your address for the next several months. We will lock addresses right before we ship the games out, and you will get a notification before we do. 

If you have not completed your pledge yet, or would like to double check or revise it follow this link and enter the email address you used on Kickstarter: Canopy Backerkit 

Updated Timeline

I wanted to revisit our timeline and let you know the current status of where we are in the process of getting this game made. 

Testing: We have the two player game locked in and finalized. The solo mode and multiplayer mode have been testing well but need additional tests before we are ready to sign off on them. We plan to have our internal testing finalized in the next 10 days and then open up external rulebook testing in late October. I'll send out an email to all the backers who expressed interest in playtesting as soon as it is up on Tabletop Simulator.

Art: Vincent has completed the art for all cards, with the exception of the added details for the trees. He is working on those details and will have them finished in the next few weeks. 

Graphic Design: Vincent has been hard at work finalizing the icons and graphic design for the cards. He is doing some minor adjustments to text layouts and should ahve the cards ready by early next week. We still have to do the layout and graphic design for the back of the boxes, player aids, and the rulebook. These should be completed by the end of the month at the latest. 

Rules, Text, Scientific Facts: As soon as I have the finalized cards I will share with backers who have offered to help proofread them and check the scientific veracity. I still need to update the rulebook with the new content we added during the Kickstarter campaign. The rulebook should be complete in two weeks and I will then share it with the backers who offered to help proofread. 

Production: As components are completed I will be sending the files to our manufacturer to have their pre-press specialists make sure they are ready for print. This process usually takes a couple of weeks. My plan is to have all files and components to our manufacturer by November 1st and to have all files approved and ready to move to production by early December. 

If we can keep to the early December deadline we should have production completed by the end of March 2021. Games will then be loaded onto boats and begin their journey worldwide. Ocean shipping plus customs, plus shipping to fulfillment centers should take a little less than two months. So before the end of May we will be able to begin fulfillment and be shipping games directly to backers. 

That is our current estimated timeline, but if I have learned anything through my previous projects (and during this wild year), it is that delays almost always happen. I feel confident that we have enough wiggle room in the timeline that we will be able to get the games to you all in a timely manner. And regardless of if we are on track, behind or ahead of schedule I will communicate with you all throughout the whole process. 

Thank you for being part of this campaign and I'll see you all back here in two weeks,

Tim

Canopy News and Wildfire Smoke
over 3 years ago – Sat, Sep 26, 2020 at 07:35:22 PM

Hello Canopy Backer,

In the update today, I'll cover the progress we are making towards production and testing, and later in the update discuss some real world issues related to Canopy that have affected myself and Weird City Games personally.  

Card Layout Update

Vincent has been working on the final card layout. This included adding additional iconography and tweaking the font layout for the wildlife ability text. In the images below you can see the Moon symbol for cards that are discarded at the end of each Season. To differentiate the cards that are scored at the end of Season and end of game we chose green leaves (Season) and silver leaves (end of game). For the standard vs. advanced cards we opted to change the color of the card count box, with tan for standard and purple for advanced. This should make it very easy to sort the wildlife between games. 

I am working on finalizing all of the ability text and icons for the cards and then will pass them to Vincent for finishing touches. Below is a preview of the adjusted ability text on the Howler Monkey (please note the rest of the details on this card have not yet been updated. 

Wooden Animals to Panda

Today we are submitting the Deluxe Wooden Wildlife tokens to our manufacturer. These are the components that require the most time and testing in production so we are getting them submitted now and will hopefully have samples sent to us in the next 2-3 weeks. This way we can test the size and strength of each wildlife and also test the natural wood vs some light stains to see what looks best for final production. 

Here you can see the submission for the Toucan wildlife token, with front and side views and the measurements of each. (side view is pretty boring and difficult to make out any details).

Canopy Volunteers

Thank you so much to everyone who signed up to help playtest, proofread, and lend your scientific knowledge. We will be calling on you over the next few weeks! I am beyond excited to have so many of you lending your time and energy to help make this game as great as can be. Thank you!

Next Steps

We are going to be finalizing the components and text, setting up the Tabletop Simulator for online testing, and doing our final tests of the solo and multiplayer variants over the next few weeks. Despite a bit of a delay caused by wildfires (read the whole story below) I think we are in good shape to have final files submitted to our manufacture by the end of October. 

The remainder of this update deals with real world issues of climate change. If you are interested in my personal experience and some brief thoughts on climate change, read on.  If not, no worries, all of the relevant Canopy game news was listed above. 

Fires in the West

As I am sure you all heard about on the news, here on the west coast of the United States we had devastating forest fires about two weeks ago. An enormous amount of trees have burned, many homes were lost, and our cities were blanketed in smoke for over a week. I was more fortunate than many, and although the evacuation areas got close to my house, we did not have to leave. However, we were literally holed up in our house, taping the windows shut and using box fans with taped-on furnace filters to try to clean the air. 

Wanting to do what I can to contribute to the fight against climate change is the reason I created Canopy. I believe that boardgames are a very useful tool for education and building a connection with the game's subject matter. As a small company, I know our impact will be limited, but it is important to me that when I'm spending my time and energy creating something I try to make it have a positive impact on the world and the environment. 

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and we never had fires like this when I was young (check out this article from the New York Times for a scary picture of the current climate issues facing Oregon). I have been aware of climate change since I was a child, but this is the first time I have been directly affected in such a large scale manner. Climate change is happening now and its impact can be felt all over the world. 

Wherever you are in the world I urge you to speak up and take action to find solutions to climate change. 350.org is a fantastic organization that is working worldwide to confront climate change. On their website they have a ton of resources and ways to get involved. There are many other organizations doing incredible work and I encourage you to seek them out and find one that you resonate with. A final and important note to my fellow citizens of the United States, please vote in the coming election. 

Our world and way of life is at stake. The animals, trees, and plants are at stake. There are solutions and ways we can change our communities and societies for the better.  If we all choose to engage, take action, and work for change, we can make a difference. 

If you would like to discuss ideas for actions we can take, please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Thank you,

Tim 

Canopy Final Development and Your Help Needed
over 3 years ago – Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 12:30:07 AM

Hello Canopy Backer!

Final playtesting and development has been progressing well and we are making good headway.  Vincent has been working to tweak the wooden wildlife tokens, and we are finalizing the iconography and layout of the cards. We are also looking for help with playtesting, scientific accuracy, and proofreading to make the final game as awesome as possible. Read on for all the details!

Deluxe Wildlife

During the campaign, one of the most consistent pieces of feedback we received was that the wooden animal tokens in the deluxe game were difficult to recognize. We had a lot of suggestions for ways to add more detail and color to them, but ultimately we decided to stick with our original vision and keep them natural wood. I asked Vincent to work to make them more distinct and he has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of each of them in 2 dimensions. 

I am really excited with how each of these turned out and can't wait to see the manufacturing proofs. Deluxe copies of Canopy will also include the punchboard tokens so if you prefer to use those that will be an option. 

Game Changes

Through testing we have made a few additional tweaks to the game. The first one that players will encounter is the Starting Trunks. In the new rules, each player starts with one Trunk in play, which makes the contest for Tallest Tree more dynamic and increases your choices at the start of the game. It also helps to smooth out the random nature of the deck and ensure that players are able to use the canopy cards they draw early in the game. 

Lianas and Tiny Marmosets 

The jungle vines known in general as lianas used to score at the end of game, and award 1 point for each tree of a different height in your forest. With the change to making all plants score and be discarded at the end of each Season we changed their ability to award 1 point per Canopy in your Forest at the end of the Season. In our test games they have proved quite interesting as they have a lower value early in the game and often have a different value for each player. 

We ended up missing the incentive to build Trees of different heights and ended up moving that ability to the Pygmy Marmoset. Their previous ability proved very complicated to track and was the definition of fiddly. This ability has worked great for them and captures their natural inclinations. 

Next Steps

We still have a bit of testing to do on the solo and multiplayer variants, but the standard two player game is nearly finished. The Shifting Seasons mini expansion is one area that we are continuing to develop and tweak and I'll include a more detailed report on those in the next Update. We will continue testing and tweaking the game over the coming weeks to make sure it is playing exactly as we want and delivering a great play experience at all player counts. 

Help Needed: Testers, Biologists and Proofreaders

As we close in on the final production version of the game I would love to crowdsource your help in making sure the game is as polished as can be. I am looking for help in a variety of areas. If you would like to help in any or all of these please follow the link below to the Google Form to sign up. One of my favorite aspects of Kickstarter is creating and interacting with a community. Thank you in advance for all of your help!

Areas we are looking for help in:

Digital Play Testing: I am getting a version of Canopy built on Tabletop Simulator over the next few weeks. If you have experience playing games on Tabletop Simulator and would like to help test Canopy please let me know. These tests will be beta tests using just the rulebook to learn the game and will likely start at the end of September. 

Science Proofing: If you are a biologist, rainforest expert, or otherwise knowledgeable about the scientific basis of Canopy I would love your input. I will be looking for specific and general fact checking such as which layers of the rainforest species are most prevalent in. 

Proofreaders: Once I have the near final versions of the cards and rulebook written, I would love to get as many eyes on them as possible to check comprehension, clarity, and catch any grammatical issues. If you have a good grasp of English language and grammar and enjoy reading rulebooks we'd love your help. 

To sign up to help in any of the 3 areas click on this link: CANOPY HELP SIGN-UP FORM

For anyone who has signed up to help with translation of the rulebook I still have your contact info and will be in touch once I have a final English rulebook. Thanks!

Until next time, stay safe, take care of each other and the natural world.

Tim