A BIT OF RECAP
over 3 years ago – Wed, Dec 16, 2020 at 01:53:33 AM

Good day everyone;

I thought it would be good to have a bit os recount on how things are at the moment. 

As most of the affected backers know, the ship carrying our container with the TFD pledges for US and South American backers, ONE Apus suffered a major incident and lost cargo on it s way to Palm Beach port.

Only a couple of days before the ship had the accident, I was notified by the fulfilling company in the US that at their end, everything was ready and calculated to fulfil the backers with their pledges (after we transfered the backerkit information with all tyhe updates some of you communicated to their systems to have everything in place). They of course had already arranged their freight forwarders, etc to clear customs as soon as the ship would arrive in port. This is a common procedure once the ship has an ETA and customs are notified of its arrival.

At that point I contacted all US backers to notify on the additional cost of shipment (to those affected, of course) to which I had an incredibly positive and supportive response. Thank you all for cover me on this.

On the Sunday after that communication, we received the terrible news about the ONE Apus ship loosing over 1600 containers due to bad weather conditions around Hawaii. The ship was ordered to turn around and find shelter in the nearest port (that was in Japan).

At that point I started returning any Paypal payments received in concept of shipment and of course no instruction was given to charge any money through Backerkit for those that opted that way (immense majority of affected). Please, rest assure that we will not order any charges to any of you until the goods ARRIVE in the fulfillment company. For those that paid or want to pay via Paypal, I am returning all the payments and please don't send amnymnore. Backerkit has everything tracked and in order to process all needed and consent payments through the platform when the time comes.

No Further information yet

The ship (which seems to be carrying around 10K containers) is still in port and I assume under scrutiny of all the involved companies and insurances. I can only assume that this type of processes will take time as there is a lot of money and companies involved.

To what concderns to us, neither me or the manufacturer have received information that our particular container is or isn't affected. Again, I imagine the maritime company will notify all affected companies once they have concluded their checkouts, etc. As of today, we have not been contacted or informed of anything yet.

The Production is Safe

The Chinese manufacturer (Ningbo Eastar) has reassured that, if ultimate the cargo was affected, they will produce and ship that consignment again asap and the US fulfilling company has everything in place and ready to complete the logistics when this is due.

At this point, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do as we are waiting for more information from the affected maritime company. Considering Christmas, COVID and the regular length of time that checking a 10K container ship disaster may take, I would say we won' t hear anything for a while. BUT THIS IS PURE SPECULATION AS I HAVE NEVER BEEN AFFECTED BY SOMETHING LIKE THIS and I genuinly don't know how long this may take.

If while this is happening, you change your contact details, please just email me at [email protected] and I will update them in preparation of the fulfilment.

Please, rest assure that we will not order any charges to any of you until the goods ARRIVE at the fulfillment company in the US. To keep everything neat, for those that paid or wanted to pay via Paypal, I am returning all the payments and please don't send any more. Finally Backerkit replied to me and they have everything tracked and in order to process all needed and consent payments through the platform when the time comes.

Hate and Love (= passion)

Some of you, closer to me and the project, are aware of the amount of hate I have emails and nasty comments I have received during this moment of crisis (even from backers that are not affected by this!).

But more important, I want to thank those that have sent their support and comforting words to me, encouraging me to keep up and don't give up. I cannot begin to explain how much those have meant to me in the darkest time I have experienced in my 25 years career. This 2020 has seen me through financial struggle, family crisis, deaths, and a maritime disaster (followed days after by a hacking to my system - and I thought 2020 was over!), but I want to tell you all that TFD deserves it all! and I am not giving you up. 

You will receive your goods and you will be VERY PLEASED with the result. I have great plans for more TFD stuff, a carrier bag for your TFD and your RPG books, foam inserts for your boxes so you can keep minis in, and of course the continue development of a solid, effective and reliable furniture system.

Finally, I want to explain again that the product has been produced and the funds rightly spent in production, logistics, insurance, packaging, continue development, etc so I would like to ask those of you to stop asking me for refunds as there is no money to be refunded. 

KS is not a store, is an investment platform where us all pledge for a project to see it through. Your investment was invested in the most effective way to deliver the best and most effective product. Delays, re-designs, re-thinking elements is and was all part of the KS journey. I'm surprised that many, many Superbackers, still don't understand this concept. A project has many aspects and its journey is long and sometimes painful. Other projects smoother and shorter. Ultimately, TFD only existed in drafting boards and concepts (= intentions and ideas) and your investment made it happen in the way TFD is and will be.

We have also started the preparation for tooling for all the other components (Doors) and all files are set for the Dungeon Generator and the KS exclusive Swampglade.

Dungeon Generator and STL Files

Here is a Dropbox link to the PDF files for the Dungeon Generator. It is a really good tool to use your upcoming sets. I hope you can enjoy it soon.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/h7l325vx3w17t3e/AAAuudsO7Gnl6E470mCuSkEba?dl=0

Also, as promised, here are the STL files for those of you that want to 3D print the doors, bulkheads,  torches and mods clips. Some backers may not have access to this technology. These files belong to all the backers of this project, so feel free to help other backers if they ask you by printing for them. However, they are the IP property of Room 17 Games, and they  are not for commercial or public use.

Dors and bulkheads:

 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/myihvbb7ca2c6kp/AAAgtjSLUVv1Xt28CJZWbGcra?dl=0 

Clips and torches:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xnqx1kesqar5c5q/AAAmcYxQrmC5IqUHYlhwMMSha?dl=0

Link to Download Dropbox: www.dropbox.com 

I hope this brings you clarity and reassurance. I'm still here, working every day!

Best

Information from Manufacturer
over 3 years ago – Wed, Dec 09, 2020 at 09:45:06 PM

Hi everyone.

I ave received the follwong email from David, the owner of Ningbo Eastar Manufacturing Co.

"Hi Ricard,

Sorry for it, I  have been involved in it the moment it happened.

Current situation is that we still don't know if our cargo dropped to the Sea, the ship has arrived at Japan now and will have accurate information in the next few days, let's hope all will be right for our goods.

For any reasons, if the cargo dropped to the Sea, we will make the mass again for you asap at our own expense and then we will claim it with the shipping company. So you don't really have to deal with it.

Vincent will keep you informed once there are any updated news.

Warm regards

David"

As always, throughout these almost 4 years of operation, my friend David and his company are in full support and up to the challenge. He has confirmed that whatever the outcome, the goods will be re-manufactured if necessary.

As per the email, we should have more news in the next few days once the situation is fully assesssed and the shipping company makes a statement.

Thanks

TFD Shipment Status
over 3 years ago – Tue, Dec 08, 2020 at 11:11:48 PM

Good morning everyone.

Today I have contacted all US and Southamerican backers to comunicate about the status of their shipment. Unfortunately, the shp carrying their goods (One Apus) suffered severed weather conditions and has lost a large percentage of its cargo. It is on its way to Japan (rescue port) where damage and loss will be assessed and communicated to the affected companies.

This is the link to the media the freight forwarder sent me on Monday alongside other communications between the freight forwarder company (JAG-UFS Logistics, Inc.) and the US shipping company (Golden Distribution) that was expecting the cargo to arrive on the 12th December. 

https://container-news.com/one-apus-may-have-lost-a-quarter-of-its-cargo/

Apparently several vessels suffered delays or were stuck on the origin ports as a consequence which produce major delays.

We have information that the UK and European TFD cargo ships are still on port.

Canada and Australisia cosignments are on their way with on time expecting arrivals.

A consignment directly to France has also made it for Legion Distribution (one of the companies that backed TFD and which collected their cargo aongside other products they regularly ship from China. Same goes with Asmodee (which bought some test product for UK and Northern Europe only) and consolidated it with other consignments they regularly transport from China to their warehouse in UK.

Let me be clear, only the US and Southamerican consignment seems to be at risk of having been lost (we don't have confirmation and I still hope for the probabilites to play in our favour). Everything else goes although with major delays (ships stuck in port due to weather, COVID or whatever else 2020 whats to throw at us!).

If you are a US or Southamerican backer, and you have not received this email, please contact me directly at [email protected] so I can pass you the info directly.

All other backers, please consider that we are trying to gather information and inform the affected ones, so my priority is US and Southamerica as the rest f our cargo and product is safe and sound either in origin or in transit.

I am lost for words that this project is suffering so much and I can only hope for the best.

Best regards

TENFOLD DUNGEON SHIPMENT PROGRESS
over 3 years ago – Sat, Dec 05, 2020 at 02:07:01 AM

Good day dungeoneers;

This is the time when I tell you that everything has gone smoothly and TFD shipments are happening.

AND IT IS! (almost)

US and Mexico

All US backers should be receiving right now an email confirming their pledge is ready to ship and with any shipment cost balance if exists. The fullfilling company Golden Distribution (which is also the exclusive distributor for TFD from this point on in the US) has done their work and sent us the balance for shipment. 

All is set for the US and Mexico!

Australasia

Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific backers will soon receive the same email once I get confirmation that Let's Play Games have received their consignment which is currently in transit. I would expect this to be ready within the next few days. Once I have the confirmation of arrival and shipment preps I will send the same email to you backers in that region.

Canada

Same goes with Canada! Universal Distribution has confirmed that the goods are nice and steady in transit and should be seeing Toronto in the next 3-5 days. As soon as they have the goods and calculated any shortfall of shipment, I will contact you too.

Europe and UK

Funny how things go for a product designed in the UK!!

I was informed a few days back that A LOT of ships and container services have been struggling with committing to their service due to unexpected quarantines and shortage in staff due to COVID. This alongside the Christmas period has made a massive impact in some shipments and generated long queus to hit the ocean! Unfortunately, that was the case of the UK and Europe shipments. 

I'm in conversations with the manufacturer and several forwarders on a daily basis to make sure the rest of the consignments are looked after. I hope that the joy of US, Canada and Asia Pacific brings you, if anything reassurance that TFD is a reality, that you will receive your goods and BELIEVE ME, you will love them!

Unfortunately, this has been the worst year EVER for pretty much any aspect of an international project, and I hope you understand that much of these have taken us for surprise and we feel the same frustration as you lot!

This situation and the absolute commitment to you guys have had the positive of allowing us reflecting and review time. It has forced us to slow down a bit and help us to study and mature more the projects and the operations for the future. We have a 2021 full of good options and hopefully, with your help we make it all happen. Above all, we hope COVID will be no longer and we can look back and smile.

All of you that will have your TFD during the Christmas, please share your feedback (but don't be cheecky and nasty to those less fortunate in the old continent!). 

I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ARE PLEASED WITH THE RESULT OF THIS GARGANTUAN CHALLENGE THAT TFD IS.

Best

TFD IS BORN
over 3 years ago – Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 09:45:48 PM

Good morning everyone;

Yesterday we dare to open the goodies we received last week, the most expected one in the three years of Room 17 existence: the 5 production sets of TFD.

I finally got to look touch and feel the result of so much effort, sweat and tears of so many people involved, including you. While was unboxing it, and fiddle with the boxes, imagining different ways of setting it up and the many games I wanted to try with it (what I call Tenfoldungeonising) I had only one thing in mind: YOU GUYS!

You have been with me through it all, you have enjoyed and raged, suffer and pray for its completion and smooth progress as much as we have, and this is your product.

We will see this in many stores across the world thank to the trust and vision of many distributors that saw the potential and decided to get it too for their customers (stores). I hope they do well with it and TFD can reach many more people. Thanks to them too as many of those distributors will be sending the TFD sets to you first and foremost helping a lot in reducing the timings to make this reach you before Christmas!

While unboxing the Castle I made a quick video. I haven’t edited or anything added or extracted, just recorded and posted on YouTube so there was no delay and you could check it out immediately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbMFWf6xLPw

Here also a small video from the manufacturer just before they sent the samples over.

After recording the video, I decided to set up the castle as I imagined Vaedra’s castle could be. It took a 3’x3’ (90x90cm) area all well compressed. For the fun, I chucked in some minis to check dimensions and scales. I must say that even for skirmish miniatures games would work fantastically)

The great thing about TFD is that the more you play with it, the more things spring to mind you can do with it. In this case, I had some clips and walls left, so I made the external wall of the castle. There you go, ready to create yards (and graveyards), internal gardens and labyrinths with it too! All thanks, I must say to the new clips.

Here are some pics.

ON LOGISTICS

Most of the loads are now either on the queue to a boat, on containers or have been picked up by the distributor from China. Although there is a large demand for shipment (due to delays from COVID and the Christmas season) so far I have not received news of anything affecting our consignments, but I will keep every finger and toe crossed. These are messy times.

As you know, some of you will receive their TFDs before others, that is purely due to a geographical reality (some countries are closer to China than others) and that may make a difference of weeks and even over a month. So please consider this when/if you start seeing backers announcing they have received trackings or their parcels.

I want to thank you all again for your incredible patience and understanding, the journey has been PAINFUL at many levels for myself and the company and I know you have suffered alongside too. I hope you are all safe and still optimistic and above all, I really hope you enjoy your sets as soon as they arrive as we have done here.

Best