End of June Update
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jul 08, 2021 at 01:00:40 AM

Greetings Grimmers!

Monthly Progress

Through June, work continued apace. Here are a few highlights from the month:

• Some of our final art pieces came in, bringing the total of fine art for the project across all offerings to 151 pieces.
• Jason Bulmahn turned in the last of his starship designs for the polities and the Hodrak, including ships for multiple descents in the same polity; for example, starships for both the Gylorrans and the Fazhurans of the Thriftic Binary.
• The Xeno Deck entered layout
• The first adventures from our core book, Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures were readied for external play testing, still on Zoom, and we're adding them to the schedule as we speak

As usual, you can check the exact, detailed state of things for yourself with our project tracker.

Project Check-In

While our monthly project tracker always present the most granular view of our progress, it's cumbersome. A number of backers asked for a more succinct summary. As you know, Grimmerspace consists of three core books and a slew of supplements & accessories. While technically it takes time, for the purpose of this summary, let's not count the Player's Guide, as it contains material curated for players from the core book and will require only fresh layout and copy proofing. 

Here's a top-level status on the state of production:

CORE

1. Xeno Files, 144 pages 

• Status: completed
• Status Detail: will likely make proofing corrections and add errata before sending to print
• Changes: grew 50% from the original 96 pages to 144 pages

2. Grimmerspace Adventures Vol. 1, 144 pages

• Status: estimated 75% complete 
• Status Detail: 1 adventure done, 2nd out of play testing, 3rd in play testing

3. Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures, 304 pages

• Status: estimated 60% complete
• Changes: grew 18.75% from the original 256 pages to the 304+ pages

 Supplements & Accessories

• Starfinder Beginner Boxes - Shipped
• Starfinder Core Rulebooks - Shipped
• Immersive Battle Maps Book - Shipped
•  Abattoir 8 on Role20 - Complete
• Hodrak Miniatures - Complete, arrived at fulfillment house warehouse
• ARCop's Pieces - Prepping to ship direct to backers from artist
•  Muckraker and fine art posters - Ready to print
•  Xeno Deck - In layout queue
• Premium Slipcase - In layout queue
•  Abattoir 8 Quickstart - In layout queue
•  Denizen Deck - Contingent on completion of Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures 
• Galaxy Navigation map - Contingent on completion of Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures 
•  *Grimmerspace Player's Guide - Contingent on completion of Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures 

How Much Longer?

When will you get this in your hands, that's the big question. Regrettably the answer is... it depends. There are three parts to solving that equation: production, manufacturing, and shipping. 

We cannot predict the state of manufacturing (printing). As Covid continues to wind down, it may unleash a backlog and create delays or it may not. We won't know until production is complete, and we submit our print orders. 

After manufacturing completes, books must ship from the printer (typically in Lithuania, Korea, or China) to our fulfillment vendor in the PNW. From there it ships to you, the backer. 

The entire world is currently experiencing shipping delays from unleashed backlog. What will this mean for shipping times to the PNW, and then on to you? We have no way to know until the printer ships the products and gives us a delivery date. 

As a result, providing you with estimated dates of delivery would simply be making up numbers. It feels like lying, and we won't do it.

Production, however, is more under our control. We can say with confidence it moves much more swiftly from here, contingent on a number of factors. Assuming all goes well, we currently estimate sending all three core books, supplements, and accessories to our printer this Fall. At that time, we'll be in a better position to provide reliable delivery estimates. 

In the meantime, we will of course continue to release digital versions of all Grimmerspace items as they are completed, before we send them to the printer. Even if that means piracy cuts into our bottom line.

We apologize profusely for the delay, so many factors outside our control contributed to the current status. That said, we continue to work day and night to deliver, and we pledge to not stop working until we do deliver. Okay, onto some more concrete news...

Third Iconic Revealed

Our eminent Emanant recombinator hails from the Spectrality. Her chimera hails from vat 5b, next to the toaster.

Address Changes

If you need to adjust your address, you can edit it directly in your survey. To find your survey, just have the email you used in the Kickstarter handy and click here.

End of May Update
almost 3 years ago – Thu, Jun 03, 2021 at 10:01:32 AM

Greetings Grimmers,

Now that the Xeno Files PDF is in your hands and one of three books is complete, we're charging full steam ahead on our core book, Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures.

In the meantime...

• Two of the three adventures comprising Grimmerspace Adventures Vol. 1 are through playtesting, and revisions on the third and final part are back from the designer and moving through internal playtesting! 
• Amazing starship designs continue to roll in from Jason Bulmahn!
• Paizo designer Ron Lundeen has joined the Grimmerspace team!

All things considered, we expect the pace to pick up from here. As usual, you can check the exact and detailed state of things for yourself with our project tracker.

Art in the Final Stretch

We're also in the throes of ordering some of the very last pieces of fine art needed to complete Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures. You can't order every piece until you're certain your adventures won't change drastically -- not to mention artist availability ebbs and flows (and one of ours contracted Covid!) -- but 3 new pieces landed in May.

Introducing an Iconic

Last update, we shared an image of our iconic crypto-monk, this month we'd like to share a new iconic. For now, we're keeping their names and backstories close to our chests but, without further ado, here's a look at the poster child for Grimmerspace's ARCops:

Calling All Error Spotters!

Although Xeno Files was released in PDF,  there's always room for improvement. If you spot a copy error or have a question about a monster, please let us know! The tiny silver lining of releasing books in PDF first is it allows us to make minor corrections -- so long as they don't disturb layout -- up until all the Grimmerspace products are sent to the printers in a big batch. So if you spot anything, please consider posting it to the forums, where we are actively answering rules questions about monster mechanics.

Address Changes

If you need to adjust your address, you can edit it directly in your survey. To find your survey, just have the email you used in the Kickstarter handy and click here.

Xeno Files Digital Release & End of April Update
almost 3 years ago – Thu, May 06, 2021 at 08:45:28 PM

Are you ready to tangle with our creepiest critters? Well, finally you can...

The Xeno Files PDF is in Your Digital Downloads

Greetings, Grimmers! This is part 2 of a two-part update about the release of Xeno Files in PDF to backers, and we're pleased to report if you re-enter your personal Grimmerspace Kickstarter survey, you'll find your Xeno Files PDF by clicking the "Get Your Digital Downloads" button in the center of the page. Not sure where to find your survey? Use this simple form.

Still Time for Feedback

Dare we say, we're proud of what this bestiary became. The planned 96-page book wasn't going to bring gamer's wildest nightmares to life. For that, we absolutely needed to make this 144 pages. Some monsters in this book will require more study than others, they're the administers of sinister, and you could easily construct an entire sci-fi horror campaign around them. 

Despite our arduous editing process, it's likely we missed something. If you discover any errors in this book, please do us the great favor of recording them on our forums. We'll take a grateful look and see what errors we can fix before sending this book to the printers (and to you).

 Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures 

We're hard at work on our core book, Grimmerspace Setting & Adventures, but to zoom in on some fun details... Here's a quick tour of the white salt deserts of the moisture-less planet, Tarmire. This is where the Edge space adventure Salt in the Wound takes place.

When you land here, expect to meet resistance from  corporate goons like this fellow from Outsettler Industries. He'll try to punch out your frickin' heart for getting in his way.

That guy's pretty good with his fists... but rumor has it your party's crypto-monk is already on his way... 

Did we mention,  there's a creature on Tarmire dormant for millions of years, sleeping in dehydrated coils beneath the surface unless exposed to moisture?

Or that later in the adventure, after exploring buried ruins, things take a dark turn when Outsettler Industries activates their terraforming marvel, a moisture tower that creates clouds and rain...  

 That's right, where there's liquid on Tarmire there's ormos! You can read all about these burrowers in the Xeno Files. They burst from below to slurp you dry through syringe-like claws...  

The sudden appearance of these monstrosities is probably when your crypto-monk stops slap fighting that wannabee bully and dons some vicious gyretech. 

April Project Tracking

We continue to make progress on multiple fronts and, as usual, we've updated our project tracking spreadsheet to reflect this. You can view a detailed report of our progress here.

Xeno Files Digital Release: The Latest
about 3 years ago – Thu, Apr 01, 2021 at 04:48:34 AM

Greetings Grimmers!

This is part 1 of a 2 part update about the release of Xeno Files in PDF to backers. Layout is complete, and we are giving the galley proofs a final pass. In the galley proof stage, a publisher looks for any errors layout may have introduced, plus it's our last chance to correct any minor errors that snuck past two editors and two proofreaders before the text went to layout.

Our last problem concerns how best to add the backmatter. That's the part of the book including indexes for monsters by CR or type, for new grafts (including class grafts), new options, and new universal monster rules alongside existing UMRs for easy reference. 

Because many of our monsters come from specific locations in the setting, writing a monster also expands the setting. And three different Watchers from the Watchers of Starset organization sent in their case reports detailing first-hand encounters with the creatures found between the Xeno Files' pages. We had to include those!

As it stands, 40 monsters, new rules, options, setting material, and the front matter (TOC, masthead, etc) bring us to 128 pages. Which means we're going to exceed that page count. So much for 96 pages.

Part 2 of this update, which we expect to issue within two weeks, will announce we've distributed a PDF of Xeno Files for you to download!

End of February Update
about 3 years ago – Tue, Mar 02, 2021 at 01:12:39 AM

Greetings Grimmers!

While we continue to make progress on multiple fronts, we'd be burying the lead if we didn't announce that Xeno Files, our bestiary and first of the three core Grimmerspace books, is officially in layout.  Further, we expect to deliver it in PDF form to backers in the month of March.

 Xeno Files Cover Reveal

In light of this, here's the official cover reveal: 

 Xeno Files Sample Pages

We also thought you'd enjoy a sneak peek of monsters in early layout (a few tweaks left to make, but this gives you a good idea):

What's On Deck?

As mentioned last update, completing layout for the Xeno Files lets our layout artist move on to:

• Xeno Deck
• Starfinder Quickstart (based on Abattoir 8)
• Grimmerspace Premium Slipcase

While we need to wait to ship the Xeno Deck and the Slipcase, we'll send you the PDF version of the Starfinder Quickstart as soon it's ready, too.

Project Tracking

As usual, we’ve also updated our project tracking spreadsheet. You can view a detailed report of our progress here.