September Update!
over 2 years ago – Sun, Sep 12, 2021 at 09:42:45 AM

Good day, dear Shepherds!

Jon and I wanted to get an update out to you about the state of the project, including the backer surveys and the production of the game.

BackerKit Surveys at 83% !

Thank you so much to the 83% of you who have completed your BackerKit surveys!  We have been thrilled with the speed at which so many of you filled them out.  It has also lifted our hearts to see how many of you picked up some extra copies to gift to others!  

For those who have yet to complete the survey, please do so at your earliest convenience.  The sooner that we have your shipping information, the sooner we can relay it to our shipping partners, and the more smoothly you will receive your games.  Plus, the sooner we get to thank you publicly for having supported the project on our website!

Game in Production! (Mostly)

Our partner Panda Games has been authorized to begin production of the game! Well, most of it.  All of the 'paper' components and the meeples have been approved for the game and may already be sitting on shelf somewhere!  There has been a slight delay on one component, however.

The color combination which we selected for the dice has proven to be a bit too subtle on first review.  When the dyed resin is mixed for the marbling effect, the company has to balance having enough grains of the texture's color for it to be seen without diluting the 'base' color of the die.  It turns out that the first few rounds of testing were too subtle.  

The marbled dice were a stretch goal unlocked with your help.  We want to make sure that we place you and the quality of your game at the front of the conversation.  Once we are satisfied with the results, we will push the game fully into production.

Does this mean there will be a delay for when you get your game? 

Unfortunately, we do think there will be a delay in the arrival of our shipment.  While we do not expect the delay to be undue, the original projection of arriving by the holiday season 2021 is likely unfeasible given the circumstances.  We are still investigating ways in which this can be achieved, but it is looking likely that the games will arrive in the early winter of 2022.

While this is not what we had hoped, it is a reality we have come to accept.  Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Goat Fact! Goats and Thickets!

One of the more dreaded cards in the game is the "Thicket."  This effect card causes the shepherd who enters it to lose their next turn, caught in the brambly mess.  The goats, of course, merrily skip on through! 

In fact, goats in the real world do more than ignore such dense thickets: they eat them!  Goats' ability to digest seemingly... unappealing foliage have made them a useful companion in taming forests.  While a human may require special tools (ropes, knives, trimmers, etc) to beat back the dense brush, a goat will simply eat it!  Their hard teeth and hardy stomachs make them unrivaled weed whackers in nature's toolshed.

In fact, this was recently 'rediscovered' by many North American governments in their fight against invasive plant species.  It's not uncommon for goatherds to get a phone call from the state or province asking if they can arrange a playdate for their herd.  The shepherd transports them to a highway ditch or an overgrown park and turns them loose to eat to their hearts' content!

That's all for now, Shepherds.  We'll write again as soon as the game is fully in production!

- Russ and Jon

Surveys Are Sent!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 09:26:12 AM

Howdy, Shepherds!

You should have received an e-mail from BackerKit containing your survey.  This will allow you to give us all the information we will need in order to send you your game!  If you did not receive a survey--make sure to check your spam folder!--contact us directly and we will make sure you receive one.

For our fellow Torontonians, we will be providing local pick-up!  In order to opt in for this option, you must select 'local pick-up' as your country on the first page of the survey.  You should find it near the top of the list.  Contact us if you are having trouble selecting this option!

Finally, we have launched a pre-order store through BackerKit!  If you know anyone who missed the campaign and still wants to pre-order a copy, feel free to send them to the store at this link: https://grab-your-goat.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

That's all for now, Shepherds!  You're one step closer to finally grabbing your goat!

- Jon and Russ

Surveys Incoming!
over 2 years ago – Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 10:25:50 PM

Dear shepherds,

Soon, you’ll receive an email from us with a link to your BackerKit survey. It’s important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can since we need this information to get you your game!  The deadline to submit your BackerKit surveys is October 31, 2021.  We will need your shipping information by that date in order to get you your game in a timely manner!

You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey. When you receive the email with the survey, click the survey link to respond. Answer the question about your recognition listing on our website, provide shipping information, and you can even pick up an extra copy of the game at the special KickStarter price! You don’t have access to this survey link yet, but it will be available soon via email.

After you respond to your survey, you can go back later and change your responses at any time before we close the surveys and get our final counts.

If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://grab-your-goat.backerkit.com.

If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you prefer to use, please contact support at https://grab-your-goat.backerkit.com/faq.

If you have any questions for us, e-mail us at [email protected]!

- Jon and Russ

August Update
over 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 11, 2021 at 07:15:58 PM

Hello Shepherds!

It's been a while, and a number of you have reached out to ask us about the project.  We want to assure you, a lot is happening with Grab Your Goat!  In this update, we'll fill you in on what's been going on since the end of the campaign and have a fun announcement at the bottom.  Make sure to scroll down to check it out!

Where's my backer Survey?

A few of you have checked in, concerned that you missed the backer survey to collect your shipping information.  Not to worry!  These have not yet been issued, and you haven't missed a thing.  

The reason that we have been slow in getting these out to you has to do with our previous announcement about the change in fulfillment partner.  Since the beginning of the campaign, we have advertised that we would collect the shipping fee for your games after the campaign.  Some crowdfunding campaigns bundle shipping and handling into the campaign price.  Truth be told, we wish we had had the foresight to do that!  As it stands, we are still waiting on the final numbers from our new potential partner for shipping out your game.  We want to get you the best deal we can, and will issue those surveys as soon as we can. 

We sincerely apologize for this delay, and appreciate your patience with us.  This has been the first major hurdle for us as we grow this new business, and we have learned a lot about international shipping since we last updated you on the project!  Please know that we remain committed to getting these games out to you in an efficient, professional manner and want you to start enjoying the game as soon as possible.  If you have concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] and we will gladly discuss them.

Where can I pick up a copy if I missed the campaign?

We know it's far from Thanksgiving in any of our countries, but we've already had a few people ask about picking up copies for the holidays this year!  With the campaign over, we have been busy setting up our webstore at www.mapleforged.ca so that anyone can pick up a copy of Grab Your Goat!  We'll let you know as soon as it's available so that anyone you know who may have missed the campaign can pick up a copy!

 Goat merch!

Many of you have commented on the illustrations for the characters.  We started playing around with some designs using characters from the game and are very excited to host these on the Maple Forged webstore as soon as its launched!  Keep your eyes peeled and you can grab your very own as soon as they become available!

Thank you, for your continued support and frequent communication.  This is our first time through this process, and we have been thrilled with how smoothly it has gone so far.  We continue to learn how best to serve you as our customer, and want the best experience for each of you.  We'll write with news as soon as we have it.

- Jon and Russ

Shipping Update
almost 3 years ago – Fri, Jul 09, 2021 at 01:22:09 PM

Hello shepherds!

Last week, we promised that you would receive a survey from us that would be used in collecting your shipping payment and information.  It's still on the way!  We have, however, had to work through a number of small, behind-the-scenes changes that have delayed getting those out to you.  We want to assure you that nothing has changed about the game itself, nor (at this point) our promised timeline for getting the games out to you.

So, what did change?  You may recall that we had listed a fulfillment partner, Quartermaster Games, on our campaign page.  Due to circumstances outside of our control, we will not be fulfilling your orders through their company.  

While this change was disheartening, there also came with it a silver lining, and it's all thanks to you!  This time, when we come to the table for discussion, we do so not only with a bounty of fully-funded games, but (more importantly!) with you and your needs at the top of our lists.  Having you by our sides has focused our conversations with our next potential fulfillment partner, and we are actively working to find the one that benefits us all.

What does this mean for you?  Only that you need to wait a bit longer for that survey.  Rest assured, we will get it out to you as quickly as we can.   In the meantime, enjoy the summer, think fondly on the goats, and we'll write to you as soon as we can with another update!

Thank you,

Jon and Russ