**PRE-ORDER CLOSED ON AUGUST 26, 2022! **
Your Pre-Order (Late Pledge) will contain all the stretch goals unlocked during the Kickstarter campaign. It's your last chance to get all the goodies at the best price!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Stretch Goals Production Almost Completed, Some Operational Snags Near Finish Line
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Aug 22, 2022 at 11:35:35 AM
Current Delivery ETA:
Non-Everything EmperorS4 Pledges (without metal pawns) via AIR: August 2022
All EmperorS4 Pledges (and pledges with metal pawns) via AIR: September 2022
All OCEAN Pledges: October 2022
Dear backers,
Production is almost complete for the stretch goals! Here are some pictures of how Geisha's Road looks with the standard components, which are thicker and sturdier than early pre-KS versions:
Geisha's Road with Standard Components
Here are some shots using the wooden components from Goodies #3:
Geisha's Road with Wooden Components
Goodies #3
Most of the stretch goals are done! Here is what they look like:
Geisha's Road Stretch Goal components
Next update, we should be able to share the updated Action Tiles Expansion with its packaging and the bookcase and bookcase sleeve!
Operational Issues
As mentioned in the title, we've had a couple of operational issues as we got close to the finish line.
1) While we iterated with the manufacturer on the bookcase design, we ran into some issues when it was discovered late in the process that the design would not be viable from a manufacturability standpoint. This is our first time designing a bookcase, and due to that, we've had to go back and revamp our design, which is why we will only be able to start shipping air pledges in the latter half of August.
2) Our manufacturer reported that there are some logistical delays with getting the metal pawns from their supplier in China. The metal pawns have been manufactured - it's just a matter of working through the logistical issues with transportation to be able to get the pawns to us. We should have more information on this by next week, but early indications show that we should probably be able to get the metal pawns by September. At that point, we can start processing Everything EmperorS4 orders, any orders with the Metal Pawns add-ons, and of course all the ocean orders that need to go together with the Everything EmperorS4 orders to North America and Europe.
What is the transport mode and timeline for My Pledge?
Given the change in timeline and to refresh folks' memories on transport mode, we've updated our transport mode chart as follows:
AIRfor Everything EmperorS4 (and Pledgeswith Metal Pawns) (SepETA)
1. The US: Lower dollar base pledges (<$39) with Metal Pawns Add-ons
2. Rest of the World: Everything EmperorS4 pledges and pledges with Metal Pawns Add-ons
AIRforallthe other pledges(Aug ETA)
1. The US: Lower dollar base pledges (<$39) without Metal Pawns Add-ons
2. Rest of the World: All pledges without Metal Pawns (excludes Everything EmperorS4 pledges and Metal Pawn add-ons)
We are truly sorry for the further delay. But the light from the end of the tunnel is shining bright!
We'll look to provide another update in another 1-2 weeks!
Smoox, Jerry, & Eros
Production Completion in July, Clarification of Air or Ocean Shipping, German Rules Online
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, Jul 15, 2022 at 03:38:48 AM
Current Delivery ETA (Air): August 2022
Current Delivery ETA (Ocean): August / September 2022
Dear backers,
The production of the game is done, but some of the unlocked stretch goals are still in the final stage of production. The delays are due to the lack of manpower of our manufacturers during the COVID-19 surge in Taiwan in the past 2-3 months, and the design and manufacturing of the Collector's Bookcase took much more work than expected. The whole production will be completed before the end of July. Then air shipping will take place immediately and ocean freight will be scheduled as soon as the goods are ready to be palleted.
Air or Ocean Shipping for My Pledge?
There is some confusion about which pledges will be shipped by ocean, so we summarize the information below:
Ocean
1. Europe: All pledges
2. Canada & Mexico: All pledges
3. The US: Everything Hanamikoji ($59) & Everything EmperorS4 ($89) pledges Air
1. The US: Collector's Bundle or lower pledges (<$39)
2. Rest of the World: All pledges
To be noted is that we have to change the shipping of "Everything Hanamikoji" for US backers from air to ocean because the air shipping cost has increased a lot since May (the COVID-19 emergency fee has doubled from $3.5 to ~$7.5 for packages to the US!). We are sorry about the change to the slower shipment mode but the price increase is simply too much for us to absorb financially.
German Rules Are Available
You may check out the German rules on BGG, and the French rules will be uploaded soon.
We will keep you updated when the production of everything is complete. Thanks for your patience!
Smoox, Jerry, & Eros
Postpone of PM Closure, Printing in Progress, and Conventions Are Back!
almost 2 years ago
– Mon, Jun 06, 2022 at 09:33:36 PM
Current Delivery ETA (Air): June / July 2022
Current Delivery ETA (Ocean): August 2022
Dear backers,
We are supposed to close the Pledge Manager on May 31 but we found that there are about 10% of backers haven’t completed their PM. Since Smoox is at UK Games Expo right now and EmperorS4 Games is exhibiting in Taipei International Book Exhibition, we decided to postpone the closure of the PM for one week until when the team is back from the conventions. We will send reminders to those who haven’t finished the PM again.
Although the PM is postponed, the production is still on schedule!
If you are in UKGE, be sure to visit Stand 2-437 to say hi to Smoox!
If you are in Taipei, you may check out EmperorS4’s booth!
Until the next update,
Smoox, Jerry & Eros
Stretch Goal Expansion Rule Updates
almost 2 years ago
– Thu, May 26, 2022 at 04:57:16 AM
Current Delivery ETA (Air): June / July 2022
Current Delivery ETA (Ocean): August 2022
Dear backers,
While we are finalizing our production plans, we have a number of exciting updates for you!
Base Rulebook Updated
We have posted the latest rulebook on BGG. It would be great to get your feedback and comments to make sure we make it as clear and approachable as possible! In the meantime, we have started the process of translating the rules into French and German as well.
Expansion Rules and Artwork
We are finalizing the rules for all the expansions introduced in the goodies. You can read about the latest in Designer Diary #11.
One of the rulesets has to do with the Geisha Powers, which will be thematic and tied to the geisha's personality as per the character story sheet. We will have a separate card for each Geisha that players will claim when they play a card that causes the Geisha to return to her original teahouse. These powers are passive abilities that trigger whenever that Geisha moves to a teahouse with 1 or more Geisha. The powers below apply to the colors of the other Geisha in the teahouse, and are as follows:
Ruri (Pink):Steal 1 guest token from your opponent that matches the color of one of the other geisha in the same teahouse.
Iroha (Red):Move all tiebreaker tokens to your side that match the colors of the other geisha in the same teahouse.
Tomoyo (Yellow):Opponent shows all cards in their hand that match the colors of the other geisha in the same teahouse and keeps them face-up on the table. You may specify 1 to play next.
Anju (Green): May move Anju’s "+3 point" token to a Geisha Row Tile that matches the color of one of the other geisha in the same teahouse. Yoko (Blue): May execute each Geisha's power back against each of them (multiple powers trigger when meeting multiple geisha). This means if Yoko meets:
Ruri (Pink), the player controlling Yoko's power will steal 1 pink guest token from their opponent (if available).
Iroha (Red), the player controlling Yoko's power will move the red tiebreaker token to their side.
Tomoyo (Yellow), the player controlling Yoko's power will be able to see all the yellow cards in their opponent's hand (they are kept face-up). They may then specify 1 card their opponent must play in the next action.
Anju (Green), the player controlling Yoko's power will be able to move Anju's "+3 point" token to the Green Geisha Row Tile.
The cards will have a shortened version of the power in English on one side and iconography on the other (see below):
Geisha Powers with the latest iconography
Character Sheet
We've also refreshed the character sheet with the updated geisha backstories:
What's Next?
Our team has mostly recovered and we will update you when we hit our next production milestone. Stay safe and happy gaming!
Best,
Smoox, Jerry, & Eros
Delays due to COVID in Taiwan
almost 2 years ago
– Thu, May 19, 2022 at 04:58:06 AM
Current Delivery ETA (Air): June/Early July 2022
Current Delivery ETA (Ocean): August 2022
Dear backers,
We're sorry to bring you some bad news: we unfortunately will be delayed in our fulfillment and delivery. COVID-19 has been hitting Taiwan hard recently. We currently have 90k+ new cases per day though fortunately, 99.5%+ of cases are mild.
Some of you might think that the case numbers are "not too high" compared to some countries, but Taiwan has contained COVID over the past 2 years. In fact, we had zero local cases most of the time, and no more than 700 cases per day even at our prior peak.
As a result of this unprecedented wave, our team has been disrupted due to hospitalizations and quarantines. In particular, Eros and his family as well as some of Smoox's family members contracted COVID, which really put a dent in our progress (fortunately, we are in the process of recovery). Furthermore, our printer in Taiwan has also had to reduce their manpower in the past weeks.
We know you are eager to receive the games. We are eager to get them to you too! Given the current delays in the overall process and the outlook on recovery, we now aim to finish all the production in June and expect to initiate bothair and ocean freight in late June/early July,with ocean arriving in August. If you need to change your address, please do so now.
Pledge Manager Closes on May 31
Due to the delay in the production process, we will also delay the close of our Pledge Manager to May 31. And your credit cards will be charged right after we close the PM. If you haven't finalized your PM, please find time to do it. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to send us a message on Kickstarter or via the BackerKit system.
Shipping Refund for North American Backers is DONE
Thanks to BackerKit professionals, the refund for the shipping costs to North American backers who used PayPal has all been processed. If you have any questions, please send us a PM.
Retailer/Group Orders Confirmation
For retailer and group orders, we will process your orders via email communication. We will confirm your order list and get you the shipping quote for you. For North America and European orders, it will take a bit more time because we are waiting for our fulfillment partners to provide the rates for bulk orders. For the rest of the world, we will re-calculate the rates based on the most recent quote from our post office system to make sure we get you the most accurate prices.
TBD at UK Games Expo
After a 2-year hiatus, we finally can attend our very first post-COVID (really?) international convention! Smoox will be at UK Games Expo during June 3-5, bringing a few new games from our Taiwanese partners. You may click here to know more about the games. If you are going to UKGE, be sure to stop by Stand 2-437 and say hi to Smoox!
That's all for the update. We're very close to the final fulfillment. We're super excited to get the final products in a few more weeks and share some photos with you. Before that, please be patient and play some other games! :)
