Seize the Bean - A Light-Hearted Deck Builder about Berlin!

Mini-Update for Mid-May
almost 4 years ago – Tue, May 19, 2020 at 02:44:29 AM

Hello everyone, with events cancelling around the world and many people still not back to work, we know it’s a harder time than ever. We hope that you all have loved ones to rely on in these tough days.    

Back to mini-updates! We hope you all enjoyed the bigger update we sent last month. Despite the fact that we love the larger updates, until we have bigger news (or more time), we’re going to return to the every-2-weeks, mini-update schedule for now.

Status of proofing and submitting English files: Since our last update we’ve been proofing all the English files non-stop. Many of them needed minor adjustments and we’ve been making them as we go. By now we are very pleased to say we’ll be submitting all English files except the rulebooks to our manufacturer today!

Main rulebook: Big thank you again to all the backers who gave input here. We had some significant changes we implemented which even affected the punchboards too. Luckily we’ve finished all of this and are now updating the example diagrams to match. As soon as this final English rulebook is done (and we've sent it off to our manufacturer) we’ll share it again.

Foreign language diagrams: To progress further on the language files, we are now preparing all of the rules diagrams to make them easier to for us to swap out the English cards and tokens and player boards with those that match each version’s language. We won’t go into detail, but once we're finished with this step we can prepare each language's rules for proofing as well.

Customer support: We only have a single, dedicated support panda at the moment and it’s been extremely hard for them to stay focused and productive answering your questions and requests for help during these tough COVID-19 times. As a few months have passed for some of your requests we are taking some action: we’re training a second team member to help out with customer support as well. In the next week or two you should be seeing another “face” around the [email protected] inbox. Until then, please accept our apologies for the delayed responses and thank you all for your patience and understanding in these very abnormal times.

Tabletop Simulator mod: We are very very excited to release this, and it’s not out yet for two reasons. First, we want to prioritize the printing of the game so we’ve been making sure we aren’t blocking that side of our work. Second, we believe it makes more sense to release the mod once we have the fully-proofed rulebook for you all as well. Once we have it, we’ll be able to release it and the mod in tandem.

We’re going to end the update here, as it’s rather long. Next update we’ll talk more about the state of translation, as we know this is a big deal to many, especially as we released some print file images which were not meant to show off the text and raised some questions. Until then, everyone please stay safe out there! 

Proofing Print Files, Translation Update & Tabletop Simulator Mod
about 4 years ago – Mon, Apr 20, 2020 at 07:25:08 PM

Hello patient backers! We hope you are all safe and sound out there. We’ve normally been sending mini-updates every two weeks but this month we have a lot to share so we wanted to do it in one big update. Hopefully that’s OK with everyone. :)

Our biggest news towards completion is that we are now exporting print files in almost all languages for our manufacturer. Our internal proofing team still needs to look at these files and typically this is done before asking the manufacturer to invest their time, but even so we are thrilled we are this far. This is huge as far as Seize the Bean progress goes!

Including fronts and backs of cards, we exported over 50 print files in the last few weeks. Here’s a list that breaks down which files are currently being proofed:

• English - Box
• English - Punch Boards
• English - Player Boards
• English - Customer Cards
• English - Pantry Upgrade Cards
• English - Style Upgrade Cards
• English - Player Aid Cards
• English - Founder Cards
• English - Solo Mode Cards
• English - Sticker Sheets
• English - Language Sticker
• English - Expansion Box
• English - Expansion Player Boards
• English - Board Game Media Customer Cards
• English - Board Game Media Pantry Upgrade Cards
• English - Board Game Media Style Upgrade Cards
• English - Quality Beasts Customer Cards
• English - Quality Beasts Pantry Upgrade Cards
• English - Quality Beasts Style Upgrade Cards
• English - City Celebrities Customer Cards
• English - Extra Founder Cards
• English - Box Sleeve
• French - Box
• French - Player Boards
• French - Customer Cards
• French - Pantry Upgrade Cards
• French - Style Upgrade Cards
• French - Sticker Sheets
• French - Language Sticker
• German - Box
• German - Player Boards
• German - Customer Cards
• German - Pantry Upgrade Cards
• German - Style Upgrade Cards
• German - Sticker Sheets
• German - Language Sticker
• Spanish - Box
• Spanish - Player Boards
• Spanish - Customer Cards
• Spanish - Pantry Upgrade Cards
• Spanish - Style Upgrade Cards
• Spanish - Sticker Sheets
• Spanish - Language Sticker
   

(For those wondering about Chinese, there were some font topics to sort out before exporting files. We've sorted them out now, but it may be another week or longer until we have those files ready for proofing.)

We know many of you want to see proof of progress so that is why we are sharing this list with you.  We’d also love to share some quick screenshots so you can see how the language files are coming along!

Next week we are touching base with translators to see who is done with the Main Rulebook and can move to the Variant Rulebook as their last task. All other print files should be done except for correcting mistakes found during proofing. We’ll be double-checking that this is true before our next mini (or large) update.

We know a lot of you want to at least see the Main Rulebook in your language before the game goes to print. We’ve said we can do this if it doesn’t delay things. We are not 100% sure yet we can provide this option but if we can the time is coming very soon. We believe we can write more about this in detail in our next update.

Since we are down to loading text into print files, exporting and proofing them, and then sending them to the factory, we actually don’t need the whole team on Seize the Bean every single day. Therefore we have a few folks working on an update to the free, digital version of Seize the Bean that is on Tabletop Simulator now.

As some of you may know, there is a previous version up but it’s with the old rules and old components. Our team has been getting new 3D models together with the new art and all of the new design elements. We don’t have a release date yet, but we thought this would be a wonderful treat for all of you, for how long you’ve waited, and especially given that many people are stuck at home all over the world right now. We even thought it might be fun to invite some folks to play with the team and of course we'd like to stream some game play as some backers have been requesting. Let us know what you think!

We will send an update as soon as it is ready, but in the meantime please enjoy some in-progress pics below!

That’s it for today’s update. We hope you enjoyed this longer one, as they are rarer these days, and didn’t mind the wait for it given how much progress is shown above. Take care, stay safe, and happy gaming out there!

Mini-Update for Mid-March
about 4 years ago – Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 02:37:28 AM

Hey everybody, we sincerely hope you are all safe and healthy out there. We know the world is a bit of a wild place right now and we’d like to extend our positive thoughts and wishes to everyone.

First, we must apologize for being 1 week late on our new update schedule. The last week had us scrambling a bit to restructure ourselves as the effects of COVID-19 hit both the Netherlands and Germany harder, where most of our employees are based. We know everyone is talking about this right now and many of you may want to avoid further noise regarding the crisis as it can be stressful to repeatedly hear, but it’s important for us to transparently share how this has affected our team so far.

Right now the following changes have occurred in our team, due to the virus:

•  All employees are working remotely, from home.
   
  • In addition, we are actively making sure employees are not feeling pressured into being productive or meeting deadlines: this can add unnecessary stress to an already stressful situation and we are taking a human-first approach to our team expectations.
     
  • This may not be what you want to hear for Seize the Bean’s progress, but rest assured we are driving a balance whilst putting people’s health first.
     
  • Luckily, some of our team was already working remotely and thus the transition hasn’t been too hard on us.
     
•  One of the key members of our production team has gotten stuck in Australia and may not be able to safely return anytime soon.
   
  • This has cut our workforce on print files down by approximately ⅓.
     
  • Our solution to the issue is to finance and setup a production computer in Australia. We are currently discussing the details with the employee there.
     
  • This may not be solved for a few weeks, given the time it takes to spec out, order, build, and then setup a new machine.
     
•  We have multiple employees who came in contact with the virus, either confirmed or suspected.
   
  • At least 2 members have gone through testing. Luckily no one tested positive.
     
  • Most who were in contact have passed the majority of the quarantine time and thus we believe are safe and sound.
     
  • One employee got semi-seriously ill but we later discovered it was not related to the virus and they are safe and in recovery.
     
•  Both our manufacturer’s factories and our fulfillment warehouses are still up and running but they could shut down partially or completely anytime.
   
  • We have no indication of this from them, so we don’t want to worry anyone, but it’s important to set the proper expectations, especially if there are secondary waves of infection that spread through China where our manufacturer’s factories are.
     
  • As our fulfillment warehouses are all over the world, it’s not easy to predict what will happen, but we are keeping close to current events so we can inform all of you if we foresee any shipping issues.
     
  • We are also not aware yet of effects on freight shipping and will be in touch with our freight partners soon.
     
•  Overall, we are all safe, healthy, and even somewhat happy, but to say we have not suffered minor delays due to the situation would be dishonest.
   
  • At most, it looks like our work was slowed by about 1-2 weeks.
     
  • If we experience any further delays due to the world situation or even foresee any we will inform all of you promptly.
     

  We’re going to leave it at that for this mini-update. We are definitely still making progress despite everything, but more on that in the next update. We’ll see you again in 2 weeks, and until then, be safe, stay healthy, and try to enjoy some board games with loved ones to pass the time.

Mini-Update for Early March
about 4 years ago – Thu, Mar 05, 2020 at 02:09:57 AM

Happy March everyone! At last, we are nearing the foreseeable end of this project. Let’s dive into the good news we have in this update...

We are finishing the Variant Rulebook this week! Wow, it has been a lot of work and we are very excited to post it once done. For those interested in details, our production team has finished providing all of the layout feedback to our graphic designer. This was particularly tricky for the Solo Mode section since it stretches over a few of its own spreads. The last work for our production team is to finalize the feedback on the Solo Mode examples. It’s nothing to scoff at, but we believe we can accomplish it before the week is done.

File submission process: Once this final English file is done we can submit all English files next week to our manufacturer. While that is happening and we wait for their approval or feedback, we will deliver the final text updates to the translation teams to have them on the final steps of their work. When our manufacturer has 100% approved all files we can copy these files and put in translated text. Note that some of that has already been done, which we’ll talk about below.

Printing process: Some of you have asked if we can start manufacturing with just the English or do we have to wait for all languages. Unfortunately we do have to print altogether, we cannot start English by itself. However, we strongly believe that the final translation work, the text input into the files, and the submission process will not drag out as a lot of the other tasks have. We believe these parts are easier for us to estimate than the game development or the rulebook finalization has been.

What is the current status of translation? This is the big question now, since we believe we are clear to begin submitting English files next week we need to know when the translators estimate they will be done. With this information, and new estimates from our manufacturer and freight shipper, we should be able to finally predict a reasonable and stable delivery date! To begin answering that let’s look at the translation files...

(Note: all items listed below refer to the text files, not the print files yet…)

Completely Done Files:

• Base Game Box English = 100% Done
   
• Base Game Box Chinese = 100% Done
   
• Rulebook English = 100% Done
   
• Variant Rulebook English = 100% Done
   
• Tokens / Punchboards English = 100% Done
   
• Tokens / Punchboards Chinese = 100% Done
   
• Player Boards English = 100% Done
   
• Player Boards Chinese = 100% Done
   
• Player Boards German = 100% Done
   
• Player Boards Spanish = 100% Done
   
• All Cards English = 100% Done
   
• Sticker Sheet English = 100% Done
   
• Sticker Sheet Chinese = 100% Done
   
• Sticker Sheet French = 100% Done
   
• Sticker Sheet German = 100% Done
   
• Sticker Sheet Spanish = 100% Done
   
• Expansion Box English = 100% Done
   
• Expansion Player Boards English = 100% Done
   
• Expansion Cards English = 100% Done
   
• Add-On Cards English = 100% Done
   

(Note: the Tokens / Punchboards are language independent except the Backer-written Good and Bad Reviews. We decided not to translate these, but because the Chinese version ran its own crowdfunding campaign, it has its own Backer-written Reviews, and thus has its own language version.)

Fully Translated But Requires Final Updates / Edits:

• Base Game Box French = Done & Being Edited
   
• Base Game Box German = Done & Being Edited
   
• Base Game Box Spanish = Done & Being Edited
   
• Rulebook in All Non-English Languages = Requires Updates from Final English
   
• Variant Rulebook in All Non-English Languages = Requires Updates
   
• Player Boards French = Requires Minor Updates
   
• All Cards Chinese = Requires Minor Updates
   
• All Cards French = Requires Minor Updates
   
• All Cards German = Requires Minor Updates
   
• All Cards Spanish = Requires Minor Updates
   

(Additional Note: the 5-6 Player Expansion and add-on components are only in English, but they are also language independent so do not be alarmed if you ordered them together with a non-English base game!)

As you may notice from the above lists, we only have a handful of files left and the majority of them only require minor updates or edits. Both Rulebooks require a careful check that the latest translations match the latest English as some changes have taken place, but we are confident with our proofing process there. Our plan is to focus 100% of our efforts managing these topics next week so we can report back with a final estimate.

Manufacturing in general is back in operation though. Factories are running and we should not face any delays on that side. We have not gotten a full update from our freight shipper yet nor any of our fulfillment partners, but we’ll be exploring that and reporting back in future updates.

Thank you all for enduring another quite long mini-update. We really hope you can clearly see and hear the progress we are sharing, this is a big deal to have made it to this point. With luck, we’ll be calling Seize the Bean a done project that is ready to completely go to print by the time we write you next! Cross your fingers, press your thumbs, and keep up with the positive comments and support. We’ll see you all in 2 weeks! :) 

Mini-Update for Mid-February
about 4 years ago – Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 08:50:23 PM

Hello backers! We are still in February, and while the effects of Chinese New Year have worn off there are still some important topics to share regarding timeline. 

Delivery date. We continue to get questions around this topic and we completely understand. To reiterate for anyone who is not reading the updates: we will share a new delivery date as soon as we go into print. We realize how frustrating the “it’s done when it’s done” message can be for some people. The only reason we are not announcing a new estimate now is because we have learned that we are not properly equipped to guess the full work time required to finish things we have never done before (such as the completion of the final print files). By arbitrarily stating a new date and then being wrong, we only set you all up for disappointment.

Production estimates and possible delivery date. What we can say is that due to the coronavirus, our manufacturer has warned it may be at least 3 weeks until they are 100% up and running. Let’s call it 1 month to be safe. If we were to begin printing at that time we wouldn’t finish printing until some time in April at the earliest. Delivery can take 2 months at minimum, with freight shipping and customs, and then delivery from warehouse to you. Therefore, it’s safe to say you should not expect the game before this summer. We hope this information is helpful, even if it isn’t the precise delivery date you are all patiently waiting for.

Berlin Brettspiel Con. We cannot promise anything, but it would be a fantastic goal to be able to release the game to backers at the Berlin Brettspiel Con in mid-July this year. Do not worry: we won’t sell to the public and especially not to any retail stores until we are sure backers already have their copies. But we wanted to share this potential goal with you all, so you know what we are aiming for.

Final files. We’re now about 60% of the way through our final polishing of the Variant Rulebook. There was some surprising responses to the last update where we mentioned the page count and we’d like to address that. First, we have actually removed 2 spreads and thus cut the Variant Rulebook down to 56 pages. Second, it’s extremely important to note that the contents of the Variant Rulebook are rules on the following:

• Additional Components (not base game components which appear in the Main Rulebook)
   
• Difficulty Modes
   
• 5-6 Player Mode (this was backer requested)
   
• 5 Main Districts (ie. the game setups, basically the expansions)
   
• 5 Additional Districts (it helps having more because not all of them are 5-6 player or Solo Mode compatible)
   
• Additional Customer Groups (abilities + examples, basically more expansion content)
   
• Additional Friends & Family (this is the first actual "variant" now)
   
• Add-On Customer Packs (these were the 3, promotional bonus packs)
   
• Founders (again, this is an actual "variant" too)
   
• Variety of other Mini-Variants (we won’t list these all now, you’ll see them when the file is done!)
   
• Diverse City (yes, another variant)
   
• Uses for the Resin Snack Pack Add-On (backer requested, both to be made, and to be gameplay usable)
   
• Solo Mode Rules (another backer requested mode)
   
• Solo Mode Scenarios (not necessarily backer requested, but certainly promised to backers)
   
• Quick Icon Reference (same as last pages of the Main Rulebook)
   

This should help you all understand what is in this book, and why it’s included. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments!

Translations. We’re just this week getting new reports from all the different translators what their status is. We didn’t want to delay this update waiting for everyone but you can expect in the next update to have clear lists of what is completely done and what isn’t in regards to each language. This will include the text itself, editing / proofing of the text, as well as adding the text to actual print files. And yes, we are still aiming to hopefully share some (if not all) of the files so that native speakers can give their input, just as we did with the recent English rulebook release. We will do so as long as we can handle the feedback in parallel with other tasks so that it does not delay us any further!

That was a very long mini-update so we’ll end here. We’ll see you all in 2 weeks, and meanwhile please keep the comments, questions and positive energy incoming!