PAX Recap, Rulebook Upgrade, Finalization of the Packs
about 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 31, 2022 at 03:35:03 PM

Greetings fellow Cyberpunkers,

Hope you have been well. There's been a lot of progress in this update so without further ado let's begin.

PAX Recap

Thank you for those visiting our booth earlier this month at PAX AUS. We had a blast getting to meet many of you,  showcase our game to you and hear many wonderful stories from you.

Here is a compilation of some Cytress action:

Rulebook Upgrade

As you may recall from a previous update, we had mentioned that the rulebook was ready for a graphic overhaul. So in the past 4 weeks, we’ve been working to revamp the look of the rulebook. Much of the work was completed earlier this week, and here’s a quick look at how certain sections have been updated:

Cyberpunk and Narrative Experience

After the hard work of from my copyeditors, proofreaders and of course our graphic team, I’m happy to report that all the packs in the Narrative & Cyberpunk Experience have been finalized!

If you haven’t already, please complete your pledge soon!

This is the final month!! We’re making good progress on pre-production, which means that sampling  and manufacturing should start quite soon. As such, please consider completing your pledge on Backerkit earlier than later. We use your finalized pledges to gauge our final manufacturing numbers, which is why  it’s important that as many pledges are completed before that happens.  

Shortly after this update, we’ll be sending out invite emails again  for those of you who’ve yet to complete your pledge. If you don’t receive an e-mail though, don’t worry: you can begin to manage your pledge by directly going to https://cytress.backerkit.com/sign_in

Important: Your email on Backerkit must the same as the one you used on Kickstarter, otherwise it will not work. For  those of you who need your email addresses on Backerkit changed (due to  Apple Private Relay or some other issue), please message or email me at [email protected] with your current email address, your desired  email address, and we’ll process the change for you.

That’s it for this update! With the next one, I  hope to share the finalized rulebooks and continue working hard at preparing Cytress for print. As always, thanks for checking in, and see you next update!

Rulebook Drafts Ready, PAX Aus Next Week & Final Playtesting Push!
about 2 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2022 at 07:11:14 AM

Hi Cyberpunkers!

Hope you have been well. It has been a busy month with the finalization of the game components and preparing for board game conventions! But without further ado let's begin.

Pledge Manager Charge Reminder! 😉

As mentioned previously we have decided to keep the pledge manager open until the month of December. So we'll charge the cards on the first of each month (which is tomorrow!) until the pledge manager's final day. 

Cytress Rulebook Draft - Ready for Proofreading! 👀

Note this is a text version of the rulebook to be formatted by our graphics team. These drafts have been fully copyedited and are now ready to be proofread! We’ll be sending them to our graphics team next week, but you can also access them in the links below:

Cytress rulebook (PDF, with selectable text): Click here to view

While we’ll be counting on our proofreader to catch all remaining  errors/issues with the rulebook, we’re hoping you can check it out too,  as it’s always helpful to have fresh sets of eyes looking over our work!  If you have any corrections or suggestions at all, just let me know in  the comments below or email me at [email protected]

We’re trying to get the draft to readable version before we send it of to the graphic team to do their magic where you'll see a more "game ready" version. Even then, please keep in mind that the rulebook is a continual work in progress!

Demo at PAX Aus (Sep 9th) 📸

Yes, that's next week. We will be having a demo at PAX Aus, in Melbourne, my home town. This time I will be there and again its with Good Games Publishing. We'll be there for the Sunday (9th September)! I'll be happy to give you a teach of the game as well as answer any question you might have about Cytress. See you at PAX Aus!

More Playtesting throughout the Month! 📈

Solo mode against the elites? 2 player duels? 3 player standoffs? 4 player skirmishes? or 5 player bonanzas? It's been a blast playing with you all. And there will be more this month. So if you're free this month, please join our discord group: Click here to join, we love hearing your feedback, comments & suggestions! If you are interested please reach out to me on discord too, as I'm most active on that platform.

What's next? 😎

October's a particularly important month for us as we’ve got a couple  of  things planned. If all goes well, here’s what you can expect in the coming weeks:

• Finalized Rulebook: By our next update,   we’re aiming to complete proofreading of the rulebook and send it to our graphic artist for a final makeover. 
• Continued Playtesting: Alongside the  rulebook, we’ll also be consistent with our playtest on TTS. You’ll have  access to all Cytress content through these Tabletop Sim, including the Solo mode! We can’t wait to hear  what you think of the updated version of  the game.

In short, there’s lots of things happening in the next update, so be  sure to keep a look out! And if you’re looking to get involved, there  are absolutely many things we could use your help on, especially with  the rulebook… there’s always a typo or two that’ll sneak past despite  our copyeditor and proofreader’s best efforts!

And that’s it for this update. As always, thank you so much for checking in and may you have an awesome weekend 😊

Sean

It's that time of the month, Cyberpunk Updates!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Aug 31, 2022 at 03:29:07 PM

Hi Cyberpunkers,

Hope you have been well. It has been a busy month with the finalization of the game components and preparing for board game conventions! But without further ado let's begin.

Pre-Order Stores Are Now Open

Our pre-order stores are now open. Get Cytress along with the add-ons while you still can. As the game progresses into its final stage, we will continue to provide updates and improvements to these add-ons.

All the packs ranging from travel to the origin narrative has received big enhancements and extra content added. In an effort to make Cytress an authentic Cyberpunk experience. 

Pledge Manager Extension

We will be partnering with a publishing/distribution company to help us with retail distribution in the future. This will enable us to reach a much larger audience and market! As a result of the partnership too, our manufacturer date is now set to kick-in in November, and games will be shipped around march which should still be on track with the time we have set on the Kickstarter page. Our pledge managers will, therefore, remain open until the end of the year in November/December. However, card charges will start on September 1st (tomorrow), so please check your account balances and make any necessary adjustments before then. These charges will occur on the first of each month until the pledge manager's final day. So don't worry if you have budget requirements, just plan accordingly for one of these dates.

PAX Aus 2022

Come visit us in PAX Aus at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) We will be showcasing Cytress with demo opportunities. Details on where we'll be will be announced later as we finalize the details.

Travel Pack Reveal

Here's a quick look at the travel cards. You can think of these cards as miniature versions of the main faction boards found in the original game.  It reduces the table space required by 50%, making it more ergonomic for smaller spaces. It's also easier to carry with if you were planning on taking it elsewhere and fits in the main box with ease. These can be used interchangeably with the components from the base game. So if you want to, you could mix and match where you see fit!

Narrative Pack Update

All of the story packs are progressing nicely. We have completed our character books and look forward to sharing more images with you in greater detail in our next update. Additional lore has been incorporated into them, as we dive deeper into their origin story in the Cyberpunk packs. The mission books also coming along well. We made an effort to provide you with intriguing narrative choices as you play Cytress rather than just provide you with a thematic flavor textbook. Though it won't change how the game is played or how you win. These narrative books will reveal thematic outcomes, consequences, and happy/sad endings based on your decisions throughout your play. It stands on its own as a narrative puzzle in the same vein as pick-your-own-adventure novels.

Cyberpunk Pack Update

Now onto our cyberpunk pack! I can't wait to show you the new material we've been working on.  Starting with the universe pack, we have decided to combine the three universe books into one and make it into a graphic novel instead. The reason is we did not see the benefit in splitting the three different settings of the universe and believed this will make the story more coherent. Plus now the story will be accompanied by original graphic images which will help bring the story to life, and really show you the world of Cytress through its visuals. It's been renamed Cytress Origins: The Cyberpunk Fortress.

The Cytress origin novel for the game also has a new title: Cytress Origins: The Novel. It has been moving along pretty swiftly, and we're down to the final stages of proofreading before sending it out to be formatted into a book. More info on that in the next update.

Playtesters Needed!

We are currently looking for playtesters! Want to participate? You will first need access to Tabletop Simulator which is on Steam. Then please join our discord group here and then send me a message on Kickstarter or discord, alternative you can email me at [email protected]. We will be playing the 'final' game with a few new groups which will go on for a couple of weeks, as we make our way to our final game.

That's all for this month folks!

In the next few weeks, we will be playing the punk out of Cytress to make sure everything is final and at a level which we are satisfied with. Then it's all off to the printers. I want to make sure it's great, but I know I don't want to keep you waiting too long. Until next time. Keep on punking.

Best,

Sean (Tress Games)

74% BackerKit Surveys Completed 🚀 Closing in September, 2022 🗓️
over 2 years ago – Mon, Aug 01, 2022 at 11:51:27 AM

Hey Cyberpunkers!👋

Hope you've been well! The world of Cytress has been full of fun and excitement. From day 1, we got to know a lot of incredible people that helped Cytress develop into the game we are so thrilled to be presenting to our backers.

🚀Woo-Hoo! 74% Completed

BackerKit Surveys were out only for a couple weeks, and today a whopping 74% of our backers filled in their surveys! Well done, Cytress Squad! 🥳

Since we want to get your Cytress Board Game quickly to you, we will close the surveys by the end of August 2022.

After the Pledge Manager closes, you will still be able to update your shipping address before shipping starts. Don't worry if you need  the game ship to a different address. We will send a reminder out before  shipping starts to update any shipping addresses.

Hurry up and have your orders finalized by that day! What does that mean? Choose your own Cytress Experience, by leveling up your board game experience with additional travel packs, mission packs, character packs, and more!

Can't find the survey ...😟

Keep calm, and don't panic! We have your back:

• Double-check the email you signed in to Kickstarter
• If you authenticate through Facebook, check your Facebook login email.
• Add BackerKit email to your address book and make sure you have not marked the email as spam.
• Search inbox, spam folder, or archive for emails with the  following subject lines:   Response Needed -- Get your reward for  Project Name or Reminder -- Response needed to deliver your reward for  Project Name
• If you still cannot find the survey, drop us a line at [email protected] address!

Update Your Apple ID Email🍎

If you have logged in with your Apple ID, but do not have an Apple  Pay account, check out the steps below to make sure you receive your BackerKit survey.

👇 Here's what your need to do:

1. Open the following link: https://cytress.backerkit.com/faq#contact-us 
2. Fill in your current Apple ID email under the "What is your email?" section.
3. Select the "I am having trouble filling out my survey" option.
4. Request BackerKit to change your current Apple ID email to the new one.

The Cytress District 📝

Cytress (aka Cyberpunk fortress) is a former megacolony for megacorp head officers, the fortress had become a distant relic of a past long gone. People came in droves as soon as Stratos became operational. Soon, it became an ideal place for fugitives, criminals, and people who simply wanted to dump their old lives to start a new one. 

We realised that some of the district names and personalities didn't quite fit the tone and plot that we were going for, so some revisions were required to bring the gameplay as closely as possible to the primary storyline.  And after some twist and turns, we were finally able to tie everything together succinctly. I'd like to introduce you to the Cytress district board.

The Stratos Tower 🏙

Stratos is a skyhab that was built to protect wealthy communities from the ever-growing unrest felt by the ordinary citizens. We heard from our backers that the Stratos floors between the different tiered levels felt similar in their function, and it was a sign that a little differentiation was needed.  As a result, we decided to go back and alter the some game design of the floors. 

The goal was to make Stratos not just another 'tree' that was nice to look at but instead was integral part of the gameplay and thematic immersion. We think the Stratos tower is now more unique than ever!

Thank you everyone who submitted their suggestions and feedback. We love to hear from you!

Surprise Demo at Gen Con (Aug 6th & 7th) 📸

Yes, you read that right. We will be having a demo at Gencon! The largest tabletop game convention in North America. Come down to our booth #2609, with Good Games Publishing. We'll be there for the weekend (6-7th August)! We'll be happy to give you a teach of the game as well as answer any question you might have about Cytress. Would love to see you there!

What's next?

August's a particularly important month for us as we’ve got a couple of  things planned. If all goes well, here’s what you can expect in the coming weeks:

•  Edited Rulebooks: By our next update,  we’re aiming to complete copyediting for the rulebooks and send it to our proofreader for a final review. Besides this, we’ll also make the rulebooks publicly available, so if you’d like to look through them and help us catch errors, that would be very appreciated!
•  Tabletop Simulator Mods: Alongside the rulebooks, we’ll also be sharing the updated TTS mods. You’ll have access to all Cytress content through these mods, including the  Solo mode! We can’t wait to hear  what you think of the updated version of the game.

In short, there’s lots of things happening in the next update, so be sure to keep a look out! And if you’re looking to get involved, there are absolutely many things we could use your help on, especially with the rulebooks… there’s always a typo or two that’ll sneak past despite  our copyeditor and proofreader’s best efforts!

And that’s it for this update. As always, thank you so much for checking in and may you have an awesome weekend 😊

Sean

Minor updates regarding Shipping Fees
over 2 years ago – Sat, Jul 02, 2022 at 09:24:34 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.