Big Changes at 3301 and Nearing the Finish Line
3 months ago
– Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 01:15:50 PM
Happy Friday, Pilots.
We hope this update finds you in good spirits.
This post will be a little different from those previous as we take the time to share some internal developments with 3301.
Thank you, Matthew
A few years back, when I decided to start a board game company, I knew I couldn’t do it alone. In addition to having to learn the tips and tricks of the industry, I knew there were gaps in my own skill set that would be difficult to overcome while in pursuit of my ultimate goal - self-publishing. I needed to find someone that shared my vision while also being able to bring their own expertise to the areas where I had none. Enter Matthew ‘Cap’ Marsters, who since inception has been the engine behind our visual art, graphics, and design.
After some hard conversations and difficult decisions, Matthew has decided to step away from 3301 to focus on his mental health. Ben and I would like to take the opportunity to thank him for everything he has done for Salvage and 3301. We’d also like to applaud his courage in making such a tough decision as well as his willingness to be vulnerable in this pseudo-public setting.
Cap - it has been a wild ride with many lessons learned. I will never forget showing up to our first GenCon as exhibitors with nothing more than a paper prototype and a dream. You helped fashion the scope, scale, and aesthetic of Salvage in a way that I never could have done alone.
Thank you.
What’s Next and What Will Be Different?
Matthew’s departure will be greatly felt by our small team, but for those of you simply waiting on boxes - not much has changed. With Ben on the other side of the country, I will be solo-packing boxes and continuing to send them out in tranches. While we have everything we need from WinGo, our own manufacturing shop at HQ continues to run round the clock.
Finishing fulfillment while flying solo will not be easy, but we are incredibly close to the finish line. If at any point you have questions/thoughts about your order’s status, please reach out.
The immediate changes you may notice? In the short-term, updates (like this one) and elsewhere will be much less visually appealing. Our plans for a Salvage Discord will be pushed a bit as Ben and I determine our own capacity.
Keep Up To Date
In the past, we have encouraged you to ‘stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest developments’ by following us on social media. While you will still be able to find us by searching @3301Games on most platforms, I can tell you with confidence that for the time being, all substantive information can be found in these updates. From now until the last pre-order leaves HQ, our sole focus is on fulfillment and shipping.
Sincerely,
Sean
Fear is the mind killer
Please reach out to us anytime via email at:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Crafting 70mm Statuettes
3 months ago
– Fri, Sep 06, 2024 at 03:12:58 PM
~Incoming transmission~
For future Salvage Pilots such as yourself, neurally-interfaced exomechs–or Salvage Suits–are your entry point into the world of Post-Event Sol System. Not only will they serve as your primary vehicle for entering derelicts and dangerous drop zones, but also as a symbol of your character and their identity.
How you choose to style your Salvage Suits is an opportunity for personalization, and a way you can shape the pieces of the game world you occupy. In anticipation of our Kickstarter, we designed 70mm, large-scale statuettes to showcase these Suits and to provide another medium for expression.
Each of the statuettes was conceived, designed, tested, and ultimately manufactured entirely by our team at 3301. In this update we wanted to take some time to share with you what goes into that process, and show how these 70mm Salvage Suits came to be.
Concept
Just like our 28mm gaming miniatures, the Salvage Suits started with concept art. These drawings were used for inspiration, reference, and were pivotal in aligning the look of each suit (and in-fiction suit manufacturer) before the time consuming sculpting process. We’ve discussed in the past how this concept-to-sculpting pipeline works (read more about that here) and it was a critical stepping stone on the journey of each exomech.
The initial art was created in a myriad of media. Digital painting, physical sketches, low-fidelity 3D renders, and napkin doodles all produced strong ideas we incorporated.
Small Scale
As lifelong miniature gamers, we understand the balance of detail that has to be achieved for small minis. In order to ensure our exomechs read well on the table, we distilled the ideas in the concept art down to their most critical and visually readable elements. Consideration was given to their form, silhouette, and pose to create distinct mech suits that encapsulate the role(s) of each Salvage Suit. Once we had them to a comfortable spot at a smaller scale, we could expand on that idea for their larger counterparts.
This process began in the VR sculpting program Gravity Sketch. Virtual Reality is very powerful for this kind of asset creation, as it allows us to scale objects dynamically, reach difficult spots, and then pose sculpts quickly. Some pieces, such as the Atmo Tanks, were componentized so they could be standardized across all Suits, and some reusable bits like joints and duct pipes were also identified. This software allows export to a variety of file formats, which enabled us to perform the bulk of work in VR before moving to Blender for cleanup.
In Blender, the primary tool we’ve found invaluable is the “3D Print Toolbox.” This is a free add-on well optimized for 3d printing file cleanup. There’s a direct correlation between the amount of time spent optimizing the file and the success rate of 3d printing, and this tool suite easily allows you to see where non-manifold areas are (holes in your sculpt) and intersecting geometry that can cause wonkiness during printing.
Scaling Up
To create the larger scale exomechs, we started with the original sculpts for each Salvage Suit, which was an older version of the files before the detail was distilled to read at the 28mm size. These files retained features we could reclaim, showcasing the original ideas for each Suit. Additional detail was then added, smoothing out troubled regions or adding cables, pouches, handles, and piping to the exomechs. For this we went back to Gravity Sketch, which allowed the Suits to be scaled far larger than their eventual size, making it possible to fine tune areas that will have more prominence at a larger scale.
Production
We turn those digital files into physical collectibles with the magic of 3D printing. We’ve spent the last year refining this process and building out a fleet of printers whose capabilities align with our needs. We use resin printing, as opposed to filament, because it produces crisp details, and these statuettes are produced in an ABS-like plastic that sands, clips, and behaves less like the resin many of us remember from gaming in our youth and more like injection molded plastic.
In addition to the suits themselves, we also designed a specialty display base that comes with each statuette. These are also produced through 3D printing, often printed directly alongside the suit with which they pair.
Preparation
In case you’re unfamiliar with resin 3D printing, here’s a little detail on what happens once the printing stops. Each print is pulled from its print bed, and then washed. After experimenting with different materials and brands, we’ve found great success with an ABS-like water-washable resin that has a comparatively low toxicity and produces great results. Pro tip for any makers or DIY pilots reading this: we’ve found that a countertop dishwasher streamlines this process.
After washing, each suit is cured under direct UV light for between 2 and 4 hours, including periodical turning to ensure even UV coverage. This completes the last of the curing reaction in the plastic, ensuring that it’s stable, safe, and ready for paint.
They’re then wrapped in cushioning paper and packaged up, ready for the trip through the postage system to your waiting hands. We can’t wait to see what you create with them, how you paint or adorn them, and where each suit takes you on your SALVAGE journey.
Keep Up To Date
Want to stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest developments? You should follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Instagram, and to a lesser extent X, and TikTok. You can find us by searching @3301Games on most platforms, and on TikTok, it's @3301Cap.
At 3301 Games, we're super passionate about what we do, and we want to connect with you! If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to drop us a line. You can reach out to us anytime via email at:
Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads…
Ben, Cap and Sean at 3301 Games
Packing Up SALVAGE
4 months ago
– Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 02:51:42 PM
Hello Pilots!
As we continue to tie up the final pieces for each and every backer and pre-order, it occurred to us that you might like to see what goes into fulfillment for SALVAGE. As many of you know, while the bulk of the game’s components were manufactured by our partners at WinGo Games, we also produced a significant amount of the game in-house. This update we’ll try to shed some light on the process your box goes through from the time we receive it, until it appears on your doorstep.
Preparing Each Adventure
In order to prime the components for a seamless legacy experience, each box needs to be prepped before we can get it to you. Whether or not a game box includes miniatures, we still stage the unlockable elements and legacy components so that the game unfolds as intended. Here’s what goes into that preparation.
We receive each box from WinGo packaged for safe transport. These cartons are incredibly useful, as we can repack the games inside afterwards for shipment to you.
Within is some supportive cardboard to ensure safe travels, and the boxes are sealed. They’re each carefully extracted from their carton before we can proceed.
The exposed game box is shrink wrapped, and even before components are added it weighs in at over 20lbs. If you got the Launch Edition (pictured here) it will also have the variant box cover, and limited edition interior.
After removing the shrinkwrap, each box is checked to ensure it contains all required components. Our friends over at WinGo packed each game box with most of the final components, and many of them appear in their final home. For everything else, it is sorted through and organized to get ready for the remaining preparations.
Then, each suit envelope is packed by hand. We ensure that every suit contains its suit board and upgrade stickers. The starting six suits will arrive unsealed with the identifying sticker on the front, whereas if it is a suit discovered during the campaign it gets sealed. All 18 suits are prepared in this fashion, before being organized for inclusion.
The tuckboxes are prepared by placing an appropriately colored Suit Die into each box, followed by its Salvage Suit Miniature. As with the suit envelopes, the starting six aren’t sealed but the other 12 suits are. We love the unique feeling of discovering new content in a legacy game, and we’re excited to be able to share that feeling with everyone who plays SALVAGE: Deep Space.
Once all of the envelopes are packed, and tuckboxes sealed, the contents are organized and repacked into the game box. At this point we also add the additional remaining adversary dice and standee bases to the box.
Components are stacked and organized until the only things remaining are the Space Map, and the Narrative Book.
These last two components are placed on top, giving you a perfect place to start your journey into Post-Event Sol System. The very last thing that goes on is the lid.
Printing the Space Map
We’re thrilled to announce that we’re working with an artist, a friend of the company, who we actually met at our very first Gen Con! Ky Tran produces incredible work, vibrant landscapes with an ethereal quality that we find captivating. He produces his work himself, and we’re excited to be working with him to produce the Launch Edition Space Maps for our kickstarter backers. If you have a few minutes, consider checking out Ky’s work at https://www.kytranart.com/
Keep Up To Date
Want to stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest developments? You should follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Instagram, and to a lesser extent X, and TikTok. You can find us by searching @3301Games on most platforms, and on TikTok, it's @3301Cap.
At 3301 Games, we're super passionate about what we do, and we want to connect with you! If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to drop us a line. You can reach out to us anytime via email at:
’Remember the Cant’,
Ben, Cap and Sean at 3301 Games
From Gen Con to Your Waiting Hands
4 months ago
– Sun, Aug 11, 2024 at 09:00:45 AM
Hello Pilots!
With Gen Con a week behind us we wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who came by, said hi, and reminded us how much support we’ve had from you throughout the years. We got to talk to friends we’ve known since our first year at Gen Con, and put the game into the hands of fans both new and old.
Thank You Indianapolis!
Another year at Gen Con in the books, and we were so happy to share the weekend with gamers and like minded individuals. We want to thank everyone who had the opportunity to come by the booth and see SALVAGE. Some of you were there our very first year, and it was great seeing you again!
If you didn’t get a chance to see us, or you’d like to relive the moment, here are some pictures from the booth.
Delivering the First Boxes
At Gen Con we were able to put the first 15 Backers their boxes, which felt incredible. Being able to place the game into the hands of our backers, and thank them personally, was something special. Now our top priority is getting the game to everyone who helped us realize SALVAGE: Deep Space.
Delivering the Next Boxes
Now that we’re all back and settled from Gen Con we’ll be collecting all of the Backer Rewards, as well as hand packing the individual Launch Editions and statuettes. Then, boxes will ship from 3301 HQ as-ready. If you have any questions about this process, please let us know.
Keep Up To Date
Want to stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest developments? You should follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Instagram, and to a lesser extent X, and TikTok. You can find us by searching @3301Games on most platforms, and on TikTok, it's @3301Cap.
At 3301 Games, we're super passionate about what we do, and we want to connect with you! If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to drop us a line. You can reach out to us anytime via email at:
Always know where your towel is,
Ben, Cap and Sean at 3301 Games
SALVAGE: Deep Space at Gen Con 2024
5 months ago
– Fri, Jul 19, 2024 at 02:30:02 PM
Hello Pilots!
The team here at 3301 is getting pretty fired up, as we often do this time of year. It’s Gen Con Season and, true to precedent, it’s going to be our biggest year so far. It feels fitting that at the con where we announced SALVAGE, back in 2022, is the place where we’re putting the first physical boxes into backers’ hands. Around the same time, we’ll be putting the very first game boxes into the mail to all of you out in the world who can’t make it to Indianapolis in August. We couldn’t have realized this game without each of you, and it will be with deep gratitude that we hand-assemble each box. Thank you so much for helping us create SALVAGE: Deep Space.
Two Years in Retrospect
Because Gen Con was the first real place we displayed SALVAGE, it serves as a bit of an annual milestone for the game. Last year we laid out the progress on SALVAGE, from concept through to execution, in a side-by-side graphic. (Check out this post if you want a 1-year time jaunt.) We wanted to update it again this year.
This year, it’s fun to see where things settled. Across the board, there were fewer leaps forward as we focused on distilling the established look and feel. Most importantly, our focus shifted to refining, testing, and applying the mechanics to our story. What you can’t see in a surface-level look, is the deep interactive narrative and compelling game we’ve built. To see that, you’ll need to wait until you can begin your SALVAGE journey.
Gen Con 2024
We made some of the first friends of the SALVAGE project at Gen Con 22. It was a beautiful plunge into this community, and this year we’ll have shiny new games to share. Please, if you or someone you know is going to be at Gen Con, swing by Booth 668. We will have plenty of goodies to show off, give away, and talk about.
A big thing for us, this year, is our Painted Statuette Promotion. If you’ve seen us at a con, you know that we love to give one of our booth guests every day a painted Salvage Suit to take home with them. It doesn’t cost anything, you just need to swing by and sign up (so if you’re going to be at the con, try to come by Friday. The sign up list is progressive through the weekend.) This year, to celebrate the game’s launch we reached out to Turbo Dork Paints to see if we could do a tiny collaboration. The result:
We’ve painted one of each of the Starting Salvage Suits in Turbo Dork metallics befitting their Constellation Shield. The rich vibrant color and overall aesthetics of Turbo Dork are a perfect fit for SALVAGE, and we’re quite partial to them. We’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase their paints. Please stop by to see the statuettes up close for yourself!
If you’re a backer, you can pick up your game at Gen Con! Although we’ve already charged for shipping, it’s not too late to still collect your game from us on-site. Please send an email to [email protected] alerting us you’ll be stopping by and we can discuss particulars.
If you’re not a backer, you can also pick up SALVAGE: Deep Space at Gen Con! We will have game boxes on-site for sale (with and without miniatures) for $149 (no minis) and $199 (with minis.) Our on-site stock is limited, so if you want to pick up a fresh sci-fi adventure game try to get to Booth 668 early in the weekend.
We also have some other collectibles for sale, including Starting Suit Miniature Packs (for use as proxies in other games, spare miniatures, or as a Fundamental Game Upgrade) and Salvage Pilot Pins–so you can tell the whole world you’re a proud exomech pilot in your spare time.
Keep Up To Date
Want to stay in the loop and be the first to know about our latest developments? You should follow us on social media! We're active on Facebook, Instagram, and to a lesser extent X, and TikTok. You can find us by searching @3301Games on most platforms, and on TikTok, it's @3301Cap.
At 3301 Games, we're super passionate about what we do, and we want to connect with you! If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to drop us a line. You can reach out to us anytime via email at:
Always know where your towel is,
Ben, Cap and Sean at 3301 Games
