Super Snipers May Update
over 1 year ago – Mon, May 22, 2023 at 12:59:12 PM

Hello!

   Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to write this month, so I will keep it short and sweet.

First: the less than great news...

Super Snipers is done except for a handful of art pieces and the rulebook.  And those last few steps are taking longer than anticipated due to a number of factors.  My last estimate for being ready to send files to the manufacturers was the end of this month.  But I won't be surprised if I need to push that forward.  There is still the possibility of getting everything delivered in October, but there is a very real possibility that we will be a little later.  I apologize, and will keep you updated as I have news.  

Looking ahead...

I am very excited to be attending GenCon this year!  While I won't have a booth as a publisher, I will be running a number of "learn to play" events for Super Snipers and plan to have an updated prototype from the manufacturer to show off.  I hope to meet some of you at the table!  You can find the events here.  

I will also be running playtests of one of my newer designs, Dog Days, in the First Exposure Hall.  This one is a 2-4 player game where you take on the roles of dog walking couples trying to give their dogs the best day at the park possible.  Each dog has their own unique needs, and squirrels and off-leash dogs add some playful chaos to this fast playing, lightweight strategy game.

Starting next month, I will start releasing a monthly newsletter for all things Galen's Games.  Keep an eye out in your inbox!

As always, feel free to join our Discord to connect around Super Snipers or any of my other projects.  We are starting testing on a 4-player mode, but I'm always happy to teach the base game and meet my backers!  https://discord.gg/CRJr6kf

Thank you all so much for believing in Super Snipers and I can't wait to be able to tell you when it will arrive!  My apologies that it may be longer than I had hoped.

Galen

Subhuti Finalized! Next steps.
over 1 year ago – Mon, Apr 24, 2023 at 10:25:17 AM

Hello everyone!  Hope you are all doing well and playing lots of fun games while waiting for Super Snipers to deliver!  I've got some news to share.

Subhuti finalized!

We have been through a number of different powers for Subhuti but I am proud to say that this is definitely the best version!  At the start of every round you will get to take a Focus (polyomino) from your opponent's starting 3 and put it on the card.  When you play an identical Focus (shape and color) you may also immediately play the Focus on the card as a free action.  What I love about this power:

• You get to mess with your opponent by temporarily taking one of their Focus out of their supply.  
• You can use your Recalibrate (used to be called Move) Bonus in order to steal the matching shape that will trigger the ability.  Your opponent can also steal the shape from you that would trigger the ability!
• Because the power is optional, you can choose not to trigger it and build up Focus on this card towards depleting your opponent's Focus AND setting up a potentially huge round later on.  If the game goes to the 5th round, you could have 5 Focus ready to trigger!
• Stealing identical Focus is risky but potentially rewarding.  You half your odds of having the power trigger, but double its efficiency when it does!
• Overall, it adds some push-your-luck and makes paying attention to your opponent extra important; two things that are not a large part of the game otherwise.

With this change, all cards and powers are finalized!!  I appreciate your patience.  Playtesting until we get it right is vital to the game being all that it can be.

Other Changes:

As we comb through and finalize the rulebook, I've made a couple of small changes.

• Re-calibrate (the power that lets you discard a Focus you've played or from your LOS) has been changed to "Clear".  As it is more obvious what it does and first-timers were assuming that they got to take the cleared piece and place it again because of the name....
• The Move Bonus is now Recalibrate because it does work like you would expect it to.
• I had toyed with the idea of using a couple of keywords in order to simplify and shorten the text on the Ability Cards, but have instead decided to spell them out as succinctly and clearly as possible on the cards.  With a game like this and 9 asymmetric characters with 2 powers each, a FAQ will be unavoidable, but I do want players to be able to understand the powers with just the primary terms and without needing to consult the rulebook.  
• I updated the rules for all the modes so that there are no more ties (and therefore no need for tie-breakers).

Live Demo on 4/29/23.

I will be demoing Super Snipers at Unplugged Gaming in Syracuse on Saturday, April 29th from 1-4pm.  If you are close by, come check it out!  Here's the link to their FB page where you can learn more about them and the event: https://www.facebook.com/unpluggedgamestore

What's Next?

Finalizing the rulebook is at the top of the list (it's getting there).  Playtesting will continue but will start focusing on 2 additional game modes I want to make available for people.  One is a 4-player mode that can be played with 2 copies of the game.  The other is a "Blitz Mode" that maintains continous action instead of the current reset after each kill.  If you would like to be involved in playtesting and/or get a walkthrough of the game on Tabletop Simulator, please join the Discord.

That's it for now.  Thanks for backing!

Galen

March Update: some small updates
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Mar 21, 2023 at 11:42:12 AM

March 21st, 2023:

Hello everyone!  It is March 2023 and Super Snipers is nearing completion.   Playtesting has been going well and I'm about 99% sure I've arrived at the final powers for all the characters and AI versions.  Here are a couple of small updates from that world:

• Subhuti's power has been updated to allow him to keep any Focus he steals with the Move Bonus and place them immediately if they are the "Breath" type.   This is simpler to grasp, more immediately beneficial, and most importantly, balanced.
• After thinking about it over many, many tests, I have decided to increase the number of Innocents on Target I to 2.  The reason being that the difference between Target I and Target III is almost insurmountable.  Now, that was just part of the game and added some risk and reward to the Hiding Phase decisions, but new players put themselves in unwinnable situations enough times that I decided to change it.  Maps I-III still scale up in difficulty, but it is more incremental and no match up is a sure win or lose anymore.  
• I've been working with my playtesters to properly rank the challenge level of each Super Sniper and the difficulty of their AI counterparts so that new players can make informed choices.

Rulebook:  Hwa is working on professionalizing the rulebook and I'm excited by what I am seeing so far.  We want to make sure to get this part right!  Let me know if you'd be willing to give it a read through when it is ready.

Still to do:

• Art work for Targets IV-VI
• Updated Box art for the main game and the expansion
• Finish the rulebook
• Get the insert designed
• Get files to the manufacturer.

I'll keep you updated!  In the meantime, don't forget that the game is fully playable on TTS.

And please join our FB group and Discord if you haven't already.

Thanks,

  Galen

February Update: New TTS Mod! Character Progress.
almost 2 years ago – Mon, Feb 20, 2023 at 12:29:20 PM

Hello everyone!  

    The biggest news that I have to share this month is that the Tabletop Simulator (TTS) Mod for Super Snipers has been fully updated to include all the changes to the game and new content as well as updated scripting.  This is a pure joy to play on TTS and is darn close to playing a video game version of Super Snipers!  The video below highlights what the mod offers.  I will be doing an updated how-to-play soon!

Here is a link to the TTS mod.  The mod is free to play but you will need Tabletop Simulator (available on Steam) to play.  TTS is usually $19.99 and often goes on sale for 50% off.  There are a TON of other games to play there for free.  

The mod now represents the full components and updates of the game backers will be receiving.  There are still some art assets (like the new locations and targets) that will be updated later.  For those familiar with the old mod, here are the major changes:

• New Character Select Screen that has all 9 characters available.
• Each player now has 30 Focus with a unique border (2 of each shape and color combo).  
• There is now a Double-Kill Button!  When there is a tie/ double-kill this automates the process.  Note that the rules have changed so that there can be no double-kills when it is 2-2.  Instead, the first player who places their Bullet and announces the Kill is the winner in that round.
• In-between Round clean up now removes the Target Grid from the Scope Board.
• Contract Mode (solo) has new scripting.  The AI now automatically hides randomly at the start of each round.  The AI now has a separate Adrenaline Card that flips automatically the round after they are shot.  
• And updated art for all characters!  
• Note that some characters (and their AI versions) are still in development and testing and may not yet be fully balanced.  The rulebook still needs some updates for FAQs for the new characters.

Character Updates:

We've been having a blast playtesting the new characters and their AI counterparts.  Testing has led me to update a couple of powers with the newer characters, namely SUBHUTI's Basic Ability and Archangel's Adrenaline Ability.  For anyone interested, let me talk a little about the what and why of these changes.

SUBHUTI

Here's what SUBHUTI's Basic Ability was before the change:

The idea was solid and thematic.  When it worked it felt really, really clever.  But multiple playtests revealed that a) It was very situational, b) It was challenging for most players to figure out how to use it optimally, and c) It was rarely used (because of a and b, no doubt).  I want character powers to be fun and provide a different feel.  I want the powers to be powerful and accessible enough that players shape their strategies around using them.  

Here's the update to his power:

Now that Focus for each player have their own unique borders, a power like this becomes possible.  This power is thematic, gets stronger as the game progresses, and will be used 100% of the time (as it is automatic).  We lose the thinkiness, but gain so much more.  Note that this power is still being tested.  Preliminary tests are revealing that it may need to be toned down a little.  

Archangel

Here's Archangel's old Adrenaline Power (pre-art):

Let me tell you, I really, really thought this was a clever power.  It is thematic, it checks all the boxes in terms of my philosophy for the powers, and it had a great balance between sacrifice and reward both within itself and in context of his Basic Ability.  But, it took too much set-up/ thought and it just wasn't being used.

His Updated Power (and art!):

This one: Dead simple to use, has the added benefit of messing with your opponent,  is thematic, and interacts perfectly with his Basic Ability.  While still in testing, I have no doubts this is the right direction for this one.

Want to help me make this the best game possible?

We are in the final stretches where the powers and gameplay can still adjust.  Join the Galen's Games' Discord and/or the Super Snipers FB Community to be part of the discussion.  I'm also happy to set up a teach and can always use more playtesters!

Until next month,

 Galen.

January Updates
almost 2 years ago – Tue, Jan 24, 2023 at 02:09:19 PM

Happy New Year!

Not a ton to update about this month, but I want to make sure I'm keeping you all in the loop.  

Pledge Manager:

72% of you have completed your Pledge Manager!  Thank you!  The Acrylic Upgrade pack and Mini-Expansion have both been very popular and I'm very happy that I will be justified in doing a print run of 500 for both.  If you know anyone who would like to get the game but missed the Kickstarter, Late Pledges are open!  

Local Pick-Up:

If you live close to Syracuse, NY, you can select Local Pick up and avoid any shipping costs.  My plan at this time is to have them available for pick up at our local game store: Play the Game Read the Story, and bring them with me to CuseCon in the first weekend of October.  Plans will be firmed up as we get closer.

Speaking of shipping...

• I am in talks with Spiral Galaxy and a couple other fulfillment companies to determine if splitting up my freight between fulfillment centers is worth it to get better postage rates.  There is a lot involved in this decision, but I am committed to doing everything I can to stick to or beat my shipping estimates that I posted for the Kickstarter. I will be using Bridge Fulfillment for my US and Canada backers.
• For US customers, I am not anticipating any extra shipping costs for the addition of the Acrylic Upgrade Pack.  For everyone else, I should be able to keep it to just a few extra dollars in most situations.

Playtesting:

My playtesting team has been growing and we have been putting the core game and all the new content through its paces.  I'm really, really happy with how everything is playing right now and especially with the ways we have been tightening up the solo Automas!  I can always use more players (especially solo players) and am happy to teach on TTS.  Join the Discord to get involved!

What's Next?

A non-exhaustive list of what's cooking:

• The TTS mod will be getting a full update with all the new material and improved functionality.  It is already a great mod with scripting that makes it play more like a video game than what you mighty be used to; and it will only be getting better!  I'll keep you updated.  
• I have fallen behind on the language translations of the rulebook but they will be getting done along with the final version of the English rulebook.  Digital rulebooks will be available in Spanish, French, and German.
• Hwa is working on finalizing Archangel's art, art for the new Locations,  and an updated look for the Automa cards. 
• Once my pre-manufacturing to-do list is cleared, I plan on focusing on finishing and re-convening testing of my 4-player mode and Blitz mode for the game.  These rulesets will be available digitally.  4-player uses two sets of the game.  Blitz mode is a faster mode of play that foregoes the round structure for an ongoing battle.  

Other Cool Stuff:

• Hwa (Super Snipers' artist) just had his second child on Saturday, January 21st!  Welcome to the world!
• If you're curious about other stuff I am working on, I just wrapped my video for my entry into the Cardboard Edison this year: Dice Dogs.  Will this be a future Galen's Games release?  Maybe.

Well, that's all for now.  Happy New Year everyone.  Please join us in the FB group if you want to keep the conversation going in-between updates!