There are "first to ship" early birds, so check it out if you've been keeping an eye on this!
Here are a few teaser pics
Original post:
Spoiler:
Hi guys,
I would like to introduce a new product I have been working on for some time, but this is the first public unveiling of it! The only people to have seen it before are the Dakka DCMs and mods, the AdeptiCon organizers, and a select few people who have been helping me with the creation of the ModCube.
First, a few pics!!
As you may have guessed from the pics, the ModCube is a gaming aid which enables you to keep 6 common gaming tokens on a single cube, and quickly rotate between these tokens. Token designs are made to be compatible with the most popular sci-fi wargames, starting with Dogfight and Vehicle Damage cubes.
You can see a few more on the website and facebook page:
Molding of the ModCube is being done in China, with first production samples expected in April. All lasercut acrylic panels will be produced in the USA, enabling us to quickly put out new releases as games update and change!
I will be showing off the ModCube at AdeptiCon with the help of a few other members of Dakka. Come and check out the booth if you are attending, or if not, we'll be sure to post up lots of pics! I will also be unveiling one more new ModCube design before AdeptiCon - a cube compatible with Infinity! I would love to see any comments or questions that you have about the ModCube, so please share your thoughts
Dez - While a design compatible with Infinity is the next ModCube I'll be working on, Malifaux has been suggested to me as a good fit and I will definitely be looking at doing one for it sooner rather than later! Not before AdeptiCon, though - there is so much to do!
Monders - That's exactly what we're aiming for with these, a high quality product. The advantage of the ModCube is that you can remove the acrylic panels and reconfigure it later if desired. It has been compared to custom dice, but those tend to be expensive for a small run, and cannot be reconfigured if game options change.
A good example is the Dogfight cubes (compatible with X-wing) - you can configure several of them with Cloak in place of Target Lock if you want, to use with Phantoms (who can cloak, but cannot target lock). The other huge advantage for X-wing, is rather than hunting through your token bin and swapping tokens on and off the board for each ship action, you just rotate the cube to your new action! The default panels are: Focus, Evade, Stress, Target Lock, Target Lock / Focus, Target Lock / Stress.
Any questions, just ask, I would love to answer if I can!
lord_blackfang wrote: Well, clearly there is a demographic of people who can't put stickers on dice that will eat these up.
Or who would buy cheap wooden cubes from the craft store (couple dozen for a couple bucks) and neatly mark the token symbol/writing on each side.
We did this for the Bolt Action dice using different colored fine sharpies for each force.
I think this is an excellent idea RiTides. I like the fact that it's in a familiar form and is configurable for multiple gaming systems. Common-sense gaming aids are always welcome yet often so rare (unfortunately).
This is an awesome idea. Will definately be getting some when available.
Question though, how easy or difficult are they to assemble/disassemble? Are the latches that hold them together pretty sturdy and won't come apart easily?
Love the concept. As someone who loves getting little helpful add-ons like this I'll definitely be interested. (Especially as I've purchased sets which were invalidated by new editions)
I'd love to see more details of the components and how switching the tiles in and out works.
Nice concept. Like most things like it, the price point will determine if I’m interested. For things that I can make a version of myself, the question I ask is if it’s worth the extra cost for having someone else do a crisp, clean, professional job. Rather then my slap-dash crummy job.
Chancetragedy and Eldarain - Here is a quick render of the CAD model, to give you an idea of what it looks like when diassembled:
I'll have lots of prototype ModCubes with me to show off at AdeptiCon, of course, and people can try taking them apart and post their impression! Given that people always tend to roll them first thing after picking them up, and will likely just toss them in a tray or dice bag to transport, I've gone with a pretty tight locking on the tabs. The real test will be the first articles of the production parts, of course, which I will definitely receive and test before launching (expecting them in late April - the tooling is already paid for!).
Nevelon - I am sure many feel the same way, these have to be affordable! I will be selling them in sets of 8, with prices still to be locked down, but it will be in the range of $3 - $3.75 per cube, depending on how many sets are ordered. If you compare to other custom acrylic token sets for games like X-wing, which don't provide any extra functionality beyond the card tokens that come standard, I think these will be a good value! I am also using 2-tone acrylic rather than paint, so the designs are extremely robust and not able to be scratched off.
Cheers , it took me a while to get to this point! At last year's AdeptiCon, I showed some early aluminum prototypes to legoburner (Dakka's co-owner), but it was clear that they would need to be plastic to allow them to snap together tightly, yet still be able to be disassembled easily. I then tested some 3-piece plastic designs, but the seams were too obvious and the design just wasn't attractive enough.
Since moving to the 2-piece design you see above, I've printed well over a hundred prototypes to perfect the form/fit/function - that's the advantage of having a 3D printer! I can't imagine trying to optimize the fit of something like this without it. Now, it just remains for the injection molding company to produce parts that match the prototypes. I've gone through many design reviews with them to make sure this will be the case, and will be getting production samples before launching to be 100% sure the final product fits together perfectly!
The fact that it’s a modular play aid is a big selling point. I’ve got shelves of cards, dice and tokens for other games that do nothing but collect dust these days. The fact that with a quick swap these dice can serve a new edition, or even game is quite nice, and helps justify the money spent.
How much are the inserts going to be? This might be a way to, for example, get affordable substitutes for things like the BFG order dice.
Have these been tested for rolling and randomization? Or is there no expectation that they are randomized dice, just die-like cubes?
Such a design could lend itself to game systems based upon customizable dice where players can upgrade their pips based upon rules or progression. Could be a new genre of game as most other dice games are based upon static dice and needing to get a all new dice.
first thing I thought when reading the name was a die specially designed for the MODS to use when reading posts.
sides
1. exalt
2. lol 3. Ignore
4. warn
5. edit with red lettering
6. Bane him
you could also do one with the avatars of each MOD on a different side so you guys can roll off to see who has to deal with certain individuals like that Theophony guy
These look cool, good luck with the project Are you gonna do a kickstarter or just release em?
Maybe I missed it but what size are they? Maybe you could try a size compatible with The Game Crafter's tokens, so folks could make their own, print them through TGC, and then use your cubes? Who knows maybe TGC would be interested in buying a bunch for that very purpose, right now they have some cheapy sticker version for custom dice, these would look much better.
Nevelon - I will definitely be selling inserts separately, and they will be cheaper than getting them with cubes, for people who want to use their existing cubes for a new system. I haven't worked out pricing on it yet, but it will be offered! You're also the third person to mention a set compatible with BFG orders, so I will be looking into that later on.
Lockark - Yes, lasercut 2-tone acrylic. You can see some tokens on their own in the X-wing pic in the OP! As each of the Dogfight cubes will also come with a targeting token to put next to an enemy ship when on Target Lock.
Anpu-adom - I definitely will do so! It may be tomorrow - AdeptiCon made a simultaneous announcement to this post on their facebook page, and I've been getting a lot of messages!
nkelsch - There actually is a game along those lines, which I discovered when researching this and filing my provisional patent - it is called Rattlebones by Rio Grande Games. The downside, is that like the Lego dice, the panels themselves are molded pieces with a feature to connect to the die, so it is not possible to quickly make a new design. But they do look very cool! As for randomization, I will be testing it (I have of course rolled all my prototypes but have not done an exhaustive test). However, the purpose of these is not to be perfectly balanced, and some tradeoffs had to be made for the design to be injection moldable.
Theophony - Alpharius already came up with a "Mod-ModCube", but I think all of his options were various levels of bane
RiTides wrote: Nevelon - I will definitely be selling inserts separately, and they will be cheaper than getting them with cubes, for people who want to use their existing cubes for a new system. I haven't worked out pricing on it yet, but it will be offered!
Which will be a great options for guys with a big X-Wing force, as they can switch out a few faces depending on their list. Although it looks like it won't be too expensive to just buy some extra cubes to begin with.
Lockark - Yes, lasercut 2-tone acrylic. You can see some tokens on their own in the X-wing pic in the OP! As each of the Dogfight cubes will also come with a targeting token to put next to an enemy ship when on Target Lock.
I missed that. That is really slick!
Are the acrylic components a cut on demand item like most acrylic token sets? (Thus meaning options for custom tokens) Or dose the two-tone acrylic mean that we just choose from the pre-made sets? (Witch their is nothing wrong with that, just wanted to know the options!)
D-usa - I am considering having part of the production run be in one or two secondary colors, like brown or grey, since in playtesting we noticed the cubes were a lot like maneuver dials - easy to mix up with your opponent's! I also plan to include extra tokens of other types in each set, so you shouldn't need any additional tokens for X-wing... unless you're running 3 phantoms or something
Lockark - While I will only be offering pre-configured sets of tokens (which will all come with extras), I will also be publicizing the exact outer dimensions of the panels. So, if someone wants to use a print-on-demand service for custom tokens, they can do so . I would love to see some "mods" done to the ModCube, and so I'll also be offering cubes without any tokens for folks who want to do that.
I helped RiTides with some of the prototypes and testing, and I tell you, the man does not screw around. He is downplaying the amount of testing and retesting, and scrapping and redesigning that have gone into these.** I am very happy to see these finally get done and ready to hit the market!
In terms of using them, he and I gave them their first serious run up at Mechanicon in Philly for the X-wing tournaments, and I found them to be very, very useful as a newish (~12 games) player. I often forget tokens or spend a while searching for them and figuring out if that small pile belonged to the ship sitting there or the ship I just moved. These were super handy for that, and really sped things along.
** I just did some resin prototypes, and have zero monetary interest in this company. I do have friend interest, full disclosure.
Worse comes worse, do you predict they will be sturdy enough to accommodate homemade plasticard tokens if, say, I am play testing a new game element or a custom scenario?
Mathieu - Yes, the cubes can definitely accommodate homemade tokens! Like I said above, I'll be publishing the exact dimensions of the panels for this purpose. I am using 1/16" thick acrylic, but you could use any material that is about that thickness (or 1.5mm). I will be offering sets of ModCubes without panels for this very purpose!
Brennonjw - You're right that these pictures are of the 3D printed prototypes! The tooling of the production parts is underway, and I am expecting production samples back in late April.
I've taken a quick pic of the Vehicle Damage panels below so you can see what kind of quality the panels have - they are definitely not just paper! They are made from 2-tone acrylic which is laser etched and then cut. The price of the cube sets will be at least half from the acrylic - there is a lower upfront cost to make the panels than the tooling for the cubes, of course, but it is much more labor intensive, too.
Each set of 8 cubes will come with between 60 - 80 acrylic tokens! With the higher number being sets that include lots of half panels, like the Dogfight (X-wing) set. So, that's where the cost is coming from (although I think it's quite reasonable if you look at other acrylic token sets - this would be similar or even cheaper, and of course come with awesome configurable cubes, too!).
I am very excited to see what people come up with for their own tokens, though - I've already had some awesome ones shown to me via email for Necromunda
I was about to ask if the cubes could accommodate metal squares that you could stick magnets to, but I haven't decided how useful that would actually be. Tracking wounds along with effects on one cube?
Joyboozer and plastictrees - That is a very interesting idea, one that I'll think on! I assume you mean on the panels themselves, so that you could have an additional effect get added on top of one already shown? The cubes themselves hold the panels by means of tabs, so when assembled the panels cannot be removed without pulling the cubes halves apart slightly (see this pic of an exploded view of a cube).
---
Snrub - Yes, I do! The Kickstarter timing will be in early May, since I'll receive the production samples back in late April and send them to some independent blogs / wargaming sites to review. Since everything will be underway during the campaign, this is going to be a faster turnaround than most campaigns - delivery will be in August, so just 3 months! This is because the production run will be occurring simultaneous to the campaign, since the tooling is already paid for.
As for pricing, these are the likely pledge levels and contents:
$30 - A set of 8 ModCubes
$55 - 2 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus a KS-exclusive ModCube (Sweet Spot 1)
$80 - 3 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus the KS exclusive
$100 - 4 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus 2 KS-exclusives (Sweet Spot 2)
So, the price per set is: $30 for level 1, $27.50 for level 2, $26.66 for level 3, and $25 for level 4.
At level 4, you're getting about 250 lasercut acrylic tokens and 32 ModCubes, plus the 2 exclusive ModCubes. It's a pretty sweet deal, imo!
I'll likely have just two pledge levels beyond that - $150 for 6 sets, and a limited "subscriber" level for $250 for 6 complete sets and 4 empty sets, with my mailing the subscribers new panel sets as they are released (the next 8 sets, US-only due to shipping).
---
Mymearan - Just due to time constraints, it's likely that for the Kickstarter I won't have Necromunda done, but it's on the list. A person reached out to me about donating some designs he had done for it, which would greatly speed up its release, but so far he only has 2 designs done. They are awesome, though!
manrogue - Yes, I will definitely ship worldwide! I am hoping to work out some EU-friendly shipping, which I am looking into now, but all other destinations will ship from the US.
Phew, I think that's it . Let me know if I missed anything!
I will be doing a much more exhaustive test to see how "random" they are, but from people picking up and rolling them, they seem to do well! Obviously, that's not their primary function, but it is the first thing most people do after picking them up
They will not be perfectly balanced, but I am expecting a decent distribution (normal dice are quite bad in that regard, so the bar is pretty low!). As they are rather square, like any non-rounded die you could manipulate the result by just "dropping" rather than "rolling" them. For the test I will likely bounce them against a wall like players do in craps, just to eliminate that variable.
I think that I'll have to KS for two sets.
1 for X-Wing and 1 for vehicles in 40k.
Better make that 2 sets for X-Wing because you never know when a swarm on swarm might just happen.
But I play FOW too... I'd need another set for that.
Please say that you aren't going to do faction specific artwork for the inserts.... because that will get expensive.
You're onto me, Anpu-adom! I am definitely hoping people will see the utility of these and decide to get a few sets, but I'm also trying to make a single set absolutely as useful as possible (the set size of 8 is because of that - enough for every possible ship in an X-wing force, and a good number of cubes for vehicle damage in 40K). This is why I'll be including extra panels to swap in and out within each set, too.
For now, I'm keeping the set types manageable (just Dogfight, Vehicle Damage, and will be showing off an Infinity-compatible set next week!) so no faction specific ones. But I'll be offering as many varieties as I can via the website in the future
Hrmph... My growing interest in X-wing has me reconsidering my stance on these things (neat, but not for me). Being able to configure a cube for each ship ahead of time would make keeping track of tokens for a day of gaming or tournament pretty easy.
The viability as random event/effect tools is kind of neat too. Will still have to think about it though, I've never been much of an acrylic counters kind of person.
Sorry I haven't read all the posts, but how easy is it to take them apart again and put back together, also how many times can it be done before they don't stay together? I'm wondering because I could see these also used as crates in deadzone, Necromunda or other objective based games. Especially if custom pieces were made with side panels that looked like handles, keypads, or even etched to look like they are boards. This would also make objectives fun buy putting etched ammo, medical, or other type supplies on a insert that is double sided so the box can look sealed and six or seven put out on the board so you can't tell which are which. When a ganger gets to them you can open the mod cube and flip the double sided side over to reveal what it is.
Also any chance of a larger cube to store the smaller cubes in, or at least to store all the sides in?
Grimdork - Glad to hear it! Like I said, using these for faster X-wing play was the original inspiration for the idea, and I think they will be very useful for timed tournament play
drbored - That is helpful feedback on the designs, I will be trying to keep all the tokens as easy to read as these.
Theophony - I won't have the best answer for that until I get back the production samples and take them apart and put them back together many times. This was one of the things I tested the most in my various 3D prints, as a small change in the dimensions of the tabs makes a huge difference! Right now, I have gone with a very tight fit, so even as they wear, they still snap together. This does mean that some force is required to pull them apart, but I think that's a good tradeoff. I am anticipating that if people want them to come apart a little easier, they could just assemble/disassemble them several times before putting the panels in to help "break in" the cubes. But I will have more detailed answers on all of this once I have thoroughly tested the production parts, and will post the results!
Nevelon - I would be very interested in another 40K option, and I have seen others mention blessing/malediction. If people have a good list of options they'd like to see on another 40K token set, please post here or PM me!
Mymearan wrote: For Necromunda I guess the most useful would be
Flesh Wound
Down
Flamed
Overwatch
Hidden
Broken
Jam
Unfortunately that's 7! There's also Pinned and Run but I never use tokens for those.
I really don't think you need 'Down' as you lay the model down for that, no (unless my memory is failing me)?
Maybe he wants to show when someone is really down.
Finally getting my brother in law into necromunda, he likes it so far, but getting rid of the markers will be great. Now I must paint these cubes with hazard stripes. Unless you can design them with small lines in the sides.
I need a dice for the Monty Python and the Holy Grail game...
Tis But a Scratch
I've Had Worse
Flesh Wound
Just a Flesh Wound
Oh, You Had Enough, eh?
I'm Invincible!!!
It is interesting that Necromunda has had quite a few mentions, I will definitely have it on the short list for a later release! Actually hoping to try a test etching of the donated art for it this week, so it's always possible it will move up.
As awesome as Monty Python ModCubes would be I am still looking for some more 40K compatible ideas, so if you are a frequent 40K player please post or PM me with any ideas on that
Mymearan wrote: For Necromunda I guess the most useful would be
Flesh Wound
Down
Flamed
Overwatch
Hidden
Broken
Jam
Unfortunately that's 7! There's also Pinned and Run but I never use tokens for those.
I really don't think you need 'Down' as you lay the model down for that, no (unless my memory is failing me)?
You can, but imo using tokens is much better and clearer than just laying the model nose down. You want to distinguish pinned and down at a glance without having to look which way each model is facing. That said, you'd need quite a few mod cubes to cover all downed models, so maybe that's the best one to remove and we can keep using counters for it.
lord_blackfang wrote: You're actually supposed to lay models down because of TLOS though.
I do both of course
You can also, you know, ignore a downed model when drawing LOS. Some folks don't like their models laid down on the table. I'm not persnickety about it myself, but I've played with folks who prefer not to do it.
This is a cool idea RiTides, and congrats for bringing it to market! There's a lot of possibilities here.
DP9 makes their own die-style markers for Heavy Gear Blitz, but that might be something else to consider. I was making my own die style marker for a set of common actions in the game I am developing, so I will follow this with interest.
clively - I am considering including blanks in the sets for just that purpose, although I'll try to flesh out as many actual options in the sets as possible.
Re: Necromunda, I'm making the Infinity compatible designs this week and there are several that have a number ("IMM 1" and "IMM 2" for example). So, for something like Flesh Wound I could do similarly, and the user could choose to assemble a few cubes with the 2-wound option. Thanks for the input on these, it is very helpful!
Norn King - I will be doing a thorough rolling test to see how balanced the final production parts are. While rolling is not the main purpose, I know people would like to do that with these and have put a lot of design effort into making sure they can withstand that (and they definitely can!). These won't be perfectly balanced (but then again, neither are most non-casino dice!) but for fun applications, they could work well as a randomizer. I will have a better answer once I get the final production parts in late April!
kestral - Blanks seem to be in demand, so I will definitely be including some of them in each set
I like the idea but for me the cube is a little to big and intrusive for me to want to use it in a game. Smaller the tokens the better for me. However if the tokens are reasonably priced the look low profile enough to be worth considering.
Carlos - That is definitely fair, and you may be able to buy just the tokens later if you're interested in that (although there are a lot of options in that regard). I prototyped a number of different sizes, and selected this one since going much smaller made the tokens themselves too small to read well. It is almost exactly a 19mm cube, which is a common dice size, so in my experience hasn't looked out of place in games. It takes up about the same space on the table as X-wing tokens - but obviously it's taller to accommodate the other 5 token options on the cube.
I'll be showing off the first Infinity-compatible ModCube designs tomorrow!
For the X-wing compatible ModCubes, there are actually half tokens for Focus, Evade, Target Lock, Stress, and Cloak. So, you can just put two of the same half tokens on a single face to represent a double effect . See the below pic (taken from the OP) showing a few of the half tokens:
Spoiler:
The Cloak/Stress and Cloak/Focus faces visible in this pic are actually assembled from two separate tokens each, so it is easy to make a Focus/Focus face (or Stress/Stress, Evade/Evade, etc). I'll include a few extras of each per set for this purpose.
Yes! To make that more clear, I will take pictures of the complete set of tokens laid out separate from the ModCubes, so that people can see how many half tokens there are. But each of those faces are actually 2 triangular tokens rather than a single square one.
If you could do them in a couple of different colours that would help differentiate between each players set. Whether that's the outer casing or the panels wouldn't matter, although I'd imagine that the casing would be cheaper to change the colour on.
And as you're doing 40k vehicle damage markers, have you considered hull points? Sure you could just use a dice, but if you've got a fancy marker for damage, a matching hull point marker would be nice.
I keenly await the kickstarter. If the Aus dollar doesn't sink too much and the shipping isn't prohibitive, I'll be in. Will be a lot easier than digging through the box for the laminated cardboard markers I currently use.
Varag, you're right, and I will definitely be offering the cubes themselves in different colors! I will let people select up to 2 colors per set, so they could assemble 4 ModCubes with blue and 4 ModCubes with orange cubes, for instance. Of, if you want to get crazy, you can mix and match them!
I'm currently negotiating with the manufacturer on how many different colors they will provide the first article samples to me in, as I would really like to show the actual production colors before the campaign.
For an alternate 40k-compatible set, the most common suggestion so far has been mysterious objectives, but I will consider other options - these include hull points, wounds, or an "effects" ModCube. Since hull points and wounds can be tracked by a normal die, they are not as likely to be first, but I do plan to make them an option eventually. For myself, I always pick up my wound counter dice by mistake, so I want that one at some point just to keep myself straight
Has the price per cube and panel been mentioned yet? I'm just trying to figure out why you didn't just go with a solid etched d6 to start, something like chessex does. I don't see why I'd need to change panels for the 40k vehicle damage dice, actually most games I don't see why I'd be swapping panels very often would matter unless the dice are expensive, if I need that many tokens for a game like infinity, I definitely don't want every useful token attached to 5 other useful tokens. On that note I suppose people can just buy the panels sans the cube?
Not trying to be negative, just asking some questions that I think will matter the most.
Let's take the Vehicle Damage ModCube in particular, since you are asking about it. If you want to indicate damage, you need Shaken, Stunned, Weapon Destroyed, and Immobilized. But some people use cotton smoke, etc to indicate Wrecked, and obviously you don't need Destroyed. So you have 2 free faces!
With a Rhino rush army, you could swap in Flat Out and Smoke.
With a Wave Serpent army, you could use Jink and Wrecked.
For your flyers, you can swap in Zoom, Hover, and Jink (which I would pair with Shaken, Stunned, and Weapon Destroyed).
So, you can configure the cubes exactly how you want, and if you change armies, you don't have to get a brand new set of counters - you just swap out the faces. Custom dice are awesome, but they always seem to become unusable very quickly, especially with how fast 40K rules update these days!
With X-wing, as noted some ships can generate double Focus or other effects, so you can configure the cube for that ship with this. If you're running Phantoms, you can remove Target Lock and put in Cloak (along with Cloak / Stress, Cloak / Focus, etc). It just gives you the flexibility to do all of this, and so hopefully will be a longer-term solution for people to use for their games than custom dice tend to be (getting 6 custom face dice is pretty expensive, too, and of course not configurable). For all of the sets, I'll be offering significantly more than 6 options per set, to give you the option to configure them how you like. So, that's why I think these will be useful, at least for some people
As for pricing, these are the likely pledge levels and contents:
$30 - A set of 8 ModCubes
$55 - 2 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus a KS-exclusive ModCube (Sweet Spot 1)
$80 - 3 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus the KS exclusive
$100 - 4 sets of 8 ModCubes, plus 2 KS-exclusives (Sweet Spot 2)
So, the price per set is: $30 for level 1, $27.50 for level 2, $26.66 for level 3, and $25 for level 4.
At level 4, you're getting about 250 lasercut acrylic tokens and 32 ModCubes, plus the 2 exclusive ModCubes. It's a pretty sweet deal, imo!
I'll likely have just two pledge levels beyond that - $150 for 6 sets, and a limited "subscriber" level for $250 for 6 complete sets and 4 empty sets, with my mailing the subscribers new panel sets as they are released (the next 8 sets, US-only due to shipping).
Tides, if we do end up getting an EFT set of inserts(PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE), could we get some as half tokens with some halves being numbers(say 1-3) since most effects in the game have turn based duration?
Also, in addition to what Cyp suggested, maybe add on the Blood types as well since some abilities grant them temporarily?
angelofvengeance / Alpharius - AdeptiCon is my first major public showing of the product, and I will be signing people up for when it goes live - the actual Kickstarter will be about a month after that. I am going to wait until I have actual production parts in-hand before starting the Kickstarter campaign, which I expect to receive at the end of April. So, the Kickstarter will likely be the first week of May!
Platuan4th - Half numbered tokens seem like they would be useful for a number of different games! Something like an EFT set would likely be a later release, since during the Kickstarter I may only offer ModCubes compatible with 40K, X-wing, and Infinity.
Necros - Since it's injection molded, the texture of the ModCubes will all be the same, but I am checking into a brown which could be useful for a fantasy setting (also for Rebels in X-wing).
You can also use the cubes for different games, just by having an easy to come by token set. You can even make your own tokens to put in the cubes.
Storage is easier too, as your token faces won't take up much space when disassembled. So you can store your X-Wing tokens with your ships, just like you already store the extant tokens, and then set up your mod cube for 40K or Infinity.
As someone who plays a lot of games, I find this cross game compatibility to be a potentially very useful feature.
I actually make my own, out of little wood cubes and printed labels for various games, and can say - status dice like these are VERY useful.
These look very nice - so nice that I would consider picking them up, even though I already make my own.
Wood cubes are sadly not very precise in their measurements, and pasting labels on them is sometimes a pain. Is it super hard? No.
Is buying pre-made very nice looking cubes with high contrast inserts a good idea? If they come in at the price points you mention - they will be a good idea for me!
Thanks for sharing, and I hope this project goes well, I might be picking up some of these.
While you are talking about half facings for star wars, for double effects, it might be worth thinking on doing something similar for 40k vehicles. With your example of rhino rush needing flat out and smoke, I thought it might be nice for a land raider to have a double weapon destroyed face. Obviously you could always use a second die, but it's a thought if you are customizing.
You could also use the split faces to keep track of single shot missiles. Have half the face be a number, and the other half have a missile on it. You could use the same number tiles for hull points, void shields, or anything else that needs to be tracked. Just swap the other side of the face.
How about after these go retail doing a black and yellow dakkadakka exclusive version. You could sell them with optional DCM tiles. Then I can print my avatar out and put it on one side. Be neat to see people put them on the tables at cons as a way of showing support for dakkadakka and the mod cubes.
Could even have a split side tile with each half saying "dakka"
Here is a preview of the Infinite ModCube, designed to be compatible with Infinity. This set will have 14-15 options so that you can assemble two different types of ModCubes with each set!
Edit: see the updated Infinity compatible ModCube on the next page!
So in a single set you would have 4 "Damage" and 4 "Status" ModCubes, distinguished by the red and black panels in the images above (because there are so many options, there will only be 4 - 5 of each in a set). The WIP list of options is:
Status Marksmanship
Link Leader
Suppressive Fire
Prone
Impetuous
Targeted
Unloaded
Let me know what you think, and sorry this took an additional day to get up, getting the images to come out was a bit of a bear!
Nevelon - I will definitely consider a "two weapons destroyed" panel, or two half panels for it, thanks for the great suggestion!
Theophony - The Dakka colors for ModCube frames have been mentioned a few times, so I will make sure they are in there
I've gotten some feedback from a few local gamers that they love the red etched panels on the Infinity compatible ModCubes, but think the black etched panels should be blue instead. So, I'll adjust that and post up a pic later this week of it with blue instead
Any other suggestions, please let me know, I am definitely listening to feedback!
Fidel - Thanks and I am very open to doing some panels for FSA later on, although they likely won't be in the initial launch just due to timing.
RiTides wrote: but think the black etched panels should be blue instead. So, I'll adjust that and post up a pic later this week of it with blue instead
A lot will probably depend on the color of the actual cube. Black etched panels in a black cube don't mingle well, but blue would definitely look better depending on the shade you can get (if you can get a Pan-O Blue color, instead of darker). If the cubes are blue, then the blue might be washed out like the black does.
Agreed, Dark Severance! I'll post up the blue panels and see what people think. I'm pushing to be able to get the production samples of the ModCubes in a variety of colors for this reason, too, so that people can see how the panels look in different colored frames.
...now to go finish cutting 1500 panels for the AdeptiCon swagbags!
Here is the updated Infinity compatible design, based on feedback where people wanted to see more color and contrast. I think these will be much faster and easier to use in-game, as you can quickly distinguish the type of sides / effects from one another
There will be many more panel options, of course, these are just the initial few to show as examples. Please let me know what you think, the feedback has been invaluable!
overtyrant - I will look into that and can replace that option if it is not needed, thanks for mentioning that!
Byte - Thanks, and for the PM panel suggestions
Would you be looking to sell the 'dice' shells without the etched inserts?
Thinking from a cost minimising perspective, and time to market, that instead of using etched plastic inserts you could get a similar experience with printed card and this would greatly increase the options you could have.
You could also do a tier structure... Cheapest = shell + 1 set of card inserts, more expensive = shell + plastic etched inserts, most expensive = shell + brass etched inserts...
Given these look 3d printed (sorry havent read the whole thread) i'd expect you could do multiple colours?
Seriphis wrote: Would you be looking to sell the 'dice' shells without the etched inserts?
Thinking from a cost minimising perspective, and time to market, that instead of using etched plastic inserts you could get a similar experience with printed card and this would greatly increase the options you could have.
You could also do a tier structure... Cheapest = shell + 1 set of card inserts, more expensive = shell + plastic etched inserts, most expensive = shell + brass etched inserts...
Given these look 3d printed (sorry havent read the whole thread) i'd expect you could do multiple colours?
If you read the whole thread you'll see these are 3D printed prototypes, but the finals will be plastic, and yes he will be offering them in multiple colors.
I'm pretty sure they'll be for sale as just a blank shell, as he said one of the plans is to have people just buy their own faces from other manufacturers, so that would mean for some people getting a 'blank' would be the way they'll want to go.
Yes to both questions! The injection molded production samples will be arriving to me around the end of April, and I'm hoping to get even the samples in several colors. I will definitely be selling blank sets, and would love to see people make their own panels / source awesome ones elsewhere / etc! It is a large part of the reason for these, to be modular and configurable
How about a ModCube that looks like a crate and has a unique number on the bottom?
In Star Wars: Imperial Assault, we have crate tokens, and a 3D crate would add some bling. Also, for various "find the objective" games, a crate with a hidden number at the bottom is pretty common.
Since you *can* use these as dice, maybe special die faces for OOP boardgames (eg. HeroQuest, HeroScaper)?
Alf - I'm going to include lots of tokens per set, so losing a single one might not hinder you at all! But I do plan to be good about offering replacements for folks who need them.
As for robustness, the cubes so far have not broken, but stepping on one might do the trick . I will be sure to stress test at least a few of the production samples in late April!
Ced - Good suggestions, I've seen a few requests for crates so I'll have to see what I can do aesthetically with the panels for that - a tech crate for something like Imperial Assault would look really good, I think! A fantasy type crate would be harder, since the frames will already make these look a bit high tech.
RiTides wrote: Here is a preview of the Infinite ModCube, designed to be compatible with Infinity [snip] The WIP list of options is:
Having been using 14mm D6s as Infinity markers for a while now...
In no particular order, Red dice are: Suppression, Targeted, Blinded, Isolated, Retreat and Dogged/NWI state, Blue is hacking effects: Fairy Dust, Controlled Jump, Enhanced reaction and - not visible - Marksmanship, and Black are Prone, Burnt, IMM-1, IMM-2, Possessed and Disabled. (The way they're organised is mostly that the Black dice are the ones I used in 2nd edition, so beyond having relabelled a side I wasn't often using (Unloaded - I don't tend to run links with loads of disposable weapons, so it's easy to keep track of on the army list instead) to the new IMM-2 state, the Red and Blue dice are what I've put together for N3.
... my thoughts are that "Link Leader" probably isn't the best choice for a panel. It's rare to have a need for more than one Link marker, but when you do need one, it tends to be in fairly constant use. As awesome as variable markers can be, it's not really a status effect that really plays to their strengths - you get both a die where you're using only one side and others where you're never using that side. As an effect, it's probably better left to a standard marker.
Possible alternatives would be Retreat or Possessed (not that you tend to need lots of Possessed markers either, but mine also double for Sepsitorised).
Similarly, the programs tend not to be something that need loads of markers either, as each hacker can only use one at a time, but are frequently using that one (which is why my set groups all the hacking programs onto the same dice, because the only way I can use them simultaneously is to have multiple hackers... which is why I have three matching dice, but I digress), so Marksmanship might not be a natural choice here either... and feels a bit lonely without any of the other hacking programs to go with it.
However, I'm perfectly happy to have other people argue with me about whether they think that selection would work, as which markers are necessary differs a lot with faction and playstyle.
Thanks very much for that feedback, Marco! I will run it by the Infinity group here and get their take - the list is still very open to adjustment, and if others agree I can swap out those tokens.
Ced - Makes sense, thanks
I've got a room full of stuff to cram into suitcases to take to AdeptiCon - banner, placards, models for display, and SO many ModCube prototypes . I'll make it all fit somehow!
Can't wait to show this off publicly and have people feel what the ModCubes are like. Be sure to stop by booth #45 if you're going to be there in Chicago! I'll take pics of the booth to post up, not sure if it's kosher to do so Wed, but if not definitely Thursday once the hall is open!
Here's a quick sneak peek from AdeptiCon, I'll post up full pictures of the booth after the vendor hall opens tomorrow (so Thursday night or Friday morning, since I'll be busy at the booth during the day!). Very excited to show these off in-person for the first time
Honestly I am far more interested in the square tokens you place inside the cubes. I would gladly pay for a few sets of those, How do you intend to sell the product? Estimate pricing?
Vanguard - Nooo, not after I've arranged them so carefully
Lance - A set of 8 ModCubes with ~60 acrylic tokens will be $25 - $30 depending on pledge level. I will sell the tokens separately on the website later, although they won't be as good of a deal as getting them with the cubes, since most of the continuing labor costs are in the tokens.
Almost done setting up here for the opening day of the con tomorrow, and running on 3 hours sleep, so about time for a nap
Sorry that I somehow missed your question yesterday, Jehan! I was a bit of a zombie after my flight from AdeptiCon being delayed and getting home pretty late.
I did speak to a printer at AdeptiCon who makes card tokens, and hope to have somewhere to refer people to who want to make their own panels. There are also many custom laser cutting services available (and several who I talked to at AdeptiCon) who could cut custom acrylic panels (1/16" thick). I will publish the exact size that I am cutting the panels to so that it is easy for others to supply compatible ones.
As for a "minis only" pledge there will be "cubes only" sets that come with 12 cubes instead of 8, but no panels. So, if you wanted to make your own panels, this would be the theme to select (at the same pledge levels as those with panels).
Thanks for the comments on the booth! The 40k models are painted by Dakka's own Ramos Asura (for whalemusic360, who generously loaned them to me to fly to Chicago) and the Infinity models are painted by Ironbrush Studios.
Now that I'm back and (mostly) recovered, I'm following up on several contacts I made at AdeptiCon to send production samples to to test once they come in in April (Independent Characters podcast, Beasts of War, and the Star Wars: X-wing Miniatures Game facebook admin). Malifaux was highly requested at the con, so I'm also going to be getting to work on that theme
That is a very interesting idea! I have quite a few clear acrylic panels that I've been using, but I'm not sure how you could glue a printout on the bottom of one facing up, without having the glue obscure the image. I tried a few things just now and will think about it... It would be very nice to have the DIY panels only require a printer, and I'd love to supply clear panels if I could figure out a good way for the printout to attach to them.
I could supply two thinner clear pieces of acrylic to sandwich a printout between, but that still leaves the problem of how to glue the top piece without obscuring the image. If you have thoughts, let me know, as I am very intrigued by this idea as it would be a much more accessible way for people to make their own tokens.
Edit: If people would be more likely to just glue the printout on top of a piece of acrylic, like Hollismason describes, I could supply those blanks very easily (and likely with a few more ModCubes in such a set, because the panels would not need to be etched on my laser cutter, just cut out, which saves a ton of time). Again, thoughts greatly appreciated! If you were thinking of making your own tokens, let me know which method you would be more likely to prefer!
Might want to check to see if you can find the type of glue they are using on the clear bottlecap 1" discs then. I use them on my Infinity chips to make them more durable after someone pointed them out over in Painting and modeling blog land.
I'll experiment with some glues today! So if you were making your own custom tokens you'd prefer the printout on the bottom of a clear piece of acrylic then?
RiTides wrote: I'll experiment with some glues today! So if you were making your own custom tokens you'd prefer the printout on the bottom of a clear piece of acrylic then?
I think that will give them more longevity as the printout will be safely inside the cube for protection from grubby fingers and spilled drinks.
Customers can also do stuff like paint the acrylic directly. Keep the painted side facing the cube, and the paint doesn't rub off!
Colored Myth fate dice might be another candidate, although copyright stuff. Mebbe contact MegaConGames and see if they're okay with this, or if they have any status effects for their Recon or Myth or future games they'd like. If they say no, then nothing lost!
Mebbe other companies wouldn't mind if you made special dice usable in their games. I know the Fudge RPG uses special dice.
You could also have "counter" dice, with 0-5 on one cube, and 6-9 and whatever on the other as one digit. Have one set of cubes red, and the other blue, and you have Health and Sanity dice for the Fantasy Flight Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, and Mansions of Madness games! Put an Elder Sign on the remaining face of the second cube!
Yea, that's pretty much my plan Ced, using the dice for focus/fury and hits on models. I have a bad habit of picking up dice meant to track wounds and rolling them, even when I use different types. The cubes will be psychically different enough to prevent that (I hope.)
Here is the full token list for the first 4 sets! I have added a second set for 40k, covering infantry and monsters - but I need a better name! Suggestions welcome!
Also, if you think there should be any additional or changed options, particularly for the infantry and monsters set, please let me know! I can still adjust it and have room for one more option in that set.
Vehicle Damage (8 of each except where noted)
Shaken
Stunned
Weapon Destroyed
Immobile
Wreck
Smoke
Flat Out
Jink
Combat Speed (4)
2 Weapons Destroyed (4)
Hover (4)
Zoom (4)
Total - 80 tokens, 8 cubes
Infantry / Monster (8 of each except where noted)
Gone to Ground
Pinned
Falling Back
Run
1 Wound
2 Wounds
3 Wounds
Blessing (4)
Malediction (4)
Soul Blaze (4)
Swoop (4)
Glide (4)
Grounded (4)
Total - 80 tokens, 8 cubes
Dogfight (8 of each except where noted)
Focus
Evade
Stress
Target Lock
Target Lock (enemy token)
Ion (2)
Cloak (2)
Critical Damage (4)
1/2 Focus (10)
1/2 Evade (10)
1/2 Stress (10)
1/2 Target Lock (24)
1/2 Ion (4)
1/2 Cloak (6)
1/2 Critical Damage (8)
Total - 120 tokens, 8 cubes (counting half tokens)
Infinite (4 of each except where noted)
IMM
IMM 2
Unconscious
Burnt
Isolated
Blinded
Marksmanship
Suppressive Fire
Prone
Impetuous
Targeted
Unloaded
Retreat
Hack
Wound (6)
2 Wounds (2)
Possessed (2)
Disabled (2)
Link Leader (2)
NWI / Dogged (2)
Blank (8)
Total - 80 tokens, 8 cubes
Malifaux is the next set, and these 5 sets will likely be it for the Kickstarter campaign, with more to come at retail later (and I'll certainly sell the tokens alone for people who want to add them into some ModCubes they already picked up).
Any feedback, please share! I have made a lot of tweaks based on AdeptiCon attendees' requests
Ced - After some tests, I think I"ll let people experiment on what they want to do with their blanks themselves (I'm even including some in the Infinity compatible set!)
Wehrkind - Especially for 40k, I see people just tossing these in their dice bag - they will feel different enough to easily pull out of the bag without looking.
Cincy - The price will be $25 - $30 for a set of 8 ModCubes and at least 80 acrylic tokens. The pledge levels will be:
$30 - 1 set ($30 per set)
$55 - 2 sets ($27.50 per set) Plus a free solo ModCube of any color (KS and convention exclusive)
$80 - 3 sets ($26.66 per set)
$100 - 4 sets ($25 per set) Plus 2 free solo ModCubes of any color (KS and convention exclusive)
The last two pledge levels will be $150 for 6 sets, and $250 for a "subscriber" level of 10 sets - 6 complete, 4 empty, with my mailing out the next 8 themes as they are released (US-only due to shipping).
Note that shipping will be added on to these pledge levels depending on location - likely $3 - $5 for US backers. I am currently discussing EU fulfillment and shipping costs with a UK-based company who has done fulfillment for other campaigns, and will make sure that this project is EU-friendly!
RiTides wrote: Cincy - The price will be $25 - $30 for a set of 8 ModCubes and at least 80 acrylic tokens. The pledge levels will be:
$30 - 1 set ($30 per set)
$55 - 2 sets ($27.50 per set) Plus a free solo ModCube of any color (KS and convention exclusive)
$80 - 3 sets ($26.66 per set)
$100 - 4 sets ($25 per set) Plus 2 free solo ModCubes of any color (KS and convention exclusive)
The last two pledge levels will be $150 for 6 sets, and $250 for a "subscriber" level of 10 sets - 6 complete, 4 empty, with my mailing out the next 8 themes as they are released (US-only due to shipping).
Note that shipping will be added on to these pledge levels depending on location - likely $3 - $5 for US backers. I am currently discussing EU fulfillment and shipping costs with a UK-based company who has done fulfillment for other campaigns, and will make sure that this project is EU-friendly!
Okay, I'm going to ask this for clarity because I'm simple:
The $55 with 2 sets will then include 16 cubes and 150+ ish tokens.
Just making sure my overworked brain is processing correctly.
So are you going to different lite inserts for the cubes. Like the Different power in 40k sold separately. The wound counters need to go up to 5 as we do have 6 wound MC.
Also when can we sigh up for the kick-starter. Would love to support this.
Shadowfinder - Ah, good point! Which options from the second 40k-compatible set would you reduce the quantity of to add in those extra wound tokens? My take would be to reduce Pinned and Falling Back to 6 per set, and reduce 3-wounds to 4 per set, to add in 4 each of 4-wounds and 5-wounds.
The Kickstarter will launch right at the end of April or first week of May, and I will be adding more sets for retail release, but these plus Malifaux will be the initial offerings.
Cincy - Yes, two sets would be 16 ModCubes and 160 tokens, plus the bonus ModCube . Shipping at that level for the US will likely be $4.
It has been mentioned a few times, and I'll definitely be adding it later in the year fidel - just likely won't have a Firestorm-compatible set in time for the campaign. I don't want to overcommit, and definitely want to make sure I deliver on time - later in the year, it will be a normal sale and so won't create any campaign logjam.
I would call the infantry/monster set "40K". It's all the basics for the rules. "40k Vehicle" works for the other set.
Any price point on just the squares/no cubes yet? I would really like to order the token sets for vehicles and infantry. I would use the cubes I guess if I had them. But mostly want the tokens themselves.
Hmm. How about separate tokens as an option (add-on or pledge)? Some players may find the cube bulky, and want to stick the token partway under the mini or something.
How about some condition marker tokens for D&D Next and the D&D Adventure Boardgames? Cheap RPG'ers and boardgamers can just buy the tokens for these. Or you could make a 'cube that's stupid ornate like elves would make...
The 40k models were commission painted by Ramos Asura for whalemusic360, who generously lent them to me to take to AdeptiCon to show off the ModCubes with!
I'm finally back to normal after a crazy post-con week. Spent the weekend cleaning out the shop where our new laser cutter will be installed, and will be working on new panel designs to show off next week
Thanks for the suggestions about names, it is true that I'm avoiding any official terminology, particularly with Games Workshop compatible ModCubes. The art is all original, but it still doesn't make sense to poke the bear! D&D is high on my list to make a set of ModCubes for, if you have suggested panels please post or PM me!
RiTides wrote: Shadowfinder - Ah, good point! Which options from the second 40k-compatible set would you reduce the quantity of to add in those extra wound tokens? My take would be to reduce Pinned and Falling Back to 6 per set, and reduce 3-wounds to 4 per set, to add in 4 each of 4-wounds and 5-wounds.
The Kickstarter will launch right at the end of April or first week of May, and I will be adding more sets for retail release, but these plus Malifaux will be the initial offerings.
Cincy - Yes, two sets would be 16 ModCubes and 160 tokens, plus the bonus ModCube . Shipping at that level for the US will likely be $4.
Honestly I would drop the Soul Blaze down to 2. I have never played a game where I had more then 2 soul blaze going at once.
That's the illusion.. rumor has it the ground tremors as he walks.. or maybe Ramos is 11 ft tall? ( the rest of us were standing on boxes )
Automatically Appended Next Post:
RiTides wrote: I was tweaking that list over the weekend based on feedback, and here's where I got it to:
I can reduce Soul Blaze if I need to add anything else, but I don't have somewhere those extra 2 panels are needed currently.
How about Fear / Fearless.... just throwing out suggestions. some psy power or wargear grant you the ability either full game or by turn.
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote: The again with GW being such a lawyer happy bunch using such a recognisable phrase as 40K is probably a risk
BleakBlack SF set and BleakBlack SF Vehicles ?
Definitely avoid GW letter wrath...
I'd also avoid naming colors at this point... you may end up doing basic tokens in a variety of colors... save them for that. (Green tokens for my greenskin army, etc)
Hey buddy. Looking forward to grabbing an order or two. Definitely grab those Armada tokens and start on those. They suit that game even more than the X-Wing tokens do
Hulksmash wrote: Hey buddy. Looking forward to grabbing an order or two. Definitely grab those Armada tokens and start on those. They suit that game even more than the X-Wing tokens do
Yeah sorry RiTides. I gave you erroneous information about Armada (although to be fair, I swear the guy doing the demo told me there were no tokens on the table). There are some tokens in play in Armada that could be ModCubed. The main ones being the four different 'orders' you can give your capital ships (Navigate, Squadron, Repair or Concentrate Fire). What wasn't shown in the demo is that you're allowed to 'bank' those orders if you want and not use them the turn they're revealed. If you decide to do this, then you place a command token of the same type near the ship. You can theoretically 'bank' all 4 types of order on one ship, but never more than one of the same order on the same ship.
So your facings for an Armada ModCube would probably be best as each of those facings as well as 'half' facings for those as well (in case build up more than one order). I'm imagining that players probably won't bank more than one or two orders at most, especially as they are 6 turn games.
Are there other Armada counters that would be good in a ModCube that you can think of Hulk?
Not off the top of my head but I'm going to be playing sometime this week hopefully so I'll be able to know for sure. I think it's likely that the 4 orders and then halves of all the orders would work pretty well for icons.
Platuan4th - I get that a lot, next time I won't trim beforehand like Wehrkind says . Solar_lion and Ramos Asura are also just really tall!!
Anpu-adom and Lance - Thanks for the suggestions, I may simply go with "Sci-Fi Vehicles" and "Sci-Fi Infantry & Monsters", although adding "Gothic" certainly makes it obvious
Jehan-reznor - I spoke to quite a number of US and UK retailers at AdeptiCon, and will definitely be looking to get these in stores after fulfilling the Kickstarter, so likely in early fall.
Byte and Stormwall - Just got a flash of "It Follows" from your two posts . We are still on track to launch at the end of April, and I'll have lots to show before then!
yak and Hulk - Thanks for the Armada tips, and it is Fantastic to hear that you think this would be a good fit! My FLGS just got me the core set which I had preordered, so I'll be reading the rules and hopefully watching a game of Armada Wed to get ideas. I'll definitely plan to do the 4 orders each in full and half size, if there are any other effects you observe in-game please let me know!
davethepak - Cheers, I've been very glad to see the price has been well received, we worked hard to keep it as low as possible
A quick update on what's going on here - I'm just about to sign off on ordering a new laser cutter, which has a lead time of 2 - 2.5 weeks. So, it should arrive just before the first sample cubes from the production mold, which I've been updated are expected to arrive to us on the 21st or 22nd of this month (April). So the timing is looking good to have everything in place before launching, and I'll actually be producing panel sets while the campaign is running to get a head start on production!
Which workshop are you putting the laser cutter in? The basement one, or the upstairs one? I am having a hard time imagining how big this machine actually is if it fits in either one...
RiTides wrote: Platuan4th - I get that a lot, next time I won't trim beforehand like Wehrkind says . Solar_lion and Ramos Asura are also just really tall!!
Anpu-adom and Lance - Thanks for the suggestions, I may simply go with "Sci-Fi Vehicles" and "Sci-Fi Infantry & Monsters", although adding "Gothic" certainly makes it obvious
Jehan-reznor - I spoke to quite a number of US and UK retailers at AdeptiCon, and will definitely be looking to get these in stores after fulfilling the Kickstarter, so likely in early fall.
Byte and Stormwall - Just got a flash of "It Follows" from your two posts . We are still on track to launch at the end of April, and I'll have lots to show before then!
yak and Hulk - Thanks for the Armada tips, and it is Fantastic to hear that you think this would be a good fit! My FLGS just got me the core set which I had preordered, so I'll be reading the rules and hopefully watching a game of Armada Wed to get ideas. I'll definitely plan to do the 4 orders each in full and half size, if there are any other effects you observe in-game please let me know!
davethepak - Cheers, I've been very glad to see the price has been well received, we worked hard to keep it as low as possible
A quick update on what's going on here - I'm just about to sign off on ordering a new laser cutter, which has a lead time of 2 - 2.5 weeks. So, it should arrive just before the first sample cubes from the production mold, which I've been updated are expected to arrive to us on the 21st or 22nd of this month (April). So the timing is looking good to have everything in place before launching, and I'll actually be producing panel sets while the campaign is running to get a head start on production!
Like this?
So, it should have been asked already but, you know. Will there be a LE signed swamp themed cube?
Sorry. I'm running out of stuff to say already. I just look forward to having a vehicle set for 40k, maybe Armada.
The laser cutter is ordered, and will arrive to me in about 2 weeks!
I went with the Epilog Mini 24, after having used 3 types of lasers in testing, for a number of reasons. It is known as very reliable, has good support (and comes with a 2-year warranty) since it is made in the USA (there is even a rep very close to where I live who will actually be coming out to set it up), and it's the one I was most impressed with in testing!
This puts my schedule at: receiving the laser in 2 weeks, receiving production samples of the ModCubes in 3 weeks, and then showing off the results at the Stele Open and launching the Kickstarter at the end of the month! I wanted to have the laser cutter in place before the Kickstarter, so I can actually be starting production while running the campaign (to deliver in August ).
Wehrkind - It will be going on the lower level, as there is a good vent to route fumes to the outside with an exhaust fan.
Stormwall - I meant from the zombies-following comment . I got to try an Armada demo last night, so am considering what applications the ModCube could have for it.
Vanguard and cincy - I did have the Heavy Gear dice pointed out to me, and they are on my list to do - but I didn't realize their rule set might be changing, do you know when this might be? That's also why I'm holding off on fantasy - waiting for 9th edition to drop.
Congrats on the laser! They are certainly fun to play with! not to mention what you can engrave, cut, and make with them!
I know there's an "evolving" beta PDF out for Heavy Gear Blitz. I don't think the rules are going to be changing that much to require new tokens, but I'm not sure.
I am just getting into Heavy Gear. I've always had the models, but no one to play with or learn from has always been my brick wall.
for Armada, if there are only 4 actions to show, maybe the other sides could have a Not Rebel or Not Imperial emblems as well as a side to signify completed moves (done for turn) if that's even an option. Or you know a personalized side so when everyone has mod cubes you can still tell whos is whos. Ive meet too many dice thieves in this industry.
Nevelon, those are good questions... like Vanguard, I think the answer is yes to both but I'll let you know after further testing.
kencotter, I had assumed that was autocorrect, but I found the video you were referring to here, which is an "unboxing" of the AdeptiCon swag bag. He gets to the ModCube swag bag item at 7:50 in.
On that note, I actually had an interview with the Independent Characters podcast last night, which I was very excited to do! I was also a little nervous, but Carl said it went fine and that it should be posted on Sunday. I'll link to it then!
Wehrkind, I will shoot you a message as I would definitely love to have you come see the laser cutter sometime soon, and I can even give you a bit of a tutorial on it like you gave me on your resin casting process
Does the warranty cover inappropriate use of the laser to cut miniatures? I know I'd be tossing some models in there to see if I couldn't do some head swaps easier . Also if you've never seen the show Rocket City Rednecks(currently on Netflix), you have to watch them build a deathray from blueray disc players . Which is another reason never to invite me over after you get that puppy warmed up.
I got to sit down with Carl Tuttle of the Independent Characters and talk ModCube, and the interview is now up as part of their episode 121 podcast! Check it out at the Independent Characters site below, or use the direct audio link here.
The ModCube interview starts at 2:43:00, and runs for 11-12 minutes. We talk about how it works, some of the 40K options, and the plan for the Kickstarter (and a bit on Kickstarters in general). Check it out . I also give yakface and legoburner each a shoutout during the interview
These guys were a blast to play in least year's team tournament at AdeptiCon, and a lot of fun to hang out with again this year. Carl is really excited about the ModCube, and was asking about a Firestorm Armada set, so given how many have mentioned that I have moved it up a bit on the priority list!
I just heard the interview on the IC's and I'm looking forward to the Kickstarter!
So, it should arrive just before the first sample cubes from the production mold, which I've been updated are expected to arrive to us on the 21st or 22nd of this month (April). So the timing is looking good to have everything in place before launching, and I'll actually be producing panel sets while the campaign is running to get a head start on production!
Hearing your experience with backing Kickstarters and your interest in getting things out on time, it's great to see you'll be working on production while the campaign is ongoing. I'll be backing!
The word on that is 'maybe', Necros. They are not going to be designed to roll accurate 1/6 probabilities, but in practice they probably won't be much worse than Chessex style dice. I am pretty sure RiTides is going to test out the probabilistic qualities after he gets a bunch in.
Cue RiTides popping in to say I have no idea what I am talking about!
whalemusic - Yes, I will hopefully be talking to the Chilling Wargamers (a UK-based podcast) after sending them a production sample and have had contact with a few others.
frozenmilk - That is awesome, thanks for posting! I have gotten a lot of website signups for the newsletter since the podcast went up
Necros / Wehrkind - Wehr is right, I am hoping they will roll comparably to a Chessex die, but can't make any assumptions on that until I have the production samples. I will have those samples in 2 weeks time, though, so will know very soon!
- Next week, I'll be showing off the infantry / monster 40K panels, and hopefully receiving the laser cutter (it will definitely ship that week).
- The following week, I'll be receiving the production samples of the ModCubes from the injection mold, and showing them at the Stele Open (April 25th) along with sending them to Beasts of War, the Independent Characters, and other independent blogs to review.
The real question is launch date - would people have a preference of giving another week's buffer after seeing the production samples before launch, and waiting until May 4th to launch, or would launching around April 27/28th be better? My thinking was to launch on May 4th and run the campaign until June 5th, so people can have two paychecks to plan for it, but I am open to input on timing!
I'd think sooner would be better. You have good momentum going, you should capitalize on it. Waiting just gives time to forget about it or spend hobby money elsewhere. My 2 cents.
As much as I'd like to give you the money now and be assured of delivery, waiting until the 4th seems like a good plan.
As many projects as you've backed, I'm sure that I'm not telling you anything new... but you want as much buzz as possible in the first 24 hours. You may want to wait to launch until those production copies are in reviewer's hands.
That has been my thought Anpu-adom, but the more I think about it, having reviews come in when they can already link to the live campaign may be even more useful, since people could instantly check it out and back it if they like what they see.
If anyone else wants to weigh in on that, please let me know your preference on timing! No matter what, I will be showing off the production samples and sending them to blogs before launching, it will just be up to them as to when they get their reviews in (and if they come in staggered, that may even be helpful with the usual "Kickstarter drought" in the middle of a campaign).
I think waiting till the 4th will be fine. The zombicide kickstarter is going to probably start around when yours ends at that point but that shouldn't affect as there will still be two more paychecks until that one and we haven't really heard about anything big coming in may outside of that. So wait till you have the most stuff to show and go from there. Especially figure out the Armada ones I'm in for those.
Thanks for the fantastic feedback guys - the 4th it is! That will give me time to show off a few more panel themes, and for independent sites to receive their samples, so it should be perfect
I took at look at the Myth rulebook, and it has five types of status effect tokens. Also, their Fate dice are black and white, but their symbols are in color on the cards. Send me a PM if you're interested in creating panels.
Zombicide 4 starts late May. Dunno for others, but in April-May, I will be pledging for more KS than my budge will allow! ):
Quick update - here's what I've been up to! A lot of little things... and one big thing:
- New laser cutter installed in the shop and new exhaust vent hooked up to the outside
- Hired an artist to speed up the release of new panel designs and themes. Hopefully, this means we'll get to things like Firestorm Armada much faster
- Working out the details of UK/EU distribution with a UK-based distributor, so that the project will be EU-friendly
So, I'm in the midst of all those details, but it will all hopefully make the launch go very smoothly, and allow me to produce panel sets while the campaign is running!
Production parts are still on track for next week, I'm very excited to get those in and show them off
I try . Want to keep the international Dakkanauts happy! Even with the Dakka Dice orders, I tried to ship the international packages first since they take longer in transit. If I'm able to get everything ready by the time the full production run comes in, I may do the same here.
RiTides wrote: I try . Want to keep the international Dakkanauts happy! Even with the Dakka Dice orders, I tried to ship the international packages first since they take longer in transit. If I'm able to get everything ready by the time the full production run comes in, I may do the same here.
Yeah, when you last did Dakka dice, that was a nice gesture of yours. But I'm not fishing for preferential treatment here, I'm just happy that you're not acting like a type #2 Eagleland inhabitant, like some of the jerks who run or back a KS and knows that the world is bigger than just Texas.
BrookM wrote: Yeah, when you last did Dakka dice, that was a nice gesture of yours. But I'm not fishing for preferential treatment here, I'm just happy that you're not acting like a type #2 Eagleland inhabitant, like some of the jerks who run or back a KS and knows that the world is bigger than just Texas.
Please, if you had ever driven across it, you would know that nothing is bigger than Texas
(And really, it is the Californians and North Easterners you want to be targeting.)
BrookM wrote: Yeah, when you last did Dakka dice, that was a nice gesture of yours. But I'm not fishing for preferential treatment here, I'm just happy that you're not acting like a type #2 Eagleland inhabitant, like some of the jerks who run or back a KS and knows that the world is bigger than just Texas.
Please, if you had ever driven across it, you would know that nothing is bigger than Texas
(And really, it is the Californians and North Easterners you want to be targeting.)
New panel designs are cut! Two for Dogfight, four for Vehicle Damage, this finishes off those sets
And a 30-second video of the rasterizing process:
The new artist has worked out wonderfully so far, and if we hit our timelines we should be showing the full Infantry / Monster panel set in about a week! Then Star Wars Armada, Malifaux, and Firestorm Armada are in the queue
Let me know your thoughts on these, and we'll have lots more to show soon!
Yes they are acrylic. And not simply printed on, but etched on! Pretty sure you'd have to take a tool to these before they'd scrape off. If the prototypes are any indication, they're really durable.
As Ramos says, these are definitely acrylic - it is actually etched 2-tone acrylic, so the laser cutter is just etching off the top layer of acrylic to expose the color underneath. It ends up being extremely durable! I will have to do some stress test videos
Solar_lion / Vanguard - Yes, we are getting extremely close! The launch will be in 2 weeks, on May 4th, and I will have a lot to show off as I ramp up to it (photos of the finished injection molded tool, the injection molded cube samples, and images of more new themes for the panels!)
IIiu, I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, could you explain? Like, will I attempt to crush it, stretch it... and I'm not sure what the other forces would be - torque it and...? I was mostly thinking of a crush test, since that would be the most common (i.e. stepping on it ).
I just sent off the Infantry / Monster panel set to the artist, and am hoping to have the full set laser cut and ready to show off in a week!
Microwave one to demonstrate a hot desert car.... I kid, please don't try that lol.
I am sure they are quite durable fellas, you guys must really beat on your stuff! I'd be happy as long as they don't break apart when falling onto a hard floor from table height myself.
I'm not sure if I mentioned that I've had to remind Wehrkind multiple times that when he slaps me on the shoulder, it tends to leave a bruise . Certain people will be rougher with their cubes, but my expectation is for them to be sturdy enough to treat like dice and just toss them in your dice bag . That will likely be the first stress test, along with stepping on them.
Last night I got my first report back of a test shot from the injection mold! They still have to polish the mold, so I won't get real photos until later in the week, but it is very exciting to be so close to having a finished product!
Not sure more than standard durability testing is necessary. The underwater pressure test or the deep space vacumn test or the shot from a large bore weapon is probably over kill. While I support the let my cat play with them test I'm afraid my cat is too busy with her personal life than to be consumed by such trivial non cat issues.
One of those times the clock moves too slow! Looking forward to the launch.
Based off the Adepticon photo, you stepping on them wouldn't be much of a test. Send a set my way, and I'll really put them to the test.... *blinks innocently*
Solar_lion wrote: the shot from a large bore weapon is probably over kill.
Actually, this is entirely doable, and might be a lot of fun! I might drag RiTides up to the range/mad science lab halfway through the KS to capture a video of this! I think I can whip up some ballistic gel for the occasion.
Solar_lion wrote: the shot from a large bore weapon is probably over kill.
Actually, this is entirely doable, and might be a lot of fun! I might drag RiTides up to the range/mad science lab halfway through the KS to capture a video of this! I think I can whip up some ballistic gel for the occasion.
THIS is the DakkaDakka we NEED not the DakkaDakka we deserve
Yes, I am at the Stele Open showing the ModCubes off today, along with the nice folks from BattleBox!
Spoiler:
There will be two huge updates early this coming week, the first showing the fully lasercut infantry panels for 40k, and the second showing the production cubes! I have spoken with the mold maker every day this week, they have finished polishing the mold and are set to make the samples this weekend (and have them to me on Wednesday).
We're well past that thankfully and already weathered it a few months ago!
Also, I'm just a few feet from the top X-wing table here at the Stele Open, so getting to see some very skilled X-wing play here! Which does not really resemble anything like what I play . Reception has been great, and I will be adding a weapon disabled token based on a suggestion here.
I spent some time today talking to a multiple national X-wing championships winner without realizing who it was but thankfully someone alerted me to it afterwards! The caliber of the players at this event was unreal.
Finally home now, so will be cutting the new set of 40k panels (which are just back from the artist!) tomorrow to show off Monday
Here is the brand new 40k compatible set, covering everything we could think of for characters / infantry / monsters... basically anything that isn't a vehicle . It contains:
Gone to Ground
Pinned
Falling Back
Run
Blessing
Malediction
Soul Blaze
Swoop
Glide
Grounded
Wound counters (1 - 5, plus a 6/7 token)
And with the original vehicle damage set:
Note that there will be 8 ModCubes per set, but only 6 are shown since that covers all the unique panels (with the exception of there will be additional numbers for the wound tokens, and Jink was repeated). There will also be 80 acrylic tokens in a set, so if you don't need some of these panels, just put them to the side for when you decide to run a flying circus later on
I think those are great. And will be super easy to read and for people in general. The only one I see missing is "Jink". It's probably one of the more important things to properly note when you're playing.
Hulksmash wrote: I think those are great. And will be super easy to read and for people in general. The only one I see missing is "Jink". It's probably one of the more important things to properly note when you're playing.
Otherwise these look pretty perfect.
Jink is on the upper right most ModCube.
These look amazing! I love these. I am dying to get a set to help out with Heavy Gear, and Warmachine.
Keep up the awesome work!
I know you mentioned only a set of 6. Is there anyway to up it to a set of 8?
Also, if you get more acrylic tiles, could we request custom ones from you? ((I know it was stated the tiles would be generic to allow other manufacturers to make their own, but that is a bit far off I think))
Automatically Appended Next Post: PS: Any chance of the tiles being double sided?
Thanks Hulk, awesome to hear that the new set looks good to you, as you are my "40k tournament scene" barometer
Vanguard, they actually will come as sets of 8, not 6, so we're already there . Unfortunately the tokens won't be double-sided as of now... I could see how that might have been possible if I'd planned for it early on, but since a lot of the cost here is in labor, it wouldn't make for much savings over just getting twice as many tokens. Also, the material I've chosen only has the thin layer of a second color of acrylic on one side, so the other side is the base color (for example, black on the vehicle damage tokens, or white on the infantry/monster tokens).
I am holding off on committing to doing any custom work until I launch and fulfill the initial offerings (and hopefully some additional themes via stretch goals) but I do hope to have something worked out by the retail launch (even if it is outsourcing it to another laser cutting company). I'll let you know, though!
Looking great , can we get a shot with a 40k figure next to them. I think they'd make great scifi crates if they had some basic flat panels on the sides and possibly straight numbers as well to make loot counters. Preferably in black to match the modcubes without painting.
I just got word from the factory that the final production parts are en route, and I will receive them Wednesday!
*Runs around room doing fist pumps*
This means I'll verify them that day, send out the samples for blogs to review and post up pictures Thursday with the Kickstarter launch definitely happening on Tuesday, May 5th.
Theophony - I will definitely take some photos with a 40k figure, I have one with an Infinity figure in the gallery here, but will be taking more when the final Infinity art comes in later this week.
Thanks for that pic, I've got lots of infinity (although I probably will be selling it all), just no toaha (sp) . A straight on shot would be great too as I'm gauging for using them as cover/crates/loot as well as markers.
Wonder if my wife would like me to order her a set as a mothers day gift? I know she doesn't play, dislikes my hobby, and sees it as a waste....but maybe the MODcubes will sway her
RiTides wrote: I just got word from the factory that the final production parts are en route, and I will receive them Wednesday!
*Runs around room doing fist pumps*
This means I'll verify them that day, send out the samples for blogs to review and post up pictures Thursday with the Kickstarter launch definitely happening on Tuesday, May 5th.
Theophony - I will definitely take some photos with a 40k figure, I have one with an Infinity figure in the gallery here, but will be taking more when the final Infinity art comes in later this week.
*Plots some way to steal a few of these cubes for himself.*
this is awesome! I am super excited to hear about a date for the KS!
agnosto - That is a good one, although for now I've kept everything not-codex-specific - is that a DE-only effect? I would dearly love to do some Catalyst counters and the like for my Tyranids, so I hope to get to codex specific sets eventually.
Theophony - Will do! And the ModCubes certainly won my wife over . A lot of non wargamers still see them as quite nifty little things.
Eldarain / Vanguard - Thanks, and yes, it is great to have a date . I have been chomping at the bit to get those production samples, and it was the last hurdle to clear before launching the project. So, assuming the samples meet my approval, we are set!
RiTides wrote: agnosto - That is a good one, although for now I've kept everything not-codex-specific - is that a DE-only effect? I would dearly love to do some Catalyst counters and the like for my Tyranids, so I hope to get to codex specific sets eventually.
Theophony - Will do! And the ModCubes certainly won my wife over . A lot of non wargamers still see them as quite nifty little things.
Eldarain / Vanguard - Thanks, and yes, it is great to have a date . I have been chomping at the bit to get those production samples, and it was the last hurdle to clear before launching the project. So, assuming the samples meet my approval, we are set!
Yep, codex specific so a later codex aligned set makes sense.
How about hull points for vehicles? (thinking of my knights)
Great stuff here and much better than me having to remember what the 6-sided die is supposed to be next to the unit.