Doublesix Dice: Roll Better

Backerkit Beta (prelaunch) Video
over 9 years ago – Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 03:04:21 PM

Dear Team Doublesix,

Backerkit is launching next week (building it took awhile, with some bugs, and the company also worked on some usability changes I requested).  Before it does launch, I am inviting all of you interested to watch the second Beta video below (the first was for those that signed up).  

This way, I can get all your questions and concerns to then finalize and improve the Backerkit before it goes out to all 7,000 backers, and hopefully beyond (I am opening up pre-orders the the public).

I know this may seem like overkill to many of you, but a simple mistake or unclear step can lead to much confusion and many avoidable emails and messages.  I am a team of one on my first campaign, so I need your support and eyes before taking these big steps.

In other news:

1) No Blanks 6-pack: I thought it would be cool to offer blank dice that you could paint, but it turns out that it is actually quite frustrating and can be very messy, and requires additional purchases (paint pens). So I am not offering them as 6-packs, though I will add single blanks to the Collectors Mix #2 (to add up to 6 dice).

2) Bag charge was misquoted.  Instead of $0.03 per bag, it is actually $0.30 per bag (10X!). Longbright apologized for the typo, and I should have known that 3 cents per custom-logo bag was too good to be true.  You will still get both bags for free (because I said you would), though I am now spending about $4000 more on bags than I originally thought. 

3) Improved quality for the colored dice.  I have negotiated to pay more (about $2,500, by adding $0.013/unit) to swap out the silicone molds more frequently, which should improve the quality of the final product (silicone begins to warp and degrade after repeated use).

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Many of you have offered to donate more money to compensate for the financial losses due to my naivete, sloppiness, and bad luck.  I appreciate those offers.  However, my hope and wish is that some of you will spread the word once Backerkit launches, which could drive more pre-orders.

However, more preorders will add to production time (though hopefully not significantly, and I imagine that the Kickstarter dice will be in the process of being sorted and bagged by Longbright during part of the time the surplus dice are being produced), which is why I realize that it is a big ask and an added burden on your already dwindling patience. 

I am grateful to those of you that are willing to spread the word, and completely understand those of you that are sick and tired of waiting for these damn dice. 

Here is a video walk-through of the Backerkit as it currently stands.  For a lot of the images in the Backerkit, I got significant help (again) from Micheal "4ier" Telford and Mike Brodu. They continue to have my deepest gratitude, and their pro bono work improves your overall experience. 

Please share all your comments, concerns, and questions...

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Thanks again,

Matt

Weekend Update
over 9 years ago – Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 02:59:53 PM

Dear Team Doublesix,

The Backerkit is ready, and passed review by the folks at Backerkit.   They recommend that we launch it on Monday, as opposed to today like I planned.  Part of the reason is that they will be back in the office then, so they can handle emails and problems that might arise.  

Please keep an eye out for it, and check your spam folder if you don't see it by Tuesday. 

Some notes regarding the Backerkit:

1) To prevent confusion around color semantics, the Teal Monty will be referred to as the Blue Monty, and the Flat black with teal is now Flat black with blue.

2) The Jazzy Bear Black will be with gold, not yellow. 

3) Things may get a little complicated for International and Canadian backers who add-on a lot, since I previously stated that the max shipping will be $24 globally, and $20 for Canada. Backerkit won't be able to automatically calculate this, so we may have to handle these manually, on a case-by-case basis. 

4) A tip jar has been requested, and added. 

I just got an image from Longbright of the Settlers dice, and the Otaku II (lookin' good).  Note that the red on the Otaku is the wrong red (they used the Settlers red (pantone 187c) instead of the red that I requested (same red for the Black Standards with red pips: pantone 200c).  The final version should have the correct red. 

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Halfsies: Our fellow dice Kickstarter, Halfsies, is going strong into this final stretch (the campaign ends very soon (today) before midnight Saturday, PDT).  Looks like crazy good deals on gorgeous dice.  

Tumbling Dice.  I've had my eye on this game for many years now, and it turns out that they are currently running a Kickstarter for their new version.  And what is even more exciting is that we are in talks around getting Doublesix Dice included (turns out even Tom Vasel prefers d12s for this game).  Check out the Kickstarter HERE.

Backerkit Launch (finally!)
over 9 years ago – Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 02:56:44 PM

Dear Team Doublesix.

The time has come! Backerkit will launch (ie. invite emails, with unique invite links, will be sent out) minutes after this update is posted.

1) If you haven't gotten the invite email (from [email protected]) it may be in your spam folder.  If you still can't find it, please wait several hours from this posting before emailing [email protected].

2) Though you will have several weeks to fill it out, add-on, and edit/update your shipping address before I lock everything in, please take care of it soon (as convenient).

3) There is no need to register or log into Backerkit.  Please keep the invite email as it gets you into your Backerkit account to make changes (but you can always request, via their website, that the invite link gets resent).

3) If you use your Facebook login for your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit invite will be sent to the email you used for your Facebook account. If you have another email you prefer it to be sent to, please email [email protected].

4) Please comment below (in this update) with questions and problems with the Backerkit experience.  Look for my replies (in light blue) for answers to frequently asked questions. 

5) International Backers: If your total order will make shipping exceed $24 (and $20 for Canada), please contact Backerkit (they should be able to add credit for the balance). 

6) If you want to add funds for add-ons, but cannot via Stripe (credit card), please contact me (private message) to arrange to add credit via paypal. 

7) Please share the Backerkit with your friends, as additional pre-orders will help the brand and business grow to make more and different dice. 

The Backerkit should be easy to navigate, but here is a walkthrough video for the Doublesix Dice Backerkit to help smooth out the experience:

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A chapter is ending, and another beginning.  Thanks, team!

Matt