Cruising towards the Upgraded Animation
about 3 years ago
– Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 09:50:18 AM
Hi everyone, just a couple quick updates for you this Sunday.
Halfway to Upgraded Animation
We're about halfway to the upgraded animation stretch goal! As we start to split our attention between the campaign and all the work that comes after it, we continue to be overwhelmed by the support you all have shown our little project. With our campaign entering its last third, word of mouth about the project becomes especially important so please continue to share it!
Woodworker STL add-on live
Per our last update, the add-on for the STL file of the amazing woodworker 3D model by Ismael Nieto is available! This lets fans of the woodworker that are handy with 3D printers print their own models. For personal use only, of course!
Carving Mini Figure add-on
After revealing the designs for the mini figures we got a number of requests for an add-on of the mini figures so we added one! Because these are part of a limited reward set and we're doing the shipping for them ourselves, they're only for shipping to the US and with reward tiers that already included a physical component. Apologies to our international backers, but international shipping is tricky!
The sun is shining here in Brooklyn for what feels like the first time in weeks! At the same time lots of folk are having trouble staying safe and warm these days. Our hearts go out to them and we hope that you all are doing well out there.
Until next update,
Najati & the Pine team
Time for stretch goals!
about 3 years ago
– Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 02:16:24 PM
We're still a little dazed from getting funded and you all are over here taking care of stretch goals! Over the weekend we ticked off the Steam Release stretch goal - we're really excited to be able to offer Pine on Mac, PC, and hopefully Linux, too! We're even more excited about the next stretch goal: Upgraded Animation.
Early funding challenge!
Since you all made handy work of the early funding challenge, all backers get the bonus landscape wallpaper. All backers that were part of the meeting our initial goal also get the bonus soundscape. Check out update #3 for details!
Up next, Upgraded Animation
If we meet our next stretch goal, we'll be able to bring on an animator to help Tom with all the animation work. This will do a few things for us:
A few key moments from the story will feature more fluid animation. Pine's animations are simple by design, but there are a few scenes we think would look even better with smoother animation. We'd love to tell you which ones we have in mind, but that would spoil things!
Also, since Tom will have someone to help with the animating, he'll have more time to spend on the rest of the project, making sure the rest of the experience is dialed in. Lastly, having extra help makes our timeline more manageable, removing a little risk from the delivery dates.
Help us achieve this goal so we can take Pine's visuals to the next level!
Carving Mini Figure design reveal this week!
We're on track to be able to reveal the designs for the Carving Mini Figures on Thursday. Though these won't be the actual 3D models we'll be printing, you'll be able to see the poses we have in mind and maybe pick up one of the remaining mini figures.
Pine's campaign starts its second half in great shape thanks to the amazing support it's received from your continued support. It's hard to believe we're starting to eye some of the stretch goals, but with the continued support from you all, Pine will continue to get better and better. Thank you again and don't forget to help spread the word!
Cheers!
Najati & the rest of the Pine team
Funded!!
about 3 years ago
– Mon, Feb 22, 2021 at 03:46:46 AM
Thank you
The support you all have shown this project is unbelievable! We're still trying to process everything but had to take a moment to tell you how much we appreciate the generosity you all have shown and the faith you're placing in us.
When trying to figure out the plan for Pine, we decided early on to fund it through a Kickstarter. This campaign lets us know that, like us, you feel it's important to tell the woodworker's story. You've shown up in an amazing way and we're grateful to be able to work on Pine thanks to your support.
When I try to describe how much this means to us and our little studio, this update ends up being a memoir about the project so far! Maybe we'll attempt to write that later. For now, just know that we wouldn't be here without you and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Still lots of campaign left!
We still have a long way to go before our campaign ends! Of course, now we're excited about meeting some of those stretch goals. Next week we reveal the Carving Mini Figure sketches. In the meantime, I've got some comments and messages to catch up on. There's lots to do!
Thanks again everyone, and have a great weekend!
Najati & Tom
Over 90% funded!! Art prints revealed and print bundle add-on!
about 3 years ago
– Mon, Feb 22, 2021 at 03:46:35 AM
72K! That's 90%!
The last two days have been amazing for our campaign. It's not our style to get ahead of ourselves, but a couple of those stretch goals are looking within reach! We're thrilled with the support so far and so thankful to have such an engaged group to be doing this with. It's really an honor!
More good news: right now it looks like we're on track for that early funding goal to unlock the bonus landscape image of the woodworker's valley - I'm really excited about that!
Print reveals!
We're happy to reveal the art that will be available as prints! The original plan was to offer three of the existing illustrations alongside two new images developed for the campaign (one for the wallpaper pack and one for the Art of Pine PDF). Well, we couldn't decide on just three, so we're going with the following five illustrations:
We think these five illustrations best capture the emotion and the evolving aesthetic of the woodworker. If any of them are new to you, check out the post on Tom's Instagram! Don't forget: when it comes time to chose which prints you want, there will be two more images exclusive to the Kickstarter available!
Print bundles
We just released the print bundle add-ons! These bundles include five prints for the cost of four. There's a limited number of signed bundles available as well as the unsigned bundle. Any prints you get from the bundle will be in addition to those included in your reward for backing Pine. After the campaign ends and we have time to develop the new illustrations, we'll send out a backer survey so you can select the prints you want. You'll be able to choose any combination of the seven available illustrations that you'd like, including multiple of the same image. Let us know if you have any questions, either in a comment below or by sending us a message!
Carving Mini Figure Sketches Next Week
We're not going to be able to reveal the actual models before the end of the Kickstarter, but we've started sketching ideas for the Carving Mini Figures and will reveal them next week - stay tuned!
Project Shoutout - Ova Magica!
There's a whole community of amazing indie game projects live on Kickstarter right now. Pine is in great company! Today we wanted to shout out an amazing project by ClaudiaTheDev, Ova Magica!
Their campaign is going great and it's easy to see why! The game looks delightful and the farm sim meets monster tamer gameplay has us super excited. Definitely check out the project page if you need something a little more light hearted to pair with Pine!
Learn more here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/claudiathedev/ova-magica
Take care and see you all in the next update!
Najati & the Pine team
Funding Updates and Early Backer Bonuses!
about 3 years ago
– Mon, Feb 22, 2021 at 03:46:27 AM
Pine starts its second week in great shape thanks to you all. We've got a few quick updates, including a bonus for early backers and one for all backers if we hit our funding goal in the next week!
58k and almost 1000 backers!
The support so far has been amazing and it keeps rolling in. Pine had a great weekend, too. As I write this we're at just over 58k and climbing. So close to that 75% mark after just one week! It feels great to be approaching 1000 backers, too.
Early Backer Bonus Soundscape
We wanted to do something to thank our early backers and feature the sounds of Pine. When we were introduced to Andy, the sound designer for Pine, we learned that one of his hobbies is recording forests. It was pretty clear to us that he was the right person for the job! All backers that are part of the first 80k will get an exclusive soundscape from a trip Andy made in 2018. In his words:
There are few things I enjoy more than wandering the wilderness listening to nature. Sometimes that means I get caught out in weather you might normally want to stay inside for. One autumn day in 2018, I found myself stuck in camp while the dirt roads nearby were too muddy to drive out. “Stuck at camp” with “rain and thunder” all around is actually a happy place for me.
Rain in the Pacific Northwest can feel relentless, never-ending. Eventually the sun breaks through.
The soundscape will be about an hour of that storm rolling through Andy's camp with thunder breaking in the distance. We've had a sneak peak at it and it's the perfect bit of atmosphere for studying, just taking a brain break, or falling asleep to. Check out Andy's Soundscapes for the Working Mind to hear some of his work.
Early funding bonus wallpaper
We also wanted a way to celebrate how quickly we're moving and set a challenge for ourselves and our backers. If we reach our funding goal of 80k by the end of next Tuesday, all backers will get a bonus landscape of the woodworker's valley. I'm personally really excited about this one and hope to be able to make it my desktop wallpaper while we're developing Pine. There will also be a mobile-friendly version! Help us get there by spreading the word and sharing Pine with friends and fans of graphic novels and games!
We'll start working on these bonus rewards when we reach our funding goal so we can get them to you soon!
Add-on print bundle
The last bit of news is that the print bundle add-on should be available by Thursday. This will let backers easily get all 5 prints, signed or not, with reduced shipping and at a little bit of a discount for the entire collection.
We're thrilled to have such an engaged group of backers to be making Pine for. Thank you all for the continued support!
Indie Game Shoutout: The Way of Wrath
Tom and I are both huge fans of classic games, which is why we're stoked to shoutout The Way of Wrath by our friends over at ANIMMAL. The game looks amazing and draws inspiration from a number of classics, including a couple of our favorites: Baldur's Gate and The Legend of Zelda.
This open-world tactical RPG tells the story of a pre-historic shamanistic tribe. You are the new chieftain of a nomadic, tribal people beset by curses and dark rituals and you have one goal: lead your people through the siege launched by your enemies. Definitely check out their trailer to see The Way of Wrath's fresh take on these classic genres!
Until next update!
Najati & the Pine team
