It's been nearly 12 months since the last update so we thought it a good time to go ahead and integrate some of the ideas that have been bubbling and brewing. As always no major changes to the fundamental gameplay, but 1.0.6 does introduce a few minor tweaks, along with one new Special Achievement. Seasoned characters will want to pay attention to this one. Have a look at the changelog or, for any additional clarifications, feel free to leave a comment or reach out to us via the Contact form. Looking forward to seeing the dynamism of Town Time (and the Victory phase) go up a notch...Changelog (1.0.6):- Game Setup, Magic Users now start the game with 1 Spell card
Treasure Hunters now start the game with 5 CP in the Bank
- Spells, Replaced Charm and Restoration spells with traditional combat spells
Fandango (S001) can now be used to 'Destroy a Foe or Catch a Criminal'
- Dungeon Cards,
Defeating Chompy Treasure Chest (D007) now doubles result of loot roll
Goblin Fish Thief (D033) now steals two fish instead of just one...the little bugger
Creeping Nordles (D050) renamed to "Fungal Nuisance" and reduced Agility roll
from 6 to 5
- Adventure Cards, Switched the Agility roll requirement for Carnivorous Plant (A044) and Orcish Archers (A045)
- Character Sheet, Added 6 more slots to the Fishing Academy training, bringing
total cost of "Expert" up to 900 CP
- Victory Phase, Characters can now trade in leftover Fish for 1 CP per fish
- Special Achievements,
Characters can now earn a one-time Artifact Completion BonusThe latest PDF Packs were uploaded on the 23rd (last Saturday), so if you've downloaded the game since then you'll have acquired a zip file with a nomenclature of Feonora_Pack_13-223. You'll also have game manuals with a "Ruleset 1.0.6" label, both indicators that you've already got the latest version.
One of the FAQs concerning this game has revolved around pre-fab sets, or, getting around the huge task of building a set by hand. Up to this point there simply hasn't been any means of getting around this barrier to the whimsical realm of Feonora. Ok, the learning curve can be a bit daunting as well but hang in there, because once you start to get the hang of things we think you'll agree -- the real magic starts to emerge. But setting that aside we realize building a game this size can be quite the affair. Well...It turns out a chance encounter with a fellow visitor to Feonora would prove fortuitous. This friendly traveler was kind enough to point the way to a special workshop that specializes in print-and-play games... Leading both Lisa and me down a design & development side quest. A short time later there now is a way to obtain a pre-built, fully functional Heroes of Feonora game set. Please allow me to introduce Print & Play Productions. What is it? A small operation run by Andrew Tullsen, a lifelong Board Game Geek (and game designer) with the equipment and know-how to produce prototype-quality game sets directly from PDF source files. These are print-on-demand sets mind you so the cost of materials, and especially labor, are factors in the pricing. The great thing though is Andrew's ability to offer two tiers for many of the games in his catalog, including this one. Typically, the Deluxe version will include everything needed to start playing right out of the box. If you're looking to shave some of the cost, and don't mind substituting some of the components with things you probably already have, then the Standard version supplies just the core components - such as the main game board, story maps, card decks, manuals, etc. (and of course a proper box to store it all). When you order from Andrew try to remember he's doing a lot of this work by hand, which means that it might take a while for the game to ship, and that a POD from PDF source file process will result in the occasional imperfections. In our experience he's willing to work through any troubles; you just need to communicate and realize this is a side business and not a full-blown manufacturing operation.The main thing is getting a functional set together, which remember, can always be enhanced with a little bit of creative effort. Oh, be sure to specify whether you're Ok with regular thin paper for the Character Sheets or prefer something thicker. That's our preference anyway though it does add to the cost just a bit. Little details like that can always be addressed ahead of time, so (in essence) custom sets shouldn't be an issue.We'll leave it at that for now and if you have any questions about all this feel free to reach out to us or contact Andrew directly. He's also on Board Game Geek, where he's got a dedicated forum related to games listed on the printplaygames website.Direct link to Heroes of Feonora at Print & Play Productions.Thanks to Dimitrios K. for pointing us toward this resource in the first place...and for the encouraging words.Legal/Technical blurb: While Andrew does plan to publish some of his own games under the "Print & Play Productions" label, the business itself isn't to serve as a Publisher in the traditional sense. Agreements with print-and-play game designers remain informal and do not involve licensing of Intellectual Property. As such, the functions are (primarily) that of a prototyping and Print On Demand service.
Following the previous update we became aware of a glitch in the Town Timer. Users of non Adobe PDF Readers probably won't have noticed it, but for those using any version of Adobe PDF software their Town Timer may have looked something like this...
The text in the box should read "Town Timer" and look like this...
The file has already been repaired and replaced inside the PDF packs. If you just want to grab the fixed version here's a link - Town Timer (fixed)If you happen to notice any other anomalies like this please let us know so that we can get to work on troubleshooting the issue. Thanks.
It's been just a few months since the last small batch of Character Portraits came in and we're happy to announce that a fresh new set is already available. Thanks in no small part to the contributions of several artists, the Character Portraits PDF now features more than forty new pieces of character art to help inspire some unique and intriguing personalities. Click on the images for a peek at what's new. As of yesterday these are the portraits to be found in the main PDF Packs. If you've already got a set assembled and just want the new ones here's a direct link to the file: Heroes of Feonora Character Portraits PDF (June 2012) We're really happy to have these new additions and our heartfelt thanks to all the artists who've graciously donated their time and talent to the project. You can find out more about each contributor via the Credits page.Meanwhile, it's not too late to support the project. Even a single contributed piece of artwork would be a welcome addition. Be sure to have a look at the FAQ page for an idea about the overall art direction of the game, and then feel free to reach out to us via the Contact form.
Just a short post to remind everyone we're still here and to keep the blog breathing. If you've been tracking progress at all then you'll have seen some of the modifications/improvements to the game over the past two years. Development on Heroes of Feonora goes as far back as 2007 with the initial public release (version 1.0) in May of 2010. While there have been some exciting improvements in the visual department, thanks in large part to Ian and Reggie and the others, most of the tweaks and improvements have centered on tightening up the core gameplay experience. That being said, we'd like to emphasize that despite its light-hearted (almost simplistic) veneer, Heroes of Feonora is, from a rules and mechanics standpoint, at the completion point of development. Having the game as a Print-and-Play PDF Pack affords us the opportunity to make small adjustments here and there that otherwise wouldn't be possible in a fully "published" scenario. But that is more a luxury than a necessity at this point. Most of any future changes will likely take the form of aesthetic enhancements (and even those may be a long while coming). Maybe. To put it another way, we're satisfied with the way the game has come together and if no other changes were to be implemented past Ruleset 1.0.5 we would feel quite comfortable declaring the game "finished."So, if you've been holding off on downloading the PDF Pack for a time when the game is finally, fully, totally finished, consider waiting no more. The game is ready to be assembled and enjoyed now - as it is.As soon as real life eases up on our time a bit we'll have more energy for ongoing art acquisition and integration; but do be aware that is still a long-term goal. The main thing is the game itself and Heroes of Feonora is ready to go.Download today, and be sure to invite your friends and loved ones to the table.Yours Truly,Josh Graye.
Things have been moving steadily forward these past few months and this latest release wraps up some of the items that couldn't fit into the previous update. The change from 1.0.4 to 1.0.5 (essentially) reflects a subtle adjustment in the way the 'Initiative Token Bonus' works. This is the bonus players receive when the group lands on a treasure space, and the player in question is the one holding the Initiative Token. The concept of having a Treasure Hunting bonus was first introduced in Ruleset 1.0.1. The difference is subtle, but now allows for more variety (and greater potential reward) to be had as a result of the bonus.
The rest of the changes, as you'll find in the release notes, fall more under the category of enhancements to the existing experience. Here they are:
- Treasure Hunting, the 'Initiative Token Bonus' slightly modified
See 'Grouping, Travel and Treasure Hunting' section of Game Manual (page 39)
- PDF Pack now includes a printable version of Victory Badges/Hero Award
- Three new Spells; brings total number of Spells to 45
- New Item, Carrier Pigeons (I037) replaces 'Fine Herbal Tea'
- New Story Card, "Ambition and Crop Thievery"
- Story Maps, cave/underground sections added to some of the overland areas
Journeys will now be just a tad more challenging, and offer a greater variety of encounters
- Minor cosmetic enhancements here and there
Please Note: The updated PDF Packs were pushed out on Friday, March 2nd. Anyone who's obtained them since then should notice their Game Manual as showing the latest version number.
_Up until now, Victory Badges (and the Hero Award) have been relegated to 'homemade only' status. See the Make It page for a few examples. Still, sometimes it's fun just to see what some of the more object-oriented components would look like if they could be printed out rather than hand made - by the way, 3D printing technology (if you haven't guessed) is on the cusp of changing the indie board game industry in fairly profound ways...but that's a topic for another day. In the meantime, here's a 2D version of what we think the Victory Badges ought to look like. They're in the usual PDF format; although, probably not as fun to use as thicker/heavier homemade versions. _And for those who don't have access to a color printer, or would rather color their own, here's what the grayscale version looks like.
_Oh, one quick thing. One of our Hauflin friends just mentioned that if you print out two copies on thick paper and then glue them back-to-back, they work pretty well. Another friend added that gluing both sides to a piece of intermediate material, such as cardboard or foam board, would make them good and thick (and of course much more fun to pass around). Enjoy!
Hello all. Three days ago Lisa and I quietly pushed out an update, which was primarily intended to tighten down a few squiggles. As with all incremental updates nothing fundamental to the core game or gameplay has changed...Probably the most noticeable adjustment in this release will be found in the subtle re-balancing of two character classes - Dwarves and Malornians. One of the principal design goals has always been to have a fairly balanced set of playable classes, with the understanding that each possessed certain...inherent advantages. Our feeling has been however that Dwarves and Malornians in particular didn't derive enough benefit from merely higher starting health; thus there was room for a slight modification. Even with this change, I'd like to note that the same overall dynamic (between the various character classes) remains. For example, it will always be true that Elves by nature may have a tendency to excel in larger group games, whereas, Hauflins (who haven't yet acquired a good permanent Mount) will find earning the Hero Award a tad greater challenge. The disparity is so subtle most players probably wouldn't notice it. None-the-less, we remain comfortable knowing that younger, less experienced players may benefit from starting with an Elf character, whereas experienced players will find a somewhat greater challenge in playing a Hauflin. The adjustment to Dwarves and Malornians merely brings them in greater parity with the others ~especially as it relates to the Fighting Guild.
But enough with the design-talk gibberish. Let's get on with the Release Notes. Here they are, for the latest Ruleset 1.0.4:
- Upgraded Dwarf and Malornian character classes with fortitude hit counters
See: Health Tracker and section of Game Manual on Health Trackers
- Items deck, Changed Protective Gear to single-use items
- Companions deck, Changed "Ned the Pirate" to "Charlotte de Pirate"
Added four more Treasure Hunters
- Opponents deck,
Downgraded 'Figly the Guard,' 'Group of Grunchies' and 'One-Legged Pete' to d6
Downgraded 'Armlann the Metalsmith' and 'Arvatheryn the Ranger' to a d8
Replaced 'Larn the Legendary Hero' (d12) with 'Perfidious Lurch' (d8)
- Adventure Cards, Fairies no longer send the group backwards
- Dungeon Cards, Trap Doors no longer send the group backwards
Hello everyone. Just a quick note to say that I'm thinking about you, and hoping that your Christmas season is staying pleasant (and stress free). Seems many of you have wandered over from YouTube, which is nice. Welcome. Are you new to board games? RPGs? Craft projects? Heroes of Feonora is somewhat like an introduction to all three. You spend some time putting the game together, and then the first time you play it the game will teach you how to play as you go along. Just take it nice and slow, realize that the first play-through is more about getting familiar with things, and enjoy learning each of the various mini-games that comprise the greater whole. Most of all, don't forget to roleplay those characters and really bring them to life for the other players. For that is the secret ingredient that makes a game like this special...and memorable.Who knows, maybe one day we'll get a chance to meet some of you.
When we started work on Heroes of Feonora back in 2007 the most immediate goal was putting something together that was functional and playable...a working prototype. This meant that luxury ingredients such as eye-catching artwork was not a high priority (nor should it be at this stage as most game designers will tell you). There eventually came a point where some degree of artwork became a necessity, such as with the main game board and the Story Maps. At this point we turned to our own (less than spectacular) abilities and the open source artwork community. With more essential elements of gameplay and mechanics ironed out this 'placeholder artwork' gave the game just enough polish to justify a public release. If no further updates/improvements were ever implemented the game would still be fully playable, functional and (we hope) lots of fun. But a project like this never seems quite satisfied with staying in one place and there is a desire to eventually expand the visual feature set, particularly in areas such as card art and character portraits. Whether this plays out fully is another story, but in the meantime we've taken at least one small step toward that goal, a step that would not have been possible without the help of two people who I'd like to introduce today. Some time ago I tapped a segment of the online art community...mostly to see what level of interest the project might generate. The initial response wasn't overwhelming, but turned out to be more encouraging than first anticipated. Eventually two artists emerged with a willingness to lend some of their time and talent to the project, a project mind you not backed by a big name or studio-sized budget. Suffice it to say the resulting production drawings couldn't have been more pleasing to watch, as they slowly took shape - bringing a wonderful mixture of characters to life. After several months of collaboration Heroes of Feonora now proudly features its debut collection of polished artwork in the form of Character Portraits, highlighting the outstanding talents of Ian Garnett and Reggie Cuvelier. Both artists came through with a visual style that compliments the whimsical nature of Feonora, an imaginary world filled with creatures and characters ranging from serious to comical (and everything in-between). Much of Feonora pays tongue-in-cheek homage to traditional roleplaying conventions, while the rest strives to achieve a unique sense of identity and inter-character cohesion within the overall genre. Reggie and Ian's works go a long way in conveying both elements of the game world and the credit is deservedly theirs. From a designer standpoint there's only so much you can convey to the artist...afterwards, it's up to them to take hold of your vision and then bring it to life. Development of art assets for a game of this scale is no small matter. This initial [test] phase of production proved a conceptual approach for making it happen and gave us an opportunity to work with two artists who were professional, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. To learn more about each artist visit the Credits page; both their names link through to an online portfolio, along with a broader selection of works (including contact info). P.S. I know it's been a while since the last character background posted, but we haven't forgotten about the others. The goal was never to push these out at regular intervals, although admittedly it would have been nice to produce these at a clip of about one per month. But things don't seem to work that way when the project is still more a hobby than a living. Rather than setting expectations on which character will be featured next and when, let me just say that so far we've explored four of them, which leaves eight more to go.
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