Wooden Tiles, Group Buys, Final Stretch Goals
about 4 years ago – Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 02:19:58 AM

Hello Dear Backers!

We have made great progress over the past few weeks, and I am very grateful for your efforts. We have only a few days left until our campaign comes to an end, and today I've got an awesome surprise for you.

The highly anticipated "Wooden Action Tile Set" is available NOW!
This is a full set of 140+ Wooden Action Tiles for all action tiles in the Deluxe Edition, and will be Full Color UV-Printed on both sides!

Due to the cost of cutting and printing over a hundred wooden tiles, I am afraid that this can only be available as a separate $29 USD add-on. 👉 Go click the "Manage your Pledge" button to add this to your rewards! 🐱‍🏍 I estimate the weight of each set to be under 200 grams, and will not increase shipping costs for backers of the Deluxe and Deluxe All-In pledges. 

Group Pledges

International shipping is expensive and difficult nowadays, and I know this is a major reason why some people are still deciding whether or not to support the project. The best method is to grab a friend to share shipping! Please refer to the expanded shipping chart for your savings on combined shipping when pledging multiple copies. If you need a quote for even more copies, please send me a message and I'll let you know.

If you are currently organizing a group pledge but not finalized yet, don't worry! Just back 1 or 2 copies now, and you can always add more copies later in the pledge manager. 

Additionally, a couple of people have asked me if there can be another discount for buying multiple copies of the game. After some consideration, I have decided to provide a small discount for a case of 4 copies of Jiangnan Deluxe Edition, so the price would be $320 USD, about an extra 10% off.  This will only be available in the pledge manager, and will be open for all backers to upgrade to this option. Shipping costs will be calculated using the same weight-based shipping chart, which is subsidized for each copy of the game.

Final Stretch Goals

Here is the list of the upcoming stretch goals. We are out of rules related content, but I still have some exciting upgrades for you to unlock!

•  $75K Logo on Bags - We will print the Jiangnan Logo on every draw bag in the game.
•  $80K Active Player Fan - A 4-inch (10cm) mini folding fan to pass around the table. Deluxe Only & KS Exclusive. 
•  $90K The Sacred Emblems - Each player’s draw bag will have a different Sacred Beast emblem printed.
•  $100K Resource Engraving - All wooden idea tokens will have an engraving design. Deluxe Only & KS Exclusive. 

Really excited about what we can do together in the last few days, I think we have a pretty good chance of unlocking most, if not all of the remaining stretch goals.  But in order to do so I still need help from every one of you: Tell your friends, share this project with everyone, and help us spread the word. 📢

This campaign is all about you guys, and every dollar counts! 💪

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Colorful World
about 4 years ago – Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 01:50:57 PM

Hello Dear Backers!

This is the last weekend of our campaign, and we unlocked another Stretch Goal at $65,000 USD! Once again this will be included for both versions of Jiangnan. If you need a refresher on all of our unlocked goals, check this update to learn more about them.

$65K - Colored Bags

By reaching this goal, we can include drawstring bags of different colors for each player color. Four different colors for the Retail edition, and another color for the 5th player in the Deluxe edition. Choose your favorite color to store your ideas!

We have unlocked Action Tiles for Age 1 through 3, and of course, there will be another stretch goal for Age 4 Action Tiles at $70K USD! This last set of Epic Action Tiles will be amazing for your end game strategies; but don't remember to balance drafting order with the boats you want to control!

Additionally, I should be able to confirm the add-on price of the highly requested "Wooden Action Tile Set" tomorrow, so stay tuned for my announcement. 🐱‍🏍

We are now entering the final days of the campaign, and I still have a couple of stretch goals up my sleeves. Lets do everything we can to reach all stretch goals! Thank you for joining me on this journey! Together we will make Jiangnan the best game possible!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Emerging Markets
about 4 years ago – Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 07:35:56 AM

Hello Dear Backers!

We are super excited to announce that we have reached another stretch goal at $60,000! Thanks again for your amazing support, you guys rock! We have unlocked 14 stretch goals already, check this updateout to learn all about them.

$60K - Additional Shops

Six new shops will be added to all versions of Jiangnan. New combos will be possible and will be different each game, opening up new options to diversify your strategies! 

For our next stretch goal, we will be unlocking different colored bags for each player! Color is life, for a world without color seems dead. Choose your favorite color to store your ideas!

Thank you again for backing our game! The campaign is nearing its end, and I am confident that together, we’ll make Jiangnan a great game!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Chapter Play & Stretch Goal List
about 4 years ago – Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 05:06:56 PM

Hello Dear Backers

Over the weekend, I crunched the numbers and decided that we could afford to unlock Chapters 5 and 6 a bit early at $55K. Additionally, I will include a list of all the current stretch goals in this update. This is something a couple of backers have asked for, so I will use this chance to write a little about how they will enhance the experience of playing the game.

$55K - Chapter 5 - Charming Scholar

Chapter 5 will flip over the 3rd and final map board—the Parlour district. This will add a new mechanic to let you attract the Muses on board by performing other actions during the game. A different objective will be drawn each round, and when you achieve it immediately place a Servant on any Muse of your choice, letting you hire them as Assistants quickly!

Next stretch goal is at $60K. New stores have opened on the temple fair grounds! Stop by for a special deal today! You might find just the key you need to victory.

List of Chapters

Now that all 6 chapters are unlocked, I will also explain how chapters work in our game. Chapter 1 is the introduction game, and all previews were done using this ruleset. Chapter 2 is the standard game, you play as one of the Four Great Talents to get a special power during the game, and a different set of private boats are used.

Chapter 3 ~ 5 will each flip over one map board to introduce a new mechanic to the game, and there will be a suggested setup to focus on a different theme in every Chapter. Chapter 6 is the advanced game in which you will be using the backside of all boards, and will use everything for game setup.

•  Chapter 1 - Jiangnan - A basic ruleset that contains the essence of the game.
•  Chapter 2 - The Four Great Talents - Play as one of the most famous literati artisans of the Ming Dynasty!
•  Chapter 3 - The Imperial Exams - Gain prestige by passing the Imperial Scholar-Official Exams!
•  Chapter 4 - Traveling Artisans - Give out your works to pay for travel fees!
•  Chapter 5 - Charming Scholar - Entice people with your talent, and get them to join your studio!
•  Chapter 6 - The Life of Gentry - Mix and match everything for a dynamic experience each time you play!

All chapters will be included in the Retail version. Since the playmat is single sided, we will be printing the advanced side of the map on it.

List of all current Unlocked Stretch Goals

•  Play as Female Artisans - All male and female characters will be double-sided, so can be used as a Muse or a player-controlled avatar.
•  Extra Playable Characters - The characters of A Dream of the Red Mansions is added to the game.
•  Extra Action Tiles for Age 1, 2, 3 - Powerful tiles to be added in later chapters.
•  Chapter 3 - The Imperial Exams -  Gain prestige by passing the Imperial Scholar-Official Exams!
•  Chapter 4 - Traveling Artisans - Give out your works to pay for travel fees!
•  Chapter 5 - Charming Scholar - Entice people with your talent, and get them to join your studio!
•  Chapter 6 - The Life of Gentry - Mix and match everything for a dynamic experience each time you play!
•  Scholar Meeple Engraving - The player pawns will have an engraving design.
•  Servant Meeple Upgrade - Cubes are upgraded into custom meeples.
•  Tile Thickness Upgrade - Tile thickness is increased to 2.3mm.
•  Cover Spot-UV Upgrade - Spot UV + Matte for box cover.
   

And more to come! We want to make Jiangnan the best game possible, so stay tuned!

Thank you for reading all the way down here. We are in the last 1/3 of the campaign, and I am looking forward to seeing how far we can push together!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Consumerism in Ancient China
about 4 years ago – Thu, Feb 10, 2022 at 09:57:25 PM

In this article, I want to discuss what everyday life was like in Ancient Jiangnan—more specifically, the everyday life of a common person in the city of Jinling during the Ming Dynasty.

Jinling?

Jinling (金陵) is the ancient name for modern-day Nanjing(南京) and had been the capital for most of ancient China until 1421 when the Yongle (永樂, Eternal Happiness) Emperor relocated the capital to Beijing(北京). In Chinese, Beijing literally means northern capital; Nanjing means southern capital. Hence, Jinling then became known as Nanjing. 

Jinling is an ancient city believed to have been first founded in 333 BCE. From 1358 to 1425 CE, Jinling is believed to have been the largest city in the world with a population estimated at roughly half a million people.

Consumerism in Jiangnan

While a lot of the literature from the day is biased by nostalgia or philosophical beliefs, we’re still able to catch a glimpse into what a common household in Jiangnan was like in around 1600. At the time, a typical household head might weave cotton for the cloth, then exchange his woven work for silver. With this he could afford rent, clothing, food—or even luxuries.

Nothing that sounds too out of the ordinary for today, but for a heavy agrarian culture—like that of China in the previous Yuan Dynasty—the sudden shift to a thriving commercial economy was life-changing.

By the late 1500s, commerce in the Ming Dynasty has hit its peak. It is estimated that Jiangnan had a literacy rate of over 50%. More literate consumers meant more handbooks and novellas (and even erotica)—with some selling as little as 0.1 taels of silver (approximately 10 modern USD).

More and more shops and artisans appeared and each fighting for space in the local markets. Here we see the beginnings of trademarks, branding, and advertising. Some signs were 10 meters tall; others were even illuminated by lanterns at night. On the streets of Bejing and Nanjing, goods from all over the world could be found—silver cups from the Middle East as well as gold-lined plates could be found.

The Four Great Novels

But even the common people have needs for entertainment, leading to the rise of novels written in the Plain/Vernacular(Spoken) Chinese language(白話文). Traditionally, the poems and literature works studied and created by literati-scholars are written in Classical/Literary(Archaic) Chinese(文言文), which is different from almost all spoken forms of Chinese. Literary Chinese was also required for all government documents and formal writing until the early 20th century.

Three of the Four Great Novels (四大名著) were written in Plain Chinese during the Ming Dynasty—Romance of the Three Kingdoms(三國演義), Journey to the West(西遊記), Outlaws of the Marsh(水滸傳). The fourth one—A Dream of Red Mansions(紅樓夢)—was written later in the Qing Dynasty, but it was to replace another popular-yet-banned Ming novel, The Plum in the Golden Vase(金瓶梅). Originally a erotic fan-fiction spinning off a character from Outlaws of the Marsh, it has been praised by both ancient and modern scholars as a sophisticated satire.

The concept of copyright apparently does not exist in ancient times, so there are many different editions and annotated versions of these books. The most widely read edition may even have deleted or rewritten passages, or maybe published with commentaries by others. Tracing the history and determining who was the "original" author of each book is so convoluted that it is essentially a huge discipline of research in itself.

And thus, the game of Jiangnan takes place in this vibrant dawn of entertainment. During the game, you will be creating Novels, Dramas, and Paintings in the southern capital city of Jinling, and hey, you may even get to create your own version of the classics.

I hope you’ve learned a little bit more about the history behind Jiangnan today. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design