Publish your works and build your destiny in Jiangnan. A worker placement, area control, and bag building game for 1-4 artisans.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Play as a Female Artisan
about 4 years ago
– Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 03:44:02 PM
Hello Dear Backers!
Three days in, we are at $30,000 USD in funding, and we have unlocked our third stretch goal, Female Talents! Thank you so much for your support to make this happen.
The Four Great Talents of Jiangnan were all men, as in ancient times only men can be recognized as literati scholars. But we are now in the 21st century, and we want to let you choose any of the female characters in the game, and use them as your player avatars during the game!
$30K - Female Talents
To make this happen, every character tile will be double-sided. One side will list the Talent power when played by you, the other side will be the Muse/Assistant power. And yes, this also means that the male characters can also be shuffled into the pool of Muses.
The next stretch goal is more action tiles for Age 2, be more creative with your turn! You may have noticed, this time around we will be focusing on additional game content, and we will need your help to unlock them!
Livestream Today!
Join Paul Grogan from Gaming Rules with a Livestream Tutorial & Playthrough of Jiangnan later today at 20:00 (GMT). Updated map boards, upkeep board, and action tiles will be used in the stream!
Visit the Youtube link above to check which hour it is in your time zone, and set a reminder so you won't miss it🐱🏍
We have reached three stretch goals, and we'll keep moving forward with your help. Share these posts on social media to spread the word, thank you so much for all your support!
Best Regards,
David Liu Producer @ Moaideas Game Design
Famous Four-Man Groupings
about 4 years ago
– Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 02:53:25 PM
If asked who the most famous authors from Europe in the 1500s were, you might mention Shakespeare, Niccolò Machiavelli, Miguel de Cervantes, or Robert Greene. If asked who were the four most famous painters from Europe in the 1500s are, some might say, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. No, they are not turtles.
Well, in the Ming Dynasty one of the most famous four-man grouping of literati scholars were the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan: Tang Bohu (唐伯虎), Xu Zhenqing (徐禎卿), Zhu Zhishan (祝枝山), Xu Zhenqing (徐禎卿), Wen Zhengming (文徵明)
From left to right: Tang Bohu (唐伯虎), Xu Zhenqing (徐禎卿), Zhu Zhishan (祝枝山), Xu Zhenqing (徐禎卿), Wen Zhengming (文徵明)
There are other four-man groupings of artisans and scholars from the Ming Dynasty, but these four are more widely known in pop culture as their exotic lifestyles have been the topic of countless operas, plays, and dramas for centuries.
In fact, even international film superstars like Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) had a comedic film about them—Flirting Scholar. (It's my personal favorite Stephen Chow film)
Stephen Chow was incredibly popular in the late 20th Century. There was a joke in Taiwan that at any given time, at least one of his 70 films was on TV. The point I’m trying to make is, The Four Great Talents of Jiangnan were so influential in their day that 500 years later, people are still making comedic movies about them. Last time I checked, there are at least 3 TV shows based on them in the 2010s, and everyone in the audience knew who they were.
A final note on their names. People of this time had multiple names—and they were all different. They each had a birth name, their professional name, their title, a name they were called after their death, and many others.
For example, Tang Bohu (唐伯虎) also went by 六如居士、桃花庵主、鲁国唐生、逃禅仙吏等、子畏 、唐寅. While he is more commonly known as Tang Yin (唐寅) in English, he is more commonly known as 唐伯虎 (pronounced Tang Bohu) in Chinese. For the purpose of these articles and in the game, we went with the pinyin pronunciation of their commonly known Chinese name.
That's all for now, hopefully I didn’t bore you with a wall of text.
Adding their biographies would make this post even longer, so I'll save it for another day. What would you like to learn more about the Four Great Talents? Let us know in the comments.
Best Regards,
David Liu Producer @ Moaideas Game Design
Chapter 3 Unlocked!
about 4 years ago
– Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 04:35:52 AM
Hello Dear Backers!
We reached our second stretch goal at $25,000 USD, and now for all versions of Jiangnan, The Imperial Exams is now available!
$25K - Chapter 3 - The Imperial Exams
There is more than one way to succeed, try to gain prestige by passing the Imperial Scholar-Official Exams! The Chinese culture has always viewed top testers with high respect, and nothing is more prestigious than becoming a great artisan that also holds a Jinshi degree! (進士, advanced scholar)
Each new chapter will flip over one of the map boards to reveal a different version of the district locations, and Chapter 3 will be the Society. Instead of publishing new works, you may also choose to gather your mental energy and try for the Imperial Exams for Fame and Fortune.
Our next stretch goal is an important one for our efforts on inclusiveness and diversity. We want to allow all male and female characters to be both a player controlled Talent, and also a Muse that you can interact and hire for your studio as an Assistant!
Help us reach this stretch goal by sharing our project on social media. Additionally, you’ll will also be helping us unlock the characters from the Dream of the Red Mansions.
Thank you again for the awesome support. I believe we can make Jiangnan into a great game with your support.
Best Regards,
David Liu Producer @ Moaideas Game Design
Where in the world is Jiangnan?
about 4 years ago
– Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 03:32:40 PM
Jiangnan. It is the namesake of our game, but I'd guess most of you might have never heard of it before. Its ok, the only place I thought I knew before playing a game of the name was Puerto Rico, but turns out I got mixed up with the Bahamas.
Anyways, Jiangnan(written as 江南 in Chinese) literally means “South of the River” or more accurately, “South of the Yangtze River”. Jiangnan is widely considered to be the most prosperous region in China throughout history, and it continues to be an important economic and cultural region today.
Jiangnan was perhaps its most prosperous and influential during the Ming Dynasty, which was itself one the most prosperous times throughout all of Chinese history. Historians compare the economics and living standards of this region with Florence during The Renaissance, and you’ll begin to see the power of the word “Jiangnan” has over Chinese culture.
During that time, literati artists and scholars from all over China gathered in Jiangnan—specifically the capital Jinling (now modern-day Nanjing). With so many artists and scholars in one place, the art and culture of Jiangnan were able to reach heights that still echo today.
The Ming Dynasty is remembered for its literature, dramas, operas, and world-famous porcelain vases. And all of this prosperity, all this literature, all this art, and all this new way of thinking all began in one place—in Jiangnan.
Jiangnan: Life of Gentry
In the game, you will be playing as one of The Four Great Talents of Jiangnan. This is the title given to four of the most recognized literati artisans of the period. Throughout the game you will be wandering the bustling capital city of Jinling, trying to find inspiration for your next work of art.
The Ming Dynasty ended more than 300 years ago, yet its art still lives on in the hearts and minds of the people centuries later. Are you worthy of creating a great masterpiece that will last the test of time? Prove your skills in Jiangnan: Life of Gentry!
That's all for today, please stay tuned for more blogs about the history behind the game.
While I already have a rough outline of all my future articles, I would love to hear from all of you. What would you like to know more about? What are your favorite board games with an Ancient China theme?
Best Regards,
David Liu Producer @ Moaideas Game Design
The Flow is Strong! First SG Unlocked!
about 4 years ago
– Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 09:31:49 AM
Hello Dear Backers!
Our first day was incredibly successful. Pledges are flowing in like an unstoppable wave, and we're really, really, Really Happy that you are supporting us and believing in us!
We have reached the first stretch goal of $20,000 USD a few hours ago, and we should be able to reach the second, even the third goal today!
$20K - Extra Action Tiles I
First up, more Action Tiles for you to draft on the first round of the game. More variety, and more chances to make interesting combos on your turn. This will be unlocked for all versions of Jiangnan, thank you!
The next goal is at $25K, and we will unlock the first additional chapter to Jiangnan - The Imperial Exams! There is more than one way to succeed, try to gain prestige by passing the exams with flying high grades!
We still need your help to reach the next goal, perhaps you can hit 2 birds with 1 stone by sharing our social stretch goal posts?
We have set up a Stretch Goal for the social networks of Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram. A combined total of 100 💖/ shares across platforms will unlock characters from the Dreams of the Red Chamber!
If you like this Kickstarter project and would be willing to share it on these networks, please support us by clicking on the links below and sharing these posts on your personal profiles. Your help is greatly appreciated!
