Add-ons and Dark Zones
over 8 years ago – Sun, Jan 03, 2016 at 12:48:19 AM

Greetings and a happy New Year to all our backers and supporters. 

We wish you a fantastic year 2016 filled with exciting gaming sessions playing and running First Contact: X-Corps.

As we’ve entered into the final week of our campaign, we’ve decided to create a list of add-ons that may well evolve depending on the stretch goals unlocked these last few days. 

A very important point though: the physical add-ons can only be taken by backers who have pledged at a printed book Reward Tier. 

They won’t be charged any extra shipping fees though as they’re already covered in their initial pledge Reward Tier.

Here is what you can add to your pledge:

Physical add-ons

1 pack of 5 exclusive dice: €8 (approx.$8.70/£5.90)

20 character sheets: €5 (approx. $5.45/£3.70)

2 exclusive bookmarks: €5 (approx. $5.45/£3.70)

1 extra copy of the core book: €35 (approx. $38/£25.70)

1 extra copy of the core book+ 1 full colour soft screen: €40 (approx. $43.45/£29.40)

PDF add-ons

1 extra copy of the core book: €10 (approx. $10.9/£7.35)

1 extra copy of the core book+ 1 full colour soft screen: €15 (approx. $16.29/£11)

3 Wallpapers: €5 (approx. $5.45/£3.70)

If you want to take one or several add-ons, add the total amount in Euros to your pledge without changing your pledge Reward Tier. 

Keep track of the extra items you’d like to receive. When the campaign is over, you will be contacted to give us the details of the add-ons you’ll have selected.

With six days remaining, we really look forward to seeing new backers and also to unlocking some stretch goals, like the sourcebook. 

So please, help us spread the word now more than ever so that our campaign is more successful than what it already is!

Let’s go on to see what dangers our brave reporter is facing to give us some insights on the Chandra menace.

Sneaking into the Dark Zones

“Welcome back! I’m here with Major McAlister at one of the most renowned Dark Zones in the US, and we’re looked at some amazing pictures from our advanced telephoto lens. Thank you for joining us Major.”

“Glad to be here Ms Thomas.”

“Now, we’re hoping to catch sight of a Chandra patrol, but in the meantime, can you tell us a little about where we are?”

“Of course. Well, this is simply what we call observation post 27. We’ve set up several of these positions around the entire Dark Zone to keep an eye on the alien activity. They may seem far away but we like to keep a wide perimeter.”

“Are you worried about alien weapon attacks out this far?”

“That is a concern, but we have set up beyond what we believe is the current range of most alien weapons. But actually, keeping the humans out is often harder than keeping the aliens in.”

“How is that?”

“We are regularly arresting trespassers in the area. What most people forget is that the Dark Zones are designated military areas and are closed to the public. I can’t emphasise enough that this is for the safety of the public.”

“What makes someone try to cross the checkpoints?”

“Quite often its kids, teenagers mostly. They think it’s a cool game to get close to the Dark Zones and take a look. Thankfully, very few are able to evade our patrols. We can’t cover the entire perimeter but we do cover most of it. These kids don’t realise how close the danger is. But few of them try it again once a military patrol has brought them home and had a word with their parents.”

“I know I would have been so grounded if that had happened to me!”

“I’m sure. But the kids aren’t the real problem. It’s the conspiracy nuts and the amateur journalists. We guard the area in the interest of public safety. But there are plenty who believe that anything we won’t allow public access to must be some secret. We are often pulling out people who think we are hiding something here. They have little understanding of the danger and many are quite adept at avoiding our patrols. You even get a few glory hunters thinking they can uncover something or get some pictures worth selling. If we can find them, we get them out. Those we don’t find are rarely seen again.”

“Sobering thoughts Major. Now Geoff our cameraman is telling us he’s seeing movement again. We’ll take a look at those pictures while we take another break and be right back with more on the Dark Zones after these messages!”

Last update of the year!
over 8 years ago – Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 09:10:08 AM

Greetings everyone!

This is our last update forthis year! First we'd like to address our heartfelt thanks to all the backers who have been supporting us.

We hope you're enjoying some great holiday time with your family and your friends!

Please share the project with your friends and with your social circles. It would be great to improve our offer with a free sourcebook, more scenarios, a better cover, or exclusive dice for our backers.

And now, while waiting for the New Year's Eve celebrations, let's take...

A Closer Look at the Dark Zones

“Hi, and welcome back to ‘Chandra Today’ with me, Catharine Thomas, and the daily news crew.”

“We’ve been talking a lot recently about alien attacks and Global Defence. But what often gets forgotten are the mysterious Dark Zones littered across the world. So we’ve come out here today to see what we can at one of the closest ones here in the US.”

“Obviously we can’t get too close. Alien activity is at a peak here and Global Defence maintains a strict perimeter. But we’ve got a telephoto lens and an expert guide here in the shape of Major Steven McAlister who has allowed us this unprecedented access. Good morning Major”

“Good morning Ms Thomas. And can I say we’re actually very happy you approached us. Global Defence is very glad to have this opportunity to show how we police the Dark Zones and help show the public what we know.”

“Thanks Major, we’re happy to help! I can see Geoff and the camera boys have got some pictures coming through to the monitor now. Can you talk us through some of the images we’re seeing here?”

“Of course. Well, as you can see, firstly there isn’t must to see. What we’re looking at is the outskirts of a city. The aliens haven’t covered it with slime or added hundreds of weapons to the outside. But there is movement there if you look closely to the left of the picture.”

“Are those Chandra?”

“Well, it’s hard to know at this distance, but we have seen regular patrols maintaining a perimeter.” “What about the communications field?”

“Well, I expect most people imagine some sort of force field,”

“A little too much science fiction I suppose.”

“Maybe, but it isn’t that far from the truth. However, the field is invisible to the human eye. So while many people think there is some black shield dome over the city there is actually very little to see.”

“That’s a shame for our viewers Major!”

“Ha, I’m sorry about that Ms Thomas. But we can show you some of its effects. If you can get the camera to focus up a little further on the middle of the picture...”  

“Do you mean this pixellated area? Geoff, can you do something with that?”

“If he can we’ll be recruiting him for our science division Ms Thomas! That blurring is an effect of the field. The light itself the lens is picking up is getting refracted in a similar way to any wave based signal we try to get through.”

“Fascinating stuff Major, and we’ll be talking more about the science of that later on with Dr Martin Topping in our weekly alien watch science special. Meanwhile, we have to take a break, but we’ll be back in five, perhaps with live pictures of one of the alien patrols.”

A day with X-Corps
over 8 years ago – Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 06:48:34 AM

Greetings,

A warm welcome to our new backers! I hope everyone is having wonderful holidays!

We're funded, thanks to you all, but in the final ten days of the project we'd love to meet a couple stretch goals and add more material for you. 

So please continue to spread the word! 

We need more soldiers for the Global Defense units!

If you have any comment or suggestions about stretch goals or any product, feel free to send us a message. 

Now, some more information about the story, an excerpt from the core book explaining the nickname "X-Corps" for Global defense units. 

A day with X-Corps 

(excerpt from the core book) 

"Jessica asked Josh to record a few shots of the table and had coffee with milk and toast. While chatting amiably with the captain she found out that before the arrival of the Chandra he had been a security analyst in the Canadian Ministry of Defence and that his wife had died years before in a traffic accident. 

The nickname Papa Bear suited him perfectly. Rather big and jolly-looking, he looked like no other soldier she had ever seen. During breakfast she got up to record some quick questions from the troops. 

She noticed several had an X-shaped tattoo on their right arm. “Hello, do you mind if I ask about the tattoo?” she said to a ruddy young man who never stopped smiling.

“This is the X of the XCorps. The X of “Go back to you own fucking planet”,” the soldier replied. The rest of the team cheered their comrade and some rose from their seats to show their tattoos to the camera by raising their sleeves and flexing their muscles. Jessica sat down after joking with the men and getting a few compliments. 

The captain remained thoughtful. “What do you think of the nickname XCorps?”

“The X has always meant the unknown. That’s what we’re here for. Facing an enemy whose origins and plans remain a mystery. It’s an enemy we hadn’t seen before, that has travelled millions of kilometres just to wage war. This X frightens me,” the comment attracted the attention of the troopers who started to watch him in silence. 

The captain decided to change the tone of his message. “But we’re also carrying the X because we chose to fight; we chose to face that fear, that enemy. We carry the X because we are the only ones between those things and the rest of the world. They may have struck the first blow, but we will strike the last. We must strike the last blow.” 

The men cheered their captain and even Jessica felt infected by the team’s euphoria. "

Approaching First stretch goal!
over 8 years ago – Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 08:38:57 AM

Greetings everyone.

First, thanks a lot for your constant support! We are very proud of your trust in our company and our products.

We have already modified this project to offer you the full-colour soft screen, whatever your pledge level is. This will come as either a physical or digital reward depending on your pledge.

So the first stretch goal was changed. We think you would rather have more details about the game, or more advanced rules about aliens than dice or patches.

Now the first stretch goal at 15K will be The Darkest Hour sourcebook, a gorgeous full color book with new rules, new archetypes, equipment for the players and a restricted area for the Game Director with alien technologies, new specimens and two adventures to play. 

Thanks for your answers, backers, and for your help! We still need you to reach the first stretch goal! So again, spread the word!

About add-ons.

We're going to create a list of limited add-ons. You will be able to add individual physical copies of the First Contact core book or any other reward item we'll add, to any pledge that already requires shipping a physical book by manually adding the appropriate amount on the pledge page. If your pledge is PDF only, you may buy PDF add-ons. We'll use Backer kit survey at the end of the campaign to help you decide what you need exactly because KS is not managing add-ons yet.

You will be able to chose between exclusive dice, PDF wallpapers, physical and pdf books,etc.

We just receive a sample of our exclusive dark blue die, where the customized side is a Ghostwolf unit symbol on the 6’s side. We love it!

Improving the project
over 8 years ago – Mon, Dec 28, 2015 at 12:24:31 PM

Hi everyone,

We still have more than a week to reach new backers and hopefully achieve several stretch goals. We already made several adjustments to the project. 

Now, the english-language GM screen is no longer a stretchgoal but is offered with bundles from Survivor to Ghostwolf officer (PDF or physical).

Please share the project with your friends and in your social circles. It would be great to improve our offer with a free sourcebook, a better cover, or exclusive dice for our backers.

 Of course we do appreciate your comments or wishes to make our project even better.

 Now, more news about Blackstone industries:

Blackstone Industries to the Rescue?

An alien insurgency force was successfully wiped out by agents of Blackstone Industries today. The alien attack was made on a small town in California, and is believed to have been a scouting mission. 

Witnesses report that an alien craft landed in the centre of the small town and begun to attack the populace. Many townsfolk were rounded up by the Chandra.

Blackstone Industries was the first to respond, arriving on the scene a full hour before any Global Defence forces. They made a lightning assault on the alien position, forcing them to retreat to their craft. After a heavy exchange of fire the alien craft took off and made its escape.

Blackstone press liaison Poppy Masters was quickly on the scene to explain the situation to the waiting journalists. “This incident is a major success for Blackstone, and proof that an independent organisation is the way forward in the fight against the alien threat. We have the deepest respect for Global Defence, but the fact is they just aren’t up to the job. We at Blackstone have better resources and a better response time. We don’t have an agenda beyond the safety of ordinary people. Global Defence may say this is short sighted, but we believe someone needs to stand up for the real people caught in this conflict. We don’t call the death of civilians ‘collateral damage’ or ‘unfortunate and unavoidable’. We make sure it doesn’t happen.”

While Blackstone’s press office is organised and persuasive, they have not convinced Global Defence. Major Ronald Wembley of LOGCOM was equally swift to comment on today’s events. 

“Blackstone is quite simply a menace. They are disrupting Global Defense operations, and endangering civilian lives with their gung ho tactics. We all like to imagine a superhero is coming to save us, but Blackstone are vigilante justice with a corporate sponsor. Our intelligence suggests the alien attack today kidnapped several people. This is something that would not have happened if Global Defense had not been trying to work around an illegal and frankly quite amateur assault from Blackstone.”

Ms Masters was responded that Blackstone made every attempt to work with Global Defence but were ignored. She also underlined that Blackstone was not an illegal operation and her lawyers would be discussing Major Wembley’s comments with him very soon. It has since become clear that some of the townsfolk were abducted, but Blackstone and Global Defence both blame each other for this failure. In the current crisis we have to wonder if either operation is up to the task, as their failure to work together is proving extremely damaging in the fight against humanity’s greatest enemy.