In a lengthy news update Modiphius has acknowledged concerns over the production quality of Elder Scrolls: Call To Arms and shared plans on how these problems will be fixed.
This includes free replacement physical books for anyone who has already bought one.
Unfortunately, it also means a delay in production.
Gavin Dady, Senior Project Manager, conceded that there is an impression the rules are not consistent or consolidated, and that product quality in some cases had not been good enough.
Firstly, we are pausing development and releases for two months from the end of July. We are bringing Histories of the Empire Volume One: The Stormcloak Rebellion release forward to the end of July from the end of August, as we have stock in hand for it.
The delay gives the company time to look into and tackle shipping and create time for US disruption to catch up. A US web store will be launching soon.
Modiphius is far from the only game developer with significant challenges with global logistics, crate and even paper supply.
The new rules will not be wholesale changes, not a new edition, but ambiguities will be removed and page references updated.
The updated rulebook will be made available for free in PDF and sent to all customers. For retailers it will be available via the Bits & Mortar scheme to give to their customers. We will then print this updated rulebook and will offer copies FREE via the Modiphius web store to all customers who purchased the game, you will only have to pay postage. Modiphius will work with distributors and retailers to get the books out to stores. Stickers will be added to existing stock of Core sets advising how to get the updated rulebooks. Unfortunately we are not in a position to swap out the rulebooks in the Core sets already produced but we hope the availability of the updated PDF’s and the free rulebooks will offset this.
The publisher also acknowledges that the card packs are not of the quality they had hoped. The hope is to switch back to the original printer, which did better but suffered a fire. However, Modiphius say that all the cards currently made are “fit for purpose”.
Dragons and interim Draugr faction rules remain as print and play products for now, but will be released as physical card sets as part of Chapter 4: Rise of the Dragon Priests* in mid 2022. It was always our intention that both Dragons and Draugr would need a full chapter to themselves, but we also wanted to give the community rules to be working with and to give us feedback on. Dragons have taken longer than we expected because, well, doing justice to Dragons is a complicated business and we want to get it right.
We’re 18-months into the game, and Modiphius has taken this chance to commit to it for at least 3 years. An updated and deluxe hardback rulebook had always been on the cards, one that included community scenarios, painting guides and tutorials. Those plans will continue, and when the opportunity presents, the publisher will then look at “larger structural changes” to the game.
The whole team at Modiphius are deeply invested in The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms and we believe that it is a great game and want to present it in the best possible way. It had a difficult launch straight into the teeth of COVID-19 crisis that required shutdowns of our development team, shipping disruptions, loss of any organised play or retailer support programme and the cancellation of every trade and wargames show for pretty much 2 years. I am very proud of the dedication and effort the whole team at Modiphius has put in to continue through this difficult time.
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