Designers' Diary entry for Winter

Hey, everyone!

Round Two of the Independent-themed set playtest is ongoing. We had a rather lengthy review process after Round One, with over 40 of the 70+ cards getting adjustments. A handful of cards were cut because they weren't working out to our liking or to the liking of the playtesters, and we've replaced them with some new ideas. We're still on track for a 70-card set: 9 crypt cards and 5 library cards for each of the 5 clans (Assamites, Garengrel, Giovanni, Ravnos, and Setites). Mid-round playtest reports are being submitted, and we'll be concluding Round Two in a couple of weeks. One more round of playtest is planned after that. The release of the set will happen when the final adjustments to the cards are made and all of the artwork is completed.

The artwork is coming along nicely. We have twenty-five finished pieces submitted and three in progress. They're all portraits for crypt cards, as crypt cards are easier to design and balance than library cards. We'll start commissioning library card art after Round Two of playtest, and some will likely be commissioned based on the mid-round reports. We've recruited a new artist, Mark Kelly, for this set and we're thrilled with the work he's done. Most of the artists from Danse Macabre will be returning, as well. We're more than happy to bring more artists on board, so if you know any you'd recommend, please let us know!

In addition, the V:EKN Marketing Team has prepared a survey about Danse Macabre. We'd love to get your feedback about that set, and the url for it will be posted soon.

Here are some artwork previews for the upcoming set, done by Mark Kelly:

- Ben Peal and the V:EKN Design Team