Voidpilots Dispatch #19: Tariffs and Backup Planning
8 months ago
– Tue, Sep 09, 2025 at 02:47:14 PM
Hi everyone,
It’s time for another update on Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy. We'll be upfront: the ongoing tariff situation continues to present real challenges for us moving into production and getting the game fulfilled.
Tariff Update: More Instability
Since our last post, things have gotten even more unpredictable on the trade front. The “de minimis” tariff exception, a potential workaround that would have allowed us to import without steep duties, has been rescinded for all countries. On top of that, the entire U.S. tariff framework is now under legal challenge.
In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has just agreed to hear a case that questions the constitutionality of the tariff authority itself, with oral arguments scheduled for November. Frankly, any outcome of the case will result in further instability.
We cannot emphasize this enough: this level of instability is unprecedented. Every time we start moving toward production, the rules shift again. Our primary concern remains the same: we want to make sure we can deliver your game without exposing the project to financial risk that could make fulfillment unsustainable.
Exploring a Backup Plan
Given this continued volatility, we are now actively researching a backup manufacturing plan.
That said, it is important to remember that we have already paid a 50% deposit to our overseas manufacturing partner, and we have invested heavily in adapting to their production systems. If we were to switch now, those funds would be unrecoverable, so any change would need to be carefully evaluated against our remaining budget, logistics, and timelines.
We are gathering quotes and other information so we can make a fully informed decision if we decide to pivot. We will keep you posted as soon as we know more.
We appreciate your continued patience, support, and belief in this project.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #18: Summer Update
9 months ago
– Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 04:04:07 PM
Hi everyone,
We hope you're enjoying a restful and refreshing summer!
Pirate Expansion Sneak Peak: Interdiction
Let’s talk about a new feature we’re introducing in the Pirate Expansion: Interdiction.
Pirates can’t chase ships at faster than light speed, so they do the next best thing: intercept them at sublight speeds to force them into dangerous encounters. That’s where Interdiction comes in.
What Is It?
Interdiction is a brand-new Event type and introduces a new Module—the Interdictor—which replaces the Utility module on your ship.
New Interdiction Events and Interdictor Module
Your Objective:
Force a freighter out of its transit path and into combat. Target freighters have an Evasion value, and your job is to match or exceed it using the Interdictor.
How It Works:
Start by rolling 6 dice using the Interdictor.
- Every 6 rolled counts as a success against the target’s Evasion and is placed on the Module.
- If you roll at least one success, reroll the remaining dice.
- If you roll no successes, remove one die from the pool and reroll the rest.
- If you roll at least one 1, you may reroll that die (yes, even pirates get lucky breaks).
Allocating power to the standard Interdictor module results in automatic successes (up to the module's limit).
If your total successes exceed the freighter’s Evasion, you’ve successfully interdicted the target vessel! That's when a new Freighter Combat encounter begins (we'll go into more detail about that in a future update).
Fail, and your ship takes damage equal to the number of unmet success slots still visible.
We'll have more to share as we continue preparing for production. Thank you, as always, for your support!
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #17: Steady Progress, Shifting Trade Winds
10 months ago
– Wed, Jul 02, 2025 at 02:00:04 PM
Hi everyone,
Time to share a brief update on Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy.
Production Update
The tariff situation between China and the U.S. remains unpredictable. During what was meant to be a 90-day period of reduced tariffs and negotiations, rates have continued to fluctuate. Most recently, the Treasury Secretary announced that tariffs on goods manufactured in China will start at 30%. We’re watching the situation closely and will update you as soon as we know more about how it will affect the production timeline.
On a more positive note, we've completed all of the digital files for the cards, including the base game and expansions. We are now moving on to preparing the files needed for the rewards.
Pirate Expansion Sneak Peak
We've been keeping quiet about a lot of the Pirate Expansion, but we wanted to share a glimpse today. In the Pirate Expansion, your primary goal is to build out your Asteroid Base before Authority forces reinforce the system. They’re coming fast, with only four runs of the deck available to build up your base before they arrive!
We'll drop more info soon!
Thanks again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #16: Navigating a Shifting Tariff Landscape
11 months ago
– Mon, May 19, 2025 at 03:52:07 PM
Hi everyone,
This is a quick update to keep you informed on where things stand with Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy. While there have been no major developments in production since our last post, we want to share more context about the situation we’re closely monitoring behind the scenes.
A Highly Unusual Trade Environment
At the heart of the delay is the fluid and unpredictable tariff situation between the U.S. and China, where our manufacturing partner is located. While recent tariff rates have temporarily dropped from 145% to 30% for a planned 90-day window, there is no assurance those rates will hold.
To give you an idea of the volatility: the initial spike from 34% to 145% happened in just 14 days. That kind of swing, without warning, adds a massive layer of uncertainty and business risk.
In typical scenarios, tariff adjustments move through Congress, which provides a natural buffer businesses can plan around. Unfortunately, current conditions do not include those guardrails, and shifts could happen again just as rapidly.
Why We’re Still Holding
If we were to proceed with manufacturing today and the tariff rate returned to 145% by the time the games are shipped, the resulting import costs could render the project insolvent.
It’s important to note that we’ve already paid a 50% deposit to our manufacturing partner and are fully committed to working with them. That means we have limited flexibility in changing our manufacturing approach, but it also means we’re ready to move quickly when the time is right.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
Q: Why not just start production now and deal with tariffs when the game ships?
A: Because tariffs are applied when goods enter the U.S., not when they are manufactured. If rates spike again before arrival, it could dramatically increase import costs and push the project beyond its budget.
Q: Can’t you switch to a manufacturer outside of China?
A: We’ve already paid a 50% deposit, and work is underway to match all of our assets to match our manufacturer's requirements. At this stage, switching manufacturers would not only introduce major delays and additional costs, it would almost certainly render the project insolvent. The funds already committed cannot be recovered, and restarting production elsewhere would exceed our remaining budget.
Q: What changed since the campaign ended?
A: The trade environment has become unusually volatile. Earlier this year, tariffs jumped from 34% to 145% in just two weeks. While there's a temporary reduction in place, there’s no guarantee it will last, and little policy infrastructure exists to slow future spikes.
Q: Will backers have to pay more?
A: As stated during the campaign, shipping and any applicable import duties (including tariffs) will be collected closer to fulfillment. While we can’t guarantee final rates, our goal is to minimize costs wherever possible, and this delay helps reduce the risk of unexpected increases.
Q: When will you move forward?
A: As soon as the tariff environment stabilizes, or we identify a viable workaround, we will proceed quickly. Production files are nearly ready, and we’re actively monitoring the situation.
We know delays are never easy, and we truly appreciate your continued patience and understanding. We’re doing everything we can to move forward responsibly, without compromising the integrity of the project or putting it (and your support) at risk.
More soon,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #15: Production Update
about 1 year ago
– Sat, Apr 19, 2025 at 03:40:44 AM
Hi everyone,
It's time for a quick but important update regarding the timeline for Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy.
We're Delaying the Green Light
As many of you know, we’ve been preparing to enter full-scale production. With our files nearly ready and our manufacturing partners in place, we’ve made the decision to pause before giving the final green light to start production.
The reason? The current global trade environment, especially international tariffs and import policies, is unusually dynamic. We're closely monitoring developments to avoid a situation where importing the game into the United States could result in a significant and unexpected price increase.
Because more than 95% of our orders are bound for U.S. addresses, any sudden changes in tariff policy have the potential to impact nearly every copy we produce. These changes also influence overall production and freight strategy, so this pause will affect our international backers as well.
It’s important to note that we’ve already paid our initial 50% manufacturing deposit, and we’re fully committed to working with our current production partner. This gives us limited flexibility in changing manufacturing plans, but it also means we’re ready to move quickly once we’re confident the timing is right.
What This Means for You
For now, this means our production schedule will be delayed. We're hopeful this pause will be short, and we’ll continue to keep you updated as the situation evolves. In the meantime, development and polish on the game's materials are still moving forward.
We’re as excited as ever to bring Voidpilot’s Legacy to your table, and we’re incredibly grateful for your continued support and understanding as we navigate these final steps with care.
Thanks again,
Nick and Alex
