Common Questions

There are questions about what is actually included in the game, in the boxes as well as options and what fits in the core box and what doesn’t. These are questions that I’ve seen in the Facebook Group or the Comments section on GameFound.

Awaken Realms now maintains their own FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that you should be aware of. Find it at the bottom of their Resources page:
=> Resources (Awaken Realms)

Then there are questions about how the game actually PLAYS. Those questions will be answered on the Gameplay page.

Now … here are the common questions with pointers where the official answers have been (numbered for easy future reference). If an answer was in a video, the time stamp is included so you can watch that portion yourself as well.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Click to Jump to Section => App / Cards / Delivery Estimate / Dice / Miniatures (Sundrop) / Personal Files / P.E.T.s / Playmats / Pledge Manager / Section Boxes / Shipping – Single or Split in Waves / Sleeves

General Questions

  1. Q: Why was shipping / delivery delayed? A: See a 10 point summary: Delivery Ship Date Estimate Source: Developer Update #4. See also the updated TIMELINE that Awaken Realms posted on May 10, 2022 in Official Update #37 here: Timeline // End of August 2022 is the latest estimated delivery of the 1st wave English.

App

  1. Q: Will there be a PC version of the app? A: Maybe. Source: May 24 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 11:55 (The app is being coded in Unity which is a multi-platform development system, so … maybe)
  2. Q: How will we be playing this? ( App,.mp3,..) If the contents will be available just via app, you should consider to release this also via file.. So in a distant future [without internet] we will be still able to access this material A: first it will be on the app, but we will think about a downloadable offline version. Source: Marcin reply to a June 23 Facebook Question
  3. Q: Will the App need a constant internet connection to work? A: Nope. Source: Marcin reply to a June 23 Facebook Question
  4. The app should be fully ready by the time the game is delivered to backer’s per Marcin. Source: May 9 Q&A with Marcin at timestamp 8:50
  5. Awaken Realms can update all the files used within the App directly from the App itself. Each time you start the App it checks for new files, and if any new files are found it tells you the total file size and asks if you wish to update your files.

Cards

  1. Q: What is the size of the cards? A: This will be included in the next official update. Source: May 24 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 32:50 (Marcin will have his new PR manager get this info into the next update.) Then Awaken Realms clarified what the anticipated card sizes in the game would be in their official Update #23 on June 21, 2021 with this info:

    ISS Vanguard uses the following card sizes, already found in various other Awaken Realms games:
    1. 44x67mm (Mini Euro size)
    2. 63x88mm (Standard CCG size)
    3. 80×120 (Dixit-type / Oversized)
      It also introduces one new card size:
    4. 70x70mm (FFG-type square) 
  2. Q: How many cards will be included in the game? A: Currently unknown, but based on the sleeves add-on, between 1,750 and 2,000 cards in the Core box and between 2,850-3,100 cards with expansions. However, it may be less than originally noted in the campaign since the “lead” cards are now gems and not cards. Based on the number of packs of sleeves (in the two Sleeve Add-Ons):
    1. Small cards (50/pack) – between 550 and 600 Core // between 800-850 Expanded
    2. Square cards (50/pack) – between 100 and 150 Core // between 200-250 Expanded
    3. Standard cards (100/pack) – between 1,100 and 1,200 Core // between 1,800-1,900 Expanded
    4. Oversized cards (50/pack) – between 1 and 50 Core // between 50-100 Expanded
      Source: Sleeves Item Description: Core // Expanded
  3. How Many Cards? Based on what the final rulebook states as included in the Core Box there should be about 334 small cards, 704 standard cards and 136 large or “other” sized cards. Source: Rulebook referenced in Card Count summary article
  4. Which of the cards might benefit from sleeving?
    Small Cards:I would NOT sleeve these small cards:

    • 40 Unique Discovery cards
    • 65 Discovery cards
    • Tutorial Deck B
    • 41 Bridge cards
    • 31 Lander cards

    I would consider sleeving these small cards:

    • 45 Event cards
    • 20 Rank Up cards
    • 52 Injury cards

    Standard Cards:

    I would NOT sleeve these standard cards:

    • 260 Point Of Interest cards
    • 58 Mission cards
    • Tutorial Deck A cards
    • 90 Crewmember cards (they will already be in rank-up sleeves when in use)
    • 18 Planet Landing cards (they likely won’t fit into the Scanner with sleeves)
    • 24 Research Project cards
    • 27 Production Project cards
    • 24 Facility Upgrade cards

    I would consider sleeving these standard cards (using KMC Perfect Fit Pefect Barrier sleeves – these are thin and tight fitting so you might still be able to fit all your cards into the core game box):

    • 43 Global Condition cards
    • 132 Section cards
    • 26 Situation cards

    Other Size cards

    I would NOT sleeve any of the other sized cards (especially NOT the Equipment cards)

Delivery Estimate

  1. Q: What is the estimated delivery for Wave 1 English? A: August 2022 Source: Timeline from Update 37 posted by Awaken Realms on May 10, 2022 A: End of September 2022 Source: Timeline from Update 40 posted by Awaken Realms on July 27, 2022.
  2. A: Will we get an email with a tracking number when our package is shipped to us? A: Yes

Dice

  1. Q: Can I get an additional set of dice? A: No. The dice upgrade replaces the original dice with the updated dice. Ordering two dice upgrades will NOT get you an extra set of dice. If you order two dice upgrades, you also must have two Core boxes. Source: Item Description (Upgraded dice come instead of standard dice) AND May 24 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 14:50 (No. It is a logistics problem. They are trying to minimize the number of combinations for “orders”.) UPDATE: On January 10, 2022 Awaken Realms added the Deluxe Dice as an Add-On for $39. Source: January 10 2022 Update 31
  2. Q: Are the standard dice engraved (better than just printed) A: Yes, both the standard and upgraded dice are engraved. Source: May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 23:40 (both sets of dice will be engraved.)
  3. Q: Are the standard dice transparent (aka translucent)? A: Yes. The dice seen in the new prototype videos are NOT the standard nor upgraded dice. Awaken Realms will provide photos of the final dice when they are available to them. UPDATE: The standard dice will be a solid color with 100% readability. Source: Marcin Q&A Jan 2022 timestamp 10:05. Also January 10, 2022 Update 31
  4. Q: What is the difference in the Upgraded Dice? A: They are transparent and have some sparkle “stardust” inside and are a blending of two colors. Source: Item Description (two-color acrylic dice with “galaxy” effect) Also January 10, 2022 Update 31
  5. Q: Will the dice upgrade include the injury dice? A: Yes. Source: Marcin Q&A May 17 at time stamp 9:20 (Marcin thinks all of them including the injury dice – the section dice plus others.)
  6. Q: Can Awaken Realms post a photo comparing the standard and upgraded dice? A: They don’t have the final dice yet, so they cannot do this. Source: May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 8:50 (No… they won’t have them to do this. Standard dice will be transparent one color similar to standard dice in Nemesis and Lords of Hellas. The upgraded dice will be two colors mixed together with stardust added.) UPDATE:  They are not sure if they will be able to do this but they know that many people are requesting this. They will try! Source: Dec 13 Q&A timestamp 23:50 UPDATE: there are photos now but they are still not final. Source: January 10, 2022 Update 31
  7. Photos of the Premium Dice were released as part of Update #24. Reference: Premium Dice Photos (not final yet) UPDATE: and more photos were released in Update 31. Source: January 10, 2022 Update 31
  8. Q: Will the extra set of dice from the Add-On fit in the game box? A: @AR_Lukasz answer to Hellas was: Extra dice will come in a bag. 1st wave is the plan. Dice should fit within the core box. Source: Comment on Gamefound

Miniatures (Sundrop)

  1. Q: What is “sundrop” and is it worth getting? A: It is a special treatment for the miniatures that provides “shading” effects to make the miniatures look better (the photo is an example of a miniature from Etherfields). You may NOT wish to get sundrop for your miniatures if you are going to paint them.
  2. Q: What will the final sundrop colors be? A: Awaken Realms has released Nearly Final Draft photos showing how they anticipate the colors to be. The landers will be bluish, the aliens will be similar to that shown on the right of this photo, and the crewmembers for each of the four sections will be colored to match their section color (note that they will be tweaking these colors more before finalizing on them). Source: May 10, 2022 Update 37
  3. Q: Are the Section Boxes sundropped with the Section color? A: Yes. Source: Official Update 37 (note: Engineering Yellow was not included in the parcel sent by the factory to Awaken Realms)
  4. Q: Can I purchase the miniatures as a separate add-on? A: No. Source: Item Description (This item can’t be added to your pledge separately.)
  5. Q: Are the miniatures required to be able to fully play the game? A: No. You can play the full game using standees for the aliens (included in the Core box). Source: April 26 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 16:30 (the miniatures are mostly for the collectors… you can play fine without those using the cards. They are not that much more fun, but they are cool looking and create this extra feeling to the game. So, if you like miniatures, go for it. But if you don’t like miniatures, then don’t get that add-on option as the game will play fine without them too.)
  6. Photos of 3D printed proof miniatures were included in Update #24. Reference: Latest Look at the Miniatures Plus clarification that the shields on some of the miniatures WILL be transparent. Reference: Shields on some minis are still transparent

Personal Files

  1. Q: Should the name actually be “Personnel Files”? A: No. From the item description and example it seems obvious that “Personal” is the correct term. A “personnel file” would refer to a file kept by a company for each of its employees. The “Personal Files” expansion is adding background STORIES about each of the crew members. Source: Item Description (adding more character depth to all of the 90 crew members – learn their personal stories) Also, the 36 page book in this expansion includes 180 personal stories. Source: Item Description (Book with 180 extra personal stories) And from the example crew card it seems obvious that these are PERSONAL stories:
    Meet Isabel Sandoval-Maaeh. She is Dutch. When you receive this card you are to read her story (Personal File #7) [we don’t have access to the included book to provide that story here]. Read the rest of the card:
    Isabel’s Personal Quest is to be in the same sector as an “Otherworldly Visitor” Guardian. If she is successful you are to read her story in Personal File #18. [we don’t have access to the included book to provide the story here] Source: Item Description. This card also gives a little personal background for Isabel: You notice Isabel keeps spending a lot of time in front of Vanguard’s panoramic observation module, her eyes glued to distant stars. When confronted, she admits she feels something calling to her from some distant world. Source: Item Description
  2. Q: Will the Personal Files add-on ship with wave 1? A: YES! Source: Development Update #4 (A LOT of you have asked us to include Personal Files expansion in the 1st wave shipping (and it obviously makes perfect sense) – so we decided to include it into development of 1st wave) AND (We can now state that YES, they will be a part of the 1st wave shipping.)

P.E.T.s

  1. Q: How many P.E.T.s can you take with you on a mission? A: Just one (and one is already included as a “standee” with the Core box and as a miniature with the Close Encounters miniatures. This Add-On does not add any game play value but is purely cosmetic (ie, they are CUTE). Source: May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 9:45 (Only one. The add on is purely cosmetic.)
  2. Q: Will the sundrop option for the four Section P.E.T.s be the color of the Section? A: Yes. Source: Official Update 37 sundrop photos.

Playmats

  1. Q: Will the playmats fit inside the Core box? A: No.
  2. Q: Are the playmats neoprene? A: Yes [per Jordan on Gamefound Comments Dec 5]
  3. Q: How many playmats come in the add-on? A: Four – one for each of the four sections. Source: Item Description (A set of four unique playmats)
  4. Q: Do the playmats replace the Player Boards? A: No. But the playmat will indicate where to place the player board on the mat, along with indications of where other player items will go. Source: May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 17:55 (The playmats do NOT replace the section boards. They will see if they can illustrate or demonstrate how they are used.)
  5. Q: What’s the size of each playmat? A: not final yet, but these numbers have been posted: 410×320 mm or 16.1×12.6 inches Source: Item Description
  6. Q: Is there an option for a bag to hold the playmats? A: No. Source: Item Description // However, you can get playmat bags from a variety of places, such as Inked Gaming that has a 16″ or 26″ long bag. See=> Example Bag
  7. Update 33 announced that the playmats would be slightly bigger due to the dual layer Crew Boards being slightly larger. Source: Update 33

Pledge Manager

  1. Q: When will Pledge Manager reopen? A: Sometime after Wave 1 English games ship. Source: Official FAQ states: “THE PLEDGE MANAGER IS CURRENTLY CLOSED. However, we will be reopening the pledge manager for backers of ISS Vanguard after the initial wave is sent.”

Section Boxes

  1. Q: Will the Section Boxes fit in the Core game box? A: No. Source: May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 8:25 (this add on will NOT fit into the insert in the Core box but there will be a different box for them.) AND May 17 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 23:15 (The hard plastic Section Boxes will NOT fit into the game box.)
  2. Q: Are there section boxes in the Core game? A: Yes. They fit nicely into the game box insert. Source: Official Update 36 photos
  3. Q: Will the sundrop option for the Section Boxes match the Section colors? A: Yes. Source: Official Update 37 (note: Engineering Yellow was not included in the parcel sent by the factory to Awaken Realms)

  4. For more about the Section Storage Boxes, from prototype 1 to prototype 2, the add-on and anticipated core box insert => Section Storage Boxes

Shipping – Single or Split

  1. Q: Since I am only getting the Core Box, I should choose Single Shipment, right? A: Not necessarily. Even the basic Core Box pledge includes the Stretch Goals box which is scheduled for the 2nd wave of shipments. If you choose Single Shipment, you will NOT get anything when the game first ships. Six months to a year later, you will get both your Core Box and the Stretch Goals box as part of Wave 2 shipping. So, essentially, Single Shipment means Wave 2 Shipping only (and nothing in Wave 1). Source: Official FAQ (adjusted for the announced 6 month delay): ONE Wave and TWO Wave Shipping: ONE wave shipping is a cheaper option – if you choose it you will get your game as a single package in estimated delivery date of October 2022. TWO wave shipping is a more expensive option – if you choose it you will get 1st wave Items in estimated delivery date of February 2022 and 2nd wave items in estimated delivery date October 2022.
  2. Q: Should I pay for a 2 wave shipping If all can be delivered in first wave? A: The only way to get anything in the first wave is to pay extra for Split Shipping. If you choose Single Shipment it all comes in Wave 2. Source: Official FAQ (see above)
  3. Q: I don’t understand how the two shipping options work! A: One of our ISS Vanguard Guru’s (Tony) explains it like this:
    None of the pledge tiers are “core box only” because every pledge tier has stretch goals, many of which are in Wave 2 (for instance, there’s a full free expansion called Lost Fleet).
    It’s a bit confusing since there’s a pledge called “core pledge” but if you click on it and look at the description and contents, it’s a bit clearer that it consists of core box + a stretch goal box. So, split shipment would allow you to get the former earlier and the latter later. I wish they made it much clearer on the page and during the checkout process. Source: Official FAQ (see above)
  4. Q: What about non-English versions? A: Add about 5 months to the English edition shipping estimates. Source: Official FAQ: ONE Wave and TWO Wave Shipping: the non-English editions will ship few months later (approx. 5) due to the translation needs.

Sleeves

  1. Q: If I am just getting the Core game, will the sleeves add-on contain enough sleeves for everything (including the Stretch Goals)? A: Yes. There are two different sleeves add-ons. You only need to get the less expensive add-on for the base Core game. Source: Item Description (you’ll get enough to fully sleeve your game)
  2. Q: I am getting the All-In pledge. Will the All-In sleeves add-on be enough for all the cards? A: Yes. Source: Item Description (Guaranteed to accommodate all of the cards from the boxes from the Dreadnought/Ultimate all-in pledge)
  3. Q: Will sleeved cards fit in the game box? A: No. However, they will come with their own card storage box (similar to the one for Etherfields). Source: April 12 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 22:00 (to allow cards to fit into the box with sleeves they would need to allow about double the space, and then people who do not get sleeves are impacted. So, what Awaken Realms does is that those who order the sleeves thru them will get an extra box to hold the sleeved cards.) AND May 31 Q&A with Marcin at time stamp 13:30 (box for the sleeves – will it be similar to the one for Etherfields? A: Yes, something like that.) AND January 29, 2022 Awaken Realms gave this info about sleeves fitting into the core box: No, sleeved cards won’t fit into the modular trays (apart from 36 special Rank sleeves used by the base game). With 1100+ cards that nearly double their thickness when sleeved this was simply impossible to pull off in the core game, without shipping a half-empty, enormous box to all other backers who didn’t order sleeves – and without drastically increasing the footprint of the trays that you need to keep on the table. We’re working on alternative card storage that would come with the Sleeves add-on, but the details will be shared later. (source: Reply to a comment on Gamefound Update 33 by Krzysztof Piskorski at Awaken Realms posted on January 29, 2022)
  4. Q: How many sleeves are in each pack? A: Based on previous Awaken Realms projects:
    50 per pack of small cards
    100 per pack of normal cards
    50 per pack of oversized cards
    ~50 per pack of square cards (a guess)
  5. Q: How many packs of sleeves are in the add-ons?
    Small: 12 core // 17 expanded
    Square: 3 core // 5 packs
    Standard: 12 core // 19 packs
    Oversized: 1 core // 2 packs
    Total of 28 packs core // 43 packs expanded
    Source: Item Description: Core // Expanded

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