FAQ
What's the difference between the second edition and the Essential Edition?
--Aesthetically, the box art is slightly different and the rulebook is more detailed (it'll be on our website in case you want to download and print it). Otherwise everything is the same as the second edition--tons of custom wooden components, glass beads, game board, vineyard mats, etc.
In terms of components, the Essential Edition includes 36 Mama & Papa cards, Field cards (previously known as "Properties"), and 24 Automa cards (solo variant).
The hardest change to describe is the assortment of 76 visitor cards. Basically, we've removed all visitor cards that aren't useful at certain times in the game and replaced them with the "advanced" version, then removed the word "advanced" so there's only one version of each visitor.
Are there any rule changes?
--Yes, two small changes that are "official," but it's also not imperative that you play with them. The first is that there's no longer a 25-point max in any version of Viticulture. The second is that if you want to gain the 1 VP bonus from a tasting room, you need to have at least 1 wine token in your cellar. You don't do anything with the token--it just needs to be in the cellar, representing a cask from which guests can sample wine when they visit the tasting room. This change is meant to stymie strategies that try to completely avoid making wine while still making elements of those strategies viable.
Why aren't there any stretch goals?
--This isn't a Kickstarter campaign where the size of the print run, the number of components, and the feasibility of the production are in flux. Rather, Viticulture and the upgrade pack are currently in the final stages of production at Panda Game Manufacturing and will ship out of China by the end of September.
I already have the second edition of Viticulture--should I get the Essential Upgrade Pack or Tuscany?
--It depends. If you enjoy medium-weight Euro games, the upgrade pack might be the best fit for you. It adds a few basic elements to the game that add a lot of variety. It also adds the solo variant Automa deck if you enjoy solo play. However, Tuscany provides the fullest experience possible. It's a massive box of 12 expansions that truly enrich Viticulture. We probably won't ever print 4 out of the 12 expansions again (Patronage, Arboriculture, Formaggio, and Mafia), so if you like having the complete version of a game, skip the upgrade pack and get Tuscany now while you can.
I already have the second edition of Viticulture and Tuscany--should I get the Essential Upgrade Pack?
--No, you shouldn't. If you have Viticulture and Tuscany, you already have everything you would get in upgrade pack (and much, much more).
Isn't it a bit soon to release a new edition only a year after the second edition?
--Well, yes. This wasn't the original plan. It certainly would have been a lot easier to just reprint the second edition. But I didn't expect Uwe Rosenberg--one of my game design idols--to contact me to say that he loved Viticulture and Tuscany and wanted to be involved. Also, having a $70 expansion pack for a $60 game isn't really a viable-long term model.
Why isn't the extended board including in the Essential Edition? Isn't it essential?
--We love the extended board, but Uwe's council was that it's a little too much in a game that already has a lot going on. Our intention is to create a lighter version of Tuscany in the future that only includes the extended board, structure cards, and special worker meeples.
So there will be a German version at some point?
--Yes, in early 2016. We're producing it in collaboration with a German company who hasn't announced it yet, so I'll let them do that when they're ready.
Why is shipping more expensive than usual? Why are some products limited to certain regions?
--Some of the products in this pre-order aren't actually pre-order products--they're in warehouses in specific parts of the world and not in other parts. If you're in Asia, you can also pre-order from our friends at VFI by contacting
sales@vfi.asia. A general overview of our shipping costs (keeping in mind that some of the costs are built into the cost of the games) is US ($5), Western EU ($5-9), Central EU ($19), Asia ($9-19), Australia ($19), Canada ($15), rest of world ($30).
I have other questions.
--I probably have other answers. Post questions and comments on the BGG thread about the Essential Edition or on our website.
:D