I figure many of you already have the scoop but I thought I'd post anyway.

Two errors were mentioned in previous threads:

There should be 27 clay counters - not 33 as stated in the rules. So if you have 27 you are not missing anything.

Stone is black not gray as mentioned in the rules. (It was black in the original edition as well.)

I am told that the games slated for me are leaving the printer next week. This puts it at around 2-3 weeks (barring customs delays) to get to my warehouse. As soon as it comes in and inventoried (and as long as it is not late in the day) the games will start shipping.

Please note that Hanno is graciously taking care of any customer service requests until I get my copies in - since I have no copies with which to fill those requests.

Also, note, I don't even have a copy of the EN version so I have no idea how it has turned out. I have gotten some emails from European customers who seem to be ok with it so I hope all remains well.

Distributors will be allocated product because their orders has surpassed the quantity I have printed: but I have initiated another print run which will be ready around early August and thus in my warehouse by end of August. If I see the need to make more I will (and my guess I will need more).

I think that is it for now.

Thanks,
Zev Shlasinger, President
Z-Man Games, Inc.
www.zmangames.com

.. need.. farming... animeeples....

Let me see if I have this right...a week or two ago the English copies were shipping from the warehouse and they would be on the boat and in customs for 2-3 weeks, barring any other issues.

Now that I'm thinking the game is only 2-3 weeks from being in my hands, am I to understand that the English copies for Z-Man won't be leaving the printer until next week (sometime on or shortly after July 7th)?

Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me it's not another month or more before I see this game. Please. Lie to me if you have to.

Thank you Zev, for the update!

John, it sounds like he's saying that the English copies for ZMan are not shipping until next week, I infer from that info that the English copies that were shipped last week were the ones for folks on that side of the pond. I'm sure Zev, as a small game publisher in the US, has very little control over who gets what first from a European printer, so all we can do is wait and express our appreciation to Zev for keeping us informed through it all.

You lucky Brits! Just don't taunt us poor Yanks too much while we have our long wait!

Correct. I did say European customers would get it first as the European distribs got it direct from the printer before it was sent to me.

As for the shipping date I thought they were going to leave while I was at Origins but I have no idea why they did not. I'm rolling with the punches, going with flow, folks. I can only tell you what I'm told.

Zev Shlasinger, President
Z-Man Games, Inc.
www.zmangames.com

OK! It's on your shelf right now, tucked away in the back.

Thanks all!

I didn't mean to imply anything negative. I appreciate the info. Just finding it hard to wait. I'm sure you all can relate to some degree or another.

I totally can! I think I'm checking the Agricola page here on BGG at least 10 times a day, hoping for some update that there's been a miracle and our Agricolas should be on our doorsteps now. Very, very pathetic of me!!!

I preordered through Thoughthammer in March. I'm moving soon and don't want to deal with the hassle of telling Thoughthammer where I'm going to be. So I cancelled my preorder. If somebody else wants it, tell Thoughthammer you want my copy with the extra cards and maybe they will get it for you.

Awesome! Glad to hear something from the Z-Man himself...looks like my final weeks of summer will be packed with Agricola goodness!

I might find it hard to wait except that, oh yea, I've already got 200 games on my shelves that don't get the attention they deserve.

All I know is that Guitar Hero IV better not be one day late or I'm holding Zev personally responsible.

Personally, I would rather wait and have the best product possible.

I'm really jazzed to get my copy. Please, before we have to worry about board warping, bad card stock, or other issues I've faced in other first edition games from every publisher, you have my vote to delay the game to be sure we get the best components for the game we ordered.

I'm really looking forward to getting Agricola, and I plan on owning it for years to come. Better a few weeks now, then regret for a much longer time.

Thanks for your continued work.

Firstly, just curious as to what this statement means, as it implies some people won't be getting a copy. I assume it means the ones pre-ordered from you will definitely get a copy, and ones pre-ordered from elsewhere may not get one (or one as quickly) as the distributors won't get all the copies they ordered.

Secondly, you mentioned that the pre-orders from Australia may be shipping from Europe. Did this happen, or are they going via the US (so it will probably be a couple of months until we get our copies).

The Emoticon says it all...

Hopefully last year's Christmas present will arrive before this Christmas.

What will I tell those poor meeples sitting in that bag on the shelf waiting for their farms to arrive?

Zev:

I suspect that you're more frustrated over the delays than any of us, so thanks for all your hard work, and thanks for giving us as much information as you've been able to.

Down with overly optomistic release dates. I cancelled my order.

tonight i played my first game of english Agricola! what a game!!
being in Europe rules!! =)

Got mine Wednesday, in my local FLGS. Then I found out that they had already had them 48 hours AND NOT TOLD ME - although in their defence they had kept back a copy specifically for me.

Then I found that it had the Z-Deck inside the box.

On the other hand you may not want to know the retail price on this side of the pond. It would not take you very long to count your change from a $100 bill.

Please see this thread for details:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/323972

Typical.

The English version I received this morning had good, thick card stock and no board warping. The only problem was a slightly bashed box due to damage in transit, but I'm not too concerned about that. Since the game has been made in Germany, there shouldn't be too many problems with component quality. Of course, by the time the games have taken the slow, humid boat to the States, the boards could have curled themselves into tubes for all I know.

I hope for the sake of all that's holy, fluffy and pure that all of Z-Mans direct pre-orders actually get delivered soon or there will be an endless barrage of threads on BGG from every corner of North America that'll make the Valley Games flaming threads look tame by comparison.

If people paid money 7 months ago and others can just pick it off the shelf for $20 less and play the game a month before the pre-orders arrive all hell will break loose on here... bloody slaughtered meeples everywhere.

*******Of course those who preordered through me to get the game printed will get their copies.



*****I believe it did happen. My distributor, Funatical, should have picked up their games (or will soon) from the printer and they elected to send out all my Australian preorders.

Zev Shlasinger, President
Z-Man Games, Inc.
www.zmangames.com

***Thank you. And yeah, I've very frustrated. But it looks like everything is going to be done by the end of the month.

Zev Shlasinger, President
Z-Man Games, Inc.
www.zmangames.com

It is refreshing to have a publisher give answers as to when things are going to happen that do not consist of "when it is done."

While such openness does not excuse any and all screw ups (and I do not think there were any major, teeth grinding screwups in this case), it certainly does make me appreciate the publisher much more.

I understand that things are going to change, there will be shipping delays from time to time, etc. These things are made easier by having a publisher who is willing to step up and explain the current situation in a calm and intelligent way.

So thanks to Z-Man.