You mentioned that the design is better suited for an aluminium plate but brass might be an option in a later group buy.
Does that mean that if a brass option should happen the design will be slightly changed down the road to accommodate to the brass version or will it have the same design so people who joined in R1 can just order an additional brass plate for their Thermal?
I meant Zeal PC (or another GB runner) could produce brass plates at a later date that would work with Thermal cases produced in the first round, no design changes to the case would be necessary. I also meant that since the plate is also visible on the sides, becoming an accent, brass plates would be either brass colored or PVD coated, and not be as aesthetic as an aluminium plate which could be anodized in a range of colors.
This is all a bit presumptuous that there will even be a round 1, let alone another round of this case. However, if there is more than one round of Thermal, each would have some different colors/materials of cases and plates, and they would be compatible with parts from other rounds.
This is a bit like how Rama Works sold new types of rear weights (and other parts) separately, and people could have bought just those to use with their M60-A from round 1.