Board Gaming Era |OT| (Mostly) Unplugged Gaming

Mandos · Jul 10, 2018

I'll probably sleeve my copy of warehouse 13 the board game since it's not getting a retail release(or even nessecarily a rerelease)

SigmasonicX said:
Some information about the Transformers CCG. Not too much about the gameplay, but the cards look nice. Odd that there's no flavor text, apparently.

Hmmm, I love the theme, although what'd I'd likely do is buy a starter and a box, and just have a for fun play collection since there's so few transformers games out there

Steenbock · Jul 10, 2018

piratepwnsninja said:
One thing I do like about Massive Darkness is the amount of loot that exists. It makes it feel very "Diablo-like", which isn't something I've found in other dungeon crawls. I do agree that mechanically it leaves a lot to be desired.

It depends on what sort of experience you're looking for. I have first and second editions of Descent, Swords & Sorcery, Gloomhaven, and an assortment of other oddball adventure/dungeon crawl games. But even with that assortment, the one that my friends keep asking me to set up is Massive Darkness.

Is it better than most of those games? Absolutely not. But it does offer easy accessibility, cool presentation, tons of gear and a rapid leveling system that lets players feel like bad assess by the end of the game.

Ultron · Jul 10, 2018

apocat said:
There are loads, and it's easy to make the mistake of buying too many. You only need Gloomhaven. It's the best of its kind, and will keep you going for years with its lenghty campaign.

What does Gloomhaven do that sets it apart from the other similar games, besides it's scope? The combat hand management stuff does seem more interesting to me than a lot of the other systems, so I can see that at least.

Modest Mauser · Jul 10, 2018

Gloomhaven is such a mental load lmao

I just wanna go to sleep after setting it up and playing a scenario or two

Great game but not for everyone

Ultron said:
What does Gloomhaven do that sets it apart from the other similar games, besides it's scope? The combat hand management stuff does seem more interesting to me than a lot of the other systems, so I can see that at least.

Basically just the scope and the unique combat system. It's a more eurogame approach to ameritrash dungeon crawlin'. It's all about carefully managing your deck of ability cards. You have to learn to play efficiently or you'll always wind up losing all your cards and failing the scenario.

Fonst · Jul 10, 2018

dawgparty said:
Any board/card/whatever games that play like the more adventure-y tabletop games but don't need a DM? Looking for something to play with a buddy of mine.

Oh yeah, Descent has an app so you can play that with the app being a GM. You still need to know how to play and move the monsters, it just tells you what cards it pulls and activates surprises.

Mashing · Jul 10, 2018

dawgparty said:
Any board/card/whatever games that play like the more adventure-y tabletop games but don't need a DM? Looking for something to play with a buddy of mine.

Give Dungeon Degenerates (reprint on kickstarter right now) a look. It's a very adventure-y game with RPG-lite elements. It's mechanically very good but the art is absolutely not for everyone. I hated the art at first but it's grown on me now. The other suggestions you have gotten are great too. Runebound 2nd or 3rd edition are great (some prefer 2nd edition over 3rd--but I find that to be the minority opinion).

yungronny · Jul 10, 2018

apocat said:
There are loads, and it's easy to make the mistake of buying too many. You only need Gloomhaven. It's the best of its kind, and will keep you going for years with its lenghty campaign.

Man, I've been hearing a ton about this. Way more than I'd like to spend as I am constantly buying shit and not playing it but its definitely tempting.

apocat · Jul 10, 2018

nicoga3000 said:
Gloomhaven is good, but I bought and sold it twice. It's absolutely not for everyone. I'd say it's worth watching some videos of the combat and mechanics a few times before pulling the trigger.

Antiquegamer said:
Gloomhaven made me pretty much stop playing and getting all other dungeon crawl games, that said Gloomhaven is pretty involve and if you are looking for quick game this is not it. Also if you are more into dice chucking and monster killings you might not find Gloomhaven to be your cup of tea.

Ultron said:
What does Gloomhaven do that sets it apart from the other similar games, besides it's scope? The combat hand management stuff does seem more interesting to me than a lot of the other systems, so I can see that at least.

Haha, apparently I have a divisive opinion about Gloomhaven! I own quite a few of the big games in the genre. Descent, Imperial assault, Mice and mystics, Conan and more. Gloomhaven is the only one I care to play anymore. I love the hand management system. It's simple but smart, and makes you feel a lot more in control than throwing dice, which is something I'm sick of. The campaign system is more involving than its competitors, and the character classes (that I've seen this far) are interesting and makes you adapt your playstyle in interesting ways. I also appreciate that it's fully coop. I agree that it's an involved game, though. The campaign is long and the game is not really suitable for casual play. However, I don't think the rules are difficult to grasp. It's not harder to grok than descent or Imperial assault. Since the poster wanted something to play with one specific friend I think Gloomhaven is a good fit.

nicoga3000 · Jul 10, 2018

apocat said:
Haha, apparently I have a divisive opinion about Gloomhaven! I own quite a few of the big games in the genre. Descent, Imperial assault, Mice and mystics, Conan and more. Gloomhaven is the only one I care to play anymore. I love the hand management system. It's simple but smart, and makes you feel a lot more in control than throwing dice, which is something I'm sick of. The campaign system is more involving than its competitors, and the character classes (that I've seen this far) are interesting and makes you adapt your playstyle in interesting ways. I also appreciate that it's fully coop. I agree that it's an involved game, though. The campaign is long and the game is not really suitable for casual play. However, I don't think the rules are difficult to grasp. It's not harder to grok than descent or Imperial assault. Since the poster wanted something to play with one specific friend I think Gloomhaven is a good fit.

I think it's a really solid game. Well designed and a well needed shakup of the dungeon crawl genre. But it's just not for everyone (no game is). I think ALL games should be checked out on YouTube or Table Top Sim or something before you buy (if you can't demo it). Just good practice!

Mashing said:
Give Dungeon Degenerates (reprint on kickstarter right now) a look. It's a very adventure-y game with RPG-lite elements. It's mechanically very good but the art is absolutely not for everyone. I hated the art at first but it's grown on me now. The other suggestions you have gotten are great too. Runebound 2nd or 3rd edition are great (some prefer 2nd edition over 3rd--but I find that to be the minority opinion).

Runebound 3e suffers from a few major issues that make me vastly prefer 2e. Support seems to be drying up, I HATE the damn token flipping combat (it's not poorly designed, but it's just not "fun" to me), and I don't love that you never really feel "powerful" in the way that 2e made you feel.

zulux21 · Jul 10, 2018

dawgparty said:
Man, I've been hearing a ton about this. Way more than I'd like to spend as I am constantly buying shit and not playing it but its definitely tempting.

to do a quick sell for gloomhaven. it costs a lot, but it also comes with like 100 missions in the base game with another 20-40 released for free online.

it comes with like 14 characters (though only like 6 are available at start)

just lots of stuff. to see everything would easily take hundreds of hours

yungronny · Jul 10, 2018

Mashing said:
Give Dungeon Degenerates (reprint on kickstarter right now) a look. It's a very adventure-y game with RPG-lite elements. It's mechanically very good but the art is absolutely not for everyone. I hated the art at first but it's grown on me now. The other suggestions you have gotten are great too. Runebound 2nd or 3rd edition are great (some prefer 2nd edition over 3rd--but I find that to be the minority opinion).

Dungeon Degenerates actually looks perfect for my friends and I, would you recommend waiting for the second print?

Mashing · Jul 10, 2018

dawgparty said:
Dungeon Degenerates actually looks perfect for my friends and I, would you recommend waiting for the second print?

You can buy it on their web store (GOBLINKO MEGAMALL) if it's not sold out. It'll be $10 more than the KS with the exclusive miniature. If you want to get everything (including the dictionaries and world books--two of which include 4 new scenarios) then you'll pay less if you buy in during the KS. This also depends on where you live as shipping on their store for EU countries is very high. If you don't want to wait or don't mind the shipping cost, go ahead and buy it on the store. Geek and Sundry did a playthrough and is what sold me on the game initially. I'd recommend taking a look at it.

Oh and another hidden gem that you and your friends might like is Fallen Land: A Post Apocalyptic Boardgame. Incredibly thematic and and like DD is a labor of love for the designer. It has a TON of a cards.

Steenbock · Jul 10, 2018

Mashing said:
Give Dungeon Degenerates (reprint on kickstarter right now) a look. It's a very adventure-y game with RPG-lite elements. It's mechanically very good but the art is absolutely not for everyone. I hated the art at first but it's grown on me now. The other suggestions you have gotten are great too. Runebound 2nd or 3rd edition are great (some prefer 2nd edition over 3rd--but I find that to be the minority opinion).

dawgparty said:
Dungeon Degenerates actually looks perfect for my friends and I, would you recommend waiting for the second print?

Dungeon Degenerates is a very good suggestion, definitely closer to an actual 'adventure' game. The ones brought up previously are more 'dungeon crawl' games revolving primarily around tactical combat. DD, and Runebound (brought up a few posts back) are more about traveling around a large landscape while completing various quests than straight up fighting.

As much as I like Runebound, I feel that each edition has flaws... Maybe if they do a 4th edition, all the pieces will fall into place.

- As for whether or not to back the Kickstarter version of Dungeon Degenerates; entirely up to you. You aren't getting much that you can't already buy from their website (a miniature and a new box, I believe), but you'll save a little bit of money. On the flip side, you have to wait until at least October to get the game.

Smiley90 · Jul 10, 2018

As far as "rpg boardgame with carryover" goes, I actually enjoy the Pathfinder ACG

... There's a lot of dice involved though

nicoga3000 · Jul 10, 2018

New CMON KS for Cthulhu: Death May Die includes an exclusive pledge that has an exclusive pledge level:

R'lyeh Rising is a wholly unique Episode, the epic finale to Death May Die, not only bringing its own set of tokens, Discovery cards, Monster cards, and Mythos cards, but also drastic changes to the game's base rules, as the figures move and act freely upon the behemoth's rocky base.

Conveniently limited in quantity, which has already sold out. So at the moment, you cannot purchase something in pre-production that is considered to be the "epic finale" to the game you're trying to fund. FFS

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 10, 2018

nicoga3000 said:
New CMON KS for Cthulhu: Death May Die includes an exclusive pledge that has an exclusive pledge level:

R'lyeh Rising is a wholly unique Episode, the epic finale to Death May Die, not only bringing its own set of tokens, Discovery cards, Monster cards, and Mythos cards, but also drastic changes to the game's base rules, as the figures move and act freely upon the behemoth's rocky base.

Conveniently limited in quantity, which has already sold out. So at the moment, you cannot purchase something in pre-production that is considered to be the "epic finale" to the game you're trying to fund. FFS

Oh it's even worse than that...

They are allowing more pledges for the big guy in small batches and the price goes up $5 each time. The next one going up will be for $255 instead of the $220 it started at. It's a real shit show. (I got mine at $230). Each bath also pushes back the estimated delivery. This is a super dirty way of treating your fans. I've never seen anything like it.

nicoga3000 · Jul 10, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
Oh it's even worse than that...

They are allowing more pledges for the big guy in small batches and the price goes up $5 each time. The next one going up will be for $255 instead of the $220 it started at. It's a real shit show. (I got mine at $230). Each bath also pushes back the estimated delivery. This is a super dirty way of treating your fans. I've never seen anything like it.

Wow, really? That's even worse. I was mildly interested in the game (was just waiting for a gameplay video), but with the way it's shaping up, I'll stick with a big *no*.

piratepwnsninja · Jul 10, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
Oh it's even worse than that...

They are allowing more pledges for the big guy in small batches and the price goes up $5 each time. The next one going up will be for $255 instead of the $220 it started at. It's a real shit show. (I got mine at $230). Each bath also pushes back the estimated delivery. This is a super dirty way of treating your fans. I've never seen anything like it.

I got in at $235. I really like the two designers on the project, so I'll be keeping the pledge. The $5 increments is weird and I while I don't completely understand it, I imagine that the reason is the mini costing a good bit to produce, space it takes up at whatever factory is pressing them, and since only a certain number can be done at a time, the amount of "belt time" they have to reserve for each pressing of it.

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 10, 2018

I got it as a hobby project/display piece. It's so big that it actually becomes the game board! It's looking like I could turn around and sell it for a massive profit if I wanted to later. I'm keeping my pledge for the investment opportunity alone. But deep down I know I won't sell it, lol.

fenners · Jul 10, 2018

nicoga3000 said:
New CMON KS for Cthulhu: Death May Die includes an exclusive pledge that has an exclusive pledge level:

R'lyeh Rising is a wholly unique Episode, the epic finale to Death May Die, not only bringing its own set of tokens, Discovery cards, Monster cards, and Mythos cards, but also drastic changes to the game's base rules, as the figures move and act freely upon the behemoth's rocky base.

Conveniently limited in quantity, which has already sold out. So at the moment, you cannot purchase something in pre-production that is considered to be the "epic finale" to the game you're trying to fund. FFS

I can understand the cost, the model's insane, and I can understand them doing it in batches to keep the line moving. I don't have any interest in it, but to keep "the epic finale" to the damn game locked in that price point? Screw that. Really turning me off something that should be right up my street.

piratepwnsninja · Jul 10, 2018

fenners said:
I can understand the cost, the model's insane, and I can understand them doing it in batches to keep the line moving. I don't have any interest in it, but to keep "the epic finale" to the damn game locked in that price point? Screw that. Really turning me off something that should be right up my street.

My guess is they'll offer a cheaper cardboard alternative after "much reflecting" so that "everyone can experience" the epic finale. :P

Mashing · Jul 10, 2018

I got a $225 pledge, and I will also remain, but I feel dirty about it. I do not blame Eric Lang and Rob Daviau though, they don't manage the kickstarter campaigns (and both of them are really nice people). CMON really screwing over some of their loyal fans here.

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 10, 2018

I look at it this way. He only costs as much as a single Imperial Knight for 40k.

nicoga3000 · Jul 10, 2018

fenners said:
I can understand the cost, the model's insane, and I can understand them doing it in batches to keep the line moving. I don't have any interest in it, but to keep "the epic finale" to the damn game locked in that price point? Screw that. Really turning me off something that should be right up my street.

It's absolutely not a cost thing for me. I backed the Shogun level of the new Brimstone KS (no add-ons because it was already like $350+). It's the way it's being handled...Limited availability, INCREASING cost each time they "add new orders", calling it a finale to the story for your game but not making it available to anyone who wants it...Just a bunch of stupid shit that makes it impossible to, you know, wait for the damn gameplay video before making a decision, ha.

Deleted member 4452 · Jul 10, 2018

Gatekeeping the story finale represents the worst of bad KS practices as far as I'm concerned.

Fixed · Jul 10, 2018

I'm totally shocked by the numbers that thing has pulled in. I knew there were going to be a bunch of CMON fans that'll by whatever and some painters that get a something neat to work on but Jesus people are jumping all over it and at this point I'm not even sure if the core would be worth it.

Llyranor said:
Gatekeeping the story finale represents the worst of bad KS practices as far as I'm concerned.

This as well, it's a $150 adder to "finish the story" and they've given no hint as to how many components are included only tokens and cards,.

Maybe I'm missing something...

Ultron · Jul 10, 2018

I want to believe that some point the "selling ridiculous miniatures to sell your game" thing will reach a breaking point, but... eh. I guess if people enjoy the miniatures it's fine. There hasn't really been one of these games of ridiculous excess where I've felt like I was missing something I really wanted to play, so I guess I'm not that broken up about it. As long as the whole industry doesn't end up in this model. Which I don't think can really happen for a number of reasons.

Bane · Jul 10, 2018

SigmasonicX said:
Some information about the Transformers CCG. Not too much about the gameplay, but the cards look nice. Odd that there's no flavor text, apparently.

Huh, I could see building a handful of decks for each side to play around the house with my gf and friends. The bigger character cards are going to make storage a bit more of a pain than it should be though. And it's weird there's only an autobot starter.

Ultron said:
I want to believe that some point the "selling ridiculous miniatures to sell your game" thing will reach a breaking point, but... eh. I guess if people enjoy the miniatures it's fine. There hasn't really been one of these games of ridiculous excess where I've felt like I was missing something I really wanted to play, so I guess I'm not that broken up about it. As long as the whole industry doesn't end up in this model. Which I don't think can really happen for a number of reasons.

I know I finally hit that point late last year or earlier this year. The prices are just getting ridiculous. I've said a few times now in most cases I'd be fine with standees, or at most minis for player characters only. Seeing how successful this bullshit move by CMON is is disheartening.

Briarios · Jul 11, 2018

nicoga3000 said:
It's absolutely not a cost thing for me. I backed the Shogun level of the new Brimstone KS (no add-ons because it was already like $350+). It's the way it's being handled...Limited availability, INCREASING cost each time they "add new orders", calling it a finale to the story for your game but not making it available to anyone who wants it...Just a bunch of stupid shit that makes it impossible to, you know, wait for the damn gameplay video before making a decision, ha.

It's stupid, so I'm not getting the expansion -- and, I'm fine with with that. I understand there are a lot of people that want to have everything that is part of the game, but I think there are a lot of people like me that don't care. I won't feel like I'm missing anything, personally.

Don't get me wrong -- I think it's pretty terrible, and I'm not excusing the behavior. But, I like the designer, and I think I'd enjoy the base game -- so, I'll go for the $100 level.

Spookie · Jul 11, 2018

It's great addding more and more minis. But where the fuck are the extra locations- 17 is beyond barebones. That'll get incredibly samey very, very quickly. My cynicism says we'll get the addons next week adding new locations. I'm so done with CMON games. Rising Sun, Blood Rage and Arcadia Quest are excellent but their other original titles have been incredibly lackluster. Do you hear anyone talking about The Godfather, Rise of Moloch or HATE any more?

Briarios · Jul 11, 2018

To their credit, CMON actually answered some of the questions regarding the expansion -- they're not always good about that. The answers are plausible, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Here are a couple of the pertinent answers:

Q: Why were there different prices for the initial limited quantity R'lyeh Rising pledges?

A: The production process for the giant Cthulhu is quite different from our normal figures. It uses a rotating mold that deteriorates much faster. This means the mold needs to basically be redone after every hundred or so figures are produced. To account for that, we slightly raised the price of extra batches of the giant Cthulhu. We honestly didn't expect such a massive interest in the piece, though. So with the unlimited pledge we were able to stabilize the cost since economy of scale really starts to kick in when we have thousands of orders, offsetting the extra mold costs.

Q: If you can produce only a couple hundred giant Cthulhu a month, how long will it take you to deliver to all backers with the unlimited R'lyeh Rising ($250) pledge?

A: The slower production time we originally expected was based on a production method geared toward meeting a very limited demand. The overwhelming interest for the giant Cthulhu will allow us to change the production process, creating multiple simultaneous molds in order to achieve a much greater output, and deliver to all backers not much later (and possibly even earlier) than the delivery estimates.

Q: I'm not interested in the giant Cthulhu figure, but would like to play the R'lyeh Rising episode, can I get those components without the figure?

A: The R'lyeh Rising episode is based on the premise of being played on the giant Cthulhu figure. That said, we are discussing with the designers to see whether it would be possible to create an alternate version substituting the Cthulhu figure for some kind of board, and offer that as an Optional Buy to those interested. Not making any promises, but we'll keep you updated.

They also clarified the story behind the episode -- basically, it's not the "final" chapter ... The premise is that you lost the main game, and you have one final option to put down Cthulhu. So, that makes me feel a bit better.

ParityBit · Jul 11, 2018

So those of you who play Android: Netrunner, what is your favorite cycle besides the last? My wife actually enjoyed the game (we are camping and played a bunch!) . So I was thinking I may pick up some more.

Also, anyone selling honor and profit (pm me if you want to)

JSR_Cube · Jul 11, 2018

The Eclipse 2nd Edition forums on BGG sure are fun right now:

And that doesn't even include the thread in the general forum titled" Worst Run KS Ever".

BassForever · Jul 11, 2018

JSR_Cube said:
The Eclipse 2nd Edition forums on BGG sure are fun right now:

And that doesn't even include the thread in the general forum titled" Worst Run KS Ever".

What the heck did they do?

XShagrath · Jul 11, 2018

JSR_Cube said:
The Eclipse 2nd Edition forums on BGG sure are fun right now:

And that doesn't even include the thread in the general forum titled" Worst Run KS Ever".

Are they competing with CMON?

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 11, 2018

Spookie said:
It's great addding more and more minis. But where the fuck are the extra locations- 17 is beyond barebones. That'll get incredibly samey very, very quickly. My cynicism says we'll get the addons next week adding new locations. I'm so done with CMON games. Rising Sun, Blood Rage and Arcadia Quest are excellent but their other original titles have been incredibly lackluster. Do you hear anyone talking about The Godfather, Rise of Moloch or HATE any more?

I'm using your post as an example of what I don't understand about people. At the time of your post, the Death May Die Kickstarter had been open about 12hrs of it's first day of a 14 day pledge. Why are you so angry already? Shouldn't you wait at least a week before jumping into the "fuck" phase of nerd rage? It's so weird to me that people are so unbelievably bitter and offended over, well, absolutely nothing. CMON has had what, a dozen successful Kickstarters? Anyone can look at their history and know to just chill for awhile and stuff will keep rolling in on a timely basis. At least wait until the end before you're thoroughly disgusted and unhappy with what is being offered.

XShagrath · Jul 11, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
I'm using your post as an example of what I don't understand about people. At the time of your post, the Death May Die Kickstarter had been open about 12hrs of it's first day of a 14 day pledge. Why are you so angry already? Shouldn't you wait at least a week before jumping into the "fuck" phase of nerd rage? It's so weird to me that people are so unbelievably bitter and offended over, well, absolutely nothing. CMON has had what, a dozen successful Kickstarters? Anyone can look at their history and know to just chill for awhile and stuff will keep rolling in on a timely basis. At least wait until the end before you're thoroughly disgusted and unhappy with what is being offered.

My problem with the CMON KS is just the way they handled the giant statue during the first few hours. Sure, they went into recovery mode and tried to explain why they did what they did, but it still didn't sit well with me (or many others). If they had just straight up said "Here's the giant statue for an extra $150" from the get-go, then I think they could have avoided a lot of the badmouthing they got yesterday. Instead, they doled out the pledge levels at increasing $5 intervals in extremely short supply. They said they didn't foresee that many people wanting the giant "miniature," but they've done enough KS campaigns to know that they have many ravenous fans (and re-sellers), in which they should have already laid out plans for the faster molding process from the get-go. This isn't their first rodeo, by far.

I have not played a CMON (at least not the minis-heavy stuff), but am very invested in the "Arkham Files" line and love the Lovecraft/Cthulhu mythos. I was really looking forward to pledging yesterday to get some cool new minis, and to have another game that may (or may not) be good. With what they did, I didn't back at all, and am still leaning towards not even backing for the base game. I may if the price per mini is still a good deal, but I will primarily be using them for other games. That means that a lot of the investigators (of which they do a billion of for stretch goals) don't really fit in with other "Mythos" games, as they're all loaded to the teeth with firearms.

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 11, 2018

Well that explains the giant statue rage. I had a bit of that myself at the start when there was no explanation. However, they eventually explained, in detail, the ins and outs of what happed and how they fixed the problem. Like, it's done. How can you read that and still be seething with anger?

With all the various toxic fanbases around, from video games to movies/TV shows, I guess it saddens me to see it seeping into the board game crowd as well.

JSR_Cube · Jul 11, 2018

BassForever said:
What the heck did they do?

Well, they basically stated about six months ago that they were updating Eclipse to a 2nd edition on BGG. Everyone gave them feedback on graphic design and rule changes and asked for an upgrade pack for the 1st edition owners.

The KS arrived on Tuesday (same day as CMON's). No upgrade pack; no exclusives and any reason not to wait for retail (in my opinion); poor bundling choices; confusing KS page; confusing pledge levels (a free upgrade that you pay $50 for); poor communication (basically we've done this before, we know what we're doing so shut up); crazy shipping prices for many regions; stretch goals that were included in the 1st edition game.

It's really nuts. They're funded so they aren't too worried but it really could have been an awesome KS.

XShagrath · Jul 11, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
Well that explains the giant statue rage. I had a bit of that myself at the start when there was no explanation. However, they eventually explained, in detail, the ins and outs of what happed and how they fixed the problem. Like, it's done. How can you read that and still be seething with anger?

I have a pretty big disdain for their business model (and any other company who uses KS as a glorified pre-order service). CMON made 21 million dollars last year. That's enough to not have to crowd-fund their next project. I have more respect for a game that goes straight to retail, because I feel that there's more risk involved. That (probably) means more playtesting, and a better overall game experience.

Antiquegamer · Jul 11, 2018

XShagrath said:
I have a pretty big disdain for their business model (and any other company who uses KS as a glorified pre-order service). CMON made 21 million dollars last year. That's enough to not have to crowd-fund their next project. I have more respect for a game that goes straight to retail, because I feel that there's more risk involved. That (probably) means more playtesting, and a better overall game experience.

I agree. They are publicly traded company and at this point there is no reasons really for them to need money to make games beside the fact that they are preying on gamer using FOMO tactic and they know they don't have to playtest their games (which lately aside from a couple like Blood Rage and Black Plague have just been lackluster).

Deleted member 9241 · Jul 11, 2018

Kickstarter provides the software (both front end and back end), tools, audience and trust. People already complain about having to use various pledge managers. Can you imagine if you had to use whole other websites for every company? How would you discover new options? Would each website have the Remind Me feature or the tools for you to message the company and track what you ordered and if you received it? Would you be willing to deal with the bugs in their brand new software and perhaps not get your order, or not get it right since it's new? How many people visit cmon.com vs Kickstarter? In fact, I can't think of a single reason why CMON would use their own website. The percentage KS takes from backing is a very small cost to the audience and platform they provide. KS solves all of this.

XShagrath · Jul 11, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
Kickstarter provides the software (both front end and back end), tools, audience and trust. People already complain about having to use various pledge managers. Can you imagine if you had to use whole other websites for every company? How would you discover new options? Would each website have the Remind Me feature or the tools for you to message the company and track what you ordered and if you received it? Would you be willing to deal with the bugs in their brand new software and perhaps not get your order, or not get it right since it's new? How many people visit cmon.com vs Kickstarter? In fact, I can't think of a single reason why CMON would use their own website. The percentage KS takes from backing is a very small cost to the audience and platform they provide. KS solves all of this.

How about putting some risk into your product and putting it out through normal retail channels? You don't need to keep track of a dozen different websites to buy things from FFG, Z-Man, TMG, What's Your Game, etc.

Kickstarter was designed as a way for companies/individuals to get backing for a product that they couldn't otherwise make. I totally respect that, and feel that it is necessary for some games, such as 7th Continent, Gloomhaven, etc. These are new companies and developers trying to get their foot in the door, and don't have millions of dollars to invest in a product that may or may not be a success. CMON isn't in that position. They know for a fact that whatever they put out will get millions of dollars back, therefore, they don't need to do crowd-funding.

Would you be upset if FFG kickstarted their new game? What about a major video game developer, such as Sony or Microsoft? As Antiquegamer said, it's a way of preying on the FOMO that a lot of board gamers and other collectors have.

Antiquegamer · Jul 11, 2018

SillyEskimo said:
Kickstarter provides the software (both front end and back end), tools, audience and trust. People already complain about having to use various pledge managers. Can you imagine if you had to use whole other websites for every company? How would you discover new options? Would each website have the Remind Me feature or the tools for you to message the company and track what you ordered and if you received it? Would you be willing to deal with the bugs in their brand new software and perhaps not get your order, or not get it right since it's new? How many people visit cmon.com vs Kickstarter? In fact, I can't think of a single reason why CMON would use their own website. The percentage KS takes from backing is a very small cost to the audience and platform they provide. KS solves all of this.

They used KS not because they need audience at this point people that back their games would know where to go to find CMON. They used KS because they could unloaded all the risk to the buyers. They can make shitty and untested games that need to be errata and fixed as soon as it got to gamers (or some like Massive Darkness that is basically awaiting 2.0 version KS like they did with Rum and Bones).

Can you imagine if Game Workshop Kickstart all their upcoming projects?

BassForever · Jul 11, 2018

So for some cool, positive ks news. Tiny Epic Zombies will be arriving a lot sooner then Gamelyn expected where they can now sell the game at gencon. However that would be before backers would have gotten their copies in the mail, so Gamelyn asked the backers in a poll if we were okay with them selling it at gencon, 90% said yes.

A constant reminder that being open and honest with your backers is always the best policy.

Mandos · Jul 11, 2018

On a positive Kickstarter note, Warehouse 13 is on track for October release!

Also since there's so few transformers games, I may have to buy the starter and a box of boosters for my personal collection

Antiquegamer · Jul 11, 2018

Mandos said:
On a positive Kickstarter note, Warehouse 13 is on track for October release!

Also since there's so few transformers games, I may have to buy the starter and a box of boosters for my personal collection

They always show up at our local con (Gamestorm) and finally this year I asked them why are they still showing old game so the guy that demo the game (I think he is the designer) told me the entire ordeal. He was super nice and I really feel bad for him. My friend will be happy he backed this game and every year he go to their booth to play the prototype. They told me that the latest snafu was they could not use many of the images because of the original license did not transfer, for example an old branded typewriter is not usable because they don't have the brand right.

Deleted member 733 · Jul 11, 2018

BassForever said:
So for some cool, positive ks news. Tiny Epic Zombies will be arriving a lot sooner then Gamelyn expected where they can now sell the game at gencon. However that would be before backers would have gotten their copies in the mail, so Gamelyn asked the backers in a poll if we were okay with them selling it at gencon, 90% said yes.

A constant reminder that being open and honest with your backers is always the best policy.

Where was the poll? I haven't seen any emails from that kickstarter in ages, unless I somehow thought I backed it and didn't.

BassForever · Jul 11, 2018

Blizzard said:
Where was the poll? I haven't seen any emails from that kickstarter in ages, unless I somehow thought I backed it and didn't.

I got the backer update today, along with shipping info for Tiny Epic Defenders 2.0 + Expansion

Deleted member 733 · Jul 11, 2018

BassForever said:
I got the backer update today, along with shipping info for Tiny Epic Defenders 2.0 + Expansion

Oh, so the poll has only been up for less than 2 hours. I thought you meant this poll had been around for a while.

Board Gaming Era |OT| (Mostly) Unplugged Gaming

Deleted member 9241

Lead Game Designer

Deleted member 9241

Lead Game Designer

Deleted member 9241

User requested account closure

One Winged Slayer

Deleted member 9241

Deleted member 9241

Deleted member 9241

One Winged Slayer

One Winged Slayer