Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms

[AWS260]

I think it depends a lot on the kind of game. If you need to see other players' card tableaus or player boards, an elevated play surface isn't going to work. But if you're playing a coop or an RPG where that's not necessary, I can see it being helpful.

Regardless, I think I'll wait until a couple of these elevated play surfaces are in the wild with impartial reviews before I consider one.

[Blackhawk]

Yeah, it isn't for every type of game. Given how much I play solo, though, that's less of a concern. It's also part of the problem - I frequently need to have stuff that's designed to be spread around the table all lined up in from of me.

[Skinypupy]

Dawnshade will be hitting Kickstarter next week. Any game that references Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger as their major influences is going to get a serious look from me. Looks very cool.

[Blackhawk]

The nice thing about Kickstarter is that now, when I'm broke due to everything that's going on, I have projects that I backed months or years ago that are showing up. It's like being able to get something new without having to spend poor-time money on it!

The downside is that I have to be very careful when going to the site itself (or into this thread) because of temptation.

[Skinypupy]

I’m super bummed that Middara (the one KS I’ve backed) got pushed back to the fall due to production disruptions. It was supposed to be here this month.

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I stopped playing after the first few scenarios because the new rule book was supposed to be shipped now. I did get a 3D printed storage system (which feels necessary) and if I were a smart man I'd use this extra time to paint minis.

[coopasonic]

I’m super bummed that Middara (the one KS I’ve backed) got pushed back to the fall due to production disruptions. It was supposed to be here this month.

I've backed in the neighborhood of 70 kickstarters and that kind of delay is not terribly unusual and given the circumstances this year it is practically expected. I gave up watching delivery dates a long time ago.

Too Many Bones: Slice & Dice was "due" Dec 2019 and they've just finished the design on the last bit. (and by last bit I mean the Kallax cube sized box designed to hold all the TMB content - a bit more than a bit)

[Zarathud]

That TMB box is glorious.

I was able to resist the contrast paints because I’m feeling good about what I have. And the Citadel Contrast paints have been disappointing on my Mantic furniture and Nolzur’s/Bones miniatures.

[Tao]

I currently have 5 KS games in the hopper; Dice Throne Adventures (plus Season One Re-rolled), Etherfields, Batman the Animated Series Adventures, Sanctuary: The Keepers Era and Frosthaven. I don't expect to see any of them until mid 2021 and several I backed in 2019. Kickstarter is not for the impatient

[Skinypupy]

I’m super bummed that Middara (the one KS I’ve backed) got pushed back to the fall due to production disruptions. It was supposed to be here this month.

I've backed in the neighborhood of 70 kickstarters and that kind of delay is not terribly unusual and given the circumstances this year it is practically expected. I gave up watching delivery dates a long time ago.

I should probably clarify that I'm bummed in an "aw man, that sucks" way, not an "I'm angry with the company for the delay" way. I've got plenty to play in the meantime.

::a dusty Gloomhaven glares at me from the shelf::

[Tao]

I am actually a little annoyed with Awaken Realms for their decision to do a major revamp of Etherfields this late in the process, twice now. The latest changes will most likely delay delivery into mid 2021, the original date was March 2020. On a positive note Manny Trembley, one of the designers for Dice Thrones, posted a video recently showing off the miniatures and they look really good, plus Roxley Games is upgrading all of the pre-painted mini orders to have the deluxe paint job, which is very nice.

[coopasonic]

I'm so torn on Final Girl. LOVE the theme, but I'm not a huge fan of Hostage Negotiator despite owning the big Crime Wave set. It just never clicked with me. So I'd be taking a chance that the theme of this one would overcome that. I'm also not sure I'd be satisfied with the base level tier, but I feel the upper tiers are too costly.

Thanks for reminding me. I liked HN ok, but I didn't think it held up to multiple replays. If the gameplay here is similar, I'll pass.

Dammit, I keep thinking about this. It looks pretty cool... I'm also being all mature like I don't need minis for this, go me... but they are only $10 more. I am so weak.

I finally jumped in on Final Girl. I don't even know why really. I guess the hype inside my own head. A few hours left.

[hepcat]

That TMB box is glorious.

All my TMB expansions from the latest Kickstarter should be here any day. The box probably not until this summer. Wanna beak quarantine and do a massive chip theory game day?

I ended up backing final girl for everything. I love me some hostage negotiator. I’m surprised coop backed it though. I thought you didn’t really like hostage negotiator?

[coopasonic]

I ended up backing final girl for everything. I love me some hostage negotiator. I’m surprised coop backed it though. I thought you didn’t really like hostage negotiator?

I'm surprised too.

[Skinypupy]

I’m seriously tempted by Hel: The Last Saga. It looks SO cool, and I really like how they have one pledge level that includes everything. All the stretch goals are purely cosmetic, and there are no higher tiers that give you more game. That’s pretty cool.

Just need to figure out how I justify a $130 investment right now... Any red flags from this publisher?

[hepcat]

They’ve got multiple live Kickstarter projects right now, and a lot of folks complaining about some of their past ones not being delivered yet (Solomon Kane is about 2 years late and not done yet). That would be a big red flag for me.

[AWS260]

Yes.

[Skinypupy]

Thanks, just saved me $130.

I'm kinda iffy on the whole KS thing to begin with. Probably not willing to take a flyer on a company with such a sketchy rep.

[hepcat]

I’m honestly surprised at how few failures I’ve experienced over the years. I’ve backed dozens upon dozens of kickstarters and only one of them outright skipped town with my money. Even the late kickstarters or the ones that have delivered less than stellar quality have all eventually made good. So I think you’ll be fine dipping your toe in the water. Just read through comments and do a little background checking first and you’ll soon be playing some sweet games.

[Blackhawk]

One failure, five bucks lost, and I didn't want the reward to begin with (I backed something that I thought was a good thing to have happen.)

[Tao]

The Viking game looks pretty cool but reading through the information, it strikes me as one of those crazily difficult games, like where you play 10 times and maybe win once. I do like the theme and the content though.

[Lordnine]

I am already waiting on two two games from Mythic so gave that one a pass. I am pretty excited about Sheol. I love the look of it and the tile laying tower defense seems really unique. The fact that they went with a realistic funding goal instead of trying the cheap-funded-in-1-hour trick is also admirable.

[hepcat]

email at 7:05:05 Tiny Epic Pirates Kickstarter has been launched
email at 7:05:20 Your friend Hentzau has backed Tiny Epic Pirates

[hentzau]

email at 7:05:05 Tiny Epic Pirates Kickstarter has been launched
email at 7:05:20 Your friend Hentzau has backed Tiny Epic Pirates

Hey man, I'm a sucker for Tiny Epic Games and I'm a sucker for pirates. This was a no brainer.

[Blackhawk]

How solo-friendly is TEG anyway. I've been quietly eyeing it for a while.

[hepcat]

email at 7:05:05 Tiny Epic Pirates Kickstarter has been launched
email at 7:05:20 Your friend Hentzau has backed Tiny Epic Pirates

Hey man, I'm a sucker for Tiny Epic Games and I'm a sucker for pirates. This was a no brainer.

I almost laughed out loud because as soon as I saw the email, I thought to myself, "Self, Hentzau is going to....", then i looked at the email right after it and saw the notice that you'd backed it.

[hentzau]

How solo-friendly is TEG anyway. I've been quietly eyeing it for a while.

There is a solo game in TEG...but I've never played it solo. Tell you what, I'll try and break it out tonight and give it a whirl.

(But it's hands down one of my favorite "quick" games. I don't want to call it a filler, because it's very deep for a 40 minute game...)

[Skinypupy]

I see there's a bajillion different "Tiny Epic" games out there. Are they all variations on the same theme and you just pick the aesthetic you like best? Or are they all completely different games?

I'm quite interested, just not really sure where to start.

[Anonymous Bosch]

I see there's a bajillion different "Tiny Epic" games out there. Are they all variations on the same theme and you just pick the aesthetic you like best? Or are they all completely different games?

I'm quite interested, just not really sure where to start.

They're completely different games.

I'd suggest starting out with Tiny Epic Galaxies, as it's widely considered to be the best of the bunch. Also, FWIW, Tiny Epic Galaxies did win a 2015 Golden Geek award for best solo game.

[Skinypupy]

I see there's a bajillion different "Tiny Epic" games out there. Are they all variations on the same theme and you just pick the aesthetic you like best? Or are they all completely different games?

I'm quite interested, just not really sure where to start.

They're completely different games.

I'd suggest starting out with Tiny Epic Galaxies, as it's widely considered to be the best of the bunch. Also, FWIW, Tiny Epic Galaxies did win a 2015 Golden Geek award for best solo game.

Cool, thanks. Just ordered TEG.

[hepcat]

I love Tiny Epic Galaxies. It really is the best of the lot.

I initially didn't like Tiny Epic Zombies. But that was because the set up was explained rather poorly in the manual. After I got a better explanation and played, it impressed me with its mechanics a bit. It's still not as good as TEG, but it's actually pretty fun overall.

[hentzau]

I did a solo game of TEG last night, and I won kind of surprisingly. I thought the AI was going to kick my ass but a couple of good turns toward the end and I found myself at 21 VP before I knew it. But it was very enjoyable. Would recommend.

[YellowKing]

I watched some vids on Dawnshade, and while it looks neat I'm in the same boat as Skinypupy in waiting on Middara. I don't think I need two JRPG board games in my life right now, especially given the massive size of Middara.

[Skinypupy]

I watched some vids on Dawnshade, and while it looks neat I'm in the same boat as Skinypupy in waiting on Middara. I don't think I need two JRPG board games in my life right now, especially given the massive size of Middara.

Apparently there was a huge ruckus when their Kickstarter launched on Monday. The game seems overly expensive at $98 to begin with, and that's without the weighted chips or neoprene playmats (which you can get for an extra $50). Apparently the way they've done their shipping means that anyone outside the US has to pay up to an additional $80(ish) in taxes and shipping fees as well. Needless to say, the initial reception wasn't overly positive.

That said, it's been funded ($63K against a $49k goal), so we'll see what happens. I'm on the fence, but admit that $125 price tag (with shipping) is a big barrier.

[Blackhawk]

The Conan the Conqueror Kickstarter by Monolith went sideways fast.

The project was for an expansion of their previous Conan Kickstarter. They got~ 6,500 backers and ~$800,000. As part of the project they decided to offer all of their remaining stock of the first project's hard-to-find items and expansions. They stated that these items were very limited (less than 100 copies of many of them), that it would be one each per customer, and that it was first-come, first-serve. They used GameOnTabletop for their pledge manage, and so many people tried to claim the items simultaneously that it crashed the server.

By the time everything was back up and running, the load on the server had somehow managed to sell many more of the out of print first-run stuff than they actually have, in some cases more than double the existing stock. They're now scrambling to get stock back from retailers to cover the sales. They've also been forced to give out their reserve stock, which means that there won't be anything available for replacements if people get damaged items. And many people are still going to be getting emails that their orders can't be completed and will have to be cancelled - but nobody knows who has lost their orders yet.

People are not happy.

[Lordnine]

Yeah, I am constantly surprised that companies that bring in the kind of money they do continue to screw things up. I am little more than a one-man Kickstarter operation and I constantly check and recheck everything before posting an update to backers. I also took a substantial hit in funds by using a pledge manager that was slightly better to make sure it all moved smoothly.

I will still defend the gameplay of Conan as one of the best 1 vs all game systems, but their campaign has been a mess.

[Tao]

No system can truly compensate for human fallibility. Frosthaven took in over $12M and this is not their first KS and I still received 3 emails from Issac the other day saying; oops I screwed everything up, I will fix this; oops I just screwed it up worse trying to fix it; okay lets roll the dice and see how this plays out.

[Kasey Chang]

The Conan the Conqueror Kickstarter by Monolith went sideways fast.
...

Should have just stated flat out that we can only honor those orders that got into the system... first come first serve by order timestamp. They are keeping 5% as reserves, the rest will be allocated to people. Those who did NOT get allocated anything as per timestamp will get a refund and a "sorry" coupon. It's only fair.

[Blackhawk]

The Conan the Conqueror Kickstarter by Monolith went sideways fast.
...

Should have just stated flat out that we can only honor those orders that got into the system... first come first serve by order timestamp. They are keeping 5% as reserves, the rest will be allocated to people. Those who did NOT get allocated anything as per timestamp will get a refund and a "sorry" coupon. It's only fair.

That's pretty much what they're doing, save for the 5% bit. One problem is that nobody is sure yet if they even have an 'initial order' timestamp, or if they're having to go off the most recent timestamp, which means that anybody who added to their order after the initial entry may have a much later timestamp, even if they were one of the first in.

[EzeKieL]

Same problem is happening now with Sanctuary.
Backerkit only sent out pledge manager invitations to 900 backers, out of more than 7500...

And they also have limited stock...

Suffice to say I didn't get my email.
They are now manually sending everyone their invitation