Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 3:36 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:56 pm Just got my notification that Etherfields is shipping. I'm kinda excited and early reviews seem good...

Shipping or Ready for Shpping? I received an email last Monday stating my order was "Ready for Shipping" but nothing saying it actually shipped and the email further stated something about shipping orders in 3-4 weeks.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:40 pm

Turns out I paid for single shipment only for Etherfields. Guess I won't be seeing this one until late next year.

Lordnine · Post by **Lordnine** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:50 pm

My copy of Tidal Blades arrived today. Production values are impressive but I really don't like that box. 23x13x4, making it the most awkward sized box in my collection.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:41 pm

Tao wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 3:36 pm
Smoove_B wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 2:56 pm Just got my notification that Etherfields is shipping. I'm kinda excited and early reviews seem good...
Shipping or Ready for Shpping? I received an email last Monday stating my order was "Ready for Shipping" but nothing saying it actually shipped and the email further stated something about shipping orders in 3-4 weeks.

I got a FedEx notification altering me they've been made aware of a package addressed to yours truly. Not really sure what to expect on delivery time as it's listed as coming from Wroclaw, Poland.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:44 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:41 pm I got a FedEx notification altering me

Those are some powerful notifications.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:51 pm

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:05 pm

Here you go Chip Theory fans - burncycle:

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:36 pm

For some reason, I have no desire to back that one. It just doesn't look like something I'd enjoy.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:43 pm

I'm right there with you.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:52 pm

I do like games about obscure historical events. And mid-weight worker placement Euros.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:17 pm

For those still following FREEDOM FIVE, they've added a new expansion bringing the "sorta all-in" up to $169. Yikes.

I think I'm tapping out. I was sorely tempted at the $99 level, but every time I turn around they're nickel and diming it up and up and up.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:33 pm

YellowKing wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:17 pm For those still following FREEDOM FIVE, they've added a new expansion bringing the "sorta all-in" up to $169. Yikes.

I think I'm tapping out. I was sorely tempted at the $99 level, but every time I turn around they're nickel and diming it up and up and up.

I was just about to back Freedom Five, but now I'm not sure. Plus, unlike Hep and Smoove, I think BurnCycle looks pretty cool (and I am a sucker for anything Chip Theory).

I also preorderd Dune: Imperium and its Deluxe Upgrade pack. I love Dune and it was getting some very good buzz.

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:47 pm

I backed Freedom Five at Sentinel and up until today I was pretty happy. The campaign has been pretty successful and a large number of stretch goals were unlocked so I felt as if the value was there and I was getting my money's worth. Then this morning I received an email about an expansion and I wasn't clear on if it was an add-on or a stretch goal or something else so I browsed over to the KS page and it seems a mess now. When I pledged everything was simple and straight forward and I knew exactly what items were offered at the different pledge levels. Arcane Wonders should have just left well enough alone but they got overly ambitious and maybe a little greedy. They now have a bunch more add-ons for additional cost, including the expansion, which they should have held off on and offered as a separate KS. They also now have several more pledge levels and I am confused as to what is overlapping and what's included. Not to mention the psychological affect of now seeing pledge levels close to and over $400. I am considering pulling the plug on this as well and just waiting for retail.

Fishbelly · Post by **Fishbelly** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:38 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:05 pm Here you go Chip Theory fans - burncycle:

Insta-back for me. Now I have to watch the videos to see what the game is all about. All I've seen previously is the trailer and what little CTG revealed on their assorted YouTube videos before today. But I love CTG and the cyberpunk genre, so this seems right in my wheelhouse.

I've been playing Too Many Bones steadily since I received my Trove Chest, and just opened The Gearloc Child yesterday, which I'll try this weekend. I'm about to take Cloudspire for another spin (I only played a few solo scenarios when I received it). Why not add to the rotation?

Moat_Man · Post by **Moat_Man** » Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:39 pm

AWS260 wrote: Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:52 pm

I do like games about obscure historical events. And mid-weight worker placement Euros.

It may be obscure to Americans but completion of the transcontential railroad was critical to the formation of Canada. In fact, British Columbia made completion of the railroad a requirement for them to join Confederation. Every Canadian school kid learns about it in history class.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 12:58 am

I imagine that it's very much the same as the FIRST Transcontinental Railroad

Moat_Man · Post by **Moat_Man** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:37 am

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 12:58 am I imagine that it's very much the same as the FIRST Transcontinental Railroad

Sorry, I wasn't aware of that obscure historical event.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:41 am

Moat_Man wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 1:37 am
Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Nov 11, 2020 12:58 am I imagine that it's very much the same as the FIRST Transcontinental Railroad
Sorry, I wasn't aware of that obscure historical event.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:22 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Thu Nov 05, 2020 1:25 pm For the miniature painters out there, Minipedia just launched. It's a 10-volume set of painting books published by Scale75 (and established company.)

I was hoping to get in on this one, but it is more than I expected, and we just had to do some phone replacements so I'll likely have to sit it out.

I backed out of this. This is partially because the household finances just went sideways again, but I was considering getting out before that. This is what I told the organizers after they posted a .pdf preview:

I think I'm out. I really want to own what this series could have been, but I'm unhappy with the implementation. I'm writing this post before I go, as I am fond of Scale75, and really want to see them succeed. It is intended as constructive, to inform the writers as to why I'm leaving, and is not meant as an attack. My perspective is that of an amateur painter with 30 years of experience, and a former professional technical writer who specialized instructional content. Here is why I'm backing out:

1. The instructional elements are lacking. Admittedly, this could be partially because you're showing single pages rather than a run. I'd have preferred to have seen one continuous section to see how you described an entire process rather than single pages out of the middle of several sections. As it is, it doesn't seem like the process involved in achieving a result is presented in a comprehensive manner. Instead, it seems like you are giving a very basic overview of what's being done followed by examples. The examples aren't the issue. The problem is the basic overview, apparently without the kind of thoroughness and detail that's needed to really teach the technique. People reading it will know what the technique is, but not really understand how to use that technique in situations other than the example.

Beautiful pictures of beautiful art are wonderful, but it isn't a good way to instruct in and of itself.

2. The writing is awkward and poorly phrased. It doesn't concisely and accurately convey the points it is trying to make. Again, this is what I did for a living. This desperately needs to be reviewed by an editor specializing in instructional technical writing.

3. The vast majority of my painting is for gaming. I'd be willing to bet that was true of the majority of the hobby. Painting busts for display is an amazing and beautiful art form, but it isn't what most of us do, and it isn't what most of us need from this project. After looking at your samples, I'm concerned about how many of the techniques are presented in a manner that won't be directly applicable to the kind of painting I do. As an example, the vast majority of the face examples are on pieces that are 3-6 times larger than what most us actually paint. Yes, the techniques could be adapted, but between the differences in techniques and the lack of actual instruction, it would be far more of a challenge than simply looking elsewhere for something designed for 28mm painting.

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Thu Nov 12, 2020 4:52 pm

Not sure if anyone here would find this interesting.

I don't play anything that would use this, but the idea is really neat on the surface (I didn't read through the whole thing).

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Nov 12, 2020 5:03 pm

It is very interesting. I'd only note that Everything Epic is habitually late on every single KS project they run. They always deliver, but they're always late. This one might be different as it doesn't involve the creation of minis or the proofing of rules (which they're also not great at doing).

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:41 pm

Altar Quest coming in on Monday.

In my continuing effort to convince myself not to buy games, I've arranged sales for a bunch of Kickstarter stuff at steep losses:
Aventuria + Inn of the Black Boar
Gloomhaven (hey we played this one a lot and someone wants my used up copy it for whatever reason -- probably the insert primarily)
Aeon's End: Outcasts
Aeon's End: The New Age
Aeon's End: Legacy (used) w/ Reset Pack
Too Many Bones

Star Trek: Frontiers too but that wasn't from kickstarter, it's just not going to get played. I need to learn to stop backing kickstarters.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 1:15 pm

Lordnine wrote: Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:50 pm My copy of Tidal Blades arrived today. Production values are impressive but I really don't like that box. 23x13x4, making it the most awkward sized box in my collection.

I saw a friend's copy yesterday. You're not kidding -- that's a long and awkward box. I have a couple like that, but they're old FFG games from a decade ago. Does the Tidal Blades publisher not know that boardgaming has been conquered by the Ikea Kallax?

The production values inside are ridiculously over-the-top. It's kind of delightful to sort through, although I have no idea if the game's any good.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 3:54 pm

coopasonic wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:41 pm Altar Quest coming in on Monday.

In my continuing effort to convince myself not to buy games, I've arranged sales for a bunch of Kickstarter stuff at steep losses:
Aventuria + Inn of the Black Boar
Gloomhaven (hey we played this one a lot and someone wants my used up copy it for whatever reason -- probably the insert primarily)
Aeon's End: Outcasts
Aeon's End: The New Age
Aeon's End: Legacy (used) w/ Reset Pack
Too Many Bones

Star Trek: Frontiers too but that wasn't from kickstarter, it's just not going to get played. I need to learn to stop backing kickstarters.

I thought you were an Aeon's End fan like myself?

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:01 pm

I am a certified Aeon's End fan, but I don't need the bloat. I am holding onto the original and War Eternal and letting the rest go. One oversized box of goodness is enough.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:43 pm

I'm a fan of the Expedition system myself, but I can see where it might not appeal to everyone.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:09 pm

Altar Quest just arrived and my quick inspection suggests the quality and components are their best yet. The miniatures in particular look fantastic. I've actually started sorting things and hope to get a trial game in this weekend. The only downside is that for the three boxes (core game, stretch goal, expansion), there's no way they will all fit into a single Kallax cube, as required by the Board Gaming Accords of 2018. The stretch goal box is larger than the core game box, which is...something.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:07 pm

My copy is scheduled to arrive Monday. Really looking forward to it. I think the system the Sadler brothers built works best as a combat game at its core, so this one should be more to my liking than Brook City.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:57 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:09 pm Altar Quest just arrived and my quick inspection suggests the quality and components are their best yet. The miniatures in particular look fantastic. I've actually started sorting things and hope to get a trial game in this weekend. The only downside is that for the three boxes (core game, stretch goal, expansion), there's no way they will all fit into a single Kallax cube, as required by the Board Gaming Accords of 2018. The stretch goal box is larger than the core game box, which is...something.

Yeah bigger than a Kallax cube is hard news to hear. I just cleared THREE cubes in sales and now I have to give MORE than 1 back for ONE GAME!!! Nevermind that I wanted the superhero one even more but since I bought Altar Quest I didn't want to get that one without knowing if I like the system.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:58 pm

hepcat wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:43 pm I'm a fan of the Expedition system myself, but I can see where it might not appeal to everyone.

Would it make things better or worse if I said I have no idea what the expedition system entails. I read the rulebook for New Age when I got it but don't remember the details. Some sort of progressions across multiple games? Regardless they are gone now, and for a pittance too just to get back the shelf space.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:07 pm

It would make things the same as before: neutral.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:53 pm

coopasonic wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:57 pm Yeah bigger than a Kallax cube is hard news to hear. I just cleared THREE cubes in sales and now I have to give MORE than 1 back for ONE GAME!!! Nevermind that I wanted the superhero one even more but since I bought Altar Quest I didn't want to get that one without knowing if I like the system.

Depending on how you feel about condensing, I'm pretty confident I can get the expansion into the core box and it might even be possible to get everything into the Stretch goal box. Either way I am positive I can get it into a single Kallax cube but it will require ditching the inserts the the minis are in and simply bagging them.

Tao · Post by **Tao** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:05 am

Came across this a few weeks ago, considering one of the two BoxDuke setups.

BoxThrone

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:42 am

I'm not a fan of the wire shelving of the Box Throne. Then again, I have enough games with inserts allowing for side-shelving. I have seen Kallaxes configured where one divider is removed to allow for longer Descent-long games to fit on the shelf. And there's always the top of the Kallax for storage.

I'm trying to decide about Endless Winter. It's the type of worker-placement and engine builder that I usually like. But the different mini-games are giving me pause -- especially the cave painting expansion. Maybe I'll wait until the inevitable Kickstarter for the next expansion.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:47 am

My storage issue isn't about enough shelves, it's about enough wall space to put shelves. If I had three or four feet of wall space, I'd happily add more storage, but I just don't have it. As it is, my games are stacked horizontally on shelves, and the BoxThrone would actually make them take up more space, as it would put a gap between each that isn't there now.

I can't shelve any game vertically that has cardboard components. Indiana's heat and humidity means that any cardboard not stored flat is guaranteed to warp.

Lordnine · Post by **Lordnine** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:58 am

Zarathud wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:42 am
I'm trying to decide about Endless Winter. It's the type of worker-placement and engine builder that I usually like. But the different mini-games are giving me pause -- especially the cave painting expansion. Maybe I'll wait until the inevitable Kickstarter for the next expansion.

I've played it on TSS. I don't think it's ground breaking but it is quite fun. I posted some very brief impression here.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:17 pm

Smoove_B wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:09 pm Altar Quest just arrived and my quick inspection suggests the quality and components are their best yet. The miniatures in particular look fantastic. I've actually started sorting things and hope to get a trial game in this weekend. The only downside is that for the three boxes (core game, stretch goal, expansion), there's no way they will all fit into a single Kallax cube, as required by the Board Gaming Accords of 2018. The stretch goal box is larger than the core game box, which is...something.

Mine just arrived, which is a surprise (was supposed to be here tomorrow). I can't wait to break open the boxes and check it out. I opted for the mats instead of the expansion and now I am kicking myself a little about that. I think there will be plenty of content to not worry about needing more for a while, but - being a completionist at heart - I can't help not having some regrets.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:30 pm

baelthazar wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:17 pmMine just arrived, which is a surprise (was supposed to be here tomorrow). I can't wait to break open the boxes and check it out. I opted for the mats instead of the expansion and now I am kicking myself a little about that. I think there will be plenty of content to not worry about needing more for a while, but - being a completionist at heart - I can't help not having some regrets.

I think they said there will be copies of the expansion (and other random stuff) available through their website store, so that's something to keep in mind. But yes, between the core box and stretch goals there is an absurd amount of content. Not quite the same as Street Masters, but quite a bit. I have it all sorted and set up, I just need to find time today to give it a whirl.

And so of course, Etherfields is being delivered tomorrow.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:36 pm

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 3:47 pm

Zarathud wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:42 am
I'm trying to decide about Endless Winter. It's the type of worker-placement and engine builder that I usually like. But the different mini-games are giving me pause -- especially the cave painting expansion. Maybe I'll wait until the inevitable Kickstarter for the next expansion.

I’m fine with you ordering it now. Did I not make that clear earlier?