Octopus Overlords

$iljanus wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:48 am

hepcat wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:33 am Hmmm...now I’m wondering if I should add the new tiles to my vc pledge. I pledged for everything else you mentioned. But when they ship and you’re raving about how cool they are, I know I’m going to plotz.

The new tiles are like Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Tarantino had a love child on a cardboard canvas! Blowing up bases and killing Nazis take on a whole new dimension! You can almost smell the gunpowder and cordite! (This of course is an imagining of what could be. I’m sure the reality will be even better! )

Fine, I’ll update my pledge.

Solomon Kane arrived. It is without a doubt the densest Kickstarter I have ever received. It is heavy enough that I actually struggled to unbox it carefully. It gives Gloomhaven and Cthulhu Wars a run for their money when it comes to size.

Production is impressive and a good portion of the weight comes from the numerous spiral bound story books. Each scenario has its own book with multiple chapters and multiple endings (a personal favorite feature of mine) . The player boards are thick and double layered. The miniatures are large and highly detailed, honestly some of the best I've seen. It's a little odd that they didn't size the main box to fit them, instead they are all in their own "Arsenal Box" which is just as large as the main box.

Gameplay wise I've only given it a cursory test but it seems fun, a bit more traditional RPG than standard fare dungeon crawler board game. All players play as virtues that guide the protagonist instead of being adventurers on their own. What I love here is that where most board games would be happy to just let a person play all 4 virtues in single player, they went the extra mile to make a fully unique 5th virtue with abilities of all four to play in single player. There is also a 6th player board to allow a 5th player to play as the "Darkness" in a 1vs all mode or to be used in a 1vs1 mode with the single player player board. Can't say how these all play but I love the options.

Overall pretty impressed, hope I will actually get to play it multiplayer sometime in the near future!

hepcat wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 8:39 pm The moment you hit the checkout button, you were done for, my friend.

You’re one of us now.

Only a week later, and I've already backed a second game! Robinson Crusoe - Collector's Edition.

Help me!

That's a good one though, so it doesn't count!

Seriously though, like YK, I consider Robinson Crusoe to be an essential boardgame for any collection.

Received 3 Kickstarters the last 2 days,

Tiny Epic Pirates (no video yet)

Sanctuary: The Keepers Era. + Icaion (added in pledge manager)
Unboxing: Die of the Dead
Unboxing: Basically excited to try them all ^^

Just backed the two new expansions for AuZtralia, Revenge of the Old Ones and TaZmania.

Revenge of the Old Ones adds the ability for a player to play the Old Ones against other humans, which is a feature I'll probably never use. But it does include a solo mode to play against the more powerful Old Ones.

TaZmania is the real treat for solo players, as it adds extra content and a campaign mode which looks really fun.

The kicker that sent me over the top was the inclusion of a new box with insert that can hold the base game + both expansions. AuZtralia was one of the rare games I loved so much I built a custom insert for it, so having an official insert to hold everything was really appealing.

Hepcat and I played AuZtralia at Origins, well back when there were cons, and I liked it, but didn't like it enough to buy it.

Do the expansions add more to it?

Not a huge amount. The biggest features are the ones I mentioned (play as Old Ones and solo campaign) and the big box to hold everything.

I've actually never played it multiplayer, only solo, but I found the solo very compelling. I always like games that blend mechanics, and this one does that very well with elements of worker placement, railroad building, combat, etc.

I do think it's a game that gets better the more you play and understand the various strategies involved.

YellowKing wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:08 am Not a huge amount. The biggest features are the ones I mentioned (play as Old Ones and solo campaign) and the big box to hold everything.

I've actually never played it multiplayer, only solo, but I found the solo very compelling. I always like games that blend mechanics, and this one does that very well with elements of worker placement, railroad building, combat, etc.

I do think it's a game that gets better the more you play and understand the various strategies involved.

Yeah, I remember I liked it, and the theme was cool as well. But I never purchased it, so it just didn't resonate with me.

I liked how it combined the feel of a railroad game with other disparate mechanics, but it didn't resonate enough with me to pick it up at the time. I should give it another try at the next convention though.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Hexplore It! Series, particularly solo? On the fence about backing The Domain of Mirza Noctis since the horror theme appeals to me, but don't have any experience with the series.

From the playthroughs I've watched I like the open world exploration, amount of content in the box, and general tabletop RPG feel of the mechanics. On the other hand, it looks like it could get a bit fiddly and combat may not be super exciting.

I'm not a fan. I think Smoove likes it though.

My issue with it is that it's just not much fun to me. Combat boils down to you choosing one of 3 or 4 actions...then doing that same thing in pretty much every action after that. You write down some numbers on a dry erase board, add them together, then compare them to some other numbers you wrote down on the other side of the dry erase board. Rinse, repeat.

Leveling up is adding a one to something. There's no exciting abilities to obtain. The level up cards literally read "+1" or something.

The exploration is kind of cool as you can buy/find some pretty cool stuff though. That's really the only thing that I enjoyed.

But, if you're interested in it still, I have a kickstarter version of the Forests of Adrimon I've played perhaps one half of a game with that I'll let go at a fair price (I already sold off my copy of the Valley of the Kings or whatever it was called).

YellowKing wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:15 pm Anyone have any thoughts on the Hexplore It! Series, particularly solo? On the fence about backing The Domain of Mirza Noctis since the horror theme appeals to me, but don't have any experience with the series.

From the playthroughs I've watched I like the open world exploration, amount of content in the box, and general tabletop RPG feel of the mechanics. On the other hand, it looks like it could get a bit fiddly and combat may not be super exciting.

I sold my other entries in the series without trying them, but grabbed the latest Sands of Shurax because I am much more attracted to the desert/dune/Arabian nights theme. I have The Domain of Mirza Noctis backed, because it is Curse of Strahd and the price to content ratio seems high. I think Hep has it right - it is a lot like a D&D campaign, where the combat is going to be "mathy" and the levels may just be "you get a +1 to attack." The Sands of Shurax is supposed to be most "sandbox" (har har) version, allowing you to gamble, trade, join caravans, enter a dungeon, and so on. It was also supposed to be the heaviest lift.

After I play Robison Crusoe several times more, I plan to tackle it.

Unless Middara manages to miraculously show up. FunAgain Logistics has had it for a week and shipped none of them, I believe.

hepcat wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:39 pm I'm not a fan. I think Smoove likes it though.

Yes! I owned the first one but got rid of it after the second one came out as I liked it so much more (theme and mechanics). With each iteration they tweak elements and for me the second one is the perfect balance of complexity and mechanics. They did go back and revise the first one based on changes they made for the second, but I haven't played it yet. The third is supposed to be the most complex and thematically I'm not into it. However, I did back this new one for the theme and the tweaks they've made.

Hepcat is right - it can be very +1 this and -1 that, which I totally get isn't fun. There's upkeep and adjustments you're making each round for things like food - also, not something I would expect everyone to enjoy.

However, the reason I like it is because of the randomness. Hexcrawl mechanics are a HUGE draw for me and this system has so many awesome variables to chuck into the blender making each game quite different. I also like to play in true random - just picking race and class out of a hat, which means sometimes the games can be really, really short. But learning the powers and combinations is the fun part (for me) and seeing how these characters thrive (or not) in the game world is how I have fun.

If you go to this page, that should link you directly to the best summary I've seen - it ranks each game by the overall design variables.

The one thing I'm really interested in is the new game book they're releasing for the first volume. I'm not going to repurchase the first game to give it a whirl, but I'll let them test and perfect the system and hope they do another version for Volume 2.

I'm a fan (yes) but I can understand why people don't like it.

baelthazar wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:55 pm
After I play Robison Crusoe several times more, I plan to tackle it.

Have you tried Mystery Tales with it yet? That's the one that takes it to a whole new level, in my opinion. I switch back and forth between that and the base game though as I still sometimes enjoy a simpler RC.

hepcat wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 11:29 am

baelthazar wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:55 pm
After I play Robison Crusoe several times more, I plan to tackle it.

Have you tried Mystery Tales with it yet? That's the one that takes it to a whole new level, in my opinion. I switch back and forth between that and the base game though as I still sometimes enjoy a simpler RC.

I just got in my third play on Castaways and FINALLY won! Do you prefer to play pure solo (with dog and Friday) or two-handed (with Friday)? I am tempted to try another PC, but I think the extra food requirement probably outweighs the extra disks.

Still mightily tempted by Pax Renaissance. I will probably cave on it.

I vacillate between both modes of play. I think I prefer two handed play though. But feeding people does become more troublesome. Personally I’m jonesing for some more horror mode sessions from Mystery Tales. That one is a blast.

I took a short break from pax ren as I was playing it too much. Hopefully though I’m playing a face to face game of it this Saturday.

coopasonic wrote: Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:18 pm
Final Girl - May 2021

Did you read the last update on this? I haven’t been paying attention to the project but checked in today to look for an updated timeline. What I found out is that one of their employees shot and killed his wife and mother in law and then committed suicide. They’re shutting down production temporarily as they remove his name from some of the stuff, as well as taking some time to deal with this senseless act of violence.

Yeah, I'd mentioned it in an R&P thread; it's horrific. I can't even imagine what they're all going through as coworkers and then dealing with his name on everything. I have nothing but respect for the VanRyder team; I really like their products and what they've created. Goes to show no one and no group is immune to the reality of gun violence.

I'm more or less expecting Final Girl to be shipped in September now. Whatever they need to do is fine with me.

Yeah it is pretty chilling. I saw Smoove's R&P post before I read the update and didn't know he was referring to a recent event. I don't even know how you react or respond to something like that, but yeah they can take all the time they need.

Finally got the notice that Middara Wave 1 is shipping.

I've put off buying (or playing) anything much for the past couple of months in prep. Also just ordered a fresh can of Army Painter spray primer to get those minis painted up.

I'm really hoping it's good enough to hold my interest for awhile; then next few months are going to be really expensive with moving and new house stuff, and I need to keep big game purchases to a minimum.

Was Middara one of those kickstarters that you had to pay extra for to get Wave 1 shipping? I saw that I'd paid 25 bucks for shipping (I'm in for the chapter 1 stuff only), but I also saw that the kickstarter rewards are shipping in a wave 2. So now I'm not sure if I have to wait until then to get everything.

I really hate this wave 1 and wave 2 crap, by the way. I didn't realize I'd only done wave 2 shipping for Etherfields, so I'm not getting anything for that until a year or two from now.

I'm surprised people are getting FunAgain info for Middara so quickly. They've only had it for ~2 weeks at this point.

Regarding what's in each shipment:

Wave 1: Wave 2:

Wave 1 was supposed to ship in May of 2020, so that's...a year late. I'd expect to be seeing Act 2 late 2022 or early 2023. Act 3, 2025. They're on the same plan as KDM.

Did you have to select Wave 1 shipping in the pledge manager at any point though? Or are they doing split shipping that will charge you for the second wave of stuff later?

hepcat wrote:Was Middara one of those kickstarters that you had to pay extra for to get Wave 1 shipping?

I don't recall having to pay anything extra for Wave 1 or having to specify. I didn't order anything but Chapter 1 stuff, though - I didn't add anything that's listed in the Wave 2 shipping list.

I'm almost positive they're doing split shipping for Wave 2 from what I've gleaned in the forums. It would make sense given they are opening up the Wave 2 pledge manager this fall so suckers like me can pony up for Chapters 2 and 3.

hepcat wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 10:47 am Did you have to select Wave 1 shipping in the pledge manager at any point though? Or are they doing split shipping that will charge you for the second wave of stuff later?

If you go into Your GameFound account and look at the status, ideally it should say "placed and paid".

There wasn't split shipping, but you did need to confirm your address and pay for Wave 1. I'm not sure what would happen if you didn't pay for Wave 1 other than getting an email or notice after Wave 1 ships that if you don't pay as part of the current fulfillment you might forfeit your stuff. They specifically said there was no way (because of the volume and delay between Acts) to get everything at once. Like YK said, it was just a flat fee (no extra charges to ship Wave 1).

No. Due to the size of this campaign and the difference in shipping Wave 1 and Wave 2, this campaign is strictly two waves. However, the shipping isn’t a flat rate and changes depending on what you are having shipped to you in each Wave.

I think the rewards for the core game even are wave 2 though.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 10:57 am

hepcat wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 10:47 am Did you have to select Wave 1 shipping in the pledge manager at any point though? Or are they doing split shipping that will charge you for the second wave of stuff later?

If you go into Your GameFound account and look at the status, ideally it should say "placed and paid".

Hopefully it's on backerkit as I paid them for it.

Yeah, you're right hep. KS2 Promo Box is listed on my order, so that means no stretch goals or anything this first round which kinda blows.

But you didn't explicitly pay for a wave 1 shipping at any point for the core game, right?

Have I mentioned I hate this split shipping crap?

You should have. I have a charge in October of 2019 and another in September of 2020 (I think I added more stuff, like a goon).

You need to make a KS spreadsheet and track everything, including when you pay. This is the way.

I reviewed the shipping charge from February and I paid the flat $25 for shipping. It doesn't specify anything re: paying for Wave 1 or 2.

FWIW the two items from my pledge are listed as follows:

KS2 Promo Box

Wave 1 Fulfillment

Middara Act 1

According to this forum thread on BGG, Wave 2 shipping is charged later when Wave 2 ships:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/223638 ... rification

And thanks to hepcat for making me paranoid now.

So, I've been actually wondering about this as well. Middara is my first ever Kickstarter, so I really have no idea how the process works. I know that they charged me for the Kickstarter back in July 2019 then I paid them $25 for shipping back in September 2019 and confirmed my ship-to address. That's the last I've seen, outside of the general updates from KS and Succubus Publishing.

Is there another notification and/or confirmation that I should be looking for somewhere? I didn't know if I needed to do anything else in particular, or if it was just going to magically show up on my porch one of these days. These mentions of "pledge manager" and "Gamefound" make me a bit nervous, as I have no idea what those things are or if there's something I'm supposed to do with them.

You'll want to check on backerkit.com, not gamefound. Pledge managers are where you are sent to finalize payment for kickstarter projects. You should have received an email from the kickstarter makers telling you were to go to do this after the project ended. Sometimes it doesn't happen for months though.

See if you can log into https://middara-trilogy.backerkit.com If you can, you can view your order there.

As for the actual shipping waves, it sounds like as long as you paid the 25 bucks for the wave 1 shipping, you'll get the core game in wave 1. That's what YK did, and that's what I did. If he received a notice for shipping, I'm all set too I believe.

hepcat wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 10:57 am Hopefully it's on backerkit as I paid them for it.

Spreadsheet updated!

I'm not sure why I thought it was Gamefound. I'm bouncing between like ~4 different projects right now that are due for delivery and getting dizzy.

hepcat wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 11:56 am See if you can log into https://middara-trilogy.backerkit.com If you can, you can view your order there.

Thanks, that has all my info. "Your order has been shipped" is still greyed out, so I guess it's still in process.

Skinypupy wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 11:53 am So, I've been actually wondering about this as well. Middara is my first ever Kickstarter, so I really have no idea how the process works.

This made me curious. My first kickstarter was D-Day Dice 10/29/2011. It looks like the sort of thing I should blame on hentzau.

Just for clarification I was talking about the KS update that Wave 1 was being fulfilled, not that my particular order had shipped. However, since they said in that update that webstore orders could be shipping as early as 2 weeks from now, and those take place after KS fulfillment, I'm assuming we should be getting actual shipping notices any day now.

YellowKing wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 12:51 pm I'm assuming we should be getting actual shipping notices any day now.

They're using FunAgain Games. I would expect the game to be delivered for a week and you'll get a random email from them in late May letting you know it shipped.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 12:57 pm

YellowKing wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 12:51 pm I'm assuming we should be getting actual shipping notices any day now.

They're using FunAgain Games. I would expect the game to be delivered for a week and you'll get a random email from them in late May letting you know it shipped.

Yeah the fedex, ups and usps respective services that alert you of incoming packages are your best source of information and make for a fun guessing game!

The way our post office has been lately doesn't give me much hope. I had the mail show up at 10:30pm last night. The mail carrier said they were incredibly short-staffed right now.

Just sharing in case anyone is looking for 3D terrain....