What KICKSTARTER(S) are you BACKING and WHY?

The saving grace here, I'd say, is that the game is a proven commodity. So while I'd probably be doing something dumb by paying so much there isn't much question of the game's quality. Unlike most prototype game kickstarters, which I've thus far kept away from.

Gary Sax wrote: The saving grace here, I'd say, is that the game is a proven commodity.

A proven $140 commodity? That's a helluva game.

What amuses me most is how the community speaks out of both sides of its mouth. Game Salute is tarred and feathered for being a single point of purchase. But Kickstarter is doing the exact same thing.

"We want our games for 40% off a phoney baloney retail price UNLESS it comes with a promo card!"

So...Should I not mention how much I'm getting ready to drop on Super Dungeon Explore?

Sagrilarus wrote:

Gary Sax wrote: The saving grace here, I'd say, is that the game is a proven commodity.

A proven $140 commodity? That's a helluva game.

True.

VonTush wrote: So...Should I not mention how much I'm getting ready to drop on Super Dungeon Explore?

What we need is a sock puppet account (like the Secret Satan one) that people can use for those Kickstarter projects no one will ever publicly admit to backing.

Shameless Game Addict

Password: Sucker

I'm on the fence about backing Catacombs, but not for any of the reasons that have been discussed already. I like the art and it looks fun to play, but I'm just not sure if it's one I need to have.

But what I'm really curious about is why you are all saying $140. Isn't it just $55 CAD? Do you really feel compelled to buy all the add-ons and expansion?

But without Kickstarter how would it ever get made?! It's not like they can go of off previous and existing sales figures combined with an estimated print run and budget accordingly!

I can't blame them (or Queen, etc) for using Kickstarter to get a bunch of money up front, but I also can't empathize with some of the extremely dogdy rationalization that goes around on the consumer end of the deal.

I turned full hypocrite and backed the Kingdom Builder Big Box from Queen back when it was an active KS, but man do I not feel good about doing it.

charlest wrote:

Jeff White wrote: I did back that Fief 1429. It's the only thing I've ever backed and am a bit skeptical. I've been looking for a 'Defender of the Crown' type boardgame for decades and this looks close. Warrior Knights has been my game of this flavor for awhile, but I'm willing to give this a shot as I like the arranged alliances and can't get a decent copy of Blood Royale. I dig the other Academy Games I've played, so I'm going to assume Uwe has good taste.

If it's a dog...I'm sure I can sell it with all its (unnecessary) whistles.

I backed Fief as well and have high hopes. It's a reprint of an existing design, which makes it harder to screw up. Also, as you said, Academy releases quality games and Uwe has always delivered.

If nothing else, it will sell for at least $90 due to all the mini expansion stretch goals that are limited print run.

I'm skeptical for a few reasons:

One, because I have no idea what it's going to look like. The new cover and some of the promotional art looks fantastic, but the cards, board, tiles and such (I know, shown from the previous version) not so much. BUT all of this crap said 'not final art' anyway, so who the hell knows.

Two, I'm glad they've tried to place it somewhere geographically, but it's still in a nowhere world. There's no place in France like the board depicts (a few town names are legit), so there's still a feeling of this being generic.

Three, the year is set in 1429, yet the supplemental material is about Crusaders and Templars...wtf... This should all be Hundred Years War stuff. The Crusades were well over by this period. Makes no sense. With Academy making wargames, and Uwe trying to push the 'Birth of America' line at schools and home schoolers, I have no idea why they made a gaff this big with the history.

So, to me, this game is sorta all over the place and a gamble.

In the end though it was only $65 for everything shipped. Still expensive, but doable and I'm sure I can sell it if need be. If it were $140 or anywhere close, no way. I'd buy a pack of beer, play Warrior Knights, and pocket the $130 to take the family on a sweet day trip or something.

As an aside, during the KS campaign, I tried to lobby hard for some jousting, or tournament rules, which I thought would fit the theme perfectly, more so than Crusaders (ugh!), but not sure it got any traction. Oh well, official rules and components would be nice, but at least some fan cobbled some up in the forums.

BY FAR the most bullshit Kickstarter excuse on the consumer end is...drum roll...

I CAN ALWAYS SELL IT LATER AT A PROFIT.

Fuck this mentality. What the hell is wrong with people?

The fact that Catacombs is an apparent improvement on a proven success- that I have played and enjoyed previously- was the ONLY reason why I was even considering it. It is a proven commodity. But I'm sorry, adding in a $55 additional purchase "stretch goal" A WEEK BEFORE THE KICKSTARTER ENDS is fucking BULL GOD DAMNED MOTHER FUCKING ASSHOLE SHIT.

Why? Because at that point, pretty much everyone "backing" this "project" is in for either the $55 level that gets you the game or that plus the little add-ons (which is like another $30). But oh look! We're suddenly at our stretch goal where your $85 buy in is suddenly not complete! Want the whole thing? You've got to up your "contribution" to get that "reward". But oh, "we wouldn't have been able to do this without your money". Fuck you. How did games publishing EVER survive before this garbage?

Sure, not all Kickstarters are like this, plenty are probably harmless. There are good people that have projects and are acting with integrity and honesty. But these kinds of shenanigans need to be dragged out into the light and REFUSED by paying customers.

Sure, it's your right to spend your money on whatever you want...but if you're spending money on something that is HARMFUL and NEGATIVE to the good people that actually work in this industry to get games published without coming to you with their hat in their hand, then I'm calling you down on it. You're just as much responsible as the people doing this kind of shit.