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Here's a few more for you to look over -

Custom Game Dice - lots of big promises, nothing to show for it. It came out later there had been warnings from others the project was impractical. Once he saw there was actual work involved, the creator developed a mysterious illness. No dice, no refunds, little communication.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/customgamelab/custom-game-dice-you-design


Here's a couple more from the wargaming side of things - Up Front and Airborne in Your Pocket. Rik Falch turned out to be a first class thief. Did not even have the rights to Up Front. Took the money, paid off a previous legal judgement, and fled to Australia.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1325766284/up-front-the-card-game?ref=nav_search
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1325766284/airborne-in-your-pocket-board-game?ref=users

I read about the Up Front debacle. Some of the comments were less than kind about the creator. It was amusing to read, but then again I was not a backer.

My kick starter gambles- I backed Bones 1 and realized I did not like chewing gum soft minis for smaller models. Not really happy with it for the most part.

Since then I backed Bones 2 for the diorama and monsters and Bones 3 for the giants. I have an absurd number of giants and ogres collected for the past 30 years but still can not say no to another.

I have been tempted many times but decided that I might not even be alive when some of the stuff arrives. Even worse, I might have no interest in the stuff when it shows up in the mail.

I have not had any bad experiences of being totally ripped off, but a bunch of less than satisfying ones that have led me to never back any Kickstarter project from anyone again, ever. It's not worth the hassle to me at this point. And one of the biggest thieves is Kickstarter itself. They don't care what happens, because they got paid anyway. We're still in the 'Wild West' anything goes stage of crowd funding's development. As long as you realize that, and accept the risk, great. But sadly, unless Kickstarter develops some morals, or the government intervenes, there are going to be a lot more horror stories like Falch stealing over $400K.

1) Dredd Miniatures by Mongoose - nearly four years on and still not fulfilled pledges that should have been filled after 18 months
2) Rogue Trooper Miniatures by Mongoose - same problem....
3) Paranoia by.. You guessed it, Mongoose. Claimed to have a game ready for a spring 2015 release, now looking at summer 2016 at the earliest, after the designer scrapped everything without telling them and started again...
4) Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium - just coming to delivery 3 (?) years after the stated release...

 angelofvengeance wrote:
That kickfailure site is hilarious! Some truly deluded folks wanting funding for some crazy gak lol.
Check this guy out- though to his credit he managed to raise $504 from 29 people. For even more comedy value, watch the video! I don't even know wtf he's on about lol.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/973736766/the-cybermatrix-100-tu01/description

**edit: I think this guy may have a few mental health issues...

One was the princess simulater game and the line said "IF we do not raise 60,000$, we will use the funds to compensate those who helped with the demo"
they keep your money even if they fail.

 Krinsath wrote:
rather than being thieving and/or fraudlent bastiches like Defiance

I think a lot of folks who put money in this one did it for the sheer amusement of watching Tony Reidy flail around one more time. I recall several posters actually saying something to the effect of "I really don't expect him to deliver, BUT..." Personally, I noped out as soon as I saw his name.

I'm still holding out hope that they'll deliver, but here's three that have gone way past their delivery date for some reason or another without finishing yet. I wouldn't say they're outright failures, but they certainly haven't succeeded.

Low Life Miniatures
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359565526/low-life-miniatures

Assimilation Alien Host
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/131182444/assimilation-alien-host

Mekton Zero
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1888572386/mekton-zero

Games and Gears Battleboards:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/554355176/games-and-gears-battle-boards/comments

The crappest excuses for horriffic delays and the boards have been shipped around the world at least 3 times and some have been remade, had QC testing, gone to the distributor, then back to the factory multiple times (and apparently none of these places have cameras).

The Hellscape board was apparently supposed to be in our hands by February but now they have decided to "recall and destroy them along with the moulds" because apparently we have been waiting too long for them... despite them having to have been in the post for them to be set for a February delivery... or perhaps the years of QC and remaking was all a lie and they were never made at all...

None of the addons have turned up for people either and they are completely ignoring comments on the kickstarter.

 Da Boss wrote:
Conquest Games have been putting out kits fairly quietly, nice hard plastic Normans. I'd gotten the Infantry and the Knights, but was disappointed that they had no archers. They must have released some, as I just saw a box in the FLGS and nabbed it, but I didn't see that announced anywhere.

Wrong forum for normans and the like, IMO! Though I agree that KS can be a kind of publicity sponge. Can't help but think of Andy at Heresy Miniatures, all but forced onto the KS bandwagon and it's 'freebies or else!' audience; it didn't leave him much better off, financially, either. (Hope it didn't put him off his plastic trooper and skellie plans, though)

People sneer at KS as some kind of preorder system for wargaming projects. Personally I don't mind that, even for small projects that might not need crowdfunding. (Especially if it gets them a bit of recognition that they wouldn't otherwise get) From what I gather, it might be a more sensible way of doing things than being dazzled by the moolah that some KSs pull in, and offering masses of freebies and discounts that soon eat up that money. The fact that people are still getting in over their heads just shows how tricky the process can be, IMO.

 zedmeister wrote:
Surely Creature Caster and the machinations of its pretentious creator deserve a mention?

And not forgetting that ghastly mess of a Kickstarter for Robotech (where, after stumbling upon the thread, I learned what Palladium is and what a total incompetent gak-break Siembieda is). What really surprises me is the lack of vitriol being heaped on that joke of a cult company (it really does sound cult like. A leader and his hangers on who are prepared to work for free)!

Also, could Sedition Wars qualify? Yes, it eventually delivered, but was hideously late, Wave 2 was a joke and the game is now consigned to the dustbin of history.

The warning was posted at the time. Everyone already KNOWS Palladium is crap in a bag of chips. We threw down the warnings almost from inception of the product...

I already had as a no brainer that he wouldn't deliver. I've seen the product.... not worth the effort, or the aggravation.

What about creature caster?

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
What about creature caster?

I wouldn't call that failed, per se, at least not yet. It's just taking a long time to fulfill.

KenofYork, if you have a finished product ready to go with prices and shipping all figured out, you might as well go for a Kickstarter. It will raise your profile dramatically and give you a way to send out adverts of upcoming products to interested parties via the KS updates. Just don't play games with the stretch goals and don't sweat it if a vocal set of the backers pry for a better deal and pull their pledges--it's nothing personal; that's just the behavior the system rewards.

 Gitkikka wrote:

 Krinsath wrote:
rather than being thieving and/or fraudlent bastiches like Defiance

I think a lot of folks who put money in this one did it for the sheer amusement of watching Tony Reidy flail around one more time. I recall several posters actually saying something to the effect of "I really don't expect him to deliver, BUT..." Personally, I noped out as soon as I saw his name.

Yeah, I was one of those. $25 isn't too much for long odds and gripping drama. His con of Torn Armor, on the other hand, really pissed me off.

The Robotech KS is one where I got less than I paid for but the endless drama in the thread is more than making up for it in terms of hours entertained per dollar spent.

To look at the flip side I have more and more respect for Dream Forge.

Very ambitious early kickstarter, and it delivered everything, in plastic, in a reasonable time frame.