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Which is what a lot of folk stateside are selling the Conf. stuff for (40%+ off)

What's CAOR?

Posted By malfred on 09/05/2007 3:37 PM
What's CAOR?

Confrontation: Age of Ragnarok

A crossbreed between Confrontation and Ragnarok. Confrontation gives the name to confound players and Ragnarok gives everything else to piss them off.

Posted By Alpharius on 09/05/2007 1:31 PM
Current rumor is that there is a buy out in the wings, maybe FFG?

I can see how a distributor might want to get into AT-43 for the US market.

Not so sure that said suitor would keep the "Confrontation Brand", as currently constituted, on their production schedule.

Maybe "Confrontation" will be cast adrift? Bought my someone else? Die?

Who knows what will happen? (Though I hope that it somehow gets to return to its skirmish roots...)

I hope that FFG buys them out. This would be a good thing. Nothing but good comes from this company.

Plus, I live merely a few miles from their HQ...

Sorry, but this just proves Karma sucks. Rackahm shafted their players with C4 and now they are getting shafted.

Actually I wish TGN would have produced a better translation and been a little bit more aware of the differences with regard to law.

The protection under which Rackham is at the moment is a pro-active state. Rackham has invested huge summs in the new systems and nearly every company investing huge sums gets either punished by the stock-holders or makes competitors hungry for them. Normally the stock holders honor lay offs but not investments, which again proofs that very often not facts but hopes are traded at the stock markets.The protection offers Rackham to work for the next 6 months without fearing that they are taken over by another company if they don´t want to and to reap the fruits of their former investments which just now start to come in.

Production and sale are going on as planned and restructuring takes place. The cooperation with FFG is one step in this move forward.

I also ask you to remember that the situation was not that different for GW in 1990. The main difference is that Rackham still owns the majority of its shares, which GW then did not.

Anyone talking about shafting should rather grip a book about the differences between american and european law, especially the french one.

Sorry Duncan, I think you are a bit too positive here. Rackham is currently under sursis concordataire, the french equivalent of Chapter 13 protection. In France, it implies that the future of the company now resides in the hands of a judge who sees how the activity is going during a period of six months while debts are frozen. After that, based on his observation of the company, he can wind up the business, sell it to a bidder (if any), or just decide to go on while "renegociating" current debt with creditors. I also believe that he can extend the observation period once to six further months, but I'm not sure on this.

(it might seems strange to you American people, but in France officials are supposed to be better at everything; a mere judge is therefore considered more apt at running a business than its original owner, no matter how inexperienced.)

Of course, when it happens the shares are suspended - to prevent overreaction of the market. Now, from my experience share suspension is really pointless: when trading resume the value crumbles all the time. I can bet on it.

Conclusion: unless At-43, Ragnarok and other Rackham lines really do well in forthcoming months, the company is doomed. At best it may be bought, but it may as well disappear completely. I don't know if the 10% monthly growth recorded for AT-43 in the US will be enough to save them. On a plus side, I heard that Rackham already faced tough times in the past and managed to overcome its difficulties; maybe it can happen twice?

I may grab a copy of AT43 while it is still around. The rules can always be adapted to different figures if the Rackham ones go out of production. Or looking on the bright side, if enough of us bagged the game now, it would at least help the company get though the difficult period.

Posted By Kilkrazy on 09/06/2007 3:02 AM
I may grab a copy of AT43 while it is still around. The rules can always be adapted to different figures if the Rackham ones go out of production. Or looking on the bright side, if enough of us bagged the game now, it would at least help the company get though the difficult period.

I went out and bought the rulebook because of this very same thing.

if nothing else, it will possibly help get rackham out of their stumble.

If AT-43 were to die, it would be the biggest loss to wargaming since warzone went under.

@Kotrin
Only half of the truth, since it does not say anything about how the situation at the company is. They asked for it instead of being forced to take it. That is a small but important point. A company can also ask for it if it has financial problems because other companies owe them a lot of many and do not pay. So, without inside knowledge it is hard to tell what really is going on. But since production is running as planned and nothing is canceled it looks much better than when e.g. TSR was no longer able to pay the factories and printers.

So I guess now is the time to stock up on all those rackham minis that I wanted as Warhammer proxies!

Gotta grab some of those greater demons boefre they go down, they are amazing sculpts!

 

 

Posted By Kotrin on 09/06/2007 2:39 AM
Sorry Duncan, I think you are a bit too positive here. Rackham is currently under sursis concordataire, the french equivalent of Chapter 13 protection. In France, it implies that the future of the company now resides in the hands of a judge who sees how the activity is going during a period of six months while debts are frozen. 

Let's hope the judge is a C3 fan!

Duncan Idaho:They asked for it instead of being forced to take it. That is a small but important point.

True. But someone getting sacked is often allowed toe "resign voluntarily" instead. It amounts to the same thing really. Put yourself into voluntary supervision or face being forced into bankruptcy - Hobson's choice really!

Except in the very rarest of circumstances companies try and avoid anything that makes them look like they are going under (and voluntary administration or whatever *does* make them look like they are going under to the outsider, whatever the real truth is) because perception is everything to the customer and gamestorres are going to stop holding their product and customers are going to stop buying their product because they don't believe the company will be around long enough to fulfil on the promise. The lack of confidence even a voluntary arrangement causes is something most companies would wish to avoid if at all possible.

Duncan Idaho: A company can also ask for it if it has financial problems because other companies owe them a lot of many and do not pay.

But that's not likely to be the case here. Rackham's customers are Joe Public and some distributors. They aren't likely to be beholden to one individual customer to the extent that it would drive them under. It's not like a small business selling to a big one where you get these kind of problems.

In any case, the reasons for the "protection" are explicitly given as loss of trade from C3 and slow uptake of AT-43. That is in black and white. Nowehere does it mention someone owing them money preventing them paying their bills. Nope. The reason they can't pay the bills is clearly and explicitly because they can't sell AT-43 well enough in Europe yet and the bottom has fallen out of the market for C3 stuff!

I think you need to take of the rose-tinted glasses mate!

Sure they may pull themselves out of the mess, but its going to be hard, and they've made some big mistakes.

I just hope Kirby is watching and understands just what can happen if you tick off your fan-base too badly!

With all the financial experts her, I have to give up and resign to their wisdom....

Folks.... the real thing is little bit different from what you suspect. And this goes for quite some stuff that concerns GW, too. Or any other company doing TT. I am glad that quite some people here will never run such a company... they would kill it during the first weeks.

Posted By Duncan_Idaho on 09/06/2007 7:29 AM
With all the financial experts her, I have to give up and resign to their wisdom....

Folks.... the real thing is little bit different from what you suspect. And this goes for quite some stuff that concerns GW, too. Or any other company doing TT. I am glad that quite some people here will never run such a company... they would kill it during the first weeks.

Since you seem to poopoo al those "financial experts" and even those who know about French law, what exactly are your credentials to be making such a statement?  

sometimes, even a fanboy must accept the inevitable and quick fighting against the wind.

As a "financial expert" (I worked in the insolvency practice of a large firm of accountants in the UK for a good while a few years back) I do know what I'm talking about. But I only know what is explicitly stated. If there is stuff going on behind the scenes that the rest of us are not aware of then Jean Bey would be advised to explain otherwise everyone's natural inclination is to assume what is "normal" in such cases. If he's taken R into protective administration because he's earning more profit than he knows how to handle, then that's what he should have put on the voluntary notice. Not that the reason was because AT-43 wasn't selling well enough in Europe and that revenues from C3 models had dropped off more quickly than anticipated.

Given the support to these ideas that comes from seeing distributors dumping Rackham lead at up to 75% off to the general public, then what else are we meant to think? Rackham's own words say they are up the creek and paddling hard!

If you have some magic route to the inside then for the good of the community and their faith in R's future then your knowledge should be spilled!

Otherwise it's just sounding like misguided faith...

Duncan has shown on numerous occasions that he has a "magic route" when it comes to Rackham. So... I would be more apt to listen to him, especially when some in this thread have repeatedly shown their dissatisfaction with all things recent Rackham.

So I guess for you guys calling Duncan out... why can't he state his opinion, when you seem to have no problem spouting yours?

Posted By methoderik on 09/06/2007 9:43 AM
So I guess for you guys calling Duncan out... why can't he state his opinion, when you seem to have no problem spouting yours?

He didn't really state an opinion, he just insulted the people who disagreed with him, without explaining why his detractors might be mistaken.

Because THIS IS DAKKA!

*kicks methoderik into a bottomless pit*

I'll put myself in the "cross my fingers and hope" category.

I know one of the reasons why I haven't been spending as much money on AT-43 as I could is simply supply chain issues to the US.

I'd LOVE to be able to get my hands on a Therian army book, and maybe some of those later Therian models. Alas - apparently they are being shipped by slow canoe, or perhaps by pack muskrat - because other than a handful of lucky pre-orders - NO one I know has been able to get a hold of them.

Nothing kills a game faster than not being able to play it because you can't get the pieces you need....

Posted By untitled on 09/06/2007 10:00 AM

Posted By methoderik on 09/06/2007 9:43 AM
So I guess for you guys calling Duncan out... why can't he state his opinion, when you seem to have no problem spouting yours?

He didn't really state an opinion, he just insulted the people who disagreed with him, without explaining why his detractors might be mistaken.

We are reading the same thread, right? Seems he explained his position as well as he could, and if you call those insults you obviously have not been around DAKKA to long.

Anyways, whatever...

Rackham you have my support, $200 dollar AT-43 order from the Warstore placed! Wing Troopers with Sniper Rifles here you come.

Posted By keichi246 on 09/06/2007 10:32 AM
I'll put myself in the "cross my fingers and hope" category.

I know one of the reasons why I haven't been spending as much money on AT-43 as I could is simply supply chain issues to the US.

I'd LOVE to be able to get my hands on a Therian army book, and maybe some of those later Therian models. Alas - apparently they are being shipped by slow canoe, or perhaps by pack muskrat - because other than a handful of lucky pre-orders - NO one I know has been able to get a hold of them.

Nothing kills a game faster than not being able to play it because you can't get the pieces you need....

Dude! www.thewarstore.com

In stock, cheap shipping, and 20% off.

I do not know how credible the following is. Protection by a French court is the equivalent of the Chapter 11 procedure in the US.

 

The Directorate-General of Rackham SA decided to place the company under the protection of Commercial court of Bobigny within the framework of the law of safeguard. Let us inform that one period of 6 months observation was open on August 27, 2007. This voluntary step was justified by an analysis of the general evolution of the company, and in particular of its treasury over the last months, marked by the following points:

1. The Directorate-General of Rackam SA anticipated the market trends of strategy games with figurines towards the “ready to play” and made, as of the beginning of 2005, the choice of plastic and painted figures. This new strategic orientation, announced at the time of the general assembly of the shareholders of September 2006, allows Rackham today to be the precursor on the market. The choice of this new industrial model required heavy investments which started to bear their fruits with the launching of the science fiction game AT-43 in November 2006. The new edition of Confrontation, the Age of Rag’ Narok, is scheduled for November 2007.


2. If the starting of AT-43 in the United States is very satisfactory, in line with the objectives - US sales turnover is in growth of more than 10% per month and the position of the company on this priority geographical area is reinforced for the months to come by a contract for exclusive distribution with a master distributor, Fantasy Games Flight - its establishment in Europe has proceeded more slowly than envisaged.

Thus, the growth of the sales turnover for AT-43 does not compensate for, at the moment, erosion in sales turnover for Confrontation in its current version (metal figurines), at the end of its life cycle. The total sales turnover realized by Rackham SA dropped from €400000 per month in 2005-2006 to €300000 over the same period in the last year.

3. In this context, Management has set up, for several months, a reorganization which is feeling its first effects. It must nevertheless be continued in order to allow the company to ensure its perenniality and to profit fully from the renewal of its range of products. It will be made within the framework of the phase of observation which allows the company to freeze the whole of its exigible liability.

The accounts of the company Rackham SA are in the course of review by the police chief with accounts. A complementary official statement will be available on the detail of the accounts and of exigible liability after their certification in the next weeks. Trustful in the development prospects of the company Rackham SA, we remain with your provision for any information additional by telephone to + 33.1.55.86 .89.20 or by email with info@rackham.fr.

Directorate-General of Rackham

Posted By methoderik on 09/06/2007 10:45 AM

Posted By keichi246 on 09/06/2007 10:32 AM
I'll put myself in the "cross my fingers and hope" category.

I know one of the reasons why I haven't been spending as much money on AT-43 as I could is simply supply chain issues to the US.

I'd LOVE to be able to get my hands on a Therian army book, and maybe some of those later Therian models. Alas - apparently they are being shipped by slow canoe, or perhaps by pack muskrat - because other than a handful of lucky pre-orders - NO one I know has been able to get a hold of them.

Nothing kills a game faster than not being able to play it because you can't get the pieces you need....

Dude! www.thewarstore.com

In stock, cheap shipping, and 20% off.

Oh sure - NOW they have it back in stock...

It's been out of stock every time I've been checking for the past few months...

Of course- NOW I can't afford the order; my gaming budget is blown and I need new roof before winter...  :cries:

I just want some bunkers.

And gorillas.

Is that too much to ask???

Posted By methoderik on 09/06/2007 9:43 AM

Duncan has shown on numerous occasions that he has a "magic route" when it comes to Rackham. So... I would be more apt to listen to him, especially when some in this thread have repeatedly shown their dissatisfaction with all things recent Rackham.

So I guess for you guys calling Duncan out... why can't he state his opinion, when you seem to have no problem spouting yours?

Fair enough it there are some confidentialities that he can't betray, and if Duncs has a proven track record - well I will give the benefit of the doubt.

HOWEVER, just because someone with internal contacts may believe something to be true doesn't make it actually true.  Just because he may be in a position to hear things doesn't mean what he is hearing is the truth.  It is not unknown for Management to spin stories to give a version of events that is not the "whole truth".... (heck I've been there myself... to my  shame) in order to keep the wheels turning when the situation is tight.

Actually, to be more charitable, it is not unknown for management to wholly believe in the best of a situation simply because believing anything less is unthinkable and too scary to contemplate for them.  A natural human reaction to trouble is to deny it's existance ...

To use an unfortunate analogy... would you be taking the word of someone who said "well, everything is going to be alright on the Titanic since we hit that last iceberg, because I'm the friend of the Captain and he tells me we're unsinkable!"

I'm prepared to believe in Duncan's integrity.  But forgive me my skepticism when that is based on my own observations of the way management operates under similar circumstances elsewhere...

Posted By methoderik on 09/06/2007 9:43 AM

Duncan has shown on numerous occasions that he has a "magic route" when it comes to Rackham. So... I would be more apt to listen to him, especially when some in this thread have repeatedly shown their dissatisfaction with all things recent Rackham.

So I guess for you guys calling Duncan out... why can't he state his opinion, when you seem to have no problem spouting yours?

Hey, I like Duncan and his info too, but he's also shown on numerous occasions that he has a pair of  "magic rose colored glasses" when it comes to all things Rackham!

Believe me, I hope Rackham comes out of this OK, if for no other reason than I want to see the promised new "skirmish" rule set!

Well, that and I love the miniatures...

Posted By malfred on 09/06/2007 2:45 PM
I just want some bunkers.

And gorillas.

Is that too much to ask???

Hey malfred, looks like things are still moving. Neal at the Warstore just listed the Bunkers as in stock, as well as the latest Redblok stuff.

Order placed.

Well, looks like your Karman just got reinforcements

Karman Hero
http://www.at-43.com/images/stories/AT-43/KA/CHAMPION_KARMAN.jpg

C1
http://www.at-43.com/images/stories/AT-43/KA/C1-KARMAN.jpg

Posted By Duncan_Idaho on 09/07/2007 8:45 AM
Well, looks like your Karman just got reinforcements

Karman Hero
http://www.at-43.com/images/stories/AT-43/KA/CHAMPION_KARMAN.jpg

C1
http://www.at-43.com/images/stories/AT-43/KA/C1-KARMAN.jpg

Oh me oh my!  Racham please don't go belly up now!

Those are Furking Awesome!

Look the Champion Monkey has a handicap symbol on his base!