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Gigalion
Plastic White Speaker Swordhunter
Plastic Ringtail Vixen
Echoes of Death II
These are all new-new and not in the KS anywhere right?
Man, store order post-GenCon is going to sting like putting Deep Heat on my canines
Ex-Mantic Rules Committees: Kings of War, Warpath
"The Emperor is obviously not a dictator, he's a couch." Starbuck: "Why can't we use the starboard launch bays?"
Engineer: "Because it's a gift shop!"
Bob, yeah, the GC and campaigns of death ballooned pretty insanely, with a ton of new plastic. Both have multiple 100m-based monsters added. I really don't know what he's doing, other than indulging his vision at the cost of practicality. I have no idea what his finances are, but his profits must be taking a huge hit, for the amount of full sprues he's adding.
edit: my guess is that his print runs are much larger than he expected, and he's using the extra leeway from cheaper manufacturing costs vs. the margins he'd decided were comfortable and what he accounted for, to do whatever he wants instead of soaking up the income.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/08/02 01:09:17
He's got like a million running these projects. He's fine. The biggest problem with this guy is he has so many irons in the fire that he loses his stuff when some of this stuff doesn't work out. THIS is like a project from hell, and I commend him on his plans being so exacting, but then he keeps adding more and more, then something else comes up... 2 or 3 years, now? The game itself was ok, but this amount of delay is just painful...
I think there is an exces of over 100+ models involved in this, along with the additional 60 plus expansions...
At Games Workshop, we believe that how you behave does matter. We believe this so strongly that we have written it down in the Games Workshop Book. There is a section in the book where we talk about the values we expect all staff to demonstrate in their working lives. These values are Lawyers, Guns and Money.
On one hand it's Poots being Poots and when I plunked money down for one of the Gambler pledges I figured it would be 6 years before I got all my stuff and I'd get more then what was funded in the KSer.
On the other hand I agree with him needing a project manager or maybe restricting these KSer projects to being half the size they end up being during funding so they come in at a reasonable time. It probably really sucks for those that just bought a few things and have to wait all the extra time without getting the extras that the rest of us get.
Huron black heart wrote: Fascinating line of models, I probably would have backed this had I seen it. Looking at the production nightmare I'm glad I didn't.
Well, you can always buy it later for 2-3x the price when it comes out.
Ya, I don't think it's fare to call production a nightmare as it's in development where most of the delays are. Once Poots has something they way he wants production goes rather smoothly. I wouldn't really say development is a nightmare either -- it's just being run by a perfectionist with lots of money so he can delay and add things as he feels.
I really don't understand the perfectionism claims people make. The rules have a ton of typographical and mechanical errors, some of which create contradictions on the same page or internally make things non-functional or seem to omit major rules; there are often huge internal balance issues; he doesn't even use an editor; these weren't corrected for the expansion reprints.
He has a very specific vision, but I would not at all call the man a perfectionist.
not when a time and/or budget deadline is hit which would be the case in most other businesses where they'd either bodge it to a 'close enough' conclusion (or occasionally cancel it)
Huron black heart wrote: Fascinating line of models, I probably would have backed this had I seen it. Looking at the production nightmare I'm glad I didn't.
If this was the first KDKS I might see it as a nightmare, but having had the experience the first time round I suspect many backers (and most of the comments on KS and FB are supportive) went into it with eyes open knowing a) deadlines would be missed and b) the value received would be far in excess of the price for getting in early.
Plus you have to be a pretty dedicated player to have really burned through all the content that already exists, I know I haven't even got close.
Ex-Mantic Rules Committees: Kings of War, Warpath
"The Emperor is obviously not a dictator, he's a couch." Starbuck: "Why can't we use the starboard launch bays?"
Engineer: "Because it's a gift shop!"
I am quite pleased about how everything turned out and despite a few assets not being 100% final, this is still a great time to share. I'll get right to it!
Development The development of the Encounter system was very long winded. I handed my original notes off to one of our designers and they diligently crafted version after version of the experience. After seven versions and a lot of great feedback from our play test table, we determined a few critical notes.
Flavor wise, it felt like fighting tribal survivors.
It needed to be non-lethal so that it would’t mess up the hunt
.
It was boring if it took too long.
We often design in the office by passing work along, with the final stop being myself or Anna. Having participated in many of the play test sessions and being the director over the major iterations that were created, I took it up to finish the system.
To me it felt very… expected, bone eaters with clubs going “smash”. And the system as it was, was fair to players and snappy at the cost of it being too easy.
To be honest, I didn’t like it.
Building on all of our hard work and feedback, I decided to address the critical notes with the following:
Deep dive reimagining the Bone Eaters and how their success with superior physical forms would change how they develop and hunt.
Embrace lethality!
Focus the design on the mass murder simulation that group combat truly is, adding highlights for the players to learn about the encounter monster via direct experience.
Encounter System V9 The Encounter system is a battle that takes place during the hunt event. The survivors have been found or stumbled across something that wants them dead! Instead of resolving the event with a table, the encounter system allows me to creatively explore the moment in greater detail and share more Kingdom Death. Mostly death, with all of you!
The current version of the Encounter system and the one that will most likely be part of the Gambler’s Chest is it’s ninth incarnation. It’s the best version so far and it’s got me pretty jazzed about reproaching the designs of the other encounter monsters promised this campaign! (Trapdoor Men, Doodlies, etc)
The Vitals
Encounter monsters are not the intended target the survivors have formed a death pact to hunt down. Nor do they show up at the settlements front door (or pile of corpses they use for a door). Instead, encounter monsters find the survivors during the hunt phase. It was important for us to create assets that supported this distinction.
It's also the first time we've had artwork that has so many "monsters" in it at once!
Organization
The organization of the encounter system is paramount. I wanted to ensure that it is an additive experience to the hunt phase. The organization, in this case, influenced the overall design. So much so, that I wanted to separate some of those assets into its own presentation here.
Bone Eater Miniatures Shall we talk about the miniatures next?
I still can't decide which faces to make final! I LOVE THEN ALL SO MUCH!
Maybe I'll just add them to the sprue and let you decide which ones to use.
At this point I am wondering how many of you have spotted a sneaky secret that made it into some of the photos.
On each of the Encounter Monster base, is a slot for a life tracking (and sometimes special status) die! I wanna make sure they are snug so when you move the model around the die wont just come tumbling out. This is such a tiny thing, but it's totally one of those, always wished for, as a kid, playing other games late into the night and early into the morning features!
Smog Stalkers We have the hard plastic for other Encounter Monster thats included in the Gambler's Chest, in hand!
Hard Plastic Atnas We also have the hard plastic Atnas in hand!!!!!!
Atnas was the hardest monster (so far!) to realize conceptually. Maybe Xmas I'll take everyone through all the versions that hit the cutting room floor and show how Nat Kay Cochran and I, took Lokmans perfect atnas face and finally turned it into concept art that could be transformed into a wonderfully unsettling sculpture.
Thank you team I wanted to thank everyone on the team for being extra supportive and really pushing in these last few months. I know its your profession and all that, but I really honestly appreciate you helping to make these ideas into reality. Maybe I am gak at letting you know in person. And hopefully by now you know I am not much for leading group meetings. BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET ON THE INTERNET AND EMBARASS MYSELF FOR YOUR BEHALF!
So a big giant THANK YOU. I wouldn't want to work on this with anyone else.
LET'S CONTINUE THIS CRAZY CLIMB TOGETHER!!!!
Oh and Jonah, I am totally gonna add the most ridicules Bone Eater face to the set. I don't even care if I am the only one that uses it!
See you in all in November!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/10/17 01:16:39
This guy needs to slow his roll and focus on getting the KS products out to KS contributors. It's awfully frustrating going to Gencon and being told that KS fulfillment is late by a year, and seeing all of these new models for sale.
Smellingsalts wrote: This guy needs to slow his roll and focus on getting the KS products out to KS contributors. It's awfully frustrating going to Gencon and being told that KS fulfillment is late by a year, and seeing all of these new models for sale.
Which models in the update do you see for sale? Or are you talking about the recent anniversary sale with the new survivor box?
I like 'em all. I was hoping we'd see the White Speaker return, even better in plastic! I had sold off my old resin one and always regretted it. Plastic is a better choice for me.
I really enjoyed the 10th anniversary models so I have high hopes for Octoberfest Aya. The pattern cards and gear are just icing on the cake- although I can already hear the virtual moaning and groaning of having gameplay components attached to expensive models that have lots of parts, are too cheesecake, hard to build and all that nonsense.
Poorly lit photos of my ever- growing collection of completely unrelated models!
highlord tamburlaine wrote: I like 'em all. I was hoping we'd see the White Speaker return, even better in plastic! I had sold off my old resin one and always regretted it. Plastic is a better choice for me.
I really enjoyed the 10th anniversary models so I have high hopes for Octoberfest Aya. The pattern cards and gear are just icing on the cake- although I can already hear the virtual moaning and groaning of having gameplay components attached to expensive models that have lots of parts, are too cheesecake, hard to build and all that nonsense.
If you mean Halloween White Speaker - she is indeed back, in hard plastic. Probably just wasn't listed as she isn't "new."
The game itself was ok, but this amount of delay is just painful...
