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I'll probably go in for the rulebook + hansa only if it looks like it'll find at the last minute, simply because I don't want to give out my CC details unnecessarily. (and it doesn't look like it'll happen... so...)

:/

While I'll be one of the first people to say that CAD sculpting lacks soul and is often used inexpertly, when it comes to sculpting symmetrical robot frames use freaking CAD.
Especially when the whole point of those robots is to be modular and geared for different roles.
This is like watching someone hand writing a thousand form letters. Yes that's the best simile I could come up with. I was working with telegrams or wooden cars but none of it was coming together.

While there may be some exceptions, and I still have a soft spot for these guys, it's a nostalgia-tinged spot seen through rose-tinted goggles. I largely agree with you - and especially on the drones if they're going to be multipart plastic...

I think we're seeing a prototype that'll probably end up cast in metal as one of the alternative drones. The plastic drones will likely be done in CAD based on this design.

Either way I hope the models will be released even if hte KS fails. I love the Hansa, and realy like how the drone is developing!

 Sikil wrote:
Either way I hope the models will be released even if hte KS fails.

As much as it may seem defeatist, I think there's not much of a chance of actually meeting the £300k goal at this point. The number of backers hasn't gone up by even 100 in the 9 days that I've followed this. In fact it's been more like 70 or so. So less than 10 backers per day, while we'd still need almost 2000 more with the average amount of £ per pledge so far. So we'd need not just 10, but 100 new pledges per day. And I just don't see how that's gonna suddenly happen :(

For good or ill previous kickstarters have shown what people will stump up cash for.

A real, physical, product with lots of options already in place for pledgers to aim for, even just images of cgi sculpts or representative artwork.

Even stretch goals have something to show in the form of greens, digital sculpts or prototypes.

BGoA would have been better served with having the rules finished and basic factions ready to go, characters from each faction and a few figure choices to go with.

Update: Rulebook Outline

Good afternoon everyone and a very warm welcome to our newer backers!

Today we finally have the outline rulebook for you to play with - Hurrah! you can get it here

This is still a work in progress document, we've not gone to town making it look like a finished rulebook as it's not one, so do try not to be overly critical at this stage. We're very much wanting you guys to be involved in the development and though this is a very early stage to be releasing anything we're confident you'll embrace the challenge! We're getting some great feedback on how it plays so if as many of you as possible start playing games with your friends, we'll both get backers on board and of course get more feedback!

Head over to the forums to discuss

Heres the link for the rulebook: http://www.darkspacecorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Beyond-the-Gates-of-Antares-Outline-Rulebook.pdf

Enjoy.

The Wardrones look to be heading more towards 'break' than "make"...

 Alpharius wrote:
The Wardrones look to be heading more towards 'break' than "make"...

Huh?

You think that the wardrones will break the endeavour?

In all fairness Alp the wardrone is only in its underpinning stage, no real details yet, but I do agree with you it's not exactly hitting "groundbreaking" miniature territory yet, its design doesn't look like anything special so far.

As bad as it is I'm starting to agree with others that the GoA team aren't even trying to make this kickstarter succeed, at least not as hard as they should. Were over the half-way mark now with the pelages barely moving and they are still just throwing up the odd one a day update and the KS page itself is still bare overall despite a month's work, you would've thought by now they would be throwing up everything and anything (rough sketches, concepts, preliminary ideas, unit info and stats, fluff) just to keep people interested at this point. Instead it's the usual "head over to the forums" and "help us spread the word", seriously spread the word about what?, how am I supposed to advertise this project to other people when I barely know anything? Not to mention the obvious that any good/vital information thats on the forums should be on the KS page as well, you shouldn't need to find it on the forums, I don't get why they don't understand that.

Well anyway, I best tone it down before I go on a real rant, we still have 22days left, all the time in the world.

 Sikil wrote:
Either way I hope the models will be released even if hte KS fails. I love the Hansa, and realy like how the drone is developing!

I think Rick stated that even if the Kickstarter fails the game is still going to be released, as they have put too much work in for it to come to nothing.

Has anyone downloaded the rules yet and given them a try?

Was tempted by this at the beginning, but theres just no real incentive to get into it at the moment.

Sikil wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
The Wardrones look to be heading more towards 'break' than "make"...

Huh?

You think that the wardrones will break the endeavour?

If they suck?

Yes, I do!

Rolt wrote:In all fairness Alp the wardrone is only in its underpinning stage, no real details yet, but I do agree with you it's not exactly hitting "groundbreaking" miniature territory yet, its design doesn't look like anything special so far.

As bad as it is I'm starting to agree with others that the GoA team aren't even trying to make this kickstarter succeed, at least not as hard as they should. Were over the half-way mark now with the pelages barely moving and they are still just throwing up the odd one a day update and the KS page itself is still bare overall despite a month's work, you would've thought by now they would be throwing up everything and anything (rough sketches, concepts, preliminary ideas, unit info and stats, fluff) just to keep people interested at this point. Instead it's the usual "head over to the forums" and "help us spread the word", seriously spread the word about what?, how am I supposed to advertise this project to other people when I barely know anything? Not to mention the obvious that any good/vital information thats on the forums should be on the KS page as well, you shouldn't need to find it on the forums, I don't get why they don't understand that.

Well anyway, I best tone it down before I go on a real rant, we still have 22days left, all the time in the world.

Agreed - this one has become... odd.

Well I just chucked £125 at it - I'm liking the look of the small amount of artwork and minis that there is, and if it doesn't happen, I'll spend the money on Warmachine.

 Pacific wrote:

 Sikil wrote:
Either way I hope the models will be released even if hte KS fails. I love the Hansa, and realy like how the drone is developing!

I think Rick stated that even if the Kickstarter fails the game is still going to be released, as they have put too much work in for it to come to nothing.

Then why the hell can't they show that work now? Aren't potential customers crying out for examples of real product? Am I naive or stupid, or is there in fact nothing substantial to show?

Someone above said there are two possibilities: the Kickstarter will succeed and you will get a rulebook for your £25, or, the Kickstarter will fail and your pledge won't vest.

Actually there is a third possibility, that the Kickstarter will vest and you will pay £25, but the GoA group will fail to produce a rulebook.

Kilkrazy wrote:

 Pacific wrote:

 Sikil wrote:
Either way I hope the models will be released even if hte KS fails. I love the Hansa, and realy like how the drone is developing!

I think Rick stated that even if the Kickstarter fails the game is still going to be released, as they have put too much work in for it to come to nothing.

Then why the hell can't they show that work now? Aren't potential customers crying out for examples of real product? Am I naive or stupid, or is there in fact nothing substantial to show?

Someone above said there are two possibilities: the Kickstarter will succeed and you will get a rulebook for your £25, or, the Kickstarter will fail and your pledge won't vest.

Actually there is a third possibility, that the Kickstarter will vest and you will pay £25, but the GoA group will fail to produce a rulebook.

Maybe its that British Miniature Making Mentality? "Its done when its done" kind of thing. Not saying its a BAD way to do miniatures, Perry and Victrix have excellent models that take half to a year or more to actually make. They usually only update their plastic stuff every 3-5 months if not longer.

Thats all fine and dandy when you have 6-12 or so months to show a green and a few more months to actually release it

But on a timed 30-60 day Kickstarter? Might not want to go in without a decent ground work done before hand

I'm pretty sure that Mike McVey is British. Matt Sprange (Mongoose) and Stuart (Studio Miniatures) are also from the UK. So is Mantic, for that matter.

Probably time to jump off that particular bandwagon and put it down to the (in)competence, styles and scope of different individuals rather than a cultural thing.

I'm starting to think that they just expected the tabletop minis version of Gabe Newell and his Valve PC game kickstarter where people would just throw money at a known figure and company based largely on reputation alone with maybe just a few ideas and a single logo to accompany that.

Well, they got over US$100,000 based on that. The problem is they're asking for close to half a million...

 Rolt wrote:
Update: Rulebook Outline

Good afternoon everyone and a very warm welcome to our newer backers!

Today we finally have the outline rulebook for you to play with - Hurrah! you can get it here

This is still a work in progress document, we've not gone to town making it look like a finished rulebook as it's not one, so do try not to be overly critical at this stage. We're very much wanting you guys to be involved in the development and though this is a very early stage to be releasing anything we're confident you'll embrace the challenge! We're getting some great feedback on how it plays so if as many of you as possible start playing games with your friends, we'll both get backers on board and of course get more feedback!

Head over to the forums to discuss

Heres the link for the rulebook: http://www.darkspacecorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Beyond-the-Gates-of-Antares-Outline-Rulebook.pdf

Enjoy.

Thank you for posting that up, as mentioned we've got the rules outline up on PDF now and more work is underway. Bear with us.

 kenshin620 wrote:


Maybe its that British Miniature Making Mentality? "Its done when its done" kind of thing.

Maybe you should try to sober up before posting.

Totally ridiculous comment...

Let's not get too wound up about it.

Perry make a set and sell it. They don't make a Kickstarter and say they will make a set in the future. The same for practically all other makers I know of, from Essex to NavWar to Corvus Belli to Minifigs.

 Dark Space Corp wrote:

Thank you for posting that up, as mentioned we've got the rules outline up on PDF now and more work is underway. Bear with us.

Yeah no problem DSC I'll keep posting the news, you just keep it coming.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Let's not get too wound up about it.

Perry make a set and sell it. They don't make a Kickstarter and say they will make a set in the future. The same for practically all other makers I know of, from Essex to NavWar to Corvus Belli to Minifigs.

I'm not

It's quite annoying the short memories some seem to have, I mean under just a year ago, when there was no KS's athletes, every company had a similar visibility... now just because some UK (or whatever country) Kickstarters are not visible = UK miniatures producers are lazy

 NAVARRO wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Let's not get too wound up about it.

Perry make a set and sell it. They don't make a Kickstarter and say they will make a set in the future. The same for practically all other makers I know of, from Essex to NavWar to Corvus Belli to Minifigs.

I'm not

It's quite annoying the short memories some seem to have, I mean under just a year ago, when there was no KS's athletes, every company had a similar visibility... now just because some UK (or whatever country) Kickstarters are not visible = UK miniatures producers are lazy

I got the impression he was speaking more to the fact that UK producers were perfectionists and quality driven. Not so much that they don't do the work, but that they only accept the best and don't worry about volume.

It sounded like they received some funding at some point after the KS started?
I'm assuming that money would be spent in different ways if they were pushing to fund the KS than if they were just producing their game outside that space.
Presumably we are seeing that decision being made as we speak.

Wasn't there some mentioning that after the kickstarter began, they were able to take some printouts to the bank and say, "hey, look, we've got an idea and an already interested customer base, give us a loan?"

 recruittons wrote:

 NAVARRO wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Let's not get too wound up about it.

Perry make a set and sell it. They don't make a Kickstarter and say they will make a set in the future. The same for practically all other makers I know of, from Essex to NavWar to Corvus Belli to Minifigs.

I'm not

It's quite annoying the short memories some seem to have, I mean under just a year ago, when there was no KS's athletes, every company had a similar visibility... now just because some UK (or whatever country) Kickstarters are not visible = UK miniatures producers are lazy

I got the impression he was speaking more to the fact that UK producers were perfectionists and quality driven. Not so much that they don't do the work, but that they only accept the best and don't worry about volume.

Thanks for explaining me perfectly!

I mention it is not a bad thing in my original post. I have great respect for the venerable british model makers, but in a short time frame of 2 months then the quality over speed approach wont do as well if they havent started yet

The Hansa took about 2 or so weeks right? That was nearly 1/4 of the campaign time that could have been avoided if they moved the timetables of their development a few weeks ahead

 Compel wrote:
Wasn't there some mentioning that after the kickstarter began, they were able to take some printouts to the bank and say, "hey, look, we've got an idea and an already interested customer base, give us a loan?"

Indeed.

They took a print out of an idea gleaned by committee as their business plan, when asked for figures the group drip fed illustrations of the numbers one to ten.