Q&A
Update #28 · Apr 12, 2013 · 5 comments
Hi folks,
We have quite a Q&A for you tonight. In addition to the
FAQ on the main page, we’ve trawled through the comments and messages and collected a bunch of recent questions to address here:
Q: Will there be a Paypal option, when, and for how long?
A: Yes, soon, and through the end of the month.
Q: Do you come up with concept art and then choose abilities or do you have a framework for a model and then come up with "who" that gladiator is?
A: This depends on which Nick you ask. The art was seldom influenced by rules directly, but really both were feeding off of the same character development process. There were certainly cases where the character and rules development made for very specific direction for the artists.
Q: For the 3/4 ludus bonus how does that round? If I am playing with 3 figures do they all need to be "in faction" to get the bonus? If I am playing with 7 figures can I still only have 1 out of faction character?
A: Ludus bonus requirements do not round. Neutrals are not counted for either portion of the fraction, however.
Q: Also I asked previously about a solo play adaptation using the arena hazard rules for beasts. Have you folks thought about it anymore? Do you think you are going to include it in the game?
A: Other Nick is still mulling this one. We will allow beasts as arena hazards, whether this translates into a good solo play experience is yet to be seen. How to do a single-player miniature game well is very intriguing problem to think about. In short, we are interested in creating a quality solo play experience, though we also have another game design challenge on our plate...campaign rules.
Q: Can you tell us anything more about hazards and using neutral monsters? So far all I know is that they exist and falling in a pit = death. I was curious if you could tell us any more about the rules. For example, will Leo wander around with his own sort of AI or will he just stand there waiting for someone to get pushed into him?
A: As we mentioned above we are still brainstorming about how to use neutral monsters as hazards. This idea is a relatively new one for us. Even at this early stage, I see a lot of potential for cool scenarios built around neutral beasts. About terrain rules, in very general terms, getting knocked into something blunt will fatigue you, getting knocked into something sharp and spiky will damage you.
Q: I would also like to know what kind of arena hazards you have planned - I am planning an arena as terrain, and would like to know what to include.
A: Spike walls, walls of any kind, pits, columns, and anything else you’d like.
Q: How big a role is the background of the world going to play? Is this a game where the 'fluff' is there purely to add flavour and a backdrop to the game, or is it going to be expanded so it can provide more detailed characters and narrative context for the players to interact with?
A: Our fluff strategy is to explore each character’s background individually and build a foundation for the ludi. Though we may have some one-off short stories, a continuous narrative is not currently planned. But who’s to say what the future will bring?
Q: In what ways can Favor be spent?
A: Favor can be added to an attack or defense roll, it can be spent during a clear turn to activate a tactic, and some gladiators have special rules that allow them to spend favor to activate abilities or react without fatiguing.
Q: Will there be anything beyond the "standard" game in the rulebook/at launch? Will there be other victory conditions, scenarios, etc to add variety? I'd personally prefer to go one step further and provide building blocks for a variety of player created scenarios, but that can wait.
A: Scenarios are planned for the rulebook. We’ve been discussing options for victory conditions lately. Many of our ideas are still in their infancy, fluffy things we think would be neat. They aren’t translated into game rules yet though.
Q: What will be the likely release schedule after launch - a model a month?
A: We’re shooting for a wave of minis every 2 months or so, beginning after we deliver pledge rewards.
Q: Have you considered expanding battle progression (I know there's already a bit in the game)? In Alkemy the dice you use to determine attacks, etc, change depending on your remaining health (white, yellow or red dice). In Puppet Wars your puppets can upgrade themselves with the remains of friends and foes. These sort of mechanics really help with the pace of games and ensure players aren't just going through the motions.
A: Favor and Fatigue already manage this pacing pretty well, and if you are “going through the motions” in Arena Rex, then you’re doing it wrong. The game is fast, and requires your full attention, whether it’s your turn or not. Pacing was a major design consideration in Arena Rex.
Q: For the rulebook, do you think you'll be able to do a fuller one for the launch? The small one is great for when you're gaming, but depending on your answer to Q1 I think people would really like a complete rulebook.
A: We would too, though a big, fluffy, glossy rulebook would be quite a project in itself. It’s something that we’d love to do in the future. But for now we want to focus on making the best minis and game we can.
Q: Do you think Arena Rex will ever go outside the arena?
A: If you mean a natural amphitheatre or grotto where spectators could pack in and enjoy a nice, bloody picnic, then yes. If you mean rules for large-scale battles with regiments and whatnot, that would be an entirely different prospect from Arena Rex -- never say never, but it isn’t a focus for now.
Q: We haven't seen any spotlights for the "fantasy" related characters wendigo/gaius how will their skills set them apart from the regular humans?
A: Our fantastical characters aren’t more powerful as a rule. They aren’t really magical, just anatomically unusual. You won’t see lightning shooting out of anyone’s fingers in Arena Rex.
Q: Are the majority of the gladiators for LM released? If not about how many gladiators per Ludus are you planning? Will LM always have more due to it's base being in Rome?
A: We do want to continue to develop Ludus Magnus characters. But our first order of business after our backers receive their rewards is to give a little more love to the Morituri, Blood Brothers, and Legio XIII. We have a few more ludi that we really want to explore as well, I’m particularly looking forward to the Greeks, but first things first.
Q: Do you have rules or plans for elevation differences? Either for movement up and down or for attacking/ defending from an elevated position.
A: We didn’t want to create complex rules for climbing or attacking from an elevated position. Like ranged attacks, they can add a lot of complexity to a rules system very quickly, and we wanted to keep things streamlined. We do still talk about both regularly, but we want them to add more than they detract from the gameplay.
Q: Since Arena Rex is essentially a global gladiatorial game, will we see anything from India or China? The mythologies from that era are quite rich with possibilities, and a multi-armed monstrosity from a Thugee cult could be fun.
A: Not yet. We have a pretty big whiteboard, but really wanted to stay focused for this release. We agree that there are a lot of possibilities in that area, and do have plans to visit them -- eventually.
Q: Any cross-promotion figures planned? The Wendigo screams "I want to work with Kingdom Death as well!" to me, and having a Twilight Knight or Forsaken gladiator would be an interesting twist.
A: No cross-promotional figures are currently planned. While those models can be fun, Arena Rex is really about sharing our vision. As beloved as captain tight-pants and his miscreant crew are, we really wanted to focus this campaign on getting our own core concepts fleshed out.
Q: Are there definitive centers of arenas, and if so, where are they? I could definitely see a market for several different culturally themed arenas.
A: Yes and no. We have some ideas internally for where some major arenas might be located, but honestly if you have a theme you like and want to build a board, run with it! Just be sure to send us photos so we can ooh and ahh over it when you’re finished!
Q: Are these going to limited runs, or will there be constant (or near-constant) supply of the figures available later? I am assuming that since Lupa is an exclusive, everything else will be available later...but for latecomers to the game, will there be a large delay? In short, are you in control of your casts, or are you relying on a 2nd or 3rd party?
A: The only model limited to the Kickstarter campaign is Lupa. We won't limit supply to drive demand, and hope to provide a near constant supply of our line. We are working with an established, trusted US supplier for casting -- delays there should not be an issue. We are focusing on Kickstarter backers before we open up to retail. This means that Arena Rex won’t be widely available for most of this year. Once it’s in your hands, other folks can look forward to picking it up soon.
Q: One question from me: How big is the average male/female in AR's 35mm scale from head to toe, how big is a "big guy".
A: Aquila is 39mm from toe to crest, and is a good example of a slightly above average male for the Field of Mars. Models found in the Field of Jupiter will involve a bit more resin -- if I recall correctly from the design measurements and armature Otho would have his eyes right around Aquila’s crest if he were standing upright.
Q: Are there plans for terrain packs or add ons for arena hazards? Any plans for other arena styles? Other arena maps? Are there plans for any crowd interactions for "home" or "away" crowds? Is there any distinction for crowd reactions or interactions based upon where in the empire/republic the fight is taking place? Will you please make a tiny giraffe miniature for me to treasure? Pretty please? Or a huge hulking battle giraffe, that would be cool too.
A: Unfortunately, terrain isn’t something that looks likely for the Kickstarter at this point. We will continue exploring our options this year, but if we produce terrain we want to be sure we are bringing something new to the table. Currently there are no arena- or crowd-specific effects -- those seem better suited to a league or campaign (see below). Walker is obsessed with the arena giraffe, keep mentioning it, we’ll cave eventually. We all want giraffes, we just need for the concepts to mature and blossom, and to showcase the majestic creatures as they should.
Q: If it's designed for tournaments (which it lends itself to), do you have any plans for how they would be run?
A: It is true that gladiatorial spectacle thematically lends itself to tournaments. Arena Rex is designed to be well-balanced, but leagues and tournaments are a bit into the future. There are some thoughts for scenarios and the like, but those are really things that take a back seat to polishing the rules themselves at the moment.
Q: Are you all going to have some sort of company backed demo crew (similar to what other companies have done)?
A: There are quite a few of you asking about this, and I imagine it’s something we will be doing as soon as we get a chance to delve more into the league and tournament potential. It really isn’t something we’ve had a chance to hammer out yet, but we’ll keep you up to date as we sort it out.
Q: Are there any plans for an experience system for a campaign? That would make this game instantly awesome, I have a Necromunda sized hole that if it could be only slightly filled, would make me a very happy man.
A: Campaign rules won’t be a part of the core rules, but it’s something we also want to do. Once the core rules are really polished, this is something we can devote more effort to, and build on a really solid foundation. Everybody who isn’t currently playing a campaign-style game has this hole in their heart, whether they know it or not, and it’s something that we hope to fill, in time.
Q: Are there general power attacks available to all fighters, or just those printed on the cards?
A: All fighters can exhaust instead of fatiguing to make a “Power Attack.” This allows them to re-roll failed dice on their attack. Note that the “Star” abilities are not really special attacks, per-se, but effects you can chose as part of the Damage Tree or effects that trigger at certain points on the Vitality Track.
Q: Besides the clear phase are there are ways of modifying your fatigue level, such as spending favor? (again, other than those printed on some cards).
A: Aside from the clear turn, each time you activate you can fatigue down one model from fatigued to ready. Exhausted models can generally only fatigue down during a clear turn.
Q: Would it be possible to get an update on where all the various models are in the process right now? There has been some debate about whether the Urbicus sculpt in the photos on the front page is the finished version or not and I don't think we have heard from you about that. Also I think all of us are very curious to know what stages both Otho and Lupa are in right now. What else is started that we haven't heard about? It would be pretty cool to hear at least some of that kind of stuff.
A: Noxius is about to be sent out for preliminary casts. The originals of Urbicus and Micon should be arriving any day now. Hopefully we will have some more info on Otho and Lupa in the next couple of days. Benoit Cauchies should be starting his next model soon -- we’ll chat with him about the schedule and give you some details. In the meantime, check out the shots of the original broken up for casting below.
Also, look forward to the next entry in the model spotlight series tomorrow. Until then!
. My wallet will likely loosen up a bit more once my high outstanding pledges are delivered, but for now if I'm backing things it's a bit more conservatively than before.
, but the other part is 
.