MERCS: Recon. Kickstarter - unboxing video released - wave1 (two base games) to ship in December

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**Alpharius**

Agreed with cincy and Prestor Jon!

I'm still on the fence here - the minis look good, the artwork is looking better than I expected, I'd love a nice SF board game like this BUT...

Can they pull it off?

Will they go 'outside the family' for some rules and editing advice this time around?

**spiralingcadaver**

Was there any word on the Myth second wave? I kinda' lost track of that...

**Alpharius**

Nothing beyond this:

The product has left China. It was loaded, processed, cleared customs, and we have an estimated arrival of July 24th. This is welcome news indeed. This represents the last of everything needed to fulfill completely the KS for EVERYONE.

from the June 23rd update, as far as I know...

**Prestor Jon**

Project Update #66: Post GenCon and Pre-Production
Posted by MERCS Miniatures Like

GenCon

GenCon was a huge success. Recon and Conflict were very well received. We had in-booth demos for tabletop, Conflict, and Recon. They were packed the entire con.

Sales portion

Demo portion

A special thanks to Chris Doughman, Johnny Grogan, Aidil Timas, and Dan Tobin from www.snap2cover.com for helping out. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Recon

Conflict

Recon

Things are moving forward quite well. We are intending to send files and minis to production at the end of September. They have made some assurances as far as how many molds can be created in a month…and I will be able to see if their estimates are accurate at the end of October.

I am in the middle of mission creation and 2.0 lore writing. Keith is sharpening character art (used in Recon and 2.0). Tom is finishing the last of the sculpts.

Next update will be about pledge manager and show some of the polished character art. We might also have one or two of the special characters to show as well.

Pledge Manager

It is basically ready. We are doing some internal testing and making sure everything works and costs are calculated correctly for the various zones. We expect it to go live very, very soon.

This PM will be open for a while. Stretch goals will be able to be unlocked through the PM. You will have the capacity to change address and update anything you wish at any time.

Conflict

We had some early copies of Conflict for GenCon. The rest come in about 18-20 days. By that time, we’ll have some info on address through the PM, and will send them out.

Tabletop 2.0

As mentioned above, I am still writing lore about the individual MERCS and the factions. We now expect 2.0 to be delivered with Recon in January.

Things we Love

Our friends over at Mantic Games are running a brand new Kickstarter project to make Dungeon Saga - a classic adventure board game where mighty heroes battle evil monsters in a tight and twisting fantasy dungeon!

Dungeon Saga: The Dwarf King’s Quest is the dungeon adventure board game for 1-5 players, ages 13 and up, written by Jake Thornton and produced by Mantic Games.

Pop on over to the Dungeon Saga Kickstarter page to find out more. Dungeon Saga is now funding on Kickstarter. It closes Sunday, August 31st

**DaveC**

Pledge manager is live - if you backed Dreadball Xtreme it's the same pledge manager so you can log in using that link rather than wait for an email.

Of note each of the add ons includes an additional international shipping fee - this is something they just slipped in there with no mention of it - it's being questioned in the comments no response yet though. For example the all in Mission Pack add on now costs $125 rather than $100 due to $25 added shipping fees. So if your add on is more expensive than you thought that's why. I just confirmed the basic order as I don't want any add ons after how they have handled European Myth shipping.

Project Update #67: Recon Pledge Manager
Posted by MERCS Miniatures ♥ Like

It is finally time. Thanks for your patience. Emails will begin to go out tonight and continue over the next few days.
What’s now?

1. You should receive an from the fantastic folks at PledgeManager.com very soon! When you receive your email, you will need to click on the link and just follow the simple instructions to get started.
2. Once you are in your order, you just need to confirm the shipping address where you’d like to receive your rewards and confirm your order. If you would like to add additional goodies into your order, you can do that to. If the process isn't clear once you're in, take a look at this overview to see how easy it is to confirm your order: PledgeManager - Quick Overview
3. Once all orders have been confirmed, we will work to create your rewards. Details will follow over the next few months about fulfillment. We'll most likely be using a fulfillment service for the Recon KS.
4. Once the rewards are completed, we will begin delivering rewards.

What is PledgeManager?
PledgeManager is a specialized fulfillment tool that will help us get your rewards to you as efficiently as possible. PledgeManager is intended to improve your experience for the period after Kickstarter but before reward delivery. It offers you the ability to review centralized information on your PledgeManager projects through a single sign-on. You can change your shipping address up to the moment of reward shipment, and even track the progress and delivery of projects you’ve backed that are loaded in PledgeManager.

Why PledgeManager? Can’t you just get my information through Kickstarter?
It’s true. Kickstarter does offer a survey tool that we could use after our project ends. However, it’s fairly limited in functionality and we feel it ultimately doesn’t meet your or our needs. With PledgeManager, not only can you update your shipping address and track the project delivery, but you can also select the detailed reward options for your reward level, and add more rewards that you may have missed. For us, using PledgeManager means accurate and detailed orders for our manufacturers, cleaner shipping and handling charges (especially for international backers), and knowing that the address we’re shipping your rewards to is the right one. Not to mention it gives you, our awesome backers, complete control and visibility into your order and shipping information at any time!

If you have any concerns with using PledgeManager, feel free to reach out to us directly and we can work out your order details. Just be aware that it takes more time to address people one-on-one (and that's a lot of 1's and 0's to sift through) so please be patient if you'd like to manage your order in this way.

**rabidaskal**

Agree with you there.

I was going to load up via the pledge manager, but after how they handled shipping to non-US backers, and distribution at GenCon, I think I"d rather just wait for retail release.

**Sining**

Was just looking at the PM. Man are some things expensive. 17 bucks for 9 dice? Wth?

**spiralingcadaver**

I'm, ah, kinda' pissed with the self-righteous and full of themselves attitude... glad I didn't back mercs now, despite being pretty seriously tempted.

Bad customer relations has been a serious factor in at least a couple companies losing my business now.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

Adding extra shipping costs after the project funded,

Unacceptable

(although they could for post KS additions)

if they can't proceed without the extra cash they would need to ask (not demand) the extra cash and offer full refunds for those that did not want to proceed

**Bioptic**

Good lord! I'm glad that I suddenly cut back to just the base pledge during the campaign, otherwise I'd be facing a 20-25% increase across the board!

It's actually at least comprehensible for the mission packs - they're bulky and contain cardboard tiles, but they're having a laugh if they're saying it costs an extra $2 to ship a couple of plastic 28mm models in an extremely bulky order.

**CptJake**

They had a damned good idea of the bulk/weight of the expansions during the KS. They should have accounted for their shipping in the KS prices.

**Albertorius**

I was thinking on adding stuff, but now I suppose I'll just keep to the base pledge. Good job, I guess?

**Alpharius**

I went in for a minimum "Pledge Manager Invite" only pledge and...

...I don't think I'll be increasing it!

**Siygess**

Alpharius wrote:
I went in for a minimum "Pledge Manager Invite" only pledge and...

...I don't think I'll be increasing it!

You and me both. I guess I'll save my money for the SoB pledge manager instead.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh well, it looks to me like the extra charges might well be intentional, and it seems like it was "always there plan" for people to have to pay shipping on extra things purchased in the PM with funds that weren't part of the original pledge.

**Bioptic**

Which makes total sense! I mean, there's a massive difference between money pledged during the campaign (which they lose 10% on between KS and Amazon fees) that unlocks stretch goals, and money pledged during the pledge manager (which they lose 3-5% on from Paypal/CC fees) that unlocks stretch goals. Completely different things!

And I must compliment them on the great job they did during the campaign explaining the difference between these two options, so that everyone pledged as early as possible and drove the total even higher. Christ.

**DaveC**

The pledge manager is set up wrong and is being fixed - you only pay extra international shipping on items added above your pledge total - which makes more sense but it would still have been good if they had let people know that during the KS.

Project Update #68: Recon Pledge Manager International Shipping
Posted by MERCS Miniatures ♥ Like

First, the PM is NOT working as intended in regards to overfunded pledges. It is is not differentiating between what backers have bought (dedicated money in the KS for) and are buying (added afterwards in the PM).

We are working towards a solution. My best advice is to be patient and DO NOT check out yet. You have plenty of time. Relax, this will get this sorted.

Second, if you purchase add-ons post-KS funding (directly from the PM), you will have to pay shipping.

Third, the Recon PM will become an open PM next week. Those people who want to get in on Recon who missed the KS will have a chance to buy in. PM backers will have to pay for shipping for each add-on...which is why that element was in place. It also provides a bit of a bonus for those KS backers as you won't have to pay for shipping for things paid for during the KS.

Lastly, as you can see the PM is much smoother than the first in function. We are confident the international shipping will be fixed shortly. However, we are working with another group so they will be the ones working on it...thus the call for patience.

**highlord tamburlaine**

I was surprised at all the new figures that magically entered into the mix at ten bucks a pop.

I'm going to have to think long and hard if I want to add anything to my order.

Can we add stuff more than once? I owe Barzam an expansion or two, and I'm not sure how many sets of drones I want.

**DaveC**

You can unlock the manager even after you confirm and add more same as the DBX one. It won't permanently lock for a few months yet.

**Ace Histoli**

New update posted - looks like you can add stuff WITHOUT additional shipping up until Sept 12, or something like that. The idea was not to screw KS backers, but rather to open things up for new backers, who could add to the campaign total and help with unlocking SG's, but would have to pay a little extra in shipping.

Megacon's communication style is full of self-inflicted wounds, and this looks like yet another one. HOWEVER. Their final solution seems entirely reasonable to everybody. I'll be adding to my pledge, for sure...

**Catyrpelius**

Alpharius wrote:
I went in for a minimum "Pledge Manager Invite" only pledge and...

...I don't think I'll be increasing it!

My thoughts exactly... At this point I'm only out of pocket $10, I have no need to make that any more.

**Ahtman**

They had a post the day following the pledge manager going live that there was an error in the calculation on the PM and that it was being fixed, and by the next day it was fixed. Certainly the new PM, which is third party, is to be faulted but their reaction to it seems to be in line with what could be done. People who paid for the erroneously calculated extra shipping can have it as a credit for other stuff or get a refund.

**MangoMadness**

Ahtman wrote:
Certainly the new PM, which is third party, is to be faulted

Nah not really.

The onus is on Mercs to do a final test of any PM they decide to go with to ensure the data is fully accurate and it is working correctly.

It wouldnt take an hour to whip through a domestic US test pledge, a Euro test pledge and a RoW test pledge and check the results and check the prices of the products and shipping.

If they released the Pm without a single test then that beggers belief and really would show a level of incompetence that I would rather walk away from.

**Ahtman**

MangoMadness wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
Certainly the new PM, which is third party, is to be faulted

Nah not really.

The onus is on Mercs to do a final test of any PM they decide to go with to ensure the data is fully accurate and it is working correctly.

It wouldnt take an hour to whip through a domestic US test pledge, a Euro test pledge and a RoW test pledge and check the results and check the prices of the products and shipping.

Which is why there has never been a single patch to software ever in the history of computers. No one could possibly miss something, right?

Barring that, I was referring to their response to the problem, which was being complained about. We know they aren't a big enough company to have someone on 24/7 to respond to issues and it was even pointed out in the comments on KS that people should wait till they are awake instead of wanting to hear something at 2am EST. Once they were there and saw the problem and responded to it. I'm not sure how they could have done much differently: they told the backers what was going on, what they were doing to fix, and got it fixed within a day. They are giving refunds to people who want them and credit for those who would rather go that route.

**Sining**

they could have told international backers they were getting shafted during the Myth KS. They're pretty much not faultless at all

**Ahtman**

Sining wrote:
They're pretty much not faultless at all

I don't think anyone has said they are faultless, and I know I sure haven't said they are faultless. I agree that the problems with the Pledge Manager shouldn't have happened in the first place, but they responded to it as well as any small company could. My only point of contention is relation to this incident. I don't blame the international backers of Myth for not being happy with how it worked out.

**MangoMadness**

Ahtman wrote:
Which is why there has never been a single patch to software ever in the history of computers. No one could possibly miss something, right?

The PRIMARY PURPOSE of the pledge manager is to show the correct prices for the relevent products and it FAILS in its PRIMARY PURPOSE which would have been detected with a SINGLE HOUR of TESTING.

In the big scheme of things it is like a company that sells mobile phones apologizing because whenever you press the '3' button it shows a '4'.

QC = Zero

**Ahtman**

MangoMadness wrote:
The PRIMARY PURPOSE of the pledge manager is to show the correct prices for the relevent products and it FAILS in its PRIMARY PURPOSE which would have been detected with a SINGLE HOUR of TESTING.

You have no idea if that is actually true as you weren't involved in it in any way, shape, or form with the creation, advertising, management, or promotion of the PM software and support. It is speculation, pure and simple. The product did show the prices for the items, where it was messing up was when it was calculating shipping costs for international.

MangoMadness wrote:
In the big scheme of things it is like a company that sells mobile phones apologizing because whenever you press the '3' button it shows a '4'.

Besides the fact it isn't actually like that at all, cell phones have had issues and had to be patched to fix them. They are on iPhone 5 and it still gets updates because issues are found, same with Android.

**Prestor Jon**

highlord tamburlaine wrote:
I was surprised at all the new figures that magically entered into the mix at ten bucks a pop.

I'm going to have to think long and hard if I want to add anything to my order.

Can we add stuff more than once? I owe Barzam an expansion or two, and I'm not sure how many sets of drones I want.

I would be more tempted by the $10 models available in the PM if there was some place where I could see the models. It would be nice if they put together an update that showed all the KS minis that are now for sale in the PM. Of course factoring in all of the mnis I'm already getting with this, on top of everything else that I still need to paint I probably wouldn't have pulled the trigger on any of them anyway.

I was a bit disappointed that the location minis, drones, doors, etc. were only unlocked as add ons and not included in the box set. I would have preferred to get more stuff that made the core game more fun to play than extra factions that will likely gather dust for a few years before I get around to painting them or playing them.

**highlord tamburlaine**

New update with lots of pictures.

I found these to be of interest, and already asked about them. These are the collateral damage discs.

They started off embossed, now they are actually sculpted instead. So you get 3 of these for 15. Much more interested in them now.

Not sure how big they'll be though.

**PsychoticStorm**

So has anybody understood what the "all your mercs" really provides?