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 JohnHwangDD wrote:
I'm rather curious to see how the Dakka KS goes. I think there is every chance they outfund and outdeliver DP9, simply because their team understands KS better - learning from others' mistakes, if you will.

Absolutely, yes. It also probably won't hurt that they appear to already have done all the main work on the project before even hitting KS, if the minis shown and the novels already released are anything to go by.

I must admit that I myself I'm not particularly interested in the fluff of the game (one of the factions look rather nice but I don't like them much fluff wise, and the other looks weird to me), but I AM pretty interested in seeing if the game could be used as a substitute for the 40k ruleset, seeing as the amount of minis they're aiming for is pretty much the kind of 40k game I dig.

 Albertorius wrote:

I must admit that I myself I'm not particularly interested in the fluff of the game (one of the factions look rather nice but I don't like them much fluff wise, and the other looks weird to me), but I AM pretty interested in seeing if the game could be used as a substitute for the 40k ruleset, seeing as the amount of minis they're aiming for is pretty much the kind of 40k game I dig.

Same. I may never even touch the game, but they've done an amazing, PROFESSIONAL job of it, thus far. I wish them only the best and will continue to watch with interest. I hope the KS is a runaway success, if only to set an example for future wargames ventures.

Probably better to talk about the DD-KS on whatever threads aren't for discussing the HGB-KS. Or start a new thread? Either way it would be interesting to discuss comparisons.

Me, I'm still excited by the solidworks models updated on the KS a couple of weeks back. I'm hoping we see sprues as tightly packed as modern GW sprues.

So when does the pledging period close for good? The funding pledge total on dp9.com hasn't been updated for over a month and a half; have any other stretch goals been unlocked? Will it close permanently like it says there in April and will folks gets an update with more pics of models or sprues?

 warboss wrote:
So when does the pledging period close for good?

Probably not until they print shippping labels.

For all their bluster, the Pod just wants people's money, and the "close" is simply to push people to pony up more money sooner. What will likely happen is the Pod extends the pledging period until the end of May. Then closes it for a bit. Then reopens it due to "demand". Then extends the reopened period. Then re-extends the re-opened period.


In the mean time, have you seen the production renders? The toylike Gears look terrible compared to the KS renders. Huge drop in quality.

Current Black Mamba


Preview Black Mamba


Production Black Mamba


In case you hadn't guessed, I will NOT be addressing the "negative balance" on my account. I am extremely glad I only put in $1 CAD. If I had put in $100 CAD + S&H, I'd be kicking myself, trying to get a refund.

They look like models from HG2. Or maybe papercraft.

Maybe I should just sell my existing HG stuff? I wonder if I could get my money back.

Judging from the stuff I see over and over at bartertown, probably not unless you bought it at one of the online store firesales a year or two back when the big retailers were getting rid of the HG they had in stock at 50%-70% off. I bought a bunch back then myself.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Looks like Dave may still be reading this thread. The update that just came out answered my question and had some more pics. Judgement Day is pushed back to May 18th.

I got a couple Cadres roughly a decade ago, but they won't compete with a 50+% off clearance liquidation.

As for the update,


Hahaha!

Surely those weapons are mockups and not final?

And the hell is going on with the Iguana's thighs?

They match (at least at first glance) the existing flails. I'm not a fan of the sculpts either so it's not a rabid defense but they do match the metal stuff for better or worse.

Yeah, that's fair I suppose. But the weapons still look like they came out of somebody's bitz box from another game.

Well, the renders shown so far reaffirm me in my intention of not going farther than my $1 pledge.

Really, I must thank the Pod for looking out for my finances. With so many great minis games released this year, being able to avoid completely something is a god's blessing.

DP9 wrote:"Right now the .... Iguana is 100% done, Sidewinder is 100% done ...."

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
In case you hadn't guessed, I will NOT be addressing the "negative balance" on my account. I am extremely glad I only put in $1 CAD. If I had put in $100 CAD + S&H, I'd be kicking myself, trying to get a refund.

 Firebreak wrote:
And the hell is going on with the Iguana's thighs?

 Albertorius wrote:
Well, the renders shown so far reaffirm me in my intention of not going farther than my $1 pledge.

I guess assuming the knee and/or ankle joints on Southern Gears might end up as shapeless blobs of glue or else have the details filled in by overly thick paint anyways is technically one way to quickly complete a 3D render for a model.

Not very elegant though.... and kind of a 'WTF ?' moment in actuality.

_
_

Well, if you don't like it, why not go spend your time thinking about something you do like?

Nomeny wrote:
Well, if you don't like it, why not go spend your time thinking about something you do like?

If you don't like what, exactly? and to whom might this be directed? I mean it has already been pretty well established in this very thread and a couple others here (and elsewhere) that most of the people posting here not only DO like Heavy Gear, but LOVE it, at least the setting if not the current particular rendition of the rules. Not liking the actual rules is probably not enough for people so engrossed in Terra Nova as most of the posters here to dismiss is completely. And the current metal minis, when properly cast, are quite nice.

I'd even dare to say that it gives people more reasons to rant about it, not less.

I'm going to try and crystallize the mindset of us grumpy complainers here with a couple of analogies.

If you're in a relationship and your significant other cooks a meal you don't like, you don't say "Welp, divorce time." You try and offer come constructive criticism. "Next time, maybe use less tabasco sauce. Maybe a little sugar would balance the onion. More salt."

And then, when your significant other shouts at you, tells you it's all your fault because you don't support them, well, then there's some bad blood.

And there is some bad blood here. But that has been discussed ad nauseum, and you're free to go looking. Moving on.

A long time ago, Nintendo made Mario, and it was good and set the tone of video games for decades to come.

....and then they made Mario 2. And it was weird.

And then, they made Mario 3. And it was perfect.

Because a company does something a fan may not like, is not a reason to leave that property and never speak of it again. Dream Pod 9 has gone some stupid places, but there's every chance that a Mario 3 is lurking around the corner.

The people who are being critical of Heavy Gear and, more importantly, Dream Pod 9, are not in it for gaks and giggles over trolling. We're here because, in many cases, we've been here for twenty years. It's not always been a perfect ride. There have been our Mario 2s, and there will be more. But none of us want to just sit back and make fun of how bad Mario 2 is. We all just hope there's a Mario 3 somewhere.

Of course, in this case "Nintendo" made Mario 2 (which I actually liked btw but it's your comparison so I'll roll with it), Mario 2 GOTY edition, Mario 2 HD Remaster, and are now promising Mario 3 instead of another rehash.

 warboss wrote:
Of course, in this case "Nintendo" made Mario 2 (which I actually liked btw but it's your comparison so I'll roll with it), Mario 2 GOTY edition, Mario 2 HD Remaster, and are now promising Mario 3 instead of another rehash.

An extremely important point.

Super Mario 2 was actually a game called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. However, during production of Super Mario Bros 2 (JP) it was found to be too similar and difficult. So the company took Doki Doki Panic, re-skinned it with Mario characters and released it for the US.

The Super Mario Bros 2 (JP) Later came out as "The Lost Levels" in North America.

So... yeah. take from that what you will. I forgot my point.

I'm disappointed and relieved that I dropped my pledge to $1, those 3D models I don't want $2.5k worth of.

As for Maelstrom's Edge, I like some of the models, especially the Mechs. Others have potential. But I would never have backed this 'unknown' group (sure we know them from dakka, but what have they made). The plastic sprues pulled me over the Edge (get it ;-) to risk $90, the Mech Hunter sprue made me fork over $180 and chomping at the bit to give them more money for more Mechs.

And you would have been right not to back them. But someone with actual capitol, in the actual, grown-up sense of investing, apparently saw something worth their money.

And no one has done that with Heavy Gear. Which I think should be setting off huge alarm bells for the Pod.

We looked into some groups that were interested in partnering with us over the last two years but the result would be too much work done out of house, which we didn't want to do.

So far we're happy to say we're on track for Delivery in the fall.

If Angel wasn't fully grabbed by the Cassus Belli guys for al their Infinity work I would have loved to get him to paint a new plastic Mamba and put it next to the metal one he did for us. That's probably the only fair way to evaluate the two models.

Personally it's the Grizzly that I think has turned out the best.
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the first casts and playing with the posing to get the attitude look. Before with the Gears the only way to change the pose was to bend or turn the legs or do a lot of cutting with the jewelers saw. Now just a small trim on the plastic connection will allow almost any angle for the leg. I'm looking forward to that.


And hey, if you like the metal figures the best, no problem, you will still be able to order those, it will cost more due to being metal but that's all.

Cheers!
Dave

 DP9Dave wrote:

So far we're happy to say we're on track for Delivery in the fall.

If Angel wasn't fully grabbed by the Cassus Belli guys for al their Infinity work I would have loved to get him to paint a new plastic Mamba and put it next to the metal one he did for us. That's probably the only fair way to evaluate the two models.

Good to hear about the first part. As for the second, if the wider community thinks there is a difference when the final sprues are done, you could always commision a single painter to do both the metal and plastic versions of a model to show side by side. Angel Giraldez isn't the only commision painter around.

Just don't send it to LCM if you want to ever get your stuff back. For those reading, LCM is a long time player, poster, and mod on the dp9 forums who took over hundreds of dollars of minis each from multiple folks and money to paint them two to three years ago and hasn't shipped anything in years due to personal problems. Somehow, after "admitting" finally through a third party that the stuff (money, minis,etc) is all "gone", he's still a mod despite not posting much anymore but (at least as of a few months ago) logging in daily. It would be like Mandelbaum being a mod here after all the crap he pulled.

That's CORVUS Belli, Dave. If it were Casus Belli, I guess things would be a lot more interesting around here, you know .

DP9Dave wrote:If Angel wasn't fully grabbed by the Cassus Belli guys for al their Infinity work I would have loved to get him to paint a new plastic Mamba and put it next to the metal one he did for us. That's probably the only fair way to evaluate the two models.

You... don't think that putting a primed metal mini side by side with a primed plastic mini of the same model would be fair, then? ...right.

Personally it's the Grizzly that I think has turned out the best.

Personally I can't say any design has turned out well, so far. Mainly because the renders we've been shown so far has been quite a bit lacking compared with the current offers, but also partially because no plastic mini has turned out, yet. We'll see once you actually have a plastic mini on hand to show.

And hey, if you like the metal figures the best, no problem, you will still be able to order those, it will cost more due to being metal but that's all.

And due to not being sold anywhere else by in your store, too, don't forget about it.

The largest, blockiest miniature turned out best when using CAD? Colour me shocked.

 DP9Dave wrote:
We looked into some groups that were interested in partnering with us over the last two years but the result would be too much work done out of house, which we didn't want to do.
Dave

As always I appreciate the respectful interaction. Thank you.

I do wonder, though, in retrospect was two years of little to no visible progress better than having things done out of house? Aren't these new models being worked up by some other company now, anyway?

@Firebreak, The final lay out and mold making is being done by one outside company under contract. The 3D model making is being done under our direct supervision.

Naturally as a starter set we are aiming to limit the number of parts as much as possible while still allowing for posing the figures. I'm sure people can appreciate how tricky that can be when working with these complex geometries.

And we do have a local painter who will be painting the plastic figures for the core rules/quickstart/living rules who is excellent.

Corvus.. oops, sorry about that!
Cheers!
Dave

DP9Dave wrote:We looked into some groups that were interested in partnering with us over the last two years but the result would be too much work done out of house, which we didn't want to do.

DP9Dave wrote:@Firebreak, The final lay out and mold making is being done by one outside company under contract. The 3D model making is being done under our direct supervision.

What's different from two years ago that you're now comfortable with out-of-house work, and was a similar contract impossible to draw up with whoever could have been providing capitol for those years?

I think he's referring to two different things, licensing a (dead) game line involving royalty splits versus subcontracting work for hire that once paid for is done.