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Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

Honestly given that they've basically had the worst luck at starting a new game over the whole of Corona breaking out the world over, I'd say if they manage to retain most of their active customers from before then they've done really well.

This one might have fewer if just because its a lot to buy in one go and there aren't as many options for lower cost buy-ins. But in general I'd say that retaining what they had is the best outcome right now.

With a view toward turning as many of those people into ambassadors at the local level in some form so that they can push for local growth. PP really needs to get some kind of scheme like that running again - even if its totally informal.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in us
Shadowy Grot Kommittee Memba




The Great State of New Jersey

 Arbitrator wrote:
750ish backers at the time of writing. Considering the last Kickstarter ended at 1100ish they seem to be doing something right by way of retention?

chaos0xomega wrote:
Feel like this KS would benefit from providing an entry point for new players, i.e. including pledge levels that net you content from previous releases or add-ons at least for those items.

The last Kickstarter you could purchase the starter sets as an Add-On I believe. I think they mentioned in the Comments they'd be making some of the previous stuff available, so I assume it includes them.


Their second KS was like 50% of their first one though, we'll see how this one finishes I guess.

Good to know about the add-on stuff, I may jump in if I can settle on a faction. I wanted to do Continuum but I only current opponent already has them.

CoALabaer wrote:
Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
 
   
Made in at
Boom! Leman Russ Commander





chaos0xomega wrote:
 Arbitrator wrote:
750ish backers at the time of writing. Considering the last Kickstarter ended at 1100ish they seem to be doing something right by way of retention?

chaos0xomega wrote:
Feel like this KS would benefit from providing an entry point for new players, i.e. including pledge levels that net you content from previous releases or add-ons at least for those items.

The last Kickstarter you could purchase the starter sets as an Add-On I believe. I think they mentioned in the Comments they'd be making some of the previous stuff available, so I assume it includes them.


Their second KS was like 50% of their first one though, we'll see how this one finishes I guess.

Very true, but to be fair, the first Kickstarter landed right before most of the world locked down. I didn't back the second Kickstarter because there was no gurantee I'd get to use the stuff any time this or the next year and I doubt I was the only one.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/16 14:11:14


 
   
Made in us
Assault Kommando





 Overread wrote:
Honestly given that they've basically had the worst luck at starting a new game over the whole of Corona breaking out the world over, I'd say if they manage to retain most of their active customers from before then they've done really well.

This one might have fewer if just because its a lot to buy in one go and there aren't as many options for lower cost buy-ins. But in general I'd say that retaining what they had is the best outcome right now.

With a view toward turning as many of those people into ambassadors at the local level in some form so that they can push for local growth. PP really needs to get some kind of scheme like that running again - even if its totally informal.


Ya, it is a wierd bag. Warmachine and Monsterpocalypse have legs, even if WMH's has shrunk. Riot Quest and Warcaster are still trying to stick, but mechanically RQ and Warcaster are awesome. While I enjoy WMH at the Brawlmachine level and I enjoy the aesthetic of MonPoc, RQ and Warcaster are just fun. I do think the PP KS method will allow these IPs to stick (barring something like hyper-inflation wrecking all of our gaming habits for a while in the U.S.). And it is a good strategy.

Having different games with their own target audience and growth is a good plan.

 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





It's also worth noting that the first KS was 3 factions of content while the second was relatively small additions to those armies and mostly focused on adding the 4th. A drop off there shouldn't be too surprising. This one is a major addition to all 4, so I'm not surprised its doing better. As for retention.... the game is good. It's been very well received once we actually got it on the table.
   
Made in at
Boom! Leman Russ Commander





marxlives wrote:
 Overread wrote:
Honestly given that they've basically had the worst luck at starting a new game over the whole of Corona breaking out the world over, I'd say if they manage to retain most of their active customers from before then they've done really well.

This one might have fewer if just because its a lot to buy in one go and there aren't as many options for lower cost buy-ins. But in general I'd say that retaining what they had is the best outcome right now.

With a view toward turning as many of those people into ambassadors at the local level in some form so that they can push for local growth. PP really needs to get some kind of scheme like that running again - even if its totally informal.


Ya, it is a wierd bag. Warmachine and Monsterpocalypse have legs, even if WMH's has shrunk. Riot Quest and Warcaster are still trying to stick, but mechanically RQ and Warcaster are awesome. While I enjoy WMH at the Brawlmachine level and I enjoy the aesthetic of MonPoc, RQ and Warcaster are just fun. I do think the PP KS method will allow these IPs to stick (barring something like hyper-inflation wrecking all of our gaming habits for a while in the U.S.). And it is a good strategy.

Having different games with their own target audience and growth is a good plan.

I think the problem Warcaster has is that a lot of people won't touch PP after MK3/GW drew them back. Meanwhile a sizeable segment of the WMH community initially feared Warcaster would be it's equivalent of AoS and are wary of it finishing off their favourite game. Presumably enough time has passed for that view to have largely faded, but when PP-playing communities are already so tiny outside of the US (and have dramatically shrunk there) it's no surprise most WMH players are largely trying to consolidate their play around the one game.

At least the Iron Kingdoms 5e Kickstarter was a pretty big success, so the IP does still have legs.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/16 16:19:43


 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

I think the issue is that with Corona its very hard to grow a game. It's actually impressive that PP has done 2 KS pretty much on time over that period and are now doing a 3rd.

I think the real test is 2022 when things might start to resume some degree of normality. The other thing is PP REALLY needs some kind of organised formal system for local promotion. Warmarchine grew in part because of the PG system promoting it constantly at the loca level. Someone local who had a vested interest, support and at least 2 armies and the knowledge to play them to do welcome games. With the support to keep going and promote until it could take off.


If PP could then improve distribution and other aspects then it would really start to come together.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in us
Shadowy Grot Kommittee Memba




The Great State of New Jersey

marxlives wrote:
 Overread wrote:
Honestly given that they've basically had the worst luck at starting a new game over the whole of Corona breaking out the world over, I'd say if they manage to retain most of their active customers from before then they've done really well.

This one might have fewer if just because its a lot to buy in one go and there aren't as many options for lower cost buy-ins. But in general I'd say that retaining what they had is the best outcome right now.

With a view toward turning as many of those people into ambassadors at the local level in some form so that they can push for local growth. PP really needs to get some kind of scheme like that running again - even if its totally informal.


Ya, it is a wierd bag. Warmachine and Monsterpocalypse have legs, even if WMH's has shrunk.


I think that depends where you live. Here in North Jersey Warmachine/Hordes is basically dead. Theres an occasional tournament but no active community - two of my close friends were reaaal big warmachine fans going into the pandemic (i.e. they traveled nationally and internationally (... well, to Canada anyway) for tournaments and were playing 2-3x a week at local stores that had small but active communities (used to be very large communities like 5-6 years back). Both started out as 40k players around 6 editions ago and had sold out of the game completely before 8th released. Imagine my surprise about 3 months ago at my first visit to a hobby shop since the pandemic started, watching them playing 40k again. All the local WMHDs players have apparently converted over to 40k, the closest regular community is about a 1-2 hour drive from us. Occasionally (maybe once every other month) theres a tournament or whatever at a local shop that draws 6-8 players but nothing regular like their used to be.

Meanwhile every weekend theres a 40k tournament at one of 5 shops within an hours drive of us, often there might be 2 scheduled on the same day and both fill up.

As for their other games, I've never seen MonPoc or RQ played anywhere around here, ever. Warcaster I know had a small community when the first ks shipped but nobody is playing it actively.

 Overread wrote:
I think the issue is that with Corona its very hard to grow a game. It's actually impressive that PP has done 2 KS pretty much on time over that period and are now doing a 3rd.


Did they, though? When they launched KS1 they said their plan was to do a Warcaster campaign *quarterly*. Its been about 16 months since the first kickstarter campaign and they have only done three total - if they kept to the quarterly plan they'd be working on delivery of campaign 5 and launching campaign 6

CoALabaer wrote:
Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
 
   
Made in at
Boom! Leman Russ Commander





They really do need to bring Press Gangers back. I think after the initial legal scare around WotC's Judges - to which PG's being scrapped seemed like a direct pre-emptive strike against - most other companies like Warlord and more recently Para Bellum kept their versions around to great success, especially the latter.

I do think an MK4 launch that isn't botched will be necessary for momentum's sake, even if it's just changing the number by one and making no other adjustments.
   
Made in us
Omnipotent Lord of Change





Albany, NY

chaos0xomega wrote:
I think that depends where you live. Here in North Jersey Warmachine/Hordes is basically dead.
My buddy is back to running WMH tournaments out of the Portal in the Allentown area of PA, he keeps trying to lure me back in with tales of how packed and awesome it is. Which is to say, you've got some WMH nearby if you don't mind a little drive Zero idea on if they're playing any other PP game.

KOW BATREPS: BLOODFIRE
INSTAGRAM: @boss_salvage 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





One thing I keep finding myself glad of these days is that my area seems to have gotten over the system wars culture. Not many people define themselves by a game so much as by people that play miniature games. We're not even that large of a community, but if its out there, someone probably plays it and if YOU want to play it, just ask and someone will jump in. Tournaments aren't the thing they once were, but I wouldn't trade them for the freedom I feel when I'm able to say "I'm thinking about trying Warcaster" and have 2-3 opponents ready to go.
   
Made in us
Shadowy Grot Kommittee Memba




The Great State of New Jersey

 Boss Salvage wrote:
chaos0xomega wrote:
I think that depends where you live. Here in North Jersey Warmachine/Hordes is basically dead.
My buddy is back to running WMH tournaments out of the Portal in the Allentown area of PA, he keeps trying to lure me back in with tales of how packed and awesome it is. Which is to say, you've got some WMH nearby if you don't mind a little drive Zero idea on if they're playing any other PP game.


One of the two friends I referred to previously is actually heading out this weekend for a tournament somewhere in PA, not sure if it was Allentown or King of Prussia or elsewhere. For me, thats too far of a trip to make, especially since I've never been big on the competitive side of things.

CoALabaer wrote:
Wargamers hate two things: the state of the game and change.
 
   
Made in us
Assault Kommando





 LunarSol wrote:
One thing I keep finding myself glad of these days is that my area seems to have gotten over the system wars culture. Not many people define themselves by a game so much as by people that play miniature games. We're not even that large of a community, but if its out there, someone probably plays it and if YOU want to play it, just ask and someone will jump in. Tournaments aren't the thing they once were, but I wouldn't trade them for the freedom I feel when I'm able to say "I'm thinking about trying Warcaster" and have 2-3 opponents ready to go.


Me too. I don't compete with 40k players, AoS players or Star Wars for players. Honestly if PP crashed and burned, I am at the point in my life I would not go to another game. Mechanically and aethestically those games are just not for me. I got friends, family, community, I play because I like the game. For sure my Warframe online time would skyrocket though!

And maybe that is a point too. If Warframe crashed and burned, I wouldn't all of a sudden be interested in playing Destiny. I tried, I can respect that there is an audience for it, but it is just not for me.

There are games in my area that when they popped, those people are just gone. Forever. This is the problem of the old Highlander, there must be one approach. For every Star Trek, Star Wars fan, there is always going to be a Babylon 5 fan. As great as people who are in the hobby imagine having everyone play their game, sometimes that game is just not for everyone. Some people are not into Grimdark, whatever genre AoS, or high sci-fi. Having a there must only be one mentality over a buffet mentalty is that you really don't grow the hobby.

This is probably the biggest problem with negativity from people injecting themselves into spaces for games they don't even play. Which is pretty bad on forums. Because it is not about having a community enjoy a game while someone else enjoys their game. It is really about some sort of real domination fantasy. But not all genres, systems, and aesthetics appeal to all people. You really just end up with a consolidation into a niche.

Where a small group of people take satisfaction in having games available anytime they want, but lacks any large genre of wargames to attract many different people. Some who never would have even considered wargaming at all. I have experienced this personally with running Riot Quest nights. I got everything fully painted and I attract people who never would have ever even imagined getting into wargaming.

Not every game can do that. Not every game can be all things for every person. And I really enjoy what Warcaster offers, a sci fi game with defined mechanics and aesthetics that if quick to play and runs off a bench system rather than a point system and strike dice rather than d whatevers. Not that those other things are bad, but Warcaster offers something to the gaming space.

 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





marxlives wrote:

This is probably the biggest problem with negativity from people injecting themselves into spaces for games they don't even play. Which is pretty bad on forums. Because it is not about having a community enjoy a game while someone else enjoys their game. It is really about some sort of real domination fantasy. But not all genres, systems, and aesthetics appeal to all people. You really just end up with a consolidation into a niche.


There's always a need to feel like your purchase was the right choice and for al lot of people, that requires that everyone around them make the same choice. These games also just require other people to play and I think we've all felt the sting of wanting to play a game but not being able to find anyone else willing to play. I get it, particularly with huge investments like Warmachine or 40k and the like. I've just gotten to where rather than continue to pour money into those kinds of games and chase the meta with new factions, I can just have an army ready to go whenever people want to play and instead build armies for other systems so that more people can feel like they can try other games without worrying whether they'll have an opponent.
   
Made in gb
Umber Guard







marxlives wrote:
Ya, I magnetized the weapon load out but it is not new player friendly at all. Having magnet holes sculpted into the pieces, with the guns being resin, and heck I would go as far as saying have magnets packaged with the product would be really get things to do.


There is a clever workaround there if you have certain resources. PM me?
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

LAST DAY for the Warcaster campaign!!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/privateerpress/warcaster-the-thousand-worlds

They've said that they'll be adding the merchant tier pledges at a higher value than listed for counting toward unlocks so the front cover art stretch goal is already unlocked from that


I feel bad as I'm only in this one for the book right now (budget won't stretch any further). I do wonder if the high buy in for the models this time around has hurt the campaign a bit. I do think that PG shoots themselves in the foot going for these very high priced sets even if they work well at keeping the SKU bloat down, they are still a big sticker shock item to pick up.

That said who knows when the PM ends I might have more money and I do love the sculpts - that or I'll just send some money to Firestorm Games and get some current models as I don't have that many to start with right now.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in us
Ollanius Pius - Savior of the Emperor






Gathering the Informations.

Eh, I think it wasn't the high buy in but rather that the forces are "static". If you want any of the Cadre Champions? You gotta take the whole Cadre at once.

I'd be interested to see what the books plus two new individual items(solos and heroes) ends up as for pledges.

Also:
The lack of a Head to Head option likely played a part. A friend of mine and I went for the Head to Head option on Collision Course. The lack of that option has kept him on the fence, whereas the other one was a pledge as soon as H2H went live.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/07/28 21:49:51


 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

IT might not be clearly put, but you can take any of the models within the cadre on their own and in any number up to hte normal game limits. The only one you can't is the special character within the cadre, they can only be added to your army if you take the whole cadre. The bonus is that the unique model is added without taking one of your model army slots.

A Blog in Miniature

3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





For me, there's just not a huge incentive to buy in now when I can get it on release easily enough. Not having the armory/QM rewards was kind of a bummer and funny enough, part of my issue is just that I don't really want to have to paint one of the wildcard heroes that you get for "free".

I'll probably jump in before the end though for just the cadre box. They're all really exciting and I'll want to get it built and painted ASAP.
   
Made in us
Assault Kommando





Always network. Warcaster has a Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/849450372086515

 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





marxlives wrote:
Always network. Warcaster has a Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/849450372086515


The group is pretty good too.
   
 
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