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 Tabletop_Magpie wrote:
I was initially put off by the price, it didn't look like good value at all, but I'm watching the Tabletop Titans sponsored paythrough and the buildings are massive, as are some of the mechs. Hmm I'll keep an eye on it.

This is something that threw me with their initial designs. These are all supposed to be huge stomping mechs, but many of the core mechs just look like your standard "guy in power-armour-marine" models.
I think the lack of plastering lots of photos hides this because renders are basically entirely scale agnostic. You just can't tell looking at a render how big something really is.

 lord_blackfang wrote:


Hard plastic made in house in the US, somehow.

Wargames Atlantic, I assume? Though IIRC Dream Pod 9 got their sprues made in the US too by someone else a while ago before WA moved to yankland. Though if it's either of those both were before this current situation.

EDIT: Hang on, looks like they own 3 machines to make molds and 4 to to make the mini, though it seems like the other components will be made in Europe or the western hemisphere.

Watched a quick Bat-Rep from Tabletop Titans, and the game-play seems ok. Fair amount of stuff to track for such a light game, and I suspect scaling up beyond small skirmishes could get unwieldy.

Wish the value proposition felt more exciting, as the $400 all-in feels really bad for what you'd get.

I believe Best Hobby has been investing in their own injection molding machines.

Longstrider wrote:
Though IIRC Dream Pod 9 got their sprues made in the US too by someone else a while ago before WA moved to yankland.

DP9 had their first three rounds of plastics made in the US (North, South, Caprice, CEF) but found someone in Canada to do their 2018 and later ones (Peace River, NuCoal, Utopia).

 lord_blackfang wrote:

Looks like so far there's 2 factions, each with 3 different hard plastic teams. Which is certainly a choice compared to opening with more factions, I guess?.

Looks like a playable force uses between one and four of those 'teams'... So, yes, having some options is definitely a better idea than having more factions with only a single usable unit choice.

Hoping the game does well, but I just don't see what it offers versus Battletech Classic/Alpha Strike or Heavy Gear Blitz

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
Hoping the game does well, but I just don't see what it offers versus Battletech Classic/Alpha Strike or Heavy Gear Blitz

I really see this as a different thing than that. Battletech, HG Blitz, Cav, etc games are meant to represent larger engagements.

I think this is more in the early Warmachine scope of a game. Small warband skirmish. A mech and just a few guys duking it out in a small space. It's actually a pretty good niche that we haven't seen much of in the sci-fi setting. I'm interested in trying Zeo Genesis and Arsenal. It'd be neat if one of them scratches this itch I didn't know I had until recently.

I haven't used Gamefound before, so can anyone tell me if it takes the money straight away as it is inferred it does, or will the money be taken once the campaign ends? Because £115 is in the "wait til the last minute" bracket of Fun Money for me and I can't arsed with having to claim a refund if I decide I can't afford it 3 weeks

 Overread wrote:

 Tabletop_Magpie wrote:
I was initially put off by the price, it didn't look like good value at all, but I'm watching the Tabletop Titans sponsored paythrough and the buildings are massive, as are some of the mechs. Hmm I'll keep an eye on it.

This is something that threw me with their initial designs. These are all supposed to be huge stomping mechs, but many of the core mechs just look like your standard "guy in power-armour-marine" models.
I think the lack of plastering lots of photos hides this because renders are basically entirely scale agnostic. You just can't tell looking at a render how big something really is.

I replied to Gav Thorpe on BlueSky about showing some scale/comparison photos and he said it's a good call so hopefully we'll get a proper idea of model size soon!

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
Hoping the game does well, but I just don't see what it offers versus Battletech Classic/Alpha Strike or Heavy Gear Blitz

What a strange thing to say about a ruleset that is completely different to any of those

 lord_blackfang wrote:

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
Hoping the game does well, but I just don't see what it offers versus Battletech Classic/Alpha Strike or Heavy Gear Blitz

What a strange thing to say about a ruleset that is completely different to any of those

Fair point, mainly just thinking of game size and aesthetic with my original comment since the Gamefound page really doesn't talk about the rules or game at all unless you do more research.

Alpha Strike and Heavy Gear seem to have a similar amount of minis being fielded per side in a game. But Battletech has a 40 year head start, a more recognizable IP and deep lore, and is sold in a mountain of places.

The VOTOMs/Blue Gender/Gasaraki/Patlabor style anime mech aesthetic is pretty well covered by Heavy Gear.

Without really looking at the rules, I just don't see what makes this game immediately pop out as unique by just looking at the box and reading the very quick summary on the campaign page.

"Zeo Genesis is a scalable skirmish miniatures game featuring big armor suits locked in kinetic action. Designed by Andy Chambers with narrative by Gav Thorpe."

This is about all the description of the game there is on the Gamefound page. Besides having Andy Chambers and Gav Thorpe's name attached in the description it tells me almost nothing about the game, and really gives zero motivation to support a new game when Battletech and Heavy Gear already exist and are already established games. Plus, I can generally get a game of Battletech in a large number of stores already carrying it.

I'd agree the presentation is lacking on all fronts

But it's definitely not a game competing with the epic scaled mech games you mentioned

It's competing with other games where you run a mix of near future dudes with and without hardsuits, in 28mm: BLKOUT, Arsenal, maybe Infinity.

 lord_blackfang wrote:
I'd agree the presentation is lacking on all fronts

But it's definitely not a game competing with the epic scaled mech games you mentioned

It's competing with other games where you run a mix of near future dudes with and without hardsuits, in 28mm: BLKOUT, Arsenal, maybe Infinity.

I genuinely hope the game does well, more mech games the better.

The current presentation just doesn't sell it very well besides to people who know who Gav Thorpe and Andy Chambers are.

Although hey, if they can keep their rulebook in stock instead of going multiple years between print runs like the Alpha Strike rulebook did... I can see that helping it .

I can't say this immediately stands out to me as a mech game from the crowd funding pitch. Just looks like a skirmisher with the option of a big centerpiece model.

For thkse wondering about domestic US production, this article details it well enough:

https://www.wargamer.com/zeo-genesis/american-factory-tariff-impact

 LunarSol wrote:
I can't say this immediately stands out to me as a mech game from the crowd funding pitch. Just looks like a skirmisher with the option of a big centerpiece model.

Agreed - the designs just don't scream "mech" at a glance, they scream "space marine".

At least for one or two of the core models they are marketing. I just don't get that big stompy robot feel from them.

This seems to be the popular genre right now with BLKOUT, Gamma Wolves, this, and the name of the third one is escaping me at the moment......

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
Hoping the game does well, but I just don't see what it offers versus Battletech Classic/Alpha Strike or Heavy Gear Blitz

As an avid active Heavy Gear player, it's really nothing at all like it in any way beyond a general humanoid mech aesthetic. As a causal BT/AS player, it also doesn't feel particularly comparable. Compare it to Infinity/TAG Raid , or Cyperpunk Combat Zone, or any of the games Easy E mentioned.

 Easy E wrote:
This seems to be the popular genre right now with BLKOUT, Gamma Wolves, this, and the name of the third one is escaping me at the moment......

Arsenal, from Blaster magazine issue 7, or maybe Steel Rift. It's a pretty saturated genre.

 NH Gunsmith wrote:

Fair point, mainly just thinking of game size and aesthetic with my original comment since the Gamefound page really doesn't talk about the rules or game at all unless you do more research...

...Without really looking at the rules, I just don't see what makes this game immediately pop out as unique by just looking at the box and reading the very quick summary on the campaign page.

The gamefound page is vague in spots, but it's not hard to find the rules. There's a game webpage with clear links to take you to the rules.

https://www.zeogenesis.com/playtest-files

The Rules and Units are right there to try out.

 Eilif wrote:

 NH Gunsmith wrote:

Fair point, mainly just thinking of game size and aesthetic with my original comment since the Gamefound page really doesn't talk about the rules or game at all unless you do more research...

...Without really looking at the rules, I just don't see what makes this game immediately pop out as unique by just looking at the box and reading the very quick summary on the campaign page.

The gamefound page is vague in spots, but it's not hard to find the rules. There's a game webpage with clear links to take you to the rules.

https://www.zeogenesis.com/playtest-files

The Rules and Units are right there to try out.

The link to the rules is almost on the very bottom of the Gamefound page, underneath all of the pledge level information, the stretch goal and add-on information, and underneath a bunch of reviews, with an easy to miss link.

I don't even see on the Gamefound page where it states there is a website for the game. Not even trying to be difficult, but the campaign page really does nothing to really advertise the game to somebody.

What does the “download HERE” link in your screenshot take you to?

 mattl wrote:
What does the “download HERE” link in your screenshot take you to?

If a well hidden "download HERE" link at the bottom of a page is the only indicator that there is a website or more information for your game, that really isn't a very visible way of advertising you have a website or additional information for the game.

Does "download HERE" tell me there is an FAQ section that talks about the board and army size?

"download HERE" also doesn't tell me that there are pretty stellar comics to learn more about the setting, and a blog going back over a year with information about the company and game.

If the expectation is for somebody to scroll past how much money they want from you first to find that relatively hidden link on the bottom of the page just above the exciting section that talks about manufacturing, shipping, and tariffs to see what sets the game apart from the competition, it fails pretty hard.

Turns out that the ad here on Dakka is actually way more helpful than their Gamefound page.

Gave the rules a quick read a little while ago, and it looked like a fairly generic skirmish game, nothing felt particularly mecha. Good luck, but my interest in skirmish games is currently nonexistent.