dariustad

So, uh, I guess you could say it's appropriately named, eh? It was a total kerfluffle, tehe hehehe I like that word. Okay, I need to sleep Yes. A total Kerfluffle kerfuffle.

Okay, my turn! Apparently, there are some projects I am now VERY glad I did not back. There are always those I wish I could have backed, but I had to assign my funding where it would do the most good. Anyway.... Bones I - Delivered! - Awesomeness was had by all in my area! Missing figures and part already delivered as well! Gladly did again. The Great Heartland Hauling Co. - Delivered! - Card game that plays like a small board game. Extremely fun as a small time waster you can carry most anywhere. Communication was acceptable. I can't say I was ever worried over delivery. Company is first rate. Heroes of Metro City - 1/2 Delivered - Received the main game plus the KS bonus pack. Play is actually really fun. Waiting on the Sidekicks expansion, which was delayed to Q12014 so they could get the primary game to everyone. I'm still okay with this. Communication has been terrible, though. SkyCube (satellite) - In Progress - Not really surprised this is late. Company is launching a crowdfunded satellite, after all. Still, they've sorted their launch dates, after having time to work out unforeseen design kinks. Only in for a couple of pictures, so I'm not overly concerned. Okay communication, but only when major things achieved. Planetary Annihilation - Video Game - In Progress - Only in for the game, but as I have plenty of video games to keep me occupied, I am not overly worried. The beta has been available on Steam for quite a while now, so I know work is progressing. Steady communication, though; so, I have no fears of delivery. Project Eternity - Video Game - In Progress - Constant communication. Amazing talent for the project. Even if it's late, I won't be worried. It should be awesome. Kerfluffles Marshmallows - NOT DELIVERED - Owner totally unprofessional. Seriously. Communication has been atrocious, next to non-existent. Doesn't respond to emails unless you happen to send something that randomly works. Numerous people have had problems. Marauders - Board Game - Delivered! - This was a no-brainer, really. Pay $15 bucks for the shipping and you get an entire pirate-based board game. Plays just fine. No regrets. Decently fast turn around time, too; they already had the games, but wanted to develop a 2nd edition with people pledging to become play testers. Communication was a non issue because of how the project worked. We had to wait 15 days for the project to end, the product was gone so fast. Bombshell Babes - Delivered! - Only wanted three miniatures from this lot, but they look great. Even if a bit late, I wasn't bothered. Communication was good. The New Science - Board Game - Delivered! - Brilliant game. The mechanics make you feel like you're in a rush with fellow scientists to publish ideas first. Communication was good. Medieval Village for 28mm Gamers - Delivered! - Awesome product. Still need to assemble the items, especially the gazebos, but no worries. Communication was amazing! Wish I could have bought more, but I have what I needed most: Paladin Killer. Going Native: Warpath - Delivered! - Totally blown away by the quality! Owner did his utmost to keep everyone in the loop and up-to-date on the project. Game Salute was the problem here, not the guy running it. Very honest individual. Communication was superb. Assimilation Alien Host - Not Delivered - Late as late can late. Communication is whatever. No point assimilating this dead horse again. Lower tier pledges, especially bases, should have been done and sent already. Oh well. Stickys Caramel - Delivered! - Spectacular Caramels! I am saving some to enjoy over the holidays. Sad ending to the project, though. The person running it suffered from cancer; about half-way into the year, he disappeared and all communication shut down. His sister sent a couple emails, then told us a couple months ago, her brother had passed while in a coma. He never really got to know how much everyone loved his caramels. Good news, though. His family has decided to complete all outstanding orders and open the store he wanted to create when he started the project! Still, I feel honored to be allowed to enjoy one of the last things he was allowed to create in this world. Chibi Dungeon Adventures - Delivered! - Really fun product. The core minis being representations from the D&D cartoon was the main attracting agent. Communication was excellent. Never once worried about not receiving my order. Check them out sometime. Sentinels of the Multiverse: Shattered Timelines - Card Game - Mostly Delivered! - I got into this because it had a run of limited slots that allowed me to purchase the ENTIRE game, including all expansions and limited release cards for one bid. Communication was decent (now non-existent) and product delivery was ahead of schedule. They allowed us to purchase the Vengeance expansion that was due this fall, but was moved back to early next year. I'm fine with waiting since I know the product will be excellent. No doubts. [More to come later]

I currently have a team of engineers looking at the possibility of excavating a tunnel through my pile of unpainted minis in order to get to the stuff I have on the otherside, as due to the extremely high elevation involved, an overland route just isn't feasible. The biggest concern right now is a tunnel collapse in weaker areas of the mini pile due to the variations of materials used in the miniatures over the years. Some areas may have become unstable. It's feared that such a collapse could lead to avalanches or even a mountain slide down one of the piles facings, which could bury my painted mini's collection with the possibility of damage extending as far as my videogame and blueray collection, a risk I'm unwilling on taking at this stage. Time for a Mini Bin, Unca Zacal. Then, you can practice swimming through it like a dolphin, burrowing through it like a gopher, or tossing minis up and letting them hit you on the head -- I would recommend Bones for the last one; metal could kill, or worse.... become dented!

If you don't have to use mountain climbing gear or pack food and water rations to survive the climb over your miniature collection to get to your work table, you don't have enough, yet.

I have a feeling if Reaper decides to do another KS in the first half of next year, it would be one of the smaller "back burner idea" projects they've had kicking around but lacked the funding to bring to fruition. However, whatever they do, I believe they will have most of the art ready to go and, likely, many of the prototypes ready to show off to attract attention. This KS was very smooth compared to last year's, which reduced the level of "frenzy" from the backers, but reduced the stress for everyone involved.

And some just want to crush my poor rickety painting station... Time to acquire some new bricks to shore up the legs! Then, you have a whole bunch of new "little shelves" to sit minis on to dry whilst you move onto the next!

That does not compute.

ARGH. I am so very bummed I'm going to miss the closing days of this, though if I'm lucky I might be back for the finale... There's always post-Kickstarter pledge adjustment. I'm not worried about that - I'm pledged up pretty well, and planning on dropping some more in during the post phase. One of the Reapers said they were keeping it up to New Year's - that'll be more than enough time for me to get everything I want. But I'm going to miss all the excitement of the reveals! You mean you're going to miss being part of the group responsible for crashing Kickstarter over and over again because we have to press F5 every 3 seconds. You get to say you're part of Bones II but not deserve the "I crashed Kickstarter with Reaper II!" badge. I can see how that would be depressing (ha! I made a pun.... *ahem*). Anyway, don't worry; I've heard it's more of a unit citation than an individual medal. Pledging earns Citizenship miniatures! Join the Reaper Infantry! Would you like to pledge more?

Interesting. I dream of "dragon's fire.... and things that will bite." I love it when the Sandman enters my dreams.

I see the Bones total arising. I see pledging under way. I see giants and dragons. I see more Reaper Bones today. Don't go crazy tonight, Well, it's bound to take your budget, There's a Bones total on the rise. I hear trolls aflaming. I know the end is coming soon. I fear plasticrack over flowing. I hear the voice of rage and ruin. Don't go crazy tonight, Well, it's bound to take your budget, There's a Bones total on the rise. All right! Hope you keep your pledge together. Hope you are quite prepared to pay. Looks like we're in for many minis. One charge is taken from your card. Don't go crazy tonight, Well, it's bound to take your budget, There's a Bones total on the rise. Don't go crazy tonight, Well, it's bound to take your budget, There's a Bones total on the rise. [paraphrased from Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revivial.] I was bored whilst watching the total grow. It was better than concentrating on the F5 key! :)

Trading is not allowed in the Reaper Forums. They did it allow it in a specific thread for Bones I, they may allow it for Bones II. Wait till Reaper decides to open an official trade thread. Yeah Ladystorm already answered that a page or two ago (and right above me! ). That's why I'm wondering if we should just figure out a place that everyone should go to (all of us here on this forum) where we can trade together. I don't know all the places that are available or reputable, but having a discussion like this in a different thread where it's all about this topic might keep this thread from going down other paths is all I was thinking. We could all meet up at Buglips's place. No one will notice another layer of mess in a goblin den. Heck, He'll probably be happy we tracked extra dirt in to make it look even more like home!

Never underestimate the power of player fear. I carry a huge spider mini with me to all my games and whenever they get too cocky, I sit it against the DM screen as a reminder of past pain barely survived. Seriously, they barely survived. It reduced an entire party from full to negative hit points, knocked the tank into the ground unconscious TWICE (whereupon it actually high-fived itself in celebration -- Don't judge! It was spur of the moment), and was in the middle of dragging one of the PCs off to wrap up for dinner when the cleric got a miracle crit and dropped it with his bow. Only the cleric was left standing; the rest of the party was either down and out or hoping the spider didn't see they'd woken up.

You... you do know that Reaper was started by accountants, right? Because that's kinda eerie. Obviously, yes.

Reaper's missing the bet. They could create a new series in wake of the awesome show that just ended. About an accountant who gets the crazy idea to create the ultimate plasti-crack line so he can leave a legacy (and maybe some money) to his family. It can show how difficult it is to break into the market, and the turf wars involved. [br]eaking ones! It'd be all the rage! Oh, wait! It's been done. Never mind....

What I tell you three times is true. In the dark In the dark In the dark ... are Grue We could take it one step further into frothing fervor: Grueblins. Half Grue, Half Goblin. They are their own worst nightmares!

Many of them were pretty bad... the entire Wardrums led the way for worst painting ever. However, once you have seen one of the Harbinger (premiere set) Lizardfolk miniatures in hand, you will realize there were some real gems buried in the heavily black washed masses of DDM.

I mostly disagree with your analysis. 1) The primary thing that killed DDM was that it wasn't a very good game. Too limited for roleplaying, it was too complex to play real armies. 2) For a collectible miniatures game, it didn't support enough sales. For most games you needed perhaps a dozen figures. And a dozen figures per player just isn't enough to support a game, even with upgrades over time. 3) For roleplayers (which I suspect was the larger market), it was a huge boon. The completionists supported a secondary market, especially in rares, that functionally provided a huge subsidy to purchasers of commons and a bit less to uncommons. 4) The random model, in particular, was tremendously beneficial to GMs. I don't have any hard data, but I suspect that rares cost at most twice what commons cost to produce (because of more colors of paint, mostly). But they went for 10-100 times the price of commons on the secondary market. And since most encounters could be run with commons, that was a major benefit. 5) For pricing, I'll agree that the increases reduced sales, which reduced purchases, which increased the cost per figure to produce, which increased prices again. But I don't think that had as much to do with the sales model as it did with Hasbro's requirement that lines produce certain profit margins. They worked exceptionally well when they were a fairly low margin product, but the combination of a game that had run its course with the required increase in margins eventually killed it. Anyway, the upshot is that I was very happy both that the line existed and that WotC decided to market it the way they did, and I know I wasn't alone, as two other people in my gaming group bought their figures by the case as well. It was only when you tried to pick up something popular as a single that the pricing became a real problem until close to the end. Feel free to disagree. However, the Skirmish game was never the primary reason to purchase the miniatures; it was the secondary purpose. D&D RPG usage was always the primary aspect; even the designers admitted this was true. People were really interested in miniatures that paralleled their favorite game--and they were pre-painted! Even better. These reasons attracted my purchases; and, I was buying them by the case, as well. However, the randomization model started affecting a lot of people quicker than it does for Magic. A box of miniatures presents a larger storage problem than a pack of 15 Magic cards. The user base was also smaller. My area had a whopping half dozen DDM collectors versus dozens of Magic players (this was during the height of the DDM product line). Magic players had an easier time trading off duplicates than we did, unless we turned to online trading (which I did). We both recognized the secondary market, especially for rares. However, the random model did not help out DM's as much as people think it did. I talked to many at several conventions who wished they could pick up the "sets" WotC once promised to make but never brought to fruition. Sure, they had some random miniatures, but many of them became sick of using the same models time and time again. Unfortunately, the rising prices kept many of them from buying more in lieu of buying a new game book to expand their games. The DDM price point really was it's primary killer, not the Skirmish game. The Skirmish game was even supported by a player-run group after WotC cancelled the game (and then the DDM line), much like Decipher's SWCCG was after Lucas revoked their license. Randomized huge miniatures also destroyed the line. Against the Giants was the best of them, mostly because of the two huge dragons, red and gold, that made the concept appear worthwhile. However, each huge set thereafter fell short of the original popularity margins because the uncommon huge miniatures were typically far more undesirable compared to the ever-popular rare dragons. When they added the super rares (or whatever the rarity level was called -- I had quit the line by then), I knew DDM was going to fail. Miniatures should not exist at disproportionate rarity levels, especially in random packs; the market doesn't support the concept, as was proven by their falling sales. Limited edition miniatures should be labelled as such and sold separate from the usual sales line to allow customers to choose whether or not they wish to purchase them, which is what they did with their "repaints" -- you had to play the Skirmish game to try to win them (or, again, turn to the secondary market). DDM was a good line, offered by a top company. However, the sales model did not age well, and while the line started out strong, it dropped out of the market much earlier than I thought it should have. I don't have any amazing answers as to how the line could have been saved, and it quite possibly had existed for as long as it was meant to be around. This is where I stop wondering or worrying and decide to enjoy the miniatures I did collect -- I was never anti-DDM. I was simply tired of them filling half the sets with as many repeat miniature stereotypes. How many similar sword-and-board fighters do I need? My personal rate-on-return had hit diminishing returns and I "retired" from purchasing. As opposed to that old hullabaloo, this is why I'm really enjoying Reaper's Bones Kickstarters. They represent the single largest purchases of miniatures I have made since the DDM heyday. Moreover, we can see what we will be purchasing, something I much prefer when buying gaming materials!

It's an Aboleth. The miniature is a big deal in my own circles at least. It represents a popular creature that D&D players have long wanted a miniature for, but was never available outside of the reaper line (DDM produced a large sized one, but they were traditionally supposed to be huge). that was the problem with DDM.. huges their aboleth was ok for a baby lol I like paizo's method for geetting huges out. I rely on reaper for my gargantuan and bigger Er, not quite. The real problem with DDM was their sales model. The line was fraught with silly amounts of repeat concepts and sculpts, often one set after another. Monsters were often difficult to obtain in multiples, especially if they were popular (dragons, giants, and similar) or had more intricate sculpts (beholders, dragons, etc.). There was also no set cost for a miniature; on the secondary market, dragons could range in cost from $20 to $90 depending on quality, size, desirability, and its originating set -- prices would waiver from month-to-month. Huge miniatures were another problem, especially when they made them available in random "huge packs." Their costing model also increased from $10 a pack in the beginning to about $16 for a standard miniatures pack to $25 (or more) per huge pack. Basically, it was a model doomed to fail (and it did) because people eventually got tired of all the randomization when companies like Reaper were offering set pieces for the same price all day (and year) long. In a sense, Reaper's Kickstarters use a similar concept, but you know EVERYTHING found in the core set, the expansions, and future stretch goals as they are revealed. You can make an informed decision about what you will receive. You're not playing a gambling game every time you make a purchase.

I think Reaper has stated that the next expansion will be a bit more cohesive in theme. There were lots of complaints that the CE1 was so diverse. I personally don't care one way or the other. I just hope we see many many more reveals. I am sure we will. You can have diversity within a defined theme. The Bones Kickstarters allow me to acquire a vast array of miniatures I probably wouldn't purchase otherwise. They "force" me to get different things, which engages the DM Engine , thus allowing me to construct new diabolical encounters and creatures to thwart my willing victims, er.... players!

Okay, the expected update to the core expansion has pretty much locked me into picking one up (the Silver dragon is the #1 reason). Overall, I like everything found inside this awesome new concept to the addon concept. My least favorite concept included would be the mushroom men, but I can deal with it. I'll use them eventually or trade them to someone who will want them. I'm loving the core expansions, Reaper! I hope the second (if there is one) is as diverse as the first!

That's good. Because they can be pretty mean. You know why most of the goblins adventurers fight are male? Because risking death in the field is sometimes better than staying home. Grubella is on here 8th husband now, and he's been trying to get slain by adventurers for months! The sad part to this tale: There is a goblin having trouble dying to adventurers. Doesn't he know he actually has to be involved in combat to die? Maybe the Goblins should take a lesson from the Starship Troopers universe. Instead of offering citizenship, they could use the slogans, "Service means divorce!" and "Today is a good day to die!" Join the Goblin Infantry! Would you like to know more?

That's it! That's the stretch goal that will be frosted. Or a la mode. Or both. Whipped Cream Elemental and a mathematician swarm! Maybe a new dinosaur... Pi-REX! (He is his own storage container!)

Kind of a generic synopsis response to various sections of this thread I have managed to read over the past week. Not necessarily in any order: All the talk of frosting miniatures now has me wishing Reaper made the large dragons and other huge miniatures into silicon molds; Pure awesomeness for making fantasy-themed cakes, ice blocks for punch bowls, and various chocolate goodies. Kaladrax would be a scary mold to engineer, though. Assembly would be even more daunting -- too much very fragile tail. ---- As for the Kickstarter, I've been watching the whole first week unfold. I secured my first wave shipping spot with a pledge for Vampire II, drooled over the various addons, and I'm still on the fence over the core expansion one. I want to see the third installment before I make my final decision. I have the same problem as many others: I want more than I can safely budget to purchase. I am also one of *those* who tends to purchase large dragons if they fall within an acceptable price range. Reaper's KS dragons always do, so they're practically automatic addons. ---- I'm all for gender equity in miniatures. I believe female miniatures have a perfectly respectable and necessary place in the gaming world. As a player, I will always choose a male miniature over female for my personal characters -- I'm sure you can guess the base reasoning for that. However, as a DM/GM, I *need* female miniatures to flesh out my world(s); since females are technically 50% of the population (give or take), they become very essential to make a world seem more "natural." I also love to build female BBEG's to thwart players because it tends to throw them off and allows for the standard dynamic, "They never know who is out to get them." However, I need (want) just as many male and female miniatures in angry, vicious attacking poses as I do those in passive, receptive townsfolk-esque poses. --- As for miniatures wants, I can't wait to see the cavalry as an addon or inclusion in core. I want to see more big dragons! I also can't wait to see what bonus miniatures are included. The young dragons were a complete surprise I absolutely love, as was the chimera. Sci-fi miniatures not so much, but I'll have them in case I ever do get into a sci-fi game in the future. I wasn't against any of the miniatures in the first KS, nor am I against anything in KS2. There were things I didn't desperately need, like zombies and skeletons, but there were things I could never have imagined needing until I had them in hand, like the familiars. Keep surprising me, Reaper! I'm enjoying the ride! [Okay, all done being rambling and random. I'm not going to try to catch up to everything in a 150+ page thread! Wow, do I feel sorry for the mods right now! ]

At this rate, we could crash KS and Reaper, so limit your refreshes to every few minutes or more. Please!? It helps everyone!

Kickstarter is completely lagged out. I received updates 14 through 18 BEFORE updates 12 and 13 in my email!