ShadowSea - Battle for the Underlands

[MonkeySloth]

Ya it should, it's one of the first questions asked in the comments section but now that I've reread it I realized they were asking about the Hardback which is at an even higher level. Maybe you should ask as Eric was talking about adding a mini's only level.

[Wren]

All the pledge levels refer to starter sets, so I take it there's no way to just order the sorceresses? Or am I missing something?

[MonkeySloth]

No, the only way to get them is to pledge $180 (that gets you one of them), don't really agree with that but they want to make them limited editions--which is a shame. I've got a pledge in to get 2 additional copies (one of each), figure I could trade them with people that couldn't get them, and can add more from $12-$15 (they haven't given exact prices yet).

 

If there's enough interest in getting these without spending $180 they may change their mind and I've already brought it to their attention that between this, and other forum I visit, there are those that would love to get these two but cannot afford spending around $200 to do so.

 

I think part of the reason this KS isn't doing as well as it should is they're not communicating information very well, especially since so many KSers since Deepwars have changed how information is presented to people and what that information is.

[Wren]

Ah. Well, I understand that the target audience is players, and that is probably a larger audience. But any kickstarter like this that doesn't give me a way to just order a figure or three that I like and not have to also pay for a book and/or figures I don't want, I'm very unlikely to participate in.

[Orlando_the_Technicoloured]

I guess it may depend what the company want's the KS to achive

 

If they want more players allowing folk to buy just the minis will not actually help them (especially if they don't fancy them ending up as 'counts as' figures).

 

This certainly means fewer backers but those who do are more likely to at least try the game as they have paid for it......

 

On the other hand if you just want to 'shift product' then you want single mini options, a lot more sales will end up as 'counts as' or painted display pieces but your company gets publicity. A smart move if you'll end up selling singles via retail anyway

[MonkeySloth]

Well ask and you shall recieve:

http://www.kickstart...06?ref=activity

 

There are now Minis-Only and Book-Only pledge options now. The one for minis allows backers to pick and choose minis from the starter sets and Special Edition resin minis. The minimum is $15, which includes one 28-32mm tall figure plus USA shipping. Each additional 28mm-32mm mini (30mm base) is $10. Each Special Edition mini is $15. Each large figure - the big ones in the center of the force concept art (40-50mm base) is $15. Add as many as you want to the pledge but make sure to choose this as the reward. Shipping in the USA is included. International shipping has an additional fee.

 

So $15 for each of those ladies.

[Wren]

Cool, thanks for letting me know about that change!

[Argentee]

*sigh* I just can't make myself pay $15 for the adventuring archeologist.

[recruittons]

*sigh* I just can't make myself pay $15 for the adventuring archeologist.

 

Actually, it looks like they dropped it down to $12 for the mini-only level. So $10 for the Adventuring Archaeologist + $2 for shipping.

 

ETA: And they changed the pricing as well. So actually it's $8 the mini and $4 for shipping, but the 28-32mm guys are only $8 addons now and the big guys are still $15.

[Dan d'Lyon]

I really like those sorceresses, but at $15 each I just can't justify it. I understand their reasons, but just to steep for me at the moment. I guess count me as one of those people that wishes they had waited until after the holidays.

[AGN1964]

I just got my hands on the DeepWars rule book. Wow. The art is unbelievable. It's on almost every page, very few repetitions. Not photos of painted figures, which are nice, but well-drawn orginal art. A lot of time and effort went into the this. It looks gorgeous.

 

I've only had it for minutes, so I can't comment on the rules themselves, but SoB&H seems well accepted. Time to break out some lizardmen proxies and see if I can play a few rounds.

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I really like the sculpts, and am actually a backer, but I also kind of get why this isnt doing better. I think there is a general system fatigue amongst people right now. It seems every single mini producer is also trying to pitch their own skirmish game. Unfortunately, this in general seems to be inflating the cost of minis, as the game and units need to be designed, playtested, balanced among factions, etc. Its not just enough to have a cool idea for a sculpt anymore, now it has to have a stat card filled out. Which I guess is great if you're really into the game. But if you're not, it means you're paying 15 bucks for a figure because its a unique personality as opposed to a rank and file grunt, or 7 bucks for a killer baby witha simple sculpt because you had to pay for its game design as well. The sculpt/mold/cast starts to become secondary to something you may or may not get benefit from.

 

I mean no disprespect to Shadowsea or any other publisher trying to catch a break for their new game. I'm simply out of time to play the ones I have (which compete against RPG's), and not interested in yet another one I may trot out twice a year, assuming I can find someone to play against. That last part is the big issue for (relatively) brand new games. You have to convince people that they will be able to find opponents to fund it. Alternately, you get enough people wanting to use it as a "counts as", RPG, or just painting in general to fund it. I had pretty much no interest in Relic Knights as a game, but lots of the figures looked fun to paint, and the price was fairly low per figure in the end with all the added goals. So it felt like less of my dollars were going towards game design. For Shadowsea, the way the pledges are set up at roughly 10 dollars a figure, this feels like a bit more money is going to the game. Which might be totally awesome, I dont know. Its certainly pretty and a unique setting. But I'm wondering how many others felt the same way and ended up not backing because they decided the figure/game ratio wasnt favorable enough. I'm hoping that even if the KS doesnt meet funding, that they'll release the sculpts simply as stand alone minis. They can always stat cost them later in another project. Which would largely follow how Privateer Press started out. It began as a d20 publisher, added RPG minis, and when it had gotten some word of mouth, then put out a stand alone skirmish game. Maybe Antimatter could look at something like Savage Worlds as a base system, do a setting/rulebook for it for RPG, and grow that way?

[MonkeySloth]

I'd love a RPG for the setting.

 

This was what Shadowseas tried originally, it's been around for a few years slowly releasing minis but not having any real box sets or the such.

[MonkeySloth]

Just a heads up they have a 66 page preview of Deepwars avalible for download. It's basic rules, and you cannot play a true game from it, but nice to have non-the-less. Probably should download it as it's pretty large.

 

http://www.antimatte..._PDF_basics.pdf

[Shakandara]

So a quick update on my DeepWars rewards: I got my 2nd package yesterday, which included my art print, the faction print, and the ship map. They are all pretty cool. The ship map had to be folded to fit in the packaging (it's 11x17 when opened), but the creasing from doing so hasn't impact the image. It's printed on a nice weight coverstock style paper.

 

There were a couple issues. As a Commander level pledge, I was supposed to receive a limited edition resin copy of the Acolyte of Ether; I instead got a metal one, and although it had the base insert, it had no base. Further, since the project hit a stretch goal for a bonus figure, I was also supposed to receive a Xicana in metal as well; she was not in the package.

 

I contacted AntiMatter this morning, and got an *immediate* response (like, less than 5 minutes from the time I sent the message via KS). Apparently they ran out of Xicana, so that is why she was missing from the package. They will ship my resin figure with Xicana when she is back in stock. All in all, I'd say they handled it pretty well; I realize that packaging issues happen, so I can't fault them too much for making a mistake. Where I do think they've dropped the ball a little has been informing us about the multiple shipments. I just assumed when I got my hardcover that my minis were being shipped separately; there was never any communication or note in the package to tell me so. The same was true of this package with the missing Xicana.

 

That said, I see nothing to deter me from continuing to back ShadowSea. They are delivering on their last project while gearing up on this one, so it seems like they have things pretty well in hand. I'm confident that should it meet its funding goal, we'll see our rewards in a timely manner, and it will be a quality product.

 

~v