Cthulhu Wars - Or how they are finally making my dream game...

[bayonetbrant]

almost no new company actually accounts for how much work is going to be involved with that end of the business.

QFT!

Anyone who thinks forming a game company is just all playing around has no idea. 

When you form a game company, you've immediately entered the shipping business, as that's where you'll spend a significant percentage of your time.

[son_of_montfort]

Not only the shipping business, the printing business as well (even though you don't actually do the printing, in some cases). And printing is notoriously hard logistically.

I'm going to hope that Sandy has a Chinese plastic manufacturer and printer already lined up. With the sheer size of those minis and the number of the minis, the box will have to be at least the same size as the old Fantasy Flight first edition of Descent, and that was a huge pain to ship. You are right, having all those extra bits and relying solely on the KS survey method is worrisome. I wonder if Sandy has heard of Backerkit, which is an online service that helps manage complicated pledges? Yes, they take a cut, but it seems worth it to me to avoid some of the headache.

I anticipate the December date being a bit overly optimistic. I suspect we won't see this one until at least Summer 2014 (one year of production is not out of the question). I do hope that they can make it by December, I would love to be playing this during the Holiday break.

[bayonetbrant]

Not only the shipping business, the printing business as well (even though you don't actually do the printing, in some cases). And printing is notoriously hard logistically.

The printing stuff you deal with is primarily shipping stuff to/from the printer, so yeah, you're back in the shipping business

the same size as the old Fantasy Flight first edition of Descent

I think the Tide of Iron box is actually bigger, and RuneWars might be bigger than that one

[Arctic Blast]

the same size as the old Fantasy Flight first edition of Descent

I think the Tide of Iron box is actually bigger, and RuneWars might be bigger than that one
[/quote]

I think the coffin boxes were all pretty much uniform. I've had all but Starcraft at one time or another, and they all stacked up pretty nicely.

Not only the shipping business, the printing business as well (even though you don't actually do the printing, in some cases). And printing is notoriously hard logistically.

I'm going to hope that Sandy has a Chinese plastic manufacturer and printer already lined up. With the sheer size of those minis and the number of the minis, the box will have to be at least the same size as the old Fantasy Flight first edition of Descent, and that was a huge pain to ship. You are right, having all those extra bits and relying solely on the KS survey method is worrisome. I wonder if Sandy has heard of Backerkit, which is an online service that helps manage complicated pledges? Yes, they take a cut, but it seems worth it to me to avoid some of the headache.

I anticipate the December date being a bit overly optimistic. I suspect we won't see this one until at least Summer 2014 (one year of production is not out of the question). I do hope that they can make it by December, I would love to be playing this during the Holiday break.

I would have to agree. The campaign runs for another 11 days, at which point they can start rolling production. But then they don't have production numbers on the optional bits until later, and a lot of those are pretty substantial. I have no idea how long all of that is going to take to build, but it then gets loaded on a boat which isn't going anywhere until it's loaded completely. It all might...MIGHT...reach North America by December.

That's why I agree with LB that it's good Sandy isn't trying to nail down a specific date. There are just far too many variables.

[son_of_montfort]

I think the Tide of Iron box is actually bigger, and RuneWars might be bigger than that one

Nope, I used to stack my Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition, Descent, and Runewars boxes on top of one another. They were all the same size. Runewars and Descent now have second edition copies that switched to the FFG square box. Descent underwent a major rules change, Runewars did not. But the Runewars box was so unnecessarily large, as it had too much empty space. I have since switch Descent to a huge tackebox, which holds all of the pieces (although I no longer use the first edition, given that the second edition is much much more fun).

[Arctic Blast]

So, figured I would raise this beast from the cold Earth (kinda fitting, really) since the Cthulhu Wars Onslaught 2 Kickstarter is nearing completion...and this time, I'm in. I like the fact that Sandy Petersen and company have owned up to some logistical problems that cropped up last time, they're now experienced in that and production, and everything should run smoother the second time around.

So, if you were like me and questions about the company's experience is what put you off the first time, I think you can be a lot more confident this time around. I hope so...my bank account REALLY hopes so... https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1816687860/cthulhu-wars-onslaught-two?ref=nav_search

And no, I'm not in for the $700 everything package. There are limits to my madness, or so I'd like to ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

[Nefaro]

I'd been eyeing the original $150 set listed at CSI.  But damn.. the price!  Being a multi-player "area control" type of game, I don't think it would get much playtime around here with my lack of a gaming group these days.  So I can't justify the expense-to-usage ratio.  :-\


Still haven't done anything more than break the box shrink wrap on Chaos In The Old World, Rune Wars, and other similar games I own.

[Arctic Blast]

I'd been eyeing the original $150 set listed at CSI.  But damn.. the price!  Being a multi-player "area control" type of game, I don't think it would get much playtime around here with my lack of a gaming group these days.  So I can't justify the expense-to-usage ratio.  :-\


Still haven't done anything more than break the box shrink wrap on Chaos In The Old World, Rune Wars, and other similar games I own.

If you've got that many games still in shrink, then yeah...STOP BUYING GAMES. At least for awhile.  ;D

As for me, I actually scored a trade for Cthulhu Wars! So now I can just back the Kickstarter for loads...and loads...of extra stuff.  ::)

[LongBlade]

If you've got that many games still in shrink, then yeah...STOP BUYING GAMES. At least for awhile.  ;D

[Nefaro]

Well.... nearly all mine are out of the shrink.  Because I tend to check the components and make sure everything's present, print aligned properly, etc. 

But that's as far as many have gone.. breaking the shrink and peaking at the bits.  :))


I'm still guilty.  ;D

[Arctic Blast]

Finally got this played over the weekend. It's fantastic. No sooner had we finished the first game than we were on to a second...and a third.

It's a terrific 'dudes on a map' style game with lots of strategy without massive rules overhead. The overall game is pretty simple. You earn Power based on cultists on the board and controlled gates. Power is the currency that you spend to perform actions. You get Doom based on the number of gates you control, with Doom being the actual score in the game. You can also get Doom by scoring Elder Signs, with those being worth 1-3 points apiece (and you generally keep your numbers secret until the end). Combat involves rolling a mess of D6's depending on the total combat value of the two forces involved. A 4 or 5 is a Pain, which forces a retreat of one opposing unit. A 6 Kills one opposing unit.

Where it gets interesting is the total asymmetry involved. Each of the factions has a unique Great Old One who is summoned differently and at different costs. Each GOO and Faction possesses completely unique special abilities, and each has a number and differing types of monsters totally unique to them. You can only win the game by scoring your 6 spellbooks, and each faction obtains their spellbooks by filling requirements different from what the other factions need to do for theirs. And of course, each faction's spellbooks themselves are totally different overpowered abilities that enhance what they already bring to the table.

Even with all of that asymmetry, within 2 full turns pretty much every one of us had a handle on the basics of what our faction needed to focus on. A couple of friends enjoyed it enough that they're going to toss in some bucks as well (the Pledge Manager doesn't go live for a little while, and you can add to your KS pledge when it does go up). We're going pretty much all in with a few exceptions.

Sadly, we'll have to wait until next September for all of this stuff to show up. When it does, the package we're looking at is estimated at somewhere in the 50 pound range. I have no idea how I'm going to store it all. I may be driven mad. Maybe that's the point.