Future of the game

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hdma
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Future of the game

Postby hdma » Fri Jan 16, 2015 1:07 pm

hello MM ,
I decided to write here on the forum and not in PM so you have also the opinion of the other players.
I must admit I am confused.
I read just now that you have postponed by an additional six months the full rulebook. It seems to me that this situation is going out of control .
In my group many players are thinking to resell all the miniature purchased because the times are getting too long.
Now I don't understand a thing , a version of the rules was to come before Christmas in PDF format, but you started to publish fragments of rules that are in themselves as they can't be used without the complete manual.
Don't you have time to test everything for fixed dates? This is plausible because yuo're a small production house , but then why do not you put the players aware of the material you are utilizing to do playtest ?
Doing so may have 300 more people who make playtest, that is going to speed up the process , perhaps by introducing a fillable format for data collection.
I apologize for my English and I hope that the community participates in the post

Cheers

H.
Vhalan
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Re: Future of the game

Postby Vhalan » Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:49 pm

I agree that the rules being kicked out is concerning but I would rather they take the time for a tight, solid rules set that can stand without FAQ, Errata, or Revision for several years. Hoping for that on a first go is of course unrealistic but the longer the edition can go without sequential edition creep the better. See Warhammer 40k for what I would rather not happen.

In one of the forums or other, the statement was made that Mierce would be turning to quarterly KS campaigns with smaller targets. I'd like more info on that direction as well as if its going to be a role specific (every faction gets mounted troops) or faction specific (we complete Kthones this campaign).

I've gone in on most of the campaigns for new units of 2 factions (New Kindreds got me for a 3rd) and Id like to know if there is a planned end state for each faction? By end state I mean, there are X more units planned for Y faction then we have no plans for new things. Or will Darklands always have a new shiny unit for each Kindred in each new KS campaign?
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Rob Lane
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Re: Future of the game

Postby Rob Lane » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:22 pm

hdma wrote:hello MM ,
I decided to write here on the forum and not in PM so you have also the opinion of the other players.
I must admit I am confused.
I read just now that you have postponed by an additional six months the full rulebook. It seems to me that this situation is going out of control .


First things first - you don't need to be concerned about the future of the game, nor confused; the printing of the rulebook is delayed, not the rules themselves. I wouldn't say the situation was "out of control" in any way - the reasons for the delay are pretty simple to understand.

We are a very small team and I, as the writer and main driver of the Mierce Miniatures business, have a limited amount of time to get the rules done in a working day. Not only do I answer e-mails and messages, sort out orders, post updates and keep the website running (and post answers here), I also have to prepare the accounts and do all the things necessary to keep a business going and to keep the wolf from the door. Additionally, I have a big family and cannot spend as much time as I would like to work at home.

That being said, the rules are pretty much written, just not very presentable; and will be released in sections over the next couple of months as a PDF download (some sections are already downloadable); so it won't be too long before you have something to work with on the tabletop, at least. All that you have so far can be used in conjunction with the QuickStarter rules.

hdma wrote:In my group many players are thinking to resell all the miniature purchased because the times are getting too long.


Well, I think that's rather premature. The Darklands: First Edition rules are being released over the next couple of months via Kickstarter updates and on the website. There's already some on the updates, and next week you'll see more actions and reactions. There's plenty to be going on with!

hdma wrote:Now I don't understand a thing , a version of the rules was to come before Christmas in PDF format, but you started to publish fragments of rules that are in themselves as they can't be used without the complete manual.


I've not been able to do a great deal this month because January is accounts month for us small businesses I'm afraid. That's out of the way now, so I can start releasing more rules.

hdma wrote:Don't you have time to test everything for fixed dates? This is plausible because yuo're a small production house , but then why do not you put the players aware of the material you are utilizing to do playtest ? Doing so may have 300 more people who make playtest, that is going to speed up the process , perhaps by introducing a fillable format for data collection.


Simply put, involving 300 or more players would ensure I spend too much time talking to those playtesters and reading about their exploits on forums than get the rules done - far more time than it takes to play them here with experienced wargamers and set right any issues.

A large playtesting community is great for ironing out small details once the rules are written, which is why I absolutely welcome input on kindred musters; but that large playtesting community is not good for high rules concepts and initial rules working, in my experience.

At the end of the day, I hear you and I understand (and agree with) your frustration. All I can really do is apologise for the delay, and hope you can understand the reasons why the delay has occurred.

I am as annoyed as you about the rulebook being late. I wish it were otherwise, but I refuse to rush it and give you a half-finished product.

Vhalan wrote:I agree that the rules being kicked out is concerning but I would rather they take the time for a tight, solid rules set that can stand without FAQ, Errata, or Revision for several years. Hoping for that on a first go is of course unrealistic but the longer the edition can go without sequential edition creep the better. See Warhammer 40k for what I would rather not happen.


Absolutely correct, and one of my motivations for delaying.

Vhalan wrote:In one of the forums or other, the statement was made that Mierce would be turning to quarterly KS campaigns with smaller targets. I'd like more info on that direction as well as if its going to be a role specific (every faction gets mounted troops) or faction specific (we complete Kthones this campaign).


Well, it's doubtful we'll do any Darklands projects this year, but we'll see; Tim's running the other, more generic fantasy ones but I am not doing any more Darklands projects until the rules are out.

If I do, though, it would be role specific next, with missile troops and cavalry getting the treatment first.

Vhalan wrote:I've gone in on most of the campaigns for new units of 2 factions (New Kindreds got me for a 3rd) and Id like to know if there is a planned end state for each faction? By end state I mean, there are X more units planned for Y faction then we have no plans for new things. Or will Darklands always have a new shiny unit for each Kindred in each new KS campaign?


Darklands will have a shiny unit for each kindred my friend. We don't go down the exclusive route - we will always have something for everyone in each project!

Hope that helps guys.
Vhalan
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Re: Future of the game

Postby Vhalan » Tue Jan 27, 2015 4:58 pm

Well, it's doubtful we'll do any Darklands projects this year, but we'll see; Tim's running the other, more generic fantasy ones but I am not doing any more Darklands projects until the rules are out.
If I do, though, it would be role specific next, with missile troops and cavalry getting the treatment first


This makes me happy. I've gotten sucked into most of the KS and Id love to see the backlog reduced to next to nil and the rules out.

Darklands will have a shiny unit for each kindred my friend. We don't go down the exclusive route - we will always have something for everyone in each project!


I phrased that poorly. What I meant was, will KS 5 be all Kthones to fill out all the missing links as it were then KS 6 will be all Vras and so forth.

Then Ill walk back my first statement in that Id love to see a Calvary KS to support the Monstrous Beasts.
Rick_Boer
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Re: Future of the game

Postby Rick_Boer » Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:25 pm

Hey Vahlan,

No, as far as I know the next KS will future all kindreds, so there will be something for everyone. As for what will be the focus for the stretchgoals in between the bigger ones...Who knows?! Well, we all know who does...But it's not like he's going to spoil that. And besides, he might just decide to let us vote again.

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