news, err sort of

[Rogue]

OK, I'm going to try to attempt to decipher between the lines. After reading the latest 'Ravage' (well known French mag), I'm very confused but I'll just stick to the facts stated (for the most part).

So, essentially, Kraken announces:

- no release schedule, beyond the intention to release 2 or 3 waves per calendar year
- these waves however will be made of generously loaded 2-faction box sets, ready to play in term of content (but not pre-painted)
- all the existing profiles listed in Genesis will be out in the next wave (or possibly the one after that, they are at best evasive so I'd put my money on the latter, even though their intention may be the former at this stage)
- they are working on other games for release in 2010, I seem to remember a board game or card game being mentioned*
- a mass battle pre-painted TT game based on Mornea is indeed planned (for the mid term / long term)

there you go. If you are confused, then welcome to the club... GW better watch their back, these guys are going to take the thunder out of anything the giant has planned for 2010, for sure ;-)

* I will re-read the article if anyone is interested, I'm not even sure now that I think about it it was not merely more tie-in with the RPG.

[Super Squirrel]

They are workign on several board games (all under 40 euros).

I'm expecting a release schedule from them soon, so will post details when I get it.

[quirkworthy]

Thanks Rogue (and SS).

[Taegmar]

<<sigh>>

I'm beginning to feel like a mug for having purchased anything to do with Kraken.

[Super Squirrel]

<<sigh>>

I'm beginning to feel like a mug for having purchased anything to do with Kraken.

Why? All they are doing is tryign to prioduce a release schedule thats not to much for them to do. Do we really need new releases each and every month for every game?

I'm obviously missing something in all this as I see what they are trying to do as a good move for them.

[atacam]

<<sigh>>

I'm beginning to feel like a mug for having purchased anything to do with Kraken.

Why? All they are doing is tryign to prioduce a release schedule thats not to much for them to do. Do we really need new releases each and every month for every game?

I'm obviously missing something in all this as I see what they are trying to do as a good move for them.

I think Teagmar is referring to the complete lack of any support, and if you try to ask them anything their communication is worse than Rackhams!

I understand what he means, but then we have spoken at length about it. I pretty much have everything for the Alkemy for the Khamalians but am now holding off getting anything else, until I see a upturn in its support in the UK. I guess I am just tiered of buying into games only to see them get killed off(not just R)

[Super Squirrel]

ah, right. Yeah, I see how that would put you off.

I'm going to enquire about UK support. See what they have in plan......

[Super Squirrel]

Just wondering, but what sort of support is it that your looking for?

[Kenton]

Just wondering, but what sort of support is it that your looking for?

A hand delivered release schedule with guarantees that it will be met in its entirety and that the prices will be unaffected by the £/€ exchange rate 

And free stuff would be just great.

[Taegmar]

Just wondering, but what sort of support is it that your looking for?

Put it this way SS, when a company developes a system, then, via their very own website, tell people "it's coming... it's coming... it's coming... umm... (you get the point)" and then they go quiet. Hmm. Then they say that they don't have the time or finances (if I recall, that was the excuse) to come to Salute '09 but they made they're way to Gencon in the USA then they don't even update their own site (last posting was on the 5th Sept) and they don't even reply to threads on their own forum in which they created anticipation. They've explained that they had financial issues with their releases and it affected their production of the Genesis rule book yet now it's being announced that they're developing new games already and will be with pre-paints.

So... what in there is supposed to make us feel like valued customers or to show us that they are serious about a system that we were waiting for. Please, have a look on their forums and tell me if they really do appear to be a serious company. It took them more that two weeks after Gencon to acknowledge their own forums, and even then it was so half-hearted it was pointless. I haven't actually seen anything official from them yet in regards to Gencon.

I was tempted into buying some of their products and finally, with some positive encouragement, I did. And was most eager for more. But the new announcements along with the "support" are too much. There have been a great number of people trying to promote their product (one being your good self most evidently) and yet they're not doing anything evident to match.

So... Mugs?

[Super Squirrel]

Hmmm, OK, I can see where your coming for Taegmar.

Just wondering, but what sort of support is it that your looking for?

prices will be unaffected by the £/€ exchange rate 

That is not in the hands of Kraken. They well at their set price. If the exchange rate changes to such a degree that foreign resellers have to adjust their prices to preserve their profit margin, then thats business.

It's the same the other way. If the exchange rate improves, it's up to the resellers to re-price to reflect this.

[moosh]

to me , the most alarming part is the decision to start a new range of PPPs - it has all the hallmarks or R over again.

I know privateer are making PPPs (monsterpocalypse) but to my mind it hasn't affected their core games, which they have put in a lot of time and effort to develop and push forward positively, with lots of support and comms going on for them.

but they doo look to have a busy schedule ahead and if they're not coping with keeping up with they alreadyhave committed to, it makes me think that either a) they'll struggle to maintain all the new stuff alongside the current stuff, or b) they're gonna ditch the current stuff and focus on the new stuff if it works out to be more profitable for them.

glad I haven't bought into their stuff 
now what's going on with malifaux... that seems to have gone a bit quiet, altho they do seem to be getting on top of their shortfall in stock after the game exploded in popularity.

[ork56]

now what's going on with malifaux... that seems to have gone a bit quiet,


has it gone quiet?  you would not expect the buzz created in the first weeks of a games' release to continue?

I am amazed by calls for more new releases for the game given that its only been out a few months - the problem will be that all the range will be released and then people will say that the game has stagnated. I am happy for the release schedule to take its time, you can always proxy stuff and I dont get to play as often as many, so slow and steady works for me.

the forum is still busy and the latest painting comp seemed to be well received

[Kenton]

... and before I get some backlash for what is essentially a (although completely on topic in context of his own interventions on the subject at hand) personal attack on someone who has a number of friends in this community, I'm quite happy for him to come and explain in more details what he meant by his latest posts on the Kraken forum, and justify the appropriateness of these comments, perhaps he is misunderstood and had a difficult childhood :-)

Snipped a lot as it was long.  I fear I missed the entire point of that post.  If it was to link poor Mr. Boisbelaud to the ultimate demise of C3 (and maybe subsequently CoAR, which IMHO should not have been released as it was - I'd shoot the playtesters before the publicist . .) and thence to poor performance elsewhere then I'm intrigued but would need a little more to convince me.

Malifaux seems to have gone quiet indeed.  Personally I'll play it but have way more enthusiasm for Conf, which is odd as it's not as shiny and new.  Alkemy I have now got, like and will watch to see what happens before buying more.

[Kenton]

"as for the consumers (to favour a game or another), it is often the the quality of the miniatures, it's undeniable. After all, Confrontation, Malifaux and others are infamous for the mediocrity of their ruleset and the numerous bugs littering them, despite that they seem to effortlessly be able to shift books and miniatures in large quantity...

(Quant aux critères de choix des clients, c'est souvent l'aspect de la figurine, il ne faut pas se leurrer. Après tout, Confrontation, Malifaux et autres sont des jeux connus pour la médiocrité de leurs règles et les bugs répétés et pourtant ils arrivent à vendre livres et figurines en quantité...)

 

Interesting, I disagree with him entirely there in respect of C3.  The ruleset was/is excellent.  The only issues with it were/are with balance of costs which arise from the versatility of the system.  Often the issues here that we experience are as much the creation of the various CORDS and their own views.

Agreed though it is bad form to slag off anyone with whom you have worked, although given the small size of the industry that practice may be self-limiting 

Irrespective of who is doing what for whom I'd still like to see where Kraken go with Alkemy.  Am disappointed about them distributing Malifaux as that will not assist them in focus.

[Thargor]

Agreed though it is bad form to slag off anyone with whom you have worked

Surely if you're going to slag off a company, it's best to do it from a point of knowledge.  If he's worked there, he's in the best position to know what they were doing and the direction they were taking and who was responsible.  From an outsiders point of view things may seem very different.....

I once worked for a guy and everyone thought that he was a pillock and that most of his ideas were blatantly stupid and would cause more hardship for his workforce than necesaary.  He was very unpopular and morale was very poor.  It was actually his "execs" that were at fault for "protecting" him from the truth and continually telling him that everything was running well and that morale was good, in order to get themselves promoted.  He only found out the truth after he left.