I guess this can go here. It’s about Puerto Rico: 1897. I’m mostly posting because I found this particular BGG thread interesting, and thought others might too.
(Not very surprisingly, Jason Perez has also posted interesting comments in other threads in that forum.)
Not a game but I just stumbled across this campaign:
I was a bit surprised to see a book campaign with a goal of 2 Million Earthbucks. And when I looked it was already at 9M and counting.
Also–and that’s why I am posting this–there is another secret novel… I am probably backing at the ebook level 
I am too lazy to organize the whole shipping thing (the last four books are still in Portland with my friend as we haven’t had a chance to meet.)
Galactic Cruise has launched. Seen this advertised everywhere, it’s the expansions which are putting me off (but also stopping me from just waiting until retail). Not sure. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kinsonkeygames/galactic-cruise?ref=section-homepage-view-more-discovery-p1
Still, it’s so popular it won’t be in short supply.
Aha, I saw this being demonstrated in prototype form by Paul Grogan at Full Board Gaming in Torquay last month. Even the enthusiastic people who had sat down to play were getting a bit overwhelmed by the rules explanation, and I would assume Paul is a reasonably competent game teacher.
Very much not for me, but may well be fine for people who enjoy heavy Euros with minimal thematic integration.
Some time ago I would have backed this and it is on at least one of my “anticipated games” lists I’ve made. But I think… a) I will find this at retail b) I have On Mars (super complex Euro-y space goodness with Ian O’Toole art) and c) I wouldn’t get this to the table over my other games either as a solo or for multiplayer. I am not even getting On Mars to the table so I don’t need another one of those.
(I am reasonably sure the connection to On Mars is tenuous… it’s just the game that comes to my mind that’s comparable for my collection purposes)
I can wait for reviews and if it is the incredible thing that all Kickstarters say they are… I’ll be able to get it in this day and age. And it’s not like they lack backers.
Even though it’s not everything else about it screams Eagle Gryphon premium Vital Lacerda game.
It might be interesting to see a different thing scratch that itch for people. Is the thing people are interested in the kind of object (rock genre, souls like) or just whatever a certain guy makes (you know you’re in safe hands).
Exact same for me. It’s not just On Mars, which is thematically similar. I’ve got several probably over-complicated worker placement Euros. I can’t see anything that sets this apart enough to justify the cost and storage space.
I’m definitely interested in Galactic Cruise, mostly for the setting, Ian O’Toole art/design, and my love of heavy games.
Even the price seems reasonable. But there’s no way I’m going to touch an unknown game from 3 first-time (or, second time, I guess?) designers, especially published by a fledgling company.
I hope it does well, gets good reviews (but not too good, so I can pick it up on the secondary market without being gouged)
Thats what I thought. A heavy game made by 3 newbie designers? Yeah sure.
Overinvested crowdfunding backers will rave… sunk cost and so on.
Eh, like I have said before, I think it’s much more about crowdfunding enabling games to be made for specific audiences that will really appreciate them. I won’t say there’s never any sunk cost stuff going on but if anything I see crowdfunding backers acting overly entitled and raging out over the slightest flaw or deviation from expectations, and I know I personally am much more inclined to be upset if I have dropped $200 on something and didn’t like it than if I spent $20.
I don’t see myself picking up Galactic Cruise. I already have a bunch of Lacerda and Mindclash games that I don’t table much if at all (pursuant to an earlier topic, I do think the ones I have played are really cool, but it’s not what works best with my play group and I want to play coop narrative campaign games way more), no sense adding to it with new designers. I even skipped Lacerda’s latest. It also doesn’t help that I just backed that Dante boss battler, the latest Aeon’s End, and have an expansion for Street Masters on the go. (Also, Wroth, the new chip theory game, is funding soon. And I miiight want Thunder Road Vendetta. argh.)
You‘re not wrong. I tend to want to like the games I payed for in advance. But if I can‘t make it across that threshold I am all the more disappointed (see Tindaya—finally sold). Mostly I was poking fun at @pillbox betting on cheap copies people move on once they‘ve played it a couple of times…
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ibcgames/flash-point-legacy-of-flame
I’m probably somewhere near the top end of Flash Point experience and enthusiasm. I should be all over this.
But I really don’t like the legacy format, and Aeon’s End Legacy from the same publisher was something of a disappointment. Also US$94 shipped to the UK.
I will probably try to get hold of the cardboard maps to use with my existing Flash Point but that’s the only bit I actually want.
Designers are not credited here, but are on BGG as Ken Franklin , Kevin Lanzing, Chris Leder, Kevin Rodgers—three of whom have had no previous contact with Flash Point, and we don’t know if Lanzing is actually involved or just getting an “original game by” credit. The other three have worked together before on Back to the Future: Dice Through Time and two of them have credits in Unmatched boxes.
As someone whose swearing off Kickstarter is 40bucks postage good?
I agree with all that you’ve said… but you’ve gone and made me pledge now dammit.
Oh right, I’ll play your copy then.
Is this likely to be at retail?
Not stated yet. Tragic Events (which is a huge improvement on the original game and brings in the fire deck and events deck) was, but not in large quantities.
If I’m realistic I’ll probably pick one up with demo pay at Essen.
I personally liked Aeon’s End Legacy more than regular Aeon’s End, not that I have played a ton of either. And I am quite happy to see what they do with a Flash Point legacy game, especially one that theoretically just goes in the mix with the rest of the content in the end.
One I assumed I was excited about but turn out less so in practice is Chip Theory’s new game Wroth, which launched today. It’s an area majority game with the usual intensive Chip Theory production, asymmetric factions, etc… but unlike a lot of their stuff it’s pretty light and treading in a design space that’s jammed full of competition, including games I already own and enjoy more than what I have seen of this, and while it does have solo/coop that most such games don’t, that version of play looks quite underwhelming at the moment (it’s nowhere near finalized granted).
This campaign is finishing up, and I’m just posting because I see in the last update they added an option of a single-piece neoprene mat (in addition to the two-piece mat that comes in the box), and it sounds like you can pledge just for the new mat. US$20 + shipping. If you’re waiting for retail but also really like the sound of a single mat, I think there’s about 14 hours left in the campaign.
I’ve backed this. It’s expensive, so it’s a bit of a risk, but I’d regretted not buying the original ever since I realised it was out of print, so I’m choosing to allow the FOMO to win. It sounds like the discount on RRP will probably cover the shipping costs (or be in proximity), so while I expect it’ll be available locally in due course, it’s not obvious it’ll be any cheaper in shops (at the outset, at least).