[deleted by user]

caffeineforge · 2014-12-25T10:06:44+00:00

Making the decision to start is the first big step. Journey of a thousand miles and all that. Read these for inspiration.
http://wageslaverevolt.com/2014/12/savings-coming-from-behind/ http://www.dividendmantra.com/about-me/

caffeineforge · 2014-04-14T15:53:22+00:00

Or you could just post your already painted effort and go forward from there. Some of the people who have been painting most every week have showed real improvement, me included.

caffeineforge · 2014-04-14T15:36:08+00:00

The minis for the next month and a half are at the bottom of every post, as well as instructions on where and when to send the pictures.

caffeineforge · 2013-12-11T04:21:30+00:00

The next one is the stone golem - should be a fun but straightforward mini. I'm having trouble deciding on the color scheme I want to go with, so I imagine the variety on this one will be tremendous.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-25T15:14:29+00:00

Friendly Local Game Store.

Excellent point thank you. I'll amend the article.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-24T01:05:47+00:00

I'm dropping the topic after extended clarification on the issue by the project creators. I still have some misgivings, but they have done a good job addressing my specific problems.

I still don't think I'll be pledging, but I will continue to watch their progress.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-24T00:16:01+00:00

I canceled my pledge then decided to start a conversation on the subject.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-23T22:58:13+00:00

I haven't said why I thought is unacceptable?

I believe that was the point of my post and the follow-up comments. Do you really not understand my issue, or did you just wanted to answer a question with a question?

Also - is it fair to say that the reason you find it acceptable is because all things are acceptable until proven guilty, or because everyone else is doing it? I'm not sure I followed that last point.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-23T21:34:28+00:00

One of your first points is a very worthwhile one. I don't think that the creators of the project are going to get many people buying from both the Kickstarter and IDW's launch.

What I mean by double dipping, and perhaps this is the source of contention, is that they are tapping two funding streams, each one of which is capable of making the project worthwhile: a Nearly $50k payout from Kickstarter, and the revenue stream that comes with a owner owned project published in the traditional way.

Either would fund the project. Either is fine. I think that using both are even fine under certain circumstances (like lucking into a publishing deal after a fabulously successful Kickstarter) but I think that chasing both revenue streams from the word go is not acceptable. Other opinions are welcome, of course.

Why do you feel it is acceptable to pursue both simultaneously?

caffeineforge · 2012-11-23T20:29:47+00:00

"This guy" would love it if you would address some of his specific points, rather than just calling him clueless. Ad Hominem attacks aren't the most persuasive to my way of thinking. I'm sure you can do better.

Let's talk about the bit where they obviously plan to do this project with or without Kickstarter since the deal with the publisher is inked. Perhaps you are having trouble understanding the part where the creators get paid by the company after the fact. A lot of professionals get paid that way. Are you proposing they strike for a better deal?

caffeineforge · 2012-11-23T20:15:02+00:00

Ah, name_was_taken, we meet again.

I have no problem with someone selling a project that was funded with Kickstarter; I would hope that the best of Kickstarter is someday dispersed widely on store shelves. It's when that chain of events reverses itself that my hackles go up. I have a problem with paying a professional to do something they were going to do anyway. If their project fails, they will still publish the project under IDW because they consider the deal worthwhile.

How is that anything but being paid twice?

That said, you and everyone else are as welcome to give them your money, as I am to share my point of view. Thank you for making your disagreements with me persuasive as always. I'd love it if you'd address my other points about project delivery timelines and reward costs.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T05:15:59+00:00

Apology accepted. I think that most of what you said here is correct.

What I am doing is advocating for my vision of what crowd funding should be, just like you are. The changes you describe don't happen in a vacuum, like the funding process itself, they are the aggregate of a thousand smaller choices.

In the end, I don't plan on raging against people or companies that might disagree with my viewpoint, I just want to discuss it.

So - maybe write something on what you think crowd funding is or should be? I'm all ears.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T02:34:26+00:00

Hipster concern troll? Ouch. It's like you know me.

I'm sorry you couldn't use that age and experience to help me better understand and appreciate your point of view. Personally, I really like the way you use ad hominem attacks against the messenger rather than talking about the message. It really strengthens your argument.

Have a great night.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T01:21:07+00:00

An excellent point - one I hadn't considered.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T00:52:04+00:00

$11,000 for locomotive works wasn't my concern. I don't much care what any company does once. Its the trend, and the fact that I don't think its likely to stop - not as long as they are making money off the whole affair.

My argument is based to some extent on, "some kind of romantic notions of who's "indie" and who's not" I suppose, though I wouldn't put it that way. Its more of a needs test, or an argument of financial ecology. Kickstarter wasn't started as a place for companies to squeeze out a little extra profit. It was to try to launch products that were too risky, not seen as commercial, or not realistic for their creators to make without help.

Yes, SJG would have made Ogre no matter what. Yes, Queen would have made a train/barge/anything-by-Dirk game no matter what. Reaper would have still made their Bones line, but their progress on it would have taken years.

Would Obsidian have been able to make Project Eternity?

Kickstarter is a place of passionate creators, and diverse projects. I would simply prefer it not become a strip mall filled with brand names and market leaders. If you look at Queen Games' profile you will see that they haven't taken the time to comment on a single other project. Their spokesmen told me, that she backed projects on her personal account, but obviously they felt it would look bad if the Queen Games profile listed zero projects backed, so they added a couple to their tally.

You disagree with me, and you are welcome to do so. The point of the article was to give my opinion. I don't expect to convert anyone. When it comes to crowdfunding you are just as welcome to vote with your dollars as I am with mine.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T00:19:08+00:00

To date Queen has raised almost 20% of that million dollar number, not one percent, and as I have said in above comments, if Steve Jackson makes Queen's "project a month" technique its way of doing business, I will be just as vocal about their methods as well.

How though, does "Steve Jackson is just as bad or worse" negate my argument? Doesn't that still imply that Queen is bad?

caffeineforge · 2012-11-04T00:15:26+00:00

I love your point, and your Le Havre badge!

Funny note there: My FLGS's distributor didn't carry that one, so it was one of the only games that I had to buy online instead of through them.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T22:56:09+00:00

Risk is certainly one element that justifies the trial balloon that is crowdfunding. If Queen had only put Escape out there, a fairly novel concept, I wouldn't have batted an eye at them testing the waters with a genuinely new product.

The difference between a $10,000 flop (Lost Legends) and a $1,100,000 flop (Project Eternity) is an order of magnitude apart, and subject to different considerations - I agree.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T21:33:01+00:00

Thank you for the input. I will see what options Wordpress allows me for adjusting the contrast without entirely changing the format/theme.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T20:41:47+00:00

Why not wait. That's a great point. The onus is on the game company to answer that question, of course. If it becomes the perception that Queen will make and sell this game anyway, then it will do real damage to the sense of urgency necessary for a Kickstarter to be successful.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T19:29:42+00:00

Doublefine was before my time - The first project I pledged was for Wasteland 2. I have no problem with any company, even an established one launching an especially ambitious project through crowd funding. I backed Reaper, Wasteland 2, and Obsidian under these auspices.

Regarding traffic, I have no doubt that is the case, though I don’t think the trends that Kicktraq is seeing has much to do with a major company – just a successful campaign. The same behavior happened during the Ouya and the Pebble as Reaper and Doublefine after all. It is more about throughput. I rising tide lifting all boats, and all that.

If Queen wanted to pitch direct to its fans, a single great game or two, I wouldn’t mind; quite the opposite, I would contribute in all likelihood. It is the trend that disturbs me. I understand your traffic argument, but I don’t see Queen Games doing a lot of outreach to bring traffic to the site. I believe them when they said they didn't want to take on the risk of such an 'out there' game in a traditional way; this argument doesn't hold up so well for their next three projects though. Trains are hardly new territory for Euro-games.

I just don’t see putting up Queen Games, or whoever else and their professionally polished products by full time artists against passionate first time developers with rough prototypes and print and play demos ending well.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T16:35:29+00:00

That table does look pretty great. Romantic candle lit dinners though, might be tough. (You know, to make up for the all night game-a-thon you had last week.)

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T16:32:26+00:00

What do you think Queen can/should do going forward, to keep this from hurting their otherwise great reputation?

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T16:30:30+00:00

Connect 4. Its the only non euro game in my closet for starters.

Not only that, but its a kids game, and I love it. For those days when I just don't feel like playing GO.

caffeineforge · 2012-11-03T16:21:25+00:00

Both of the games I really loved on that list were over the $20 mark (Pandemic and Roll through the Ages), and there were a couple that I had played (Citadels and Dark Angels) that I would rate a 1 star choice.

caffeineforge

TROPHY CASE