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Saturday, September 7, 2013

What is the "Worst" Kickstarter / Indiegogo Project That You Supported?

I know I need to do an updated "Overdue Kickstarters" post (the post is a bit overdue itself) but I figured, in the meantime, I'd ask you, my fine readers, about the worst Kickstarter you supported.

Worst, BTW, is for you to define.

For me, there are a lot of contenders, but only one true wearer of the crown. Quite simply, Axes & Anvils. Worst of the worst. The RPG industry equivalent of Attack From Planet 9, if not in final quality (we don't know yet) but certainly in execution. I've enjoyed on some sick level the sheer amount of horse shit that went into Nystul avoiding responsibility for the project and any sort of accounting for the monies raised.

There you have it. My worst of the worst Kickstarters. What's yours?
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32 comments:

  1. Dyson LogosSeptember 7, 2013 at 8:31 PM

    I've only backed one, so it is both the best and the worst I have backed. Not much of a sample size to work from.

    The Deck of Legends

    It just funded, so literally zero experience with what happens after that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gothridge ManorSeptember 7, 2013 at 8:35 PM

    Right now so many are late. Some are beyond late. I know they'll get done. I've got no hard feelings, but I also won't be holding my breath for any of them.

    I'm still waiting on my hardcover for the adventures for the Crawler's Companion. I haven't heard too much about it either way.

    Appendix N is in a backlog of other things that are late. I just hope I still have the same enthusiasm for them when they finally arrive.

    The biggest one is Dwimmermount mainly because it was my first Kickstarter that I got into. I know they are working hard on it and should be out soon, but the few samples I've seen weren't too impressive. I hope I'm wrong.

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  3. AndrewSeptember 7, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    There is a force multiplier with the Nystul kickstarter adventure, too; connecting four crowdfunding efforts into one massive burnout achieves a disaster on a scale that a single project cannot achieve.

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  4. Pat LudwigSeptember 7, 2013 at 8:57 PM

    Dwimmermount, no contest.

    The creator disappeared for months and then the project was promised to be finished by another. I lost interest in it at that point.

    A refund was offered, which I accepted. However I got a note shortly there after saying that the refund offer was rescinded due to recent progress.

    That was April ...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tim SniderSeptember 7, 2013 at 8:59 PM

    The new Metamorphosis Alpha RPG from Signal Fire. (Funding ended April 2012, estimated delivery Sept. 2012. Still being written and laid out a year later apparently.) I regret backing it but, even more so, I regret ballyhooing it on my blog and bringing others into it as well. Even though I'm fairly certain it will be finished eventually, I have lost any interest and enthusiasm in the game.

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  6. LSSeptember 7, 2013 at 9:02 PM

    Personally I don't get why so many people get upset over a kickstarter being late. The whole point of a kickstarter is to get involved in the process early, and that means the odds of hiccups are high. Normally, as consumers, we don't see these hiccups, because we probably don't know the product even exists yet. But the hiccups happen, even with experienced development teams. And often, with kickstarter, you're agreeing to take a chance on someone who isn't experienced.

    Obviously there's a point at which you should get angry, but I feel as though the community at large gets angry far too quickly.

    Of the 28 kickstarters I've backed, "Professional MP3 Background Loops for Role Playing Games." Not because of anything it did wrong. It was actually the fastest delivered kickstarter I've ever supported (something like 2 weeks after it was funded), and they delivered exactly what they said they would. I just have a serious case of buyer's remorse. I don't think I'll ever use it.

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  7. Greyhawk GrognardSeptember 7, 2013 at 9:25 PM

    I'm going to have to go with the Myth & Magic Players Guide. More than a year late, the creator disappears for months at a time, we get told books are being sent out, but nobody seems to actually get them... A complete train-wreck all around.

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  8. faoladhSeptember 7, 2013 at 9:46 PM

    I guess the Tavern Cards. It's running five months late now (despite seemingly well-thought-out plans and math), with updates happening only every five weeks or so, and I am now thinking that I probably won't have any good use for them giving me a bad case of buyer's remorse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KonsumterraSeptember 8, 2013 at 1:16 AM

      i remember hard sell cluttering my forums for this

      Delete
  9. mattSeptember 7, 2013 at 10:13 PM

    I have two on my list, mainly due to buyer's remorse. They sounded cool when it started but took (or are still takking) far too long and my enthusiasm has waned now to the point I will never use either product:

    1) Risus adventure/turned into something more now. Again, more of a spur of the moment but now that moment has passed thing. I think this was due in august of last year, so more than a year late. The author did release something but it was very limited (I think you had to email him over a weekend or something to see it). After a year, I just do not care anymore. Plus, I refuse to play Risus again.

    2) Westward took forever to get (was just released to backers) so that is ok, just I have no interest in the D6 system any longer. I worked on the project so I am glad it has been produced and will be there for others to enjoy. Looks pretty cool, just not something I am in to any longer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Peter DSeptember 7, 2013 at 10:48 PM

    Dwimmermount. I wanted James M's version, but it wasn't forthcoming, so I jumped ship and took a refund.

    Everything else worked out for me, but I haven't backed a lot of RPG stuff. Ogre is late but coming (and huge), Jeff Dee gets his artwork done more-or-less on time, Wasteland is on track, Bones came late but I've got hundreds of minis out of it, and so on - I've done well. Only Dwimmermount really disappointed - and saddened - me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Greyhawk GrognardSeptember 7, 2013 at 10:50 PM

    I saw the prototype of Ogre at DexCon in July, Peter V. Looks absolutely gorgeous. That one will be worth the wait.

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  12. BlUsKrEEmSeptember 7, 2013 at 11:47 PM

    Funny you should mention Planet 9; I've been waiting three years for 'Grave Robbers from Outer Space' it's not an RPG product but I sincerely doubt it's going to happen at this point.

    As for RPG product, I'd have to say "Adventures in Oz: Beyond the Deadly Desert" was the saddest. I was pretty excited about project but in the end it failed ($530 pledged out of $3,000 goal,) and it never materialized. Shortly afterwards the author's blog slowed down and ground to a halt.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2013 at 12:36 AM

    "My Retirement Fund"

    I put the initial money in, and then more and more of the add-ons hoping to hit those stretch goals...

    But the guys running it, the guys who "knew what they're doing", misplaced it. Guess they didn't check their pockets. Oh well. Stupid me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. faoladhSeptember 8, 2013 at 12:39 AM

    Does anyone know what is the status of the Tales From The Fallen Empire Kickstarter? I didn't find out about it in time to support it, and am kinda looking forward to getting a chance to buy it (even though it's for DCC; I'm sure that it'll be easy enough to convert to a system I own), but it keeps not happening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2013 at 1:24 AM

      @ faoladh

      Last update for Tales was Sept 1, still in the layout, no real time frame was given other then surveys should go out at the end of this month.

      Kickstarter should change their name to "Hurray Up And Wait..............."

      Delete
    2. faoladhSeptember 8, 2013 at 3:07 AM

      Between this and Gygax Magazine, Carpio is not really giving me a lot of confidence.

      Delete
    3. faoladhSeptember 8, 2013 at 3:09 AM

      (And, yes, I realize that Carpio is not the head guy at Gygax, but he is an editor there.)

      Delete
  15. Doctor FuturitySeptember 8, 2013 at 1:23 AM

    I've only backed three, and two have delivered (C&C Color PHB being one) and the third is due any time now (Deluxe T&T). The one that disappointed me was the Legends of Dawn computer RPG....it was allegedly almost finished except for voice overs that the KS was intended to fund. It ran about five months behind intended release date and when it finally showed it a barely playable, buggy mess. As an aside, I'm wary of buying anything on Steam Greenlight marked as "early access" for the same reason...between Steam's Early Access, Kickstarter and Indie Go Go we're learning that "talent," "productive" and "fully funded" are in no way connected or even relatable to one another.

    ReplyDelete
  16. SimonSeptember 8, 2013 at 5:17 AM

    I've only backed Reaper Bones; bit annoying my friend got her Vampire-only pledge in April while I got mine in August! Nice figures, a few problems, but the main pity is that my enthusiasm for the project burned out ca May and I didn't have them in July when I could have painted them. I wish they hadn't got me excited 5 months early. I might still back another Reaper kickstarter at Vampire-type level though, but no expensive add-ons that delay delivery by months.

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  17. Steve MossSeptember 8, 2013 at 7:11 AM

    Appendix N

    ReplyDelete
  18. PriddaySeptember 8, 2013 at 8:11 AM

    I've only backed two and both have been fine. 6d6 has good communications, a newsletter with early releases, and now the pdfs are coming out. Ponies for Pathfinder also has great communications, updates, and looks to be on track for delivery. So it's been good luck for me so far.

    ReplyDelete
  19. ΚωστήςSeptember 8, 2013 at 9:28 AM

    I hate to say it but that has to be Appendix N. As much as I understand the hardships of John Adams the kickstarter is terribly not to mention Delving Deeper and the big box full of BHP products I am still waiting after...I don't know.. months? years? I've lost count...

    ReplyDelete
  20. ΚωστήςSeptember 8, 2013 at 9:29 AM

    ^terribly late

    ReplyDelete
  21. Digital OrcSeptember 8, 2013 at 9:34 AM

    Dwimmermount... but I did get my money back after some time.

    ReplyDelete
  22. mattruaneSeptember 8, 2013 at 11:23 AM

    I was going to say Dwimmermount, but I too was one of those who got a refund, so I am not really complaining. Besides, paying for Jack Shears' Devilmount was worth it in the end.

    But what I am going to have to say is the most disappointing was the very first Kickstarter I backed: Far West. I am not sure what happened, but the project is so far behind I have lost all interest and who knows if the promised extras will ever be forthcoming. While it is supposedly in the production hands of Cubicle 7 (or will be at some point) because updates from GMS are so far behind, I have no idea what the actual status of Far West actually is.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Danny ClineSeptember 8, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    I've mostly backed art playing card decks, which tend to arrive on time (or very near to it). I have also backed Reaper Bones (with add ons which wound up making it a couple months late but not enough to bug me). The rest of the stuff is still out, but it's either not overdue yet or barely overdue. So no complaints yet.

    Received: Sultana playing cards, Royal Optik Playing Cards, Federal 52 Playing Cards, Reaper Bones. These were mostly on time and Reaper was just a few months late which I would have rather not happened but didn't mind so much. As far as quick turnarounds, the Royal Optik seemed to arrive almost as soon as the Kickstarter was over. (I am exaggerating but not by much - it really was a Quickstarter. If anyone wants fancy artistic playing cards and to receive them quickly, back one of uusi's Kickstarters.) Sultana came in fast too.

    Not received yet: Artisan Dice, Tome of Horrors minis, Red Box minis, Pippoglyph II playing cards, Federal 52 part II playing cards, Venexiana playing cards, Bicycle Emperor playing cards (Chinese history themed), Dwarven Forge terrain, Armikrog (PC game sequel to the Neverhood). I don't believe anything is overdue yet, if so not by much.

    So far then, I have been lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  24. MarcSeptember 9, 2013 at 4:26 AM

    Appendix N. Despite John Adams deluging me with emails I have absolutely no idea when, or if, I'm ever going to get anything at all. The whole thing has been a masterclass in confusion. I'm not overly vexed as I know the guy had a crappy time earlier in the year and it was so cheap to buy in anyway.

    In fact, the most annoying thing is that I (and I suspect many others) emailed John while the Kickstarter was still running to warn him that

    - his pricing was all wrong
    - he hadn't accounted for postage
    - he was going to struggle to deliver that volume of stuff
    - the stretch goals were distracting from what people originally signed up for
    - at that price he was going to lose money

    but he was just "yeah, yeah, I've got it covered"

    ReplyDelete
  25. Timothy S. BrannanSeptember 9, 2013 at 8:01 AM

    I have been pretty happy with most of my Kickstarter backings.
    I am getting a little peeved about "Witch Girls Adventures" 2nd Ed. though.

    ReplyDelete
  26. GamerGuyApril 8, 2016 at 2:11 PM

    Traveller 5.0. I have never been so bitterly disappointed by a gaming product.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. faoladhApril 10, 2016 at 10:38 PM

      I hate to say it, but in retrospect I think I agree with you. It's got a lot of people reconsidering and returning to the classic version, though, which is a good thing.

      Delete

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