Reply To: Sad news about 4Ground going into Liquidation

[wkeyserParticipant 91xp 0]

It has been an interesting ride with what seems to have been mistake after mistake by 4Ground. However, the following are only my guesses on what went on based on the information (or lack of information) on the Kickstarter, lots of interviews on Beasts of War and other sites.

 

It started well and funding was achieved and it drew in about 107,000 pounds. But then the mistakes seem to have started. I think and this is only supposition, that the mistake that started all the problems was a pledge level that promised the gamers a Beta testing weekend where those that pledged would be able to play test the rules, with the figures. The problem seems to have been the date of this event, I believe that this set off the entire fiasco we are in now. As they got closer to the date they received figures from Chine which were not up to scratch and I can understand that. (However, I have had some amazing figures in plastic from chine, both the figures from Rising Sun and Nemesis are fantastic) Then they try to switch to Resin but cannot find anyone that can produce the figures in the time frame of the Beta Weekend, so they go with printed as that is in house and how hard can that be! They seem to have produced enough for the Beta weekend but now instead of switching back to Resin they go all in on the printing and lease a bunch of machines to finish the job. Now based on my guess with 437 backers I can only assume that the total number of figures must have been in the Thousands range, with 50+ number of original figures in the Kickstarter, the stretch goal figures alone that would have gone to most of those 437 backers is around 9,000 figures. So non-stop printing for a year!!!!  To compound the financial drain on themselves they started to send out the terrain in a couple of shipments again a crazy business decision with just an added cost burden to the company! These seems to me to be the fundamental problem with the Kickstarter itself, I am not aware of any financial problems they might have been having which would only have compounded these problem.

 

What is so frustrating is that they talk about a vote to do printed but then nothing when they change a fundamental mechanic in the rules, with the original mechanic shown in the early rules and all of the videos. Then they claim that a “number” of gamers at conventions thought this mechanic was too burdensome, however, no questions about this was asked of the 400 + backers of the game. Whom I assume many backed based on the videos and pdf of the rules.

 

Still this had promised, I guess (or hope) still does, to be a rather interesting and innovative miniature game for fantasy miniature with some great ideas behind the momentum rules and use of cards to enhance and give flavor to certain races and methods of combat with a great original idea of the use of dice in the game.

 

I still hope that we see the Rules, as to the figures although the 4 samples I received have the most incredible detail are rather boring with the same old same old look of orcs, elves, human (in faux medieval armor) goblins and all the other races we have a no lack of from dozens of manufactures.

This of course is all speculation and could all be wrong and completely off base but these are my assumptions and I am sticking with them as they fit my world view!!!!!