Why Kickstarter?

myleftnut · April 27, 2019, 09:20:56 PM

I have only backed a few RPG related kickstarters. They've all been very small press projects that would not be produced without support from backers. I've held off on a lot of larger projects that I saw as coming to market regardless of my support. I look at the cost of some of the books and don't see them worth spending on and then waiting. Keep in mind I only buy print products. From what I've seen the wait isn't worth the price and I'd rather wait for retail.

So why do you back? Is it about supporting projects and seeing them come to life or do you see a value or savings in backing?

Shasarak · April 27, 2019, 09:39:14 PM

Quote from: myleftnut;1084831I have only backed a few RPG related kickstarters. They've all been very small press projects that would not be produced without support from backers. I've held off on a lot of larger projects that I saw as coming to market regardless of my support. I look at the cost of some of the books and don't see them worth spending on and then waiting. Keep in mind I only buy print products. From what I've seen the wait isn't worth the price and I'd rather wait for retail.

So why do you back? Is it about supporting projects and seeing them come to life or do you see a value or savings in backing?

I back kickstarters that I hope are going to make cool products. Because kickstarters are going to take a while to make and are almost always late it is kind of like a suprise present to myself when a parcel turns up randomly.

The biggest problem for me at the moment is shipping costs. Monte Cook got me big time with my latest kickstarter so I try to take that into account when backing.

Thornhammer · April 27, 2019, 11:41:52 PM

Quote from: myleftnut;1084831I have only backed a few RPG related kickstarters. They've all been very small press projects that would not be produced without support from backers. I've held off on a lot of larger projects that I saw as coming to market regardless of my support. I look at the cost of some of the books and don't see them worth spending on and then waiting. Keep in mind I only buy print products. From what I've seen the wait isn't worth the price and I'd rather wait for retail.

So why do you back? Is it about supporting projects and seeing them come to life or do you see a value or savings in backing?

Usually it's because I want some of the limited shit that comes in the Kickstarter and don't want to pay the eBay Tax.

If I'm interested, I find it best to do the Kickstarter and then just forget about the damned thing - there is no way my Gamer ADD is going to keep my attention focused on that project for six-eight-ten months plus the inevitable "ohhhh no, my health emergency! A hangnail! Next update in six months!" delay. When it finally arrives, I get excited about it again.

Damn near anything I back lately is OSR or OSR-adjacent - Midderlands, Ultraviolet Grasslands. Some boxed set I can't be assed to remember. And the next iteration of Necrotic Gnome's ruleset, because I love their stuff.

soltakss · April 28, 2019, 01:01:56 PM

I back KickStarters for several reasons:

It enables small companies to produce things without much financial risk
I get PDF from companies that I wouldn't normally buy from or games I wouldn't normally look at
It builds a RPG community, of sorts

It's a bit annoying when some of the extra levels haven't been written yet, but I'm a patient kind of chap.

BrokenCounsel · April 28, 2019, 02:30:28 PM

I back projects I'm interested in and that I'll play actively. I agree with the advice to fire and forget: no use getting worked up over delays unless it's, y'know, Far West.

What I am tired with is serial Kickstarting for every new fucking product a company churns out, especially when they ain't delivered on a previous one. I think some companies just see kickstarter as their basic MO, rather than as a tool to be deployed strategically for something special. But YMMV.

Armchair Gamer · April 28, 2019, 02:41:45 PM

Quote from: BrokenCounsel;1084944What I am tired with is serial Kickstarting for every new fucking product a company churns out, especially when they ain't delivered on a previous one. I think some companies just see kickstarter as their basic MO, rather than as a tool to be deployed strategically for something special. But YMMV.

Remember how small and marginal so much of this hobby is--even Pinnacle Entertainment counts as 'small press' on DTRPG. I think a lot of companies need the guaranteed sales from Kickstarter, especially to go ahead with high production value projects.

Ted · April 28, 2019, 02:54:41 PM

I will be frank, I'm addicted to Kickstarter. There I wrote it. I flat out back just about every rpg I see.

I love the idea of kicking $10 to $20 to someone being creative and hustling. If it hits and delivers a product, cool, but there are lots of times I completely forget I backed something. I usually only back at the pdf level because I don't want/need more paper. Kickstarter is my vicarious, voyeuristic participation in the creative process.

And of all the projects. Have backed only one has not delivered. Yeah looking at Wil Hindmarch.

myleftnut · April 28, 2019, 04:15:35 PM

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/massifpress/lancer

Any one interested in this? I'm thinking of backing this.

Omega · April 28, 2019, 10:43:48 PM

In many cases it is because the product only exists on KS, Or because that is the ONLY way to get everything for the game.

And it is that second part that is why I back so few KS and will not buy one off the shelf if I know that there were "exclusives" that can now likely never be had. This is also why I tend to avoid any regular game that has exclusives and promos that can never be bought if you missed it.

But in general backing a KS may be the only way to get a game.

remial · April 29, 2019, 04:45:14 AM

Quote from: Ted;1084949I will be frank, I'm addicted to Kickstarter. There I wrote it. I flat out back just about every rpg I see.

I am too. I don't back EVERY game, but I back probably more than I should. I also have started backing ones I'm on the fence about at the $1 mark, which is enough to keep me in the loop on updates, and if I end up wanting the game, I can boost the pledge later.

Quote from: myleftnut;1084965https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/massifpress/lancer

Any one interested in this? I'm thinking of backing this.

I did, I'm a sucker for mecha games, especially ones where you can build your own.

Ted · April 29, 2019, 06:02:27 PM

That is a serious pro tip Remial, I like it. Yeah I don't back EVERY game, but let's just say I spent my annual KS budget before the end of March. Mistakes were made. But seriously, if it's RPG in pdf format for $15 or under it's an automatic buy with no questions asked.

Tod13 · April 30, 2019, 08:39:38 AM

Quote from: Ted;1085173That is a serious pro tip Remial, I like it. Yeah I don't back EVERY game, but let's just say I spent my annual KS budget before the end of March. Mistakes were made. But seriously, if it's RPG in pdf format for $15 or under it's an automatic buy with no questions asked.

I kind of do the opposite. I bought a bunch of RPG stuff while doing research for our homebrew, so I have a lot of stuff. And very little is going to be better than BFRPG's free modules--you can play just those for years.

I usually back RPGs that have something physical that I want, like the Dungeons & Doggies and Cats & Catacombs minis sets--mostly, card-based games and the occasional minis-based games (that aren't $200USD+ for everything).

At this point, I'm mostly on Kickstarter for: Steve Jackson Games Ogre stuff, Baby Bestiary Calendar, and Life of the Party.

Spinachcat · April 30, 2019, 04:47:20 PM

I support projects that excite me.

But most of my RPG support on KS is for toss away money (aka, buy a tasty pizza or buy a RPG thingie), and I've rarely been disappointed. I recently got the Phantasmagoria zine and I'm a happy camper. Quality work, highly creative ideas, lots to steal for my other RPGs.

I rarely "go big" except with CMON's board games because the ROI is crazy good. If I don't love my new Zombicide, I can flip it for x2 or x3 what I paid, and because its CMON, I know that it will deliver...eventually.

RPGPundit · May 03, 2019, 08:18:09 AM

Well, I've never backed a kickstarter, mostly because I tend to get games as review items. However, the conditions under which I would back a KS would be:

-if it was a product that was hugely interesting to me

-and if I was absolutely certain that the creator was likely to actually have the content actually manifest; ideally if I could contact them personally and be sure they'd already actually written the product beforehand.

Tod13 · May 03, 2019, 09:53:22 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1085940Well, I've never backed a kickstarter, mostly because I tend to get games as review items. However, the conditions under which I would back a KS would be:

-if it was a product that was hugely interesting to me

-and if I was absolutely certain that the creator was likely to actually have the content actually manifest; ideally if I could contact them personally and be sure they'd already actually written the product beforehand.

The better Kickstarters have the rulebook already available for download as PDF. Generally, more professional formatting and art are included in the Kickstarter.