Age of Annihilation - Backer Trend and Discussion

[EricTheGreat1999]

Originally Posted by CapAp

There's been something that mildly irked me since day 1, and I finally went over the pledge page to check the numbers. Of the 39 units that have minis shown, 9 (23%) have the name "X the Y" (example: Xenithrax the Soulweaver) and 8 (21%) have the name "X of Y" (example: "Raakchott Desecrator of Death").

In addition, most of them are names like the ones I just posted. Gorothox of Nakumberex. Albomond the Devastator. Markindrevek, Sunderer of the Cragnarines. I just made all those up but they would fit right in to any of the factions. Then you scroll down to the stretch goals which are classic figs like Sgt Drake, Raelin and Major Q-11.

This is the same point I tried to make 50 pages ago, when I was trying to explain why I wasn't backing, and I was told I was being ridiculous. Does it make sense that this doesn't feel like old 'scape to me? It feels like a very generic space fantasy universe where 44% of the units (44%!) have names that I can hardly tell apart. The green figures are all just green figures named Secumbereth of the Glades.

"Marcus Decimus" was a roman general. He came packed with "Venoc Vipers", who were snake aliens. The personality was immediately apparent and thick. Am I alone on this?

No you are not alone. There isn't any charm to be found in these new units compared to the old Heroscape product.

It all goes back to them losing sight of what Heroscape once was, instead looking to make it feel and look like other miniature board games on the modern market. If you put these new Heroscape units side-by-side with miniatures found in games like Warhammer, it would be hard to tell the difference.

[Sherman Davies]

So you're saying this is AoA?

[Garenex]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

Technically they started with "Heroscape is back!" which was even grosser in retrospect.

This was personally my most frustrating aspect: going from "It's back!" To "Maybe" to "Probably not..."

[Garenex]

Originally Posted by caps

They *did* make significant updates to the campaign page based on fan feedback and they *did* change the colors of the minis to be less garishly neon based on fan feedback. So they did listen to the fans somewhat.

I'm pretty sure that Avalon Hill's hands were tied by Hasbro on most of the other things we wanted though.

This is what makes the most sense to me. The AH team maybe went into it a bit naively, but then tried to make changes but likely couldn't due to Hasbro oversight/red tape/bureaucracy. I also wonder if there weren't deadlines that Hasbro imposed on them (GenCon, Pulse Con, etc) that the devs weren't quite ready for.

[CapAp]

Deleted, I misunderstood the intent of the quoted post.

[GamerDad74]

Originally Posted by CapAp

There's been something that mildly irked me since day 1, and I finally went over the pledge page to check the numbers. Of the 39 units that have minis shown, 9 (23%) have the name "X the Y" (example: Xenithrax the Soulweaver) and 8 (21%) have the name "X of Y" (example: "Raakchott Desecrator of Death").

In addition, most of them are names like the ones I just posted. Gorothox of Nakumberex. Albomond the Devastator. Markindrevek, Sunderer of the Cragnarines. I just made all those up but they would fit right in to any of the factions. Then you scroll down to the stretch goals which are classic figs like Sgt Drake, Raelin and Major Q-11.

This is the same point I tried to make 50 pages ago, when I was trying to explain why I wasn't backing, and I was told I was being ridiculous. Does it make sense that this doesn't feel like old 'scape to me? It feels like a very generic space fantasy universe where 44% of the units (44%!) have names that I can hardly tell apart. The green figures are all just green figures named Secumbereth of the Glades.

"Marcus Decimus" was a roman general. He came packed with "Venoc Vipers", who were snake aliens. The personality was immediately apparent and thick. Am I alone on this?

I agree with you wholeheartedly, and I really appreciate how you demonstrated that with the names--which I agree are needlessly over complicated and unmemorable.

I also found the new aesthetic almost completely jarringly disjointed with the original, and simply too much derivative of other games already on the market (which do their thing better anyway). We didn't need (or want) 40K or dapper, bespectacled beavers in Heroscape. We wanted what they promised--for Heroscape to be "Baaaack!!!"

Maybe they could have avoided all of this mess by simply stating, "Hey, brand new game borrowing the mechanics and terrain of Heroscape. Come check it out."

Instead they were like, "Hey look! It's 'Heroscape!'" *wink* *wink*

[caps]

For what it's worth I think the new units feel like Heroscape. Not trying to make anyone else change their mind, just want to be the voice in the room disagreeing with all the recent posts pooping on the concepts and designs.

I *don't* think the design choices they made really had anything to do with the campaign being in the state it's in, either. There are a lot of other marketing, packaging, and advertising issues I would point to instead. Which others have done ad nauseum.

[caps]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Cool, another post letting me know I don't belong in the community. At this point I think I'll take my "Music Band" shirt and just play with my wife. Good luck expanding this hobby and good luck on the HasLab.

Sheman is no spring chicken himself. Regardless I think you misinterpreted his post though? He is saying that the AH team is the guy in the gif, not you.

[rym]

Originally Posted by Grungebob

Even if this campaign fails, Hasbro is not going to abandon HeroScape. They do need to know that the difference between success and failure was completely in their control. All they had to do was be willing to put forth the same kind of risk they expect from their backers.

This

[randum]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Cool, another post letting me know I don't belong in the community. At this point I think I'll take my "Music Band" shirt and just play with my wife. Good luck expanding this hobby and good luck on the HasLab.

I'm not sure how you extrapolated that from Sherman Davie's post or any other response to your posts. I imagine you'll have better luck finding common ground with others if you're more willing to accept that there will always be other people who disagree with you.

[TheSparkleInYourWater]

Originally Posted by caps

Sheman is no spring chicken himself. Regardless I think you misinterpreted his post though? He is saying that the AH team is the guy in the gif, not you.

Not the Avalon Hill team, Steve Buscemi is the Age of Annihilation set talking to Classic Heroscape.

[caps]

Originally Posted by TheSparkleInYourWater

Not the Avalon Hill team, Steve Buscemi is the Age of Annihilation set talking to Classic Heroscape.

Age of Annihilation was designed by the Avalon Hill team (and the War Council).