Age of Annihilation - Backer Trend and Discussion

[Master Roshi]

Originally Posted by GamerDad74

Maybe that's part of it, just too much all at once and for one unsavory price.

I do think they made some mistakes in the design, so I can't say it's perfect or I have no complaints.

To fit in with the classic fantasy design you mentioned, it would have been a good idea to include traditionally designed centaurs, fauns, satyr, minotaur as a faction for Ullar. Then they get to design a new faction that isn't dependent on old characters for synergy while also providing easily recognizable characters

[Garenex]

Originally Posted by GamerDad74

So thoughts on this . . .

I'm not a fan of most of the new factions. I actually like Lifeborne Dryan (they feel 'Scapey to me), but that's about it, other than the classic units locked far away behind completely unattainable backer #s. But, even though other people apparently love the woodland creatures, I find them out of place in Heroscape, and overly grotesque or overly busy death metal and bug factions are just not for me.

I've seen several people say they fit in perfectly with the Heroscape aesthetic, but if that's the case, are they the same people who loved D&D 'Scape? Because I certainly remember people complaining that D&D didn't fit the 'Scape aesthetic at the time. If that was a legitimate criticism then, why not now? So which is it?

There were also the same type of complaints about the Zombies, back in the day.

[Master Roshi]

Originally Posted by Garenex

There were also the same type of complaints about the Zombies, back in the day.

People were actually complaining about the zombies not fitting the heroscape arsthetic back in the day? I wouldn't have expected that

[Shiftrex]

Maybe some of us have forgotten that literally anything fits into Heroscape. It the greatest battle of all time. There can and should be everything. I didn't find one thing in the new set that was offputting because I have always known Heroscape as a crossroads where anything could show up.

I think the biggest thing I was looking forward to was the woodland animal faction. It was cute, that is a piece we are currently missing in heroscape.

Looking at what we have right now, from the perspective of "do we have everything to appeal to everyone" would show that we don't right now. This is a game dominated heavily by male players, my wife expressed several times that she was excited for the combine and it honestly would have made her more interested in playing the game.

I guess I just find it confusing that anyone here is trying to put a single label on what feels like heroscape when a feeling is individual to us all. Heroscape is a place where anything and anyone can be summoned by the correct general. I'd like to see more diverse things in the future, nostalgia glasses and demands for "more of the same" is not what I'd ever want for heroscape.

[Grungebob]

Originally Posted by Shiftrex

Maybe some of us have forgotten that literally anything fits into Heroscape. It the greatest battle of all time. There can and should be everything. I didn't find one thing in the new set that was offputting because I have always known Heroscape as a crossroads where anything could show up.

I think the biggest thing I was looking forward to was the woodland animal faction. It was cute, that is a piece we are currently missing in heroscape.

Looking at what we have right now, from the perspective of "do we have everything to appeal to everyone" would show that we don't right now. This is a game dominated heavily by male players, my wife expressed several times that she was excited for the combine and it honestly would have made her more interested in playing the game.

I guess I just find it confusing that anyone here is trying to put a single label on what feels like heroscape when a feeling is individual to us all. Heroscape is a place where anything and anyone can be summoned by the correct general. I'd like to see more diverse things in the future, nostalgia glasses and demands for "more of the same" is not what I'd ever want for heroscape.

Bravo! I couldn’t agree more.

[CapAp]

Originally Posted by Shiftrex

Maybe some of us have forgotten that literally anything fits into Heroscape. It the greatest battle of all time. There can and should be everything.

Come now. Not "literally anything" anyone can think of belongs in Heroscape and one can easily come up with designs that don't fit the game's aesthetic. If one of the new factions had been "GOP Senators from 1996" whose abilities involve passing legislation, I don't believe many people would have been pleased.

Obviously none of the new designs are outright BAD like that. But everything is going to exist on a continuum of acceptance, and it's ok for people to disagree on the aesthetic.

[AMIS]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Come now. Not "literally anything" anyone can think of belongs in Heroscape and one can easily come up with designs that don't fit the game's aesthetic. If one of the new factions had been "GOP Senators from 1996" whose abilities involve passing legislation, I don't believe many people would have been pleased.

Obviously none of the new designs are outright BAD like that. But everything is going to exist on a continuum of acceptance, and it's ok for people to disagree on the aesthetic.

What would be wrong with politicians?
Here's a skill for them:

IF YOU LIE ABOUT LYING IT'S ALMOST THE TRUTH
When attacking a GOP Senator, all shields rolled during the attack phase are added to the shields rolled during his defense phase.

[nyys]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Obviously none of the new designs are outright BAD like that. But everything is going to exist on a continuum of acceptance, and it's ok for people to disagree on the aesthetic.

I think that’s the point being made. Don’t have to like them, but nothing presented at this point is so outlandish to say it’s not HeroScape.

For instance, I don’t care for Marvel, I’m simply not a supers fan, in any shape or form and I’ll never have them in my games. That said, they still work.

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Come now. Not "literally anything" anyone can think of belongs in Heroscape and one can easily come up with designs that don't fit the game's aesthetic. If one of the new factions had been "GOP Senators from 1996" whose abilities involve passing legislation, I don't believe many people would have been pleased.

Obviously none of the new designs are outright BAD like that. But everything is going to exist on a continuum of acceptance, and it's ok for people to disagree on the aesthetic.

Agreed with CapAp. Heroscape can't even fit in "anything" on a mechanical level; how would one incorporate WW2 tanks or planes to join the Airborne Elite? Heroscape is an extremely flexible and durable system, but it is not infinitely so.

[IAmBatman]

Tanks and planes aren’t hard at all.

[GamerDad74]

Originally Posted by CapAp

Come now. Not "literally anything" anyone can think of belongs in Heroscape and one can easily come up with designs that don't fit the game's aesthetic. If one of the new factions had been "GOP Senators from 1996" whose abilities involve passing legislation, I don't believe many people would have been pleased.

Obviously none of the new designs are outright BAD like that. But everything is going to exist on a continuum of acceptance, and it's ok for people to disagree on the aesthetic.

Yeah, I agree that not just anything goes with Heroscape, at least that's not the impression I ever got from it. It is the "Battle of All-Time" not the "Battle of All-Things." I mean there's literally nothing in the 13 waves of OG 'Scape that is even close to cute, furry woodland creatures. I also looked to C3V as what to expect, and in none of the C3V expansions was there any of that implied. Nor was there any implication that Heroscape needed several new generals.

I had forgotten what Hogg had reminded us (I think it was in HS Codex) about the relationship between the 6, the Hex, and the prediction of the number of eventual generals. So, again, there really was no need for several new generals if they were trying to keep Heroscape, Heroscape.

I don't think that my and others' comment that AoA doesn't fit OG 'Scape is invalid. Perhaps it's okay that it doesn't. Maybe that's what they were going for--something totally new that new fans would find appealing. The big problem with that argument is that they said this would definitely appeal to veteran 'Scapers, but when there's really nothing in AoA that I really remember seeing veterans asking for over the last decade, and when all of the stuff we really enjoyed was literally NOT included, and they gave us a bunch of tiles we already have bins full of, it's clearly NOT for veterans. And when they give hardly any information about how HS plays and just a bunch of pictures of colored plastic at a $250 price point, they can't honestly claim they were seriously trying to interest new players.

It's like they tried to please everyone and no one at the same time, and (hit) or missed on all accounts.

[GamerDad74]

Originally Posted by nyys

I think that’s the point being made. Don’t have to like them, but nothing presented at this point is so outlandish to say it’s not HeroScape.

For instance, I don’t care for Marvel, I’m simply not a supers fan, in any shape or form and I’ll never have them in my games. That said, they still work.

I agree with you, NYYS, Marvel works, but I would never (have never) brought them into my classic 'Scape games or vice versa.

And I think that lends credibility to what some of us are saying, maybe just about anything can fit into HS, but not everything blends seamlessly together, and some of us don't care to mix those things. If I wanted to play 40K (something I've never done nor will do--don't care for the aesthetic, not to mention cost and work), then I would play that. I didn't need it in my Heroscape. And I get some people like the Clockwork Combine. Just doesn't fit classic 'Scape for me.

Had the Hasbros given us options, we could have opted in or out on what we liked or didn't like. Instead, they said take it all at $250 or you get nothing.

Sorry, that doesn't work for my gaming preferences or my budget.