Hardly a week goes by without getting an email from someone asking me if I know the current status of the Appendix N Kickstarter - everyone wants to know when they are going to get their goods, and since I got mine three months ago, I must have some inside knowledge.
Here's the simple answer - I have no inside knowledge. But I do listen and I do read.
The last update on the Appendix N Kickstarter indicated the hope to get everything to everyone before the end of the year. Which would mean some folks would be getting theirs six months after I got mine.
Nowhere did it mention that Appendix N releases were being released to the general public before getting into the hands of those that supported the Kickstarter. It's been brought to my attention that the Appendix N releases are hitting retail distribution, like NOW. Is it possible that someone miscoded an entry? Sure - but at multiple locations?
Here's the direct links:
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8twu?Appendix-N-Adventures-The-Ruins-of-Ramat-and-the-Vile-Worm
http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=87453#.Ukhq64akoz4
http://www.gamekastle.com/index.php?m=product_detail&k=2&p=87453
http://www.gtsdistribution.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=5211CE4AF79642BF87A231A8AE01DFD6
Now, as a community, we've bitched and complained when Kickstarters have shipped to retail before landing in the hands of those that supported the project. This might be a distributor screw up - but if folks can make a purchase and receive product before those that supported the Appendix N Kickstarter (especially those that kicked in extra for shipping after the fact) then there is a real problem here.
The Paizo link actually cost $11.01. I just ordered a set (shipping hurt but what the heck). When I get my Paizo copies, I'll post a pic. Hopefully folks will have pics of their Kickstarter copies to post before then.
I for one am a lot more excited about the expanded content than I am disappointed by the timing of the things.
ReplyDeleteOn slightly related note, I have had Numenera in hand for a few weeks now, but I know of at least two people locally who backed the KS that say they have yet to get their copy.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteYour failure here is communication. I think your Kickstarter supporters would prefer accurate information over surprises, good or bad.
To be honest, very few Kickstarter surprises are good...
Tenkar, you're the main reason I jumped on the Appendix N KS bandwagon and I'm one of the guys that chipped in additional for shipping too. It's hard to comment on BHP because everyone says what a good guy he is and that it's a one man show and that it's been a tough year for him. I want to believe all this and empathize. He already has a number of people annoyed about not recieving DD box sets and I don't really want to add fuel to the fire. The thing is, I'm starting to get the feeling "that money is coming from one project to fund another, to fund something else before we can start producing the next thing". We all know what happens to the guy holding the bag at the end of the line. I'm hoping Appendix N isn't the guy at the end of the line, especially since there is no longer any talk about gaming boxes or the Dagger Screen. I hate to think how long I'll have to wait to see the gaming box if I ever see it. Ah well (sigh).
ReplyDeleteI can't pick all winners ;)
DeleteSeriously, John does good stuff - if you accept the fact that he chronically late on EVERY project he's done.
I'm upset for the folks that supported this project, dont have anything to show for it yet and now get to see the project they supported for sale at retail stores.
I know it's not the surprise John wanted for folks, but it's the one he gave them...
Maybe you should focus on fulfilling the basics of the Kickstarter before you focus on bonus items, silly crap like the Dagger RPG, and retailer edits of adventures we don't have yet.
ReplyDeleteLots of us understand the earlier shipping snafu and even paid you more money after the KS to help compensate for this. And how long does it take to hire some shipping fulfillment people? I could have them hired and shipping in a day.
The only surprises we get from John are bad ones. Let's be honest, he's been full of it. It's been one excuse after the other for the past year. The news about retail having print copies before his Kickstarter backers is a new low. John's robbing Peter to pay Paul & the Kickstarter backers are the suckers still left with no print modules. The only person I know to receive print copies is Erik Tenkar, perhaps John sent them out to make it appear as if the print copies were being shipped. Nothing surprises me about John Adams anymore. I wonder if Joseph Goodman wishes he'd never given the DCC license to Brave Halfling.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that the Brave Halfling fans & bloggers stop promoting the Brave Halfling product or any of their future Kickstarters. I don't want more DCC fans getting let down by false promises. I've learnt a valuable lesson & I'm now very selective about where I place my Kickstarter money.
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened with Traveller 5, folks were not impressed.
ReplyDeleteEric, so I have a feeling that the two print modules that you got are not the Kickstarter modules, but copies of these two retail release versions.
ReplyDeleteWhich would imply that they were sent to you to review with regard to this retail release, and are not any fulfillment of your KS.
>> everyone has at least the pdfs for 6 or more them so far <<
ReplyDeleteThat's just not true, I'm afraid. I have had PDFs for modules #1 - #4.
As for print versions I have seen nothing, although I did receive an email on 28th March saying "I am prepping the first supporters print shipment and I want to make sure I have your current shipping address."
I have pretty much given up any hope of ever seeing what I signed up for in hard copy form. At least it was only $31 but I do feel suckered that I was one of the ones that paid the additional postage (even though I was also one of the ones that warned John he wasn't charging enough to cover postage while the KS was still running).
I suspect John has to sell some copies through retail to fund the dispatch of the others to the KS backers.
Up to now, I've always been one of the ones saying "John is a nice guy and he had a rough time earlier in the year" but from where I'm standing I can now see the first signs of deliberate deceit.
Just to clarify, I do not think the original intent was to deceive, I think the situation BHP has ended up in is down to stupidity / naiivete / inexperience / call it what you will rather than malice. However, it would seem that we are now seeing deceit to cover up that stupidity. Unfortunately I suspect the KS money is long gone.
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