The latest update for Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter. Offered without comment.
No Amount of Outside Energy Will Speed This Up
Ernest Gary Gygax Jr
Mar 21, 2019
As of this time the whole project status is waiting for Benoist to complete the writing of the creations we generated together. Then he will pass them on to me and days later we will on video chat finish cleaning the material up. He has no desire to hear or see any comments on the KS page since it fires him up to defend the LATE status instead of working on it at all. He is a finicky artist and will not release parts of anything until it is completed.
He does not have access to the funds and they sit at about 78K now (lots of art and other original business expenses, as well as an expensive worthless accountant to start with). As soon as the project fulfills I will be closing down the LLC and Ben somehow wishes to keep a company somehow, I do not.
I playtested the Marmoreal Tomb on three of the four games I ran at Gary Con XI and I will be running some more games at NTRPG con in June. I don't have the finished level 2 or the level 3 Caves of Chaos although some of the monsters and ideas I generated for them are lots of fun and Mark Allen has a fantastic bit of art on my favorite creature of Chaos.
I don't respond to these statements for the same reason I don't get into blogs and all that. If you want to talk to me about something send me a facebook message: Ernest Gary Gygax Jr
ffered without comment:
Well, this should settle everything. The project will likely be smooth sailing from this post onward.
ReplyDeleteIt’s good to hear that he’s closing down the LLC if this ever is released. I think Ernie’s a sincere and good person and to see Benoist’s laziness ruin his good name is kind of sad.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully, Ernie's unloaded a round into his own foot with the wording of the update. There are ways to reword it so it doesn't come across the way it does (to me). The lack of timely updates (say once a month or two with a few paragraphs of progress/artwork) and the wording of this update both (bleep) me off. I've backed a few projects that are/were well behind schedule (one computer one came in ~4 years late). I'm willing to be patient and civil if the creator seems to be making effort and keeping us in the loop (the computer game one did a good job of this in the last year; a few others such as this one are not). No updates == unhappy backer. Updates that read (to me) like (bleep) off == unhappy backer.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy I got my money back. I hope they deliver to the folks that are still locked in. If they ever finish the product, I'll buy it.
ReplyDeleteThis was the three years late to delivery anniversary notification.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the four years late post will be more cordial.
I backed this KS primarily to support Ernie in gratitude for the games his father helped create and how they bettered my life. Benoist seemed to be a pretty on-the-level guy, but my experience with many artists is that they have their own timetable. If I get something out of it, I'll feel fortunate, but I'm pretty chill about it, all things considered (in fact, I keep forgetting I backed this one)
ReplyDeleteErnie is on the hook, not Ben.
ReplyDeleteErnie is the Project Creator, Ben is merely a collaborator. I suspect the LLC is all in Ernie's name too and we know Ernie controls the funds, not Ben.
I'm not defending anyone here, just stating some facts and in one case, making an assumption based on Ernie's statement regarding the LLC.
Now for some opinion on my end - this project was sold based on Ernie's Legacy - its right there in the title. I'd like to see Ernie step up and take some responsibility toward bringing this to a successful conclusion.
I'm a backer, and the real issue is the lying, obfuscating and general BS they occasionally post when people have backed them into a corner. This thing is bordering on fraudulent.
ReplyDeleteErnie and Benoist are crooks, plain and simple. They defrauded their backers to the tune of $126k by lying about the work that had already been "completed", refused to provide any real updates as time progressed, and here at over 3 years past due haven't made a single bit of real progress; all the while complaining and shaming backers who dared ask them to provide updates and timetables.
ReplyDeleteThey should be ostracized from the TTRPG community.
I am thinking of asking for my money back. After over three years of waiting I'm losing faith with you. I'm Backer 338 with investment of $150.00, I like something to give me belief that this project will be done soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of asking for my money back ($150.00). I'm backer 338. I waited for three (3) years and don't see you completing this project. You have no possible delivery date to provide, and some of us backers are thinking of bailing. Con you provide anything that will give us a little warm and fuzzy feeling?
ReplyDeleteI think they started out with good intentions but no actual plan, no project manager, no graphic designer. Instead you have an artist who doesn't understand timelines and reality when it comes to way too many add-ons and the amount of work involved. Who doesn't understand business either, this could have been 3 Kickstarters, instead it turned into one overwhelming disaster. I do understand there were health and personal issues along the way, I also think as I said above that they had the best intentions...but what a disaster.
ReplyDeleteBreaking this up into manageable multiple Kickstarters would have made timelines happen, which leads to happy customers.....which leads to more successful and manageable Kickstarters and products, which leads to a successful business.
I also understand being and "artist" I am one, I am also a graphic designer. The only difference is meeting deadlines or being aware of time in general.
There is no way this is getting done this year, projects that start as messes only become more messy as time goes on.
We've been scammed.
ReplyDeleteAny update to this story?
ReplyDelete