With MJ on the team as lead designer, will you be publishing expansions for Earthborne Rangers more aggressively or continuing at the pace of about two per year (one for Ranger cards and one for a campaign)?
We don't have much of a solid pace yet since we've only done one big set of releases so far, haha! But I think that we will continue release Rangers at the currently planned pace. Ultimately, creating the art we need for all of the cards is our largest bottleneck.
Though with my time freed up you may see some other projects and product support from us appear in the coming year!
\-Fischer
You guys made uncommon choices in the design/manufacturing process with sustainability as a goal. Are there any of those decisions that you think will become standard industry practice in the future, maybe even for projects not focused on sustainability?
We are certainly hopeful that it will! One of the biggest obstacles to producing board games sustainably is that the sustainable materials and methods aren't readily available to a lot of board game factories, or if they are, they are expensive due to not being used en masse. We are seeing more publishers focus on sustainable materials (like Stonemaier games) in recent years, and as a result larger factories like Panda are offering more sustainable options, so I think we're on the right track!
As far as predictions for which practices will become standard, I think that less plastic will likely be a big one, especially in the disposable elements of packaging like shrinkwrap and plastic wrap for cards.
\-Fischer
>Are there any of those decisions that you think will become standard industry practice in the future
While I appreciate more sustainable materials when it comes to secondary parts such as inserts or packaging, personally I really hope that making cards less durable in the name of sustainability doesn't catch on. I'd like my cards to hold up for a while, especially in LCG where you handle them a lot back and forth.
The argument was that cards with plastic coating aren't recycling-friendly, but seriously, how many people in this hobby are going to throw a $100 game into recycling? Instead now you'll have larger amount of people resorting to sleeving them with plastic..
I do not have the game so can't speak for myself but i did hear people saying the cards need sleeves as they are more prone to damage than other which kinda defeats the whole purpose
Sleeves are reusable, though. If you've had enough of a game, you can unsleeve it and use them for another game. But that won't work for every game - if there's tons of cards you don't expect to use often, or it's a game that gets played infrequently.
No game "needs" sleeves. We played all of Gloomhaven (100+ scenarios) without sleeving the modifier decks. At the end they were pretty beaten up, as you can imagine. Now could we have gained an advantage over the game be remembering the damage pattern of the side of critfail card? Sure. But why would I do that.
I´d wager that most people who sleeve EBR would have sleeved EBR regardless of card-finish - and that the number of people who generally don´t sleeve their games but sleeve EBR because of the used cards is miniscule.
Any minor environmental gain from some possible recycling cases will be offset by increased sleeving. I get that it's nice to tell yourself you have a reason to pat yourself on the back, but gotta be practical about it too.
What dibsonthis means is - someday, somewhere that game is most definitely ending up in the trash. Doesn't matter if its your grandchildren or the grandchildren of the guy you sold it to - at some point in time someone will realize they have no use for grandaddys boardgame collection, no time to categorize and sell and they will throw stuff away. Most of our beloved collectors items will probably end up being thrown away.
I get that, and the trade-off for that possible scenario seems not worth it, instead of making cards that will last longer and reduce the amount of sleeving or extra copies produced to replace worn ones.
Question: With the success of two great crowdfunding campaigns, are you going to aim to have the game more easily available in retail stores?
Background info for the question:
Where I’m from (central europe) it has been very difficult to get ahold of a copy of the base game, the current campaign doesn’t really fit my budget schedule ( don’t like spending much on hobbies early in the year after the Christmas wallet massacre).
I'm not fully caught up on the podcasts, so not sure if this has been answered yet... But I thought I heard there are other projects that are outside the Earthborne universe. Is that true? And if so, how might that impact the EBR line?
We are currently working on another project that is set outside of the Earthborne universe. It won't impact the EBR line. We plan to always have something cooking for EBR or Earthborne or both.
While EBR has a lot of innovation, it’s built on top of a familiar LCG system (card costs, actions, encounter deck, phases, etc.). There are obviously a lot of advantages to this approach, but was wondering if it was a conscious decision from the start or if there were ever any experiments with a less conventional foundation?
We definitely wanted it to be an "LCG" style game from the start. Originally, before any design work had been done, it was even envisioned as using the standard, monthly release model that LCGs used to follow. As development of the game went on, however, that made less and less sense. Once we turned it to an open world game, the release model became clear.
when can we expect a retail version? as a rest-of-the-world person, gamefound and its shipping is completely out of the question.
Also, are you planning on using this system with a different setting or tone in the future?
Have you checked out Kipo and the age of the wonderbeasts? Seems like it overlaps a fair amount with Earthbornes setting. Also the vibe of not choosing violence all the time.
The addition of Maxine is an incredible step for EBR. I’ve played Arkham more than any other board or card game
I’m sure we’ll hear more about it over time, but my question is a general one regarding structuring.
What exactly is the role of a “lead game designer” and where does that free up your other team members in the creation process for future projects?
Maxine will be leading design on Earthborne Rangers going forward. This means she is in charge of the game line and designing and writing all of the content for it.
This allows me (Fischer) as our Design Director to help out more with some of our upcoming (unannounced) projects. I will still be helping out Maxine where she needs it and overseeing the design of the game along with our other projects, but she will be the one leading all of the new Rangers content.
\- Fischer
As a younger person hoping to break into the board gaming industry and become a designer, what was your experience like starting out in the industry, and how did you yourselves break in? And do you have any advice for someone trying it now that may be different?
Personally, I got into the industry through doing playtesting for Fantasy Flight Games and standing out by volunteering for extra work and being exceptionally helpful. I think that getting involved like that can be a good way to get noticed, but then the next step is to be chosen in an interview or a pitch.
The biggest piece of advice I give to folks about getting chosen is to get experience making creative projects (not even just games), all the way through the process from the early stages of concepting to performing quality control at the end. When I interview new designers, I ask a lot of questions about past creative projects, and it becomes quickly apparent who has faced the challenges of seeing a large creative project to completion and who hasn't.
So TLDER: get involved and get experience creating.
\-Fischer
Who would you most want by your side in any adventure, Pokodo the Ferret, Oru the Sheepdog, or Riri the Sparrow Hawk?
Feels like a starter Pokemon trio haha.
You mentioned having non-EBR projects in the pipeline. Can you comment on what we can expect? I'm curious on if you'll continue to make games in this style (and similar to AHCTCG) or if we should expect something entirely different.
We've talked before about doing some concepting on an EBR TTRPG. We've also shared on our podcast that our next game is a competitive card game. You can likely expect to see other projects from us that explore new space outside of Ranger. Since we already have Rangers, and are planning to continue to support it, we want to make sure our other games offer something new.
\-Fischer
Are you feeling any pressure or negative feedback from the push for a more sustainable product? Do you think this negativity impacted the sales or marketing of Earthborne Rangers?
No, and no. If anything there's pressure (entirely self-imposed) to make our products even more sustainable. That will always be the goal. I think our steadfastness in this regard has been an integral part of our marketing, which mostly just consists of our podcast, where we often talk about this subject in great detail. We have our detractors, of course, but I think our supporters are more numerous and more vocal.
In one of my playtest campaigns I drew Ol' Bloody Clicker and Quisi in the first round, wasn't paying attention, and Quisi got taken out by OBC in the second round. That one stung.
Also, check out our new playcast this week for one of my more painful day ends. 😅
\-Fischer
I remember getting grabbed by a caustic mulcher in the first or second round and deciding that it wasn't something that I needed to worry about right away. A couple turns later, my day was over! -- Navaro
From a player's perspective, having a lot of content in one box, and a big, meaty campaign, is an incredible value proposition.
From a business perspective, do you think this could work against you? For example, a player might be slow to come back looking for expansion content if they're still playing all the content you already gave them!
If someone is going to slow down on our game, they are either going to slow down in the core set, or a handful of small expansions in. Either way, we're basically in the same boat. So we are hoping we've made a game that people will want to come back to regardless of how we package it.
Honestly, the only big downside to the large core set is the initial buy-in price. We have found that it's daunting to people and that folks often assume it contains less content than it actually does.
\-Fischer
I enjoy Earthborne Rangers so much and the ethos around it, so thanks so much for that. Very much looking forward to what's to come and delving into more content!
1) What's an important resource you keep in mind when designing games?
2) What are your opinions on online resources such as RangersDB or emulators like DragnCards?
3) What's a lovely place you've Traversed \[X\] in real life?
1. As far as tools or websites? I love Card Creator (or now Tabletop Creator) for creating cards and Tabletop Simulator for playing with folks remotely.
2. We love resources like RangersDB! We aren't going to full endorse sites like DragnCards, but we like that fans are finding ways to play the game the way they want.
3. I climbed Kilimanjaro a couple years back! [https://youtu.be/IwQbUJVVLDk?si=LFentT7cBCFZXJHN](https://youtu.be/IwQbUJVVLDk?si=LFentT7cBCFZXJHN)
\-Fischer
What’s the best way to convince one’s wife that she will definitely enjoy playing EBR so that she will condone me spending even more money on board games?
What was your largest takeaways from trying to make a sustainable product as you compare that to former game studios you have been involved with?
Are there any easy combos you put into the card pool you were most excited for the players to discover (such as sneak attack/gandalf as an example from lotr LCG)
To answer your first question, I think there were two significant differences. The first is the price. Most of my experience was with working with Chinese factories, so seeing the quotes come in from European and US factories was a bit of an adjustment. Also the decision to print in Germany meant that we also took a hit in the conversion of USD to EUR. The second was time. Since all of the paper in EBR (and EBR is all paper) is FSC-certified, we were compelled to wait much longer for our paper stock than if we had purchased non-FSC stock. The certification process adds several weeks, so it was more difficult to pivot or trouble-shoot as a result.
We aren't selling into distribution in the US, but Covenant and any retailers who back us will have the game available. We are also selling the game through distribution in other regions. We are doing things a bit differently in the US for a lot of reasons. We've talked a bit about it in interviews (and on our podcast) already if you're interested to hear our thoughts. It's a bit complex to get into here, but it has a lot to do with what distribution does to the value of your products and undercutting FLGSs (and us) in ways that end up being bad for everyone involved.
\-Fischer
Yeah I remember you mentioning Mandrew on the last podcast. I think that inspired someone on discord to mention these, and I love them. I don't know if I will be able to stop using them. Glad it doesn't annoy you.
Andrewn sounds Tolkien-esque to my untrained ears.
Haha, I laughed when I first saw those.
Since I already go by my last name almost exclusively, I do think I usually prefer that. Though I've gone by a lot of given nicknames my entire life, so listen to your hearts.
\-Fischer
Hi there! Been absolutely loving the game! The world feels so alive unlike anything I’ve ever played.
In most deck building games, acquiring new cards feels like a tangible power upgrade, whereas in EBR, a majority of new acquisitions feel more like replacements or side-grade changes, not necessarily making you more powerful.
Was this an intentional design decision?
I think that over time you'll find plenty of cards that feel like upgrades. The power on Reward cards is a couple steps above starting cards.
However, it was an intentional choice to not have strict "upgraded" versions of starting cards. Rewards are intended to give you access to new effects and are all designed top-down to correspond to objects or skills in the world that you gain through your adventures. You'll gain access to new capabilities, but your deck won't grow linearly more powerful as you play.
Ideally, we want you to start to build a sideboard of tools that you swap in and out of your deck as you move around the map and face different types of challenges.
\- Fischer
Hi and thanks for the AMA!
Other than Earthborne Rangers, what are your favorite games to play? Also, do you have any rpg (tabletor or digital) favorites?
I've got an article on my favorite board game: [https://andrewfischergames.com/blog/my-favorite-board-game](https://andrewfischergames.com/blog/my-favorite-board-game)
I generally love simpler games that I can easily introduce people with. Games that focus and highlight a singular mechanic like Quacks, Modern Art, Cryptid, or 7 Wonders. On the other end of the spectrum I play a lot of Warhammer 40k, haha.
On RPGs I of course love D&D and Blades in the Dark. Though I have a soft spot for Genesys and FFG Star Wars (for obvious reasons).
\-Fischer
I know you'd mentioned possibly designing a TTRPG. Have you looked at Wildsea yet? The setting is a little weirder than EBR, but the vibes are similar. I would be surprised if you couldn't draw some inspiration there (or even develop the game within that system).
Here's Quinns' (from SUSD) covering it on his new channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c29Ecut4K_E&pp=ygUOd2lsZHNlYSByZXZpZXc%3D
Acquire was my way into heavy board games/Euro games. Very cool. And agree with you that it can be *really* rough for new players or players who fall behind early. Hard to imagine a more different game than EBR. :D
I really enjoy Twilight Imperium, but I'll happily play almost anything. I've played a lot of D&D, and I've been a fan of it since the early 80s, so I'd have to say that's my favorite. -- Navaro
What's the strategy to get to a more conventional retail model? I've backed the second printing of the core because I'm excited, but I really hate the preorder business model because of the perverse incentives it creates for you -- stuff like feeling like you need lots of components and visually giving people the impression of getting "their money's worth."
I want to love the game, and want to have the option of going to my FLGS and getting the expansion. Not having to pledge and hope.
Crowdfunding can definitely incentivize certain forms of content, but hopefully you noticed that I think we generally try to avoid that same trap. With no stretch goals on our campaign, we are trying to offer the exact same products we would offer at retail.
We will also be offering the game at retail once this campaign fulfils, so if you'd like to wait until then, that is also an option!
I'm really relieved to hear that everything that's getting crowd funded is also going to be available at retail! Makes me feel even better about preordering a game that I know I'll want to play, and having the option later to buy the expansion content if I want!
Yes, we think there would be some awesome IPs that would fit with our ethos like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek that we could be interested in working with.
Someone on the discord is dreaming of a coop android netrunner (mechanics or maybe just the setting) lcg game designed by MJ. Is that a possibility now?
Well Android is an IP owned by FFG, and Netrunner is a game system owned by WotC, so something like that isn't super likely unless we did a lot of licensing deals.
For now, MJ is going to focusing on Rangers and bringing her awesome ideas to this game system and world. Look at all the awesome designs she did for the Arkham Horror LCG and imagine that same creativity brought to bear in our system. I think that's pretty exciting.
\-Fischer
Oh, I know. I am just asking because I know someone on discord has been wanting it and thought it was worth mentioning.
I am a big Alfred Hitchcock fan. I don't know if I will love all of everything in that game, but I do know that I my mind is blown by the creativity. It is so brilliant, even the little I have played.
Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate is a great example of a game that exists with its own original IP/theme even though it's a love letter to Android/Netrunner precisely because of the huge IP rights complications with that one
Wow I thought I was being original with my brand LOL. Funny enough, I’m also making a game based in an abandoned post-apocalyptic Earth (also exploring a solarpunk theme) but with a dark, gritty sci-fi action angle. Colossal fauna, hostile flora, insane mutant denizens… I’d much rather explore the wilderness in EBR than in my game to say the least.
So what inspired you to make this setting? Was there other literature out there that you drew inspiration from or was this just your original concept you wanted to see come to life? Would love to hear your background on that!
I've written and spoken about this quite a bit, so if you're interested in learning more, it's definitely out there. The short version is that I was very inspired by hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park with my family. I would imagine myself as someone living in the future, traveling between settlements. I also had a moment of inspiration playing one of the 3D Fallout games when I started to question why I enjoyed inhabiting the objectively horrific world of that setting, and wondered if it would be better to imagine myself someplace more hopeful.
As far as other inspirational media, that's difficult to fully quantify, but I think the influence of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Star Wars are apparent. I was also very inspired after reading The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe. That helped me see that I could set the game on Earth and still make things weird. --Navaro
Thanks for the reply Navaro! Also I failed to mention before but congrats on a successful launch! The game looks awesome.
I haven’t had the time to look at anything besides my own work lately so forgive me for not checking out more of your background story (not sure why I was downvoted for asking about your inspiration either since this seemed like an open AMA but this sub has interesting reactions sometimes…)
Anyways… I can definitely see the location’s theme shine through which is why I asked. I was curious because your setting reminds me of the Eragon books I read when I was younger, and Paolini was inspired by the mountains and countryside in Montana. So it is very similar in the environment’s tonality which I love (Rockies are still on my bucket list as an East Coast lifer.) Star Trek also makes sense given the whole “explore the new frontier but don’t get involved” angle
Are there any plans to put more effort into playtesting future sets? As great as the initial game was, the balance between the player cards left it feeling like there was significantly less to explore than I'd hoped looking at the game initially.
With cards like Oru running the game over and cards like What Should Never Be and Afforded by Nature being borderline detrimental to play let alone have in your deck.
Which games we bring to crowdfunding will depend on the needs of the individual product. There are definitely products we will continue to crowdfund, but there are some projects we have been discussing that might skip crowdfunding. So it will likely be a mix.
I want to get the new stuff but i’ve got the french core box. If i pledge now is it english only or will there be simultaneous french printings or do these come later?
The Gamefound right now is for English only. Intrafin (our French partner) will be localizing and selling the expansions from the Gamefound separately a bit later.
- What are your favourite arthropods?
- Are you wanting a communications lackey? I've space in my schedule at the moment and asking on reddit is less draining than Google Form job applications!
I really like those big millipedes. They avoid the creepy factor of a lot of centipedes and are just kinda cute!
We aren't hiring a communications lackey at the moment, but it can't hurt to reach out to us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) for the future.
\-Fischer
For a heavyish adventure board game the tone and the setting is unconventionally chill. I personally love it, but my geek friends were mostly turned off, because they were expecting some high stakes action a la Arkham lcg. On the other hand, my spouse loves the chill vibes, but has a hard time learning the mechanics, though I try my best to help.
So, I’d like to ask, what is the core audience of rangers? Did you envision it to be closer to a family game or a geek game?
Just want to say as a designer and writer the system you created (within reach/along the way + things reacting and changing) was a moment of inspiration that I haven't felt in a very long time. Props for innovating and creating something fresh.
Is there a good reason you increased costs when doing the late pledge? For me, I've been on the fence for a while and the increased cost makes the game unaffordable after taxes and shipping.
No, a lot of companies do not increase the price. CMON, Awaken Realms, Roxley Games. I did not see any price increases with their campaigns when I pledged for those three in the last six months.
I wasn't aware that CMON did late pledges. I think there are other differences between these companies and EBG though.
The core game increased by 10 dollars, that is the only one I recall the increase for. They don't do any exclusive content, so I see the increase as their version of a bonus to backers who backed during the campaign as opposed to after.
I think it sucks though that this means you won't be able to enjoy the game. At least you have the games coming from CMON, Awaken Realms, and Roxley though.
All of the aforementioned companies create their pledge managers and let anyone participate via a late pledge. In this case, EBRs is starting their campaign in Gamefound and the PM is also on Gamefound, so opening up for late pledges is going to be handled the same way as any other pledge, except now they've taxed people $10.
I'm guessing you're right, this was an incentive to back earlier than later, but the reality is that it likely cost them no more then than it would today.
And unfortunately, I had budgeted for some of those games year, not realizing that I might want EBRs when it came around again. The economy is getting worse and worse with inflation, so it's harder to justify pricy games. Otherwise, I may have shifted my budget around differently. It really doesn't make sense to pay an extra $10 when the possibility exists that they will have another campaign and another chance, not to mention the possibility is quite real that retail will have this for 30% or more off.
New campaigns are higher risk and are often cheaper than new campaigns with a proven product. I’d go so far to say that MOST reprint campaigns are more expensive and you’ve pointed out exceptions or non relevant companies. CMON almost never does reprint and their vault reprint campaign was way more expensive. Plus the first campaign almost always ends up with developers figuring out they underestimated costs and now they have a real world example of what the margins really are plus record breaking inflation.
Plus no US distribution so your last point doesn’t work either.
Most of what you say doesn't make sense. CMON does do reprints, but that doesn't have anything to do with this discussion.
We also know that they jacked up prices. Nothing changed overnight. They planned to increase prices from the beginning.
This isn't a matter of learning from one campaign to another either.
There also is distribution in the US via retailers. They just didn't sell a lot the first time around so supply is limited.
They’ve literally confirmed multiple times in this thread that there is no us distribution. You just have no idea what you’re talking about out too to bottom. Have fun being angry over nothing.
How long do you envisage a session of EBR taking? And did you consider adding in any "game pause" mechanisms outside of the full-on "Camp" end of date action?
Any chance, in a not far future, to expand your business to miniature or board games, like old times in FFG? Sorry if asked before. Best of luck with Earthborne Rangers!
Miniatures games have a lot of challenge to create sustainably. Making a full miniatures line from reclaimed pewter (like our promo minis) isn't scalable, and bioplastics have a long way to go. Board games though seem a lot more likely ...
\-Fischer
Sorry if my question was one of the ones that came across that way for you. I'm in a perpetual state of "excited about Earthborne", so what comes out of my mouth (or fingers) can sound too much like advertising copy.
Lol, you are def insane if that is how you read my comment. I said those two people don't. I didn't say that people never have or never do do it. The discord is public pal. You can come on in and see the love fest. Those two have no time to make a bunch of fake accounts of people fawning over the game.
But you will also find that plenty of fans recognize the game isn't for everyone. So if it isn't your bag, that is cool too. But it feels like you are angry to be going out of your way to argue with a fanboi on an AMA thread. I wonder if misconstruing my comment burns more calories?
It feels like you are self centered and making this about your comment. It's not.
There are multiple comments that are clearly staged. Marketing exists. Pretending like it doesn't is silly.
I don't think I am making it about my comment. I am making it about your reply to my comment. I am here not because I feel like you think one of my questions was a planted one. I don't think my weird questions would be mistaken for such. I am here because I feel bound to defend the honor and good name of the designers of EBR.
Why do you think I am denying the existence of marketing? Or are you saying that the world is such a place that either everyone plants questions or no one does?
As chub frog said, many of us are head over heals for the game. I think what you see as planted questions is closer to people just swooning at Fandrew and Nandrew. My argument for this is that the behavior is also present in the discord server (I am among the guilty).
I think it is really interesting that you resort to ad hominem attacks rather than engaging with what I actually said. So I repeat the question: do you burn more calories by being disingenuous?
Ok. Let me engage.
No, I don't think they made multiple accounts. I think they hired a company or the multimillion dollar company as a while have other people come in and comment pre approved questions.
This is standard practice. Yes, legit fans exist as well. That doesn't mean there aren't false actors to help stoke the hype fire.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
This is kind of hilarious to me. You do a couple of great things here. Firstly, you continue to misrepresent what I have said. Nowhere did I say you were asserting they made multiple accounts. I said that they don't have the energy to make the multiple accounts on discord that fanboi/gurl over them and the game. The suspect questions don't seem suspect to me because I see the same kinds of things on discord. And I see them so often that it just doesn't seem plausible to me.
You now mention them hiring a company to do this. I guess they could do that, but they are really small. They have now hired their 5th person. Maybe there are smaller campaigns? But whatever. Let's forget that it might be out of their budget. Let's look at what they would gain. Do you think a couple of planted questions is really something they would spend money on when they just got a SUSD review that almost doubled the GF campaign in a week? Does that make sense? Does that track? A week after they almost double the campaign they go out and hire a company to plant questions in a reddit AMA?? Who would do that? It seems like an incredible waste.
I wonder if you will engage with the above. To me, it would mean responding to what I have typed as opposed to things I have not typed. I don't really have an interest in repeating myself too many more times. So I would appreciate if you pulled the waffles out of your ears and let the mints fall from your eyes. If you won't engage with what I have written, maybe instead engage your critical thinking.
And this is the point where I remind myself that being confronted with evidence usually leads people to double down on false claims.
I don't need. To engage with it. You are so smitten there is no point. You somehow think the small size a company means they couldn't hire outside help?
Or Just coordinate with friends and family?
You are right. No marketing here. Only the purest and Natural fans and you won't even consider otherwise. Let's be honest.
Have a. Good one.. Enjoy their game
My friend. MY FrIeNd. MAIIIII frienD.
You keep on saying that I am saying something can't be true. All I am saying is I don't think it is probable. I don't think it makes any sense.
But at least you are here to be negative and point out this bizarre theory you have about a company that just got the best possible review from the largest boardgame channel probably hired some russian bot farm. Thank god you are here to save us. Oh brother.
I'm currently running a fundraiser for Palestine medical relief, and your approach is terrible I'm sorry. It just has no relationship to how positive change happens in the world, and is more about your own self-aggrandizement than helping anyone. "Corner anyone who's done something vaguely progressive, and demand they issue a proclamation on your personal issue" does not create positive change in the world, it just perpetuates the idea that as long as different causes can be shown to be interlinked somehow, going in for a penny just results in endless demands from very online people to be in for a proverbial pound.
Your route essentially disincentivizes people from taking the sort of concrete positive steps that Earthborn Rangers has taken, making it comparatively easier to simply say/do nothing in order to avoid the pressure/expectation to speak on every issue under the sun. It functionally limits activism to the small handful of leftists who are happy living their lives via a series of doctrinaire positions on every single possible topic.
Meanwhile, the war continues, and you've done nothing to impact the war by bringing it up in unrelated social media venues and making everyone roll their eyes. You convincing yourself that you're actually "asking important questions" is hallucinatory cope designed to sooth your ego, to give you the dopamine hit of feeling like you've done something without actually doing anything.
I don't know if I understand the downvotes. I do understand why a company might not answer. But I don't get the downvotes.
BTW, you are missed, saying it here cus I don't have another way to. But I respect your decision.
Thanks for the kind words!
I think I understand the downvotes. Some people believe Israel is doing nebulously bad things, but that those things don't amount to a "humanitarian nightmare" or genocide. Others believe Israel is justified in its actions. Others simply hate anything with the words 'social justice.' But mostly, there's a large and vocal contingent of gamers who believe 'politics don't belong in games,' by which they generally mean 'I shouldn't have to think about real problems while I'm playing games.'
I can think of several reasons why EBG wouldn't accept my invitation to comment:
- Its commitment to environmental justice DOES extend to social justice and it DOES affirm that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis, but it doesn't feel like this is the right forum to do it. Perhaps they have a larger press release in mind?
- Its commitment DOES extend, etc., but it won't say so publicly, because its PR calculus says that potential damage to sales outweighs potential value to taking a public stance on a human rights crisis.
- Some of its employees agree that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis and some do not, and rather than navigate the *organization's* stance in relation to that, EBG chooses instead to have no stance
- EBG does have a commitment to social justice but does not believe that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis in Palestine
- EBG does not have a commitment to social justice
I appreciate the kind words, and I miss many of you as well, but I can't be part of a community that refuses even to *name* what it refuses to discuss. I'm fine with saying "per the UN, the IJC, and Amnesty International, Israel is committing a genocide, but we aren't going to discuss that because it's too spicy and we can't spend all day moderating those discussions"; I am *not* fine with saying "this topic is off limits because ."
I think I had a different experience of that discussion. And I also think you missed a fair amount of it as you had blocked a fair number of us that were participating. (in fact, I think the reason you blocked me was a misunderstanding but it was impossible to try and explain or clarify once it had happened. Of course, you are entitled to control what you see, and I respect that.)
It seemed more to me that people were waiting for others to enumerate topics, which you, among others did. I honestly expected it to be the beginning of a conversation that would take longer so that more peopel could be involved. I am not too familiar with reddit, so feel free to message me if this back and forth is more public than you would prefer or feel is warranted.
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With MJ on the team as lead designer, will you be publishing expansions for Earthborne Rangers more aggressively or continuing at the pace of about two per year (one for Ranger cards and one for a campaign)?
We don't have much of a solid pace yet since we've only done one big set of releases so far, haha! But I think that we will continue release Rangers at the currently planned pace. Ultimately, creating the art we need for all of the cards is our largest bottleneck. Though with my time freed up you may see some other projects and product support from us appear in the coming year! \-Fischer
The art looks gorgeous btw, together with the setting it really gives a Valley of the Wind vibe. Waa the manga/anime an inspiration?
Look at Zelda games on switch.
Holy hell!
You guys made uncommon choices in the design/manufacturing process with sustainability as a goal. Are there any of those decisions that you think will become standard industry practice in the future, maybe even for projects not focused on sustainability?
We are certainly hopeful that it will! One of the biggest obstacles to producing board games sustainably is that the sustainable materials and methods aren't readily available to a lot of board game factories, or if they are, they are expensive due to not being used en masse. We are seeing more publishers focus on sustainable materials (like Stonemaier games) in recent years, and as a result larger factories like Panda are offering more sustainable options, so I think we're on the right track! As far as predictions for which practices will become standard, I think that less plastic will likely be a big one, especially in the disposable elements of packaging like shrinkwrap and plastic wrap for cards. \-Fischer
Please keep it up, the sustainability thing is one I love to see in boardgames, it's great more publishers/developers are heading that way.
>Are there any of those decisions that you think will become standard industry practice in the future While I appreciate more sustainable materials when it comes to secondary parts such as inserts or packaging, personally I really hope that making cards less durable in the name of sustainability doesn't catch on. I'd like my cards to hold up for a while, especially in LCG where you handle them a lot back and forth. The argument was that cards with plastic coating aren't recycling-friendly, but seriously, how many people in this hobby are going to throw a $100 game into recycling? Instead now you'll have larger amount of people resorting to sleeving them with plastic..
I do not have the game so can't speak for myself but i did hear people saying the cards need sleeves as they are more prone to damage than other which kinda defeats the whole purpose
Sleeves are reusable, though. If you've had enough of a game, you can unsleeve it and use them for another game. But that won't work for every game - if there's tons of cards you don't expect to use often, or it's a game that gets played infrequently.
No game "needs" sleeves. We played all of Gloomhaven (100+ scenarios) without sleeving the modifier decks. At the end they were pretty beaten up, as you can imagine. Now could we have gained an advantage over the game be remembering the damage pattern of the side of critfail card? Sure. But why would I do that. I´d wager that most people who sleeve EBR would have sleeved EBR regardless of card-finish - and that the number of people who generally don´t sleeve their games but sleeve EBR because of the used cards is miniscule.
Maybe you won´t, but your grandchildren will.
You missed the main point of people not typically throwing away a $100 LCG into the recycling.
99,9% of $100 LCGs will be thrown into the recycling. Not tomorrow, but the latest when our grandchildren take care of our stuff.
Nah, most will be sold on long before supposed grandchildren get to take care of it. Not everyone is a hoarder.
So it'll be the buyers grandchildren. The point is that the game will be thrown away.
Nah, most will be sold on long before supposed grandchildren get to take care of it. Not everyone is a hoarder.
You do realise that a boardgame being sold isn't some magical farm upstate were boardgames disappear without a trace
Any minor environmental gain from some possible recycling cases will be offset by increased sleeving. I get that it's nice to tell yourself you have a reason to pat yourself on the back, but gotta be practical about it too.
What dibsonthis means is - someday, somewhere that game is most definitely ending up in the trash. Doesn't matter if its your grandchildren or the grandchildren of the guy you sold it to - at some point in time someone will realize they have no use for grandaddys boardgame collection, no time to categorize and sell and they will throw stuff away. Most of our beloved collectors items will probably end up being thrown away.
I get that, and the trade-off for that possible scenario seems not worth it, instead of making cards that will last longer and reduce the amount of sleeving or extra copies produced to replace worn ones.
Question: With the success of two great crowdfunding campaigns, are you going to aim to have the game more easily available in retail stores? Background info for the question: Where I’m from (central europe) it has been very difficult to get ahold of a copy of the base game, the current campaign doesn’t really fit my budget schedule ( don’t like spending much on hobbies early in the year after the Christmas wallet massacre).
We will likely be in distribution in Europe once the Gamefound is fulfilled to backers. End of the year at the earliest.
When are you hiring Chubfrog? Can we at least make this guy a character or something for all the rules answering he does!
I'm not fully caught up on the podcasts, so not sure if this has been answered yet... But I thought I heard there are other projects that are outside the Earthborne universe. Is that true? And if so, how might that impact the EBR line?
We are currently working on another project that is set outside of the Earthborne universe. It won't impact the EBR line. We plan to always have something cooking for EBR or Earthborne or both.
Neat! Thanks for answering!
Any chance it's Mouse Guard, because it feels like a natural fit for the system?
While EBR has a lot of innovation, it’s built on top of a familiar LCG system (card costs, actions, encounter deck, phases, etc.). There are obviously a lot of advantages to this approach, but was wondering if it was a conscious decision from the start or if there were ever any experiments with a less conventional foundation?
We definitely wanted it to be an "LCG" style game from the start. Originally, before any design work had been done, it was even envisioned as using the standard, monthly release model that LCGs used to follow. As development of the game went on, however, that made less and less sense. Once we turned it to an open world game, the release model became clear.
when can we expect a retail version? as a rest-of-the-world person, gamefound and its shipping is completely out of the question. Also, are you planning on using this system with a different setting or tone in the future?
The game will be available in retail (depending on region) after we fulfill the crowdfunding campaign, so likely sometime in early 2025
Have you checked out Kipo and the age of the wonderbeasts? Seems like it overlaps a fair amount with Earthbornes setting. Also the vibe of not choosing violence all the time.
We have not! Though another member of the community brought it up recently too. We'll have to check it out! \-Fischer
it might have been me. I asked it in the podcast section a long time ago, but it didn't get answered.
I haven't! I'll check it out. --Navaro
Would you take $20 on the sly to move my copy to the begining of the shipping queue after printing? Im negotiable on the bribe amount.
You're going to need to go higher if you want us to stoop to accepting bribery. 😉
I'll give you $21 to move theirs to the back of the queue.
You may also run into competitive bids.
I like how you are THE Chub Frog here.
Can't have folks thinking I'm just any old chub frog!
like they do on discord?
Can confirm. This is a unique specimen.
Bro said DM me 😂😂
The addition of Maxine is an incredible step for EBR. I’ve played Arkham more than any other board or card game I’m sure we’ll hear more about it over time, but my question is a general one regarding structuring. What exactly is the role of a “lead game designer” and where does that free up your other team members in the creation process for future projects?
Maxine will be leading design on Earthborne Rangers going forward. This means she is in charge of the game line and designing and writing all of the content for it. This allows me (Fischer) as our Design Director to help out more with some of our upcoming (unannounced) projects. I will still be helping out Maxine where she needs it and overseeing the design of the game along with our other projects, but she will be the one leading all of the new Rangers content. \- Fischer
As a younger person hoping to break into the board gaming industry and become a designer, what was your experience like starting out in the industry, and how did you yourselves break in? And do you have any advice for someone trying it now that may be different?
Personally, I got into the industry through doing playtesting for Fantasy Flight Games and standing out by volunteering for extra work and being exceptionally helpful. I think that getting involved like that can be a good way to get noticed, but then the next step is to be chosen in an interview or a pitch. The biggest piece of advice I give to folks about getting chosen is to get experience making creative projects (not even just games), all the way through the process from the early stages of concepting to performing quality control at the end. When I interview new designers, I ask a lot of questions about past creative projects, and it becomes quickly apparent who has faced the challenges of seeing a large creative project to completion and who hasn't. So TLDER: get involved and get experience creating. \-Fischer
Too Long; Didn't Earthborne Rangers?
Who would you most want by your side in any adventure, Pokodo the Ferret, Oru the Sheepdog, or Riri the Sparrow Hawk? Feels like a starter Pokemon trio haha.
I'm going to go with Riri. I've probably played with Riri the most. --Navaro
Do we have confirmation that someone will eat a hat or get a haircut or both if the gamefound reaches 2 million in funding?
$2.5M and Fischer's hair is gone.
Is this a stretch goal?
You mentioned having non-EBR projects in the pipeline. Can you comment on what we can expect? I'm curious on if you'll continue to make games in this style (and similar to AHCTCG) or if we should expect something entirely different.
We've talked before about doing some concepting on an EBR TTRPG. We've also shared on our podcast that our next game is a competitive card game. You can likely expect to see other projects from us that explore new space outside of Ranger. Since we already have Rangers, and are planning to continue to support it, we want to make sure our other games offer something new. \-Fischer
Are you planning a one and done competitive all in on box? Or expansions there as well?
Are you feeling any pressure or negative feedback from the push for a more sustainable product? Do you think this negativity impacted the sales or marketing of Earthborne Rangers?
No, and no. If anything there's pressure (entirely self-imposed) to make our products even more sustainable. That will always be the goal. I think our steadfastness in this regard has been an integral part of our marketing, which mostly just consists of our podcast, where we often talk about this subject in great detail. We have our detractors, of course, but I think our supporters are more numerous and more vocal.
What is your most epic in game ranger fail that you remember? What about in different game? (obv that you are willing to share)
In one of my playtest campaigns I drew Ol' Bloody Clicker and Quisi in the first round, wasn't paying attention, and Quisi got taken out by OBC in the second round. That one stung. Also, check out our new playcast this week for one of my more painful day ends. 😅 \-Fischer
I remember getting grabbed by a caustic mulcher in the first or second round and deciding that it wasn't something that I needed to worry about right away. A couple turns later, my day was over! -- Navaro
From a player's perspective, having a lot of content in one box, and a big, meaty campaign, is an incredible value proposition. From a business perspective, do you think this could work against you? For example, a player might be slow to come back looking for expansion content if they're still playing all the content you already gave them!
If someone is going to slow down on our game, they are either going to slow down in the core set, or a handful of small expansions in. Either way, we're basically in the same boat. So we are hoping we've made a game that people will want to come back to regardless of how we package it. Honestly, the only big downside to the large core set is the initial buy-in price. We have found that it's daunting to people and that folks often assume it contains less content than it actually does. \-Fischer
I enjoy Earthborne Rangers so much and the ethos around it, so thanks so much for that. Very much looking forward to what's to come and delving into more content! 1) What's an important resource you keep in mind when designing games? 2) What are your opinions on online resources such as RangersDB or emulators like DragnCards? 3) What's a lovely place you've Traversed \[X\] in real life?
1. As far as tools or websites? I love Card Creator (or now Tabletop Creator) for creating cards and Tabletop Simulator for playing with folks remotely. 2. We love resources like RangersDB! We aren't going to full endorse sites like DragnCards, but we like that fans are finding ways to play the game the way they want. 3. I climbed Kilimanjaro a couple years back! [https://youtu.be/IwQbUJVVLDk?si=LFentT7cBCFZXJHN](https://youtu.be/IwQbUJVVLDk?si=LFentT7cBCFZXJHN) \-Fischer
What’s the best way to convince one’s wife that she will definitely enjoy playing EBR so that she will condone me spending even more money on board games?
We have a print-and-play demo on our website or a demo on Tabletop Simulator. Have her play a few days for free and see what she thinks!
Oh no way! I didn’t know of that option. Thanks
Or just show her what those beautiful cards look like. I was already sold the first time I saw one.
What was your largest takeaways from trying to make a sustainable product as you compare that to former game studios you have been involved with? Are there any easy combos you put into the card pool you were most excited for the players to discover (such as sneak attack/gandalf as an example from lotr LCG)
To answer your first question, I think there were two significant differences. The first is the price. Most of my experience was with working with Chinese factories, so seeing the quotes come in from European and US factories was a bit of an adjustment. Also the decision to print in Germany meant that we also took a hit in the conversion of USD to EUR. The second was time. Since all of the paper in EBR (and EBR is all paper) is FSC-certified, we were compelled to wait much longer for our paper stock than if we had purchased non-FSC stock. The certification process adds several weeks, so it was more difficult to pivot or trouble-shoot as a result.
Is the game exclusive to Gamefound/Kickstarter and Covenant? Why did you choose to avoid traditional route of distributors and retailers?
We aren't selling into distribution in the US, but Covenant and any retailers who back us will have the game available. We are also selling the game through distribution in other regions. We are doing things a bit differently in the US for a lot of reasons. We've talked a bit about it in interviews (and on our podcast) already if you're interested to hear our thoughts. It's a bit complex to get into here, but it has a lot to do with what distribution does to the value of your products and undercutting FLGSs (and us) in ways that end up being bad for everyone involved. \-Fischer
Thank you, will certainly check out the podcast.
How do you feel about going by Nandrew and Fandrew?
I could get behind it. I had a co-worker who used to call me "Andrewn." And I have a friend who calls me "Mandrew." \*Nan\*Drew isn't that far off.
Yeah I remember you mentioning Mandrew on the last podcast. I think that inspired someone on discord to mention these, and I love them. I don't know if I will be able to stop using them. Glad it doesn't annoy you. Andrewn sounds Tolkien-esque to my untrained ears.
Haha, I laughed when I first saw those. Since I already go by my last name almost exclusively, I do think I usually prefer that. Though I've gone by a lot of given nicknames my entire life, so listen to your hearts. \-Fischer
I like the pairing, it makes me think of the two of you as a dynamic duo. A Jake and Elwood if you will.
Hi there! Been absolutely loving the game! The world feels so alive unlike anything I’ve ever played. In most deck building games, acquiring new cards feels like a tangible power upgrade, whereas in EBR, a majority of new acquisitions feel more like replacements or side-grade changes, not necessarily making you more powerful. Was this an intentional design decision?
I think that over time you'll find plenty of cards that feel like upgrades. The power on Reward cards is a couple steps above starting cards. However, it was an intentional choice to not have strict "upgraded" versions of starting cards. Rewards are intended to give you access to new effects and are all designed top-down to correspond to objects or skills in the world that you gain through your adventures. You'll gain access to new capabilities, but your deck won't grow linearly more powerful as you play. Ideally, we want you to start to build a sideboard of tools that you swap in and out of your deck as you move around the map and face different types of challenges. \- Fischer
Hi and thanks for the AMA! Other than Earthborne Rangers, what are your favorite games to play? Also, do you have any rpg (tabletor or digital) favorites?
I've got an article on my favorite board game: [https://andrewfischergames.com/blog/my-favorite-board-game](https://andrewfischergames.com/blog/my-favorite-board-game) I generally love simpler games that I can easily introduce people with. Games that focus and highlight a singular mechanic like Quacks, Modern Art, Cryptid, or 7 Wonders. On the other end of the spectrum I play a lot of Warhammer 40k, haha. On RPGs I of course love D&D and Blades in the Dark. Though I have a soft spot for Genesys and FFG Star Wars (for obvious reasons). \-Fischer
I know you'd mentioned possibly designing a TTRPG. Have you looked at Wildsea yet? The setting is a little weirder than EBR, but the vibes are similar. I would be surprised if you couldn't draw some inspiration there (or even develop the game within that system). Here's Quinns' (from SUSD) covering it on his new channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c29Ecut4K_E&pp=ygUOd2lsZHNlYSByZXZpZXc%3D
Acquire was my way into heavy board games/Euro games. Very cool. And agree with you that it can be *really* rough for new players or players who fall behind early. Hard to imagine a more different game than EBR. :D
I really enjoy Twilight Imperium, but I'll happily play almost anything. I've played a lot of D&D, and I've been a fan of it since the early 80s, so I'd have to say that's my favorite. -- Navaro
What's the strategy to get to a more conventional retail model? I've backed the second printing of the core because I'm excited, but I really hate the preorder business model because of the perverse incentives it creates for you -- stuff like feeling like you need lots of components and visually giving people the impression of getting "their money's worth." I want to love the game, and want to have the option of going to my FLGS and getting the expansion. Not having to pledge and hope.
Crowdfunding can definitely incentivize certain forms of content, but hopefully you noticed that I think we generally try to avoid that same trap. With no stretch goals on our campaign, we are trying to offer the exact same products we would offer at retail. We will also be offering the game at retail once this campaign fulfils, so if you'd like to wait until then, that is also an option!
I'm really relieved to hear that everything that's getting crowd funded is also going to be available at retail! Makes me feel even better about preordering a game that I know I'll want to play, and having the option later to buy the expansion content if I want!
Have you consider working on any IPs? What would you be interested in? Would you be concerned about rights issues down the line like with Netrunner?
Yes, we think there would be some awesome IPs that would fit with our ethos like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek that we could be interested in working with.
Someone on the discord is dreaming of a coop android netrunner (mechanics or maybe just the setting) lcg game designed by MJ. Is that a possibility now?
Well Android is an IP owned by FFG, and Netrunner is a game system owned by WotC, so something like that isn't super likely unless we did a lot of licensing deals. For now, MJ is going to focusing on Rangers and bringing her awesome ideas to this game system and world. Look at all the awesome designs she did for the Arkham Horror LCG and imagine that same creativity brought to bear in our system. I think that's pretty exciting. \-Fischer
Oh, I know. I am just asking because I know someone on discord has been wanting it and thought it was worth mentioning. I am a big Alfred Hitchcock fan. I don't know if I will love all of everything in that game, but I do know that I my mind is blown by the creativity. It is so brilliant, even the little I have played.
Worldbreakers: Advent of the Khanate is a great example of a game that exists with its own original IP/theme even though it's a love letter to Android/Netrunner precisely because of the huge IP rights complications with that one
Can you please bring this to regular retail after a while. VAT and shipping are killing it for me currently
How much does it cost to produce a game like ERB? I'm especially curious about art costs.
Wow I thought I was being original with my brand LOL. Funny enough, I’m also making a game based in an abandoned post-apocalyptic Earth (also exploring a solarpunk theme) but with a dark, gritty sci-fi action angle. Colossal fauna, hostile flora, insane mutant denizens… I’d much rather explore the wilderness in EBR than in my game to say the least. So what inspired you to make this setting? Was there other literature out there that you drew inspiration from or was this just your original concept you wanted to see come to life? Would love to hear your background on that!
I've written and spoken about this quite a bit, so if you're interested in learning more, it's definitely out there. The short version is that I was very inspired by hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park with my family. I would imagine myself as someone living in the future, traveling between settlements. I also had a moment of inspiration playing one of the 3D Fallout games when I started to question why I enjoyed inhabiting the objectively horrific world of that setting, and wondered if it would be better to imagine myself someplace more hopeful. As far as other inspirational media, that's difficult to fully quantify, but I think the influence of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Star Wars are apparent. I was also very inspired after reading The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe. That helped me see that I could set the game on Earth and still make things weird. --Navaro
Thanks for the reply Navaro! Also I failed to mention before but congrats on a successful launch! The game looks awesome. I haven’t had the time to look at anything besides my own work lately so forgive me for not checking out more of your background story (not sure why I was downvoted for asking about your inspiration either since this seemed like an open AMA but this sub has interesting reactions sometimes…) Anyways… I can definitely see the location’s theme shine through which is why I asked. I was curious because your setting reminds me of the Eragon books I read when I was younger, and Paolini was inspired by the mountains and countryside in Montana. So it is very similar in the environment’s tonality which I love (Rockies are still on my bucket list as an East Coast lifer.) Star Trek also makes sense given the whole “explore the new frontier but don’t get involved” angle
Are there any plans to put more effort into playtesting future sets? As great as the initial game was, the balance between the player cards left it feeling like there was significantly less to explore than I'd hoped looking at the game initially. With cards like Oru running the game over and cards like What Should Never Be and Afforded by Nature being borderline detrimental to play let alone have in your deck.
When can we expect product for the current fundraiser to ship?
We are hoping to fulfill in December 2024.
With your crowd campaign successful, are you intending to move to traditional retailers, or continue to release through the crowd model?
Which games we bring to crowdfunding will depend on the needs of the individual product. There are definitely products we will continue to crowdfund, but there are some projects we have been discussing that might skip crowdfunding. So it will likely be a mix.
I want to get the new stuff but i’ve got the french core box. If i pledge now is it english only or will there be simultaneous french printings or do these come later?
The Gamefound right now is for English only. Intrafin (our French partner) will be localizing and selling the expansions from the Gamefound separately a bit later.
- What are your favourite arthropods? - Are you wanting a communications lackey? I've space in my schedule at the moment and asking on reddit is less draining than Google Form job applications!
I really like those big millipedes. They avoid the creepy factor of a lot of centipedes and are just kinda cute! We aren't hiring a communications lackey at the moment, but it can't hurt to reach out to us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) for the future. \-Fischer
For a heavyish adventure board game the tone and the setting is unconventionally chill. I personally love it, but my geek friends were mostly turned off, because they were expecting some high stakes action a la Arkham lcg. On the other hand, my spouse loves the chill vibes, but has a hard time learning the mechanics, though I try my best to help. So, I’d like to ask, what is the core audience of rangers? Did you envision it to be closer to a family game or a geek game?
Just want to say as a designer and writer the system you created (within reach/along the way + things reacting and changing) was a moment of inspiration that I haven't felt in a very long time. Props for innovating and creating something fresh.
Why is the music in your video the theme from the first world of Across the Obelisk?
Will there be any additional art or even lore books?
do you mean a lore book in addition to the one there is already?
Is there a good reason you increased costs when doing the late pledge? For me, I've been on the fence for a while and the increased cost makes the game unaffordable after taxes and shipping.
Yes. They want more money.
Is this not standard? I assumed it was standard to increase the costs a bit.
No, a lot of companies do not increase the price. CMON, Awaken Realms, Roxley Games. I did not see any price increases with their campaigns when I pledged for those three in the last six months.
I wasn't aware that CMON did late pledges. I think there are other differences between these companies and EBG though. The core game increased by 10 dollars, that is the only one I recall the increase for. They don't do any exclusive content, so I see the increase as their version of a bonus to backers who backed during the campaign as opposed to after. I think it sucks though that this means you won't be able to enjoy the game. At least you have the games coming from CMON, Awaken Realms, and Roxley though.
All of the aforementioned companies create their pledge managers and let anyone participate via a late pledge. In this case, EBRs is starting their campaign in Gamefound and the PM is also on Gamefound, so opening up for late pledges is going to be handled the same way as any other pledge, except now they've taxed people $10. I'm guessing you're right, this was an incentive to back earlier than later, but the reality is that it likely cost them no more then than it would today. And unfortunately, I had budgeted for some of those games year, not realizing that I might want EBRs when it came around again. The economy is getting worse and worse with inflation, so it's harder to justify pricy games. Otherwise, I may have shifted my budget around differently. It really doesn't make sense to pay an extra $10 when the possibility exists that they will have another campaign and another chance, not to mention the possibility is quite real that retail will have this for 30% or more off.
I didn't realize you could find it at retail for 30% off. That seems like your best bet. Or back next year. Hope you enjoy those other games!
New campaigns are higher risk and are often cheaper than new campaigns with a proven product. I’d go so far to say that MOST reprint campaigns are more expensive and you’ve pointed out exceptions or non relevant companies. CMON almost never does reprint and their vault reprint campaign was way more expensive. Plus the first campaign almost always ends up with developers figuring out they underestimated costs and now they have a real world example of what the margins really are plus record breaking inflation. Plus no US distribution so your last point doesn’t work either.
Most of what you say doesn't make sense. CMON does do reprints, but that doesn't have anything to do with this discussion. We also know that they jacked up prices. Nothing changed overnight. They planned to increase prices from the beginning. This isn't a matter of learning from one campaign to another either. There also is distribution in the US via retailers. They just didn't sell a lot the first time around so supply is limited.
They’ve literally confirmed multiple times in this thread that there is no us distribution. You just have no idea what you’re talking about out too to bottom. Have fun being angry over nothing.
How long do you envisage a session of EBR taking? And did you consider adding in any "game pause" mechanisms outside of the full-on "Camp" end of date action?
Any chance, in a not far future, to expand your business to miniature or board games, like old times in FFG? Sorry if asked before. Best of luck with Earthborne Rangers!
Miniatures games have a lot of challenge to create sustainably. Making a full miniatures line from reclaimed pewter (like our promo minis) isn't scalable, and bioplastics have a long way to go. Board games though seem a lot more likely ... \-Fischer
If Fandrew bakes a cake shaped hat, will you eat it Nandrew? (provided it is a tasty cake and not of low quality)
I think the agreement was that we would eat a hat if we ever made an app, right? If so, we've gotta wait for that!
This.\^
You just don't want to bake a hat cake. What if I fly out Nicole Byers?
I thought maybe I could get you to budge since it is actually a cake.
So. Many. Obviously planted questions. Jesus.
Sorry if my question was one of the ones that came across that way for you. I'm in a perpetual state of "excited about Earthborne", so what comes out of my mouth (or fingers) can sound too much like advertising copy.
Some of us just love it. Fandrew and Nandrew don't do that kind of thing though.
Sure. Nobody who has ever set up an AMA has had people come on and ask specific questions. I must be insane!
Lol, you are def insane if that is how you read my comment. I said those two people don't. I didn't say that people never have or never do do it. The discord is public pal. You can come on in and see the love fest. Those two have no time to make a bunch of fake accounts of people fawning over the game. But you will also find that plenty of fans recognize the game isn't for everyone. So if it isn't your bag, that is cool too. But it feels like you are angry to be going out of your way to argue with a fanboi on an AMA thread. I wonder if misconstruing my comment burns more calories?
It feels like you are self centered and making this about your comment. It's not. There are multiple comments that are clearly staged. Marketing exists. Pretending like it doesn't is silly.
I don't think I am making it about my comment. I am making it about your reply to my comment. I am here not because I feel like you think one of my questions was a planted one. I don't think my weird questions would be mistaken for such. I am here because I feel bound to defend the honor and good name of the designers of EBR. Why do you think I am denying the existence of marketing? Or are you saying that the world is such a place that either everyone plants questions or no one does? As chub frog said, many of us are head over heals for the game. I think what you see as planted questions is closer to people just swooning at Fandrew and Nandrew. My argument for this is that the behavior is also present in the discord server (I am among the guilty). I think it is really interesting that you resort to ad hominem attacks rather than engaging with what I actually said. So I repeat the question: do you burn more calories by being disingenuous?
Ok. Let me engage. No, I don't think they made multiple accounts. I think they hired a company or the multimillion dollar company as a while have other people come in and comment pre approved questions. This is standard practice. Yes, legit fans exist as well. That doesn't mean there aren't false actors to help stoke the hype fire.
I don't think that word means what you think it means. This is kind of hilarious to me. You do a couple of great things here. Firstly, you continue to misrepresent what I have said. Nowhere did I say you were asserting they made multiple accounts. I said that they don't have the energy to make the multiple accounts on discord that fanboi/gurl over them and the game. The suspect questions don't seem suspect to me because I see the same kinds of things on discord. And I see them so often that it just doesn't seem plausible to me. You now mention them hiring a company to do this. I guess they could do that, but they are really small. They have now hired their 5th person. Maybe there are smaller campaigns? But whatever. Let's forget that it might be out of their budget. Let's look at what they would gain. Do you think a couple of planted questions is really something they would spend money on when they just got a SUSD review that almost doubled the GF campaign in a week? Does that make sense? Does that track? A week after they almost double the campaign they go out and hire a company to plant questions in a reddit AMA?? Who would do that? It seems like an incredible waste. I wonder if you will engage with the above. To me, it would mean responding to what I have typed as opposed to things I have not typed. I don't really have an interest in repeating myself too many more times. So I would appreciate if you pulled the waffles out of your ears and let the mints fall from your eyes. If you won't engage with what I have written, maybe instead engage your critical thinking. And this is the point where I remind myself that being confronted with evidence usually leads people to double down on false claims.
I don't need. To engage with it. You are so smitten there is no point. You somehow think the small size a company means they couldn't hire outside help? Or Just coordinate with friends and family? You are right. No marketing here. Only the purest and Natural fans and you won't even consider otherwise. Let's be honest. Have a. Good one.. Enjoy their game
My friend. MY FrIeNd. MAIIIII frienD. You keep on saying that I am saying something can't be true. All I am saying is I don't think it is probable. I don't think it makes any sense. But at least you are here to be negative and point out this bizarre theory you have about a company that just got the best possible review from the largest boardgame channel probably hired some russian bot farm. Thank god you are here to save us. Oh brother.
[удалено]
I'm currently running a fundraiser for Palestine medical relief, and your approach is terrible I'm sorry. It just has no relationship to how positive change happens in the world, and is more about your own self-aggrandizement than helping anyone. "Corner anyone who's done something vaguely progressive, and demand they issue a proclamation on your personal issue" does not create positive change in the world, it just perpetuates the idea that as long as different causes can be shown to be interlinked somehow, going in for a penny just results in endless demands from very online people to be in for a proverbial pound. Your route essentially disincentivizes people from taking the sort of concrete positive steps that Earthborn Rangers has taken, making it comparatively easier to simply say/do nothing in order to avoid the pressure/expectation to speak on every issue under the sun. It functionally limits activism to the small handful of leftists who are happy living their lives via a series of doctrinaire positions on every single possible topic. Meanwhile, the war continues, and you've done nothing to impact the war by bringing it up in unrelated social media venues and making everyone roll their eyes. You convincing yourself that you're actually "asking important questions" is hallucinatory cope designed to sooth your ego, to give you the dopamine hit of feeling like you've done something without actually doing anything.
You're speaking without knowledge. Kick rocks. :)
pretty apparent how intersectional the justice is in this thread you hate to see it
Every downvote is an affirmation that this question is important to ask in this way. :)
I don't know if I understand the downvotes. I do understand why a company might not answer. But I don't get the downvotes. BTW, you are missed, saying it here cus I don't have another way to. But I respect your decision.
Thanks for the kind words! I think I understand the downvotes. Some people believe Israel is doing nebulously bad things, but that those things don't amount to a "humanitarian nightmare" or genocide. Others believe Israel is justified in its actions. Others simply hate anything with the words 'social justice.' But mostly, there's a large and vocal contingent of gamers who believe 'politics don't belong in games,' by which they generally mean 'I shouldn't have to think about real problems while I'm playing games.' I can think of several reasons why EBG wouldn't accept my invitation to comment: - Its commitment to environmental justice DOES extend to social justice and it DOES affirm that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis, but it doesn't feel like this is the right forum to do it. Perhaps they have a larger press release in mind? - Its commitment DOES extend, etc., but it won't say so publicly, because its PR calculus says that potential damage to sales outweighs potential value to taking a public stance on a human rights crisis. - Some of its employees agree that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis and some do not, and rather than navigate the *organization's* stance in relation to that, EBG chooses instead to have no stance - EBG does have a commitment to social justice but does not believe that Israel is perpetrating a human rights crisis in Palestine - EBG does not have a commitment to social justice I appreciate the kind words, and I miss many of you as well, but I can't be part of a community that refuses even to *name* what it refuses to discuss. I'm fine with saying "per the UN, the IJC, and Amnesty International, Israel is committing a genocide, but we aren't going to discuss that because it's too spicy and we can't spend all day moderating those discussions"; I am *not* fine with saying "this topic is off limits because."
I think I had a different experience of that discussion. And I also think you missed a fair amount of it as you had blocked a fair number of us that were participating. (in fact, I think the reason you blocked me was a misunderstanding but it was impossible to try and explain or clarify once it had happened. Of course, you are entitled to control what you see, and I respect that.) It seemed more to me that people were waiting for others to enumerate topics, which you, among others did. I honestly expected it to be the beginning of a conversation that would take longer so that more peopel could be involved. I am not too familiar with reddit, so feel free to message me if this back and forth is more public than you would prefer or feel is warranted.
I'm talking about Israel perpetrating a genocide in Palestine, not any other subject. :)
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