Mercenaries Kickstarter Discussion 7: Inbound From Jump Point

[DarkSpade]

What makes me dumbstruck the most is how in hell there are product shortages when a KS gives you the exact number of people and the products they bought! There's absolutely no reason for CGL to not have ordered the production of the exactly demanded quantities. The latest info was that Arano coins shortage was causing some hold up. But they knew how many Arano coins should have been made to fulfill the KS demand. What gives?

Just because CGL told the factory to send X# of something doesn't mean the the factory actually sent X#.    I couldn't tell you how many times it's happened at work where we ordered a full pallet of part 123A and when we get it the middle layer was all part 826B.  This is after waiting 3 months to get it and spending the previous 2 weeks promising the customers it was on the way.

[Teejay75]

QML posted that a batch of 250ish shortage pledges are being prepared now. Those were being help up by urbie company boxes.

The main shortage is still ongoing, that is the Arano coin and 10-12 clan dice.


Damn my dice ocd!

I’m thinking it’s probably more than just the dice. I didn’t order any dice except for the freebie chevron dice. I did order some challenge coins and one patch with my swag choices. That’s the only thing I can think of that has held up my order. Unless I’m in wave 2. I’ve gotten so confused, are we in wave two yet or was this last batch the end of wave one? I’m now hoping to get my boxes in time for my birthday at the end of January.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

When my order finally arrived, it turned out to be missing the Chevron dice.  I sent a message to QML customer service about it, who knows if/when replacements will arrive.  I know it will be after all orders have been fulfilled but I have no idea how long after.

[Wolf72]

I'd like to see the Dice trays go up on the CGL store soon-ish.  That's one thing I did not see to add (or I prob spent enough as is!), with my store credit I'd like to grab a couple.

[StCptMara]

Just because CGL told the factory to send X# of something doesn't mean the the factory actually sent X#.    I couldn't tell you how many times it's happened at work where we ordered a full pallet of part 123A and when we get it the middle layer was all part 826B.  This is after waiting 3 months to get it and spending the previous 2 weeks promising the customers it was on the way.

As I was having some car work done recently, I spent a chunk of time listening to the drama of them trying to find a tire for a customer, that had been waiting on that tire for a week. Turned out the tire had been discontinued, and no-one realized it, and they had to substitute another tire by the same company. Interesting thing to listen to. Also, I was waiting on part that was supposed to have only taken an hour to hour and a half to get in, coming from a nearby location, but it took over 4 hours because the part runner went to do a delivery to another town on the way to where I was. I share these as examples of how fragile a logistics train can become, even on a small distance scale.

That said, maybe QML did not get the entire stock they were supposed to, because CGL sent some stuff to retailers and distributors? With the instances of breaches of embargo seen in the wild, we can know that they sent stuff to people other than QML. But, CGL *should* have sent the amount to fulfill everything to QML. I am wondering where the break-down in logistics happened?

[Gotthammer]

There was also someone in the KS comments saying he got more coins and dice than he ordered which, if more widespread, won't have helped. Also sending stock to the US from the factory in China, and then from the US to other hubs is adding another point of failure wrt stock counts (and delays...).

My personal suspicion is that the Euro stores who got stock on shelves backed as regular peeps and used a freight forwarder from the US to get around the embargo / retail backer delay.

[VectorStrike]

• Dice #54: Laser Effect-Clan Snow Raven

Noooo not the best Clan's dice!! 

Just because CGL told the factory to send X# of something doesn't mean the the factory actually sent X#.    I couldn't tell you how many times it's happened at work where we ordered a full pallet of part 123A and when we get it the middle layer was all part 826B.  This is after waiting 3 months to get it and spending the previous 2 weeks promising the customers it was on the way.

Oh, God! 

My personal suspicion is that the Euro stores who got stock on shelves backed as regular peeps and used a freight forwarder from the US to get around the embargo / retail backer delay.

That's a fair assumption.

[Wolf72]

dropship landed ... now stealth mission to transfer units without getting spotted is in effect.  I may have to play the long game!

Legendary Salvage pulls: 3x Griffin, 1 BH MAD, 1 Red Mad, 1 WHM, 1 Hellbringer! II, 1 Devastator ... so 2/5 for the Legendary II Box that I did not get.

Question/Clarification: Was Everybody supposed to get a Bonus Salvage box: Mercs, or just those that ordered 1+ Salvage Box: Mercs?

I thought everyone, but did not get an extra SB: M.  Still everything looked good, no glaring problems that I could see on first inspection and my BA looks absolutely fine.

[Charistoph]

I think it was just SB:M, because those would have a random Galleon or Maxim in the box instead of a 'Mech.

[Ghaz]

Just received the following message from Catalyst Games via Kickstarter in regard to receiving a vehicle in a Salvage Box as a part of a pledge received before they added an extra Salvage Box to offset this problem:

All potentially affected backers have/will be sent an additional Salvage Box to offset this issue for any backers with one vehicle. So, there should be no problem here, if it hasn't made it to you yet, it will likely be soon!

Happy Gaming!

[Wolf72]

I think it was just SB:M, because those would have a random Galleon or Maxim in the box instead of a 'Mech.

fair enough. I would not have been affected.

[Gotthammer]

Facebook saying there is no livestream this week, and not sure when the next one will be.

So we're currently 3 weeks since the last update on Kickstarter, 8 weeks since the last informative update (being generous there), and who knows how long until the next one. There are still issues that have never been posted about on Kickstarter. No ETAs on any of the delays in these two months.

But it's okay, they're increasing the quality of their communications!

[MarauderD]

Just received the following message from Catalyst Games via Kickstarter in regard to receiving a vehicle in a Salvage Box as a part of a pledge received before they added an extra Salvage Box to offset this problem:

Curious if they'll also reach out to people that got multiple vehicles in mech salvage boxes.

/Wave

[Ghaz]

Curious if they'll also reach out to people that got multiple vehicles in mech salvage boxes.

/Wave

That was covered in last week's Tuesday Newsday:

--If you have gotten more than one vehicle from Mercs salvage boxes, email tbuckner@catalystgamelabs.com.

[Mendrugo]

Curious if they'll also reach out to people that got multiple vehicles in mech salvage boxes.

/Wave

I got two tanks in the 'Mech salvage boxes.  I reached out to QML, and they responded that I'd gotten an extra salvage box as part of the general remediation effort, and that I should reach out to Catalyst if I wanted to pursue it further.  Since my haul was about 250 pieces, I left it there and enjoyed my extra Maxim.

[MarauderD]

That was covered in last week's Tuesday Newsday:

Yup, already emailed, just curious if they'd proactively send an email like the one above.  Time will tell, in 0 rush, as my pile of shame is now a mountain range of vehicles and mechs.

[Wolf72]

bound to happen sooner or later ... I've permanently lost my stands for my Warriors ... all it took was one day and a not a thorough double check! RIP

Any ideas on replacement or rigging new ones? A lego lightsaber piece does fit in the base and the lightsaber handle fits in the mini-post.  No rush and there's like a 3% chance I might have saved them in a different package that hasn't gone bye-bye already

[Lorcan Nagle]

bound to happen sooner or later ... I've permanently lost my stands for my Warriors ... all it took was one day and a not a thorough double check! RIP

Any ideas on replacement or rigging new ones? A lego lightsaber piece does fit in the base and the lightsaber handle fits in the mini-post.  No rush and there's like a 3% chance I might have saved them in a different package that hasn't gone bye-bye already

It's not translucent but I'd be shocked if one of the Evergreen styrene tubes didn't fit the connector on the bottom of the Warrior.

[Wolf72]

what is this evergreen tubes you speak of?

[DarkSpade]

Anyone else think it's a little silly that it came with a short peg and a long peg instead of just a short peg that can slot into a removable long peg?

[Lorcan Nagle]

what is this evergreen tubes you speak of?

Evergreen are a long-standing hobby supply manafacturer, they do styrene pieces in a variety of shapes and sizes

[Wolf72]

RL is getting in my way, but within the next 3 weeks I will make some time to check out the local arts/crafts store.  We also have a Hobby Lobby here, that might work too.

[Aotrs Commander]

bound to happen sooner or later ... I've permanently lost my stands for my Warriors ... all it took was one day and a not a thorough double check! RIP

Any ideas on replacement or rigging new ones? A lego lightsaber piece does fit in the base and the lightsaber handle fits in the mini-post.  No rush and there's like a 3% chance I might have saved them in a different package that hasn't gone bye-bye already

Straight-up you could do what I do for all my starships and fighters, get a 3.2mm drill bit and just use the ubiquitous cheap plastic hex-based flight stand (Ground Zero Games is where I get mine, but I'm sure you could find 'em easily enough anywhere else. Hell, if you have access to a 3D printer, I made a set of compatible ones I put up for free during the Great British Flight Stand Shortage a year or two ago.)

Cut the top pin off (those were always useless, didn't ouy 'em oh mine) and you're done.

Put a hole a few mm deep in the vehicle and you can easily take and remove them from the flight stand (I do it with all my 6mm fighters).

(Super-advanced level, my set has a variety of heights so you could eaily have high and low.)

[klarg1]

Evergreen are a long-standing hobby supply manafacturer, they do styrene pieces in a variety of shapes and sizes

Evergreen is great. You can usually also get a wide variety of brass rod stock at the same craft stores if you want something a little sturdier.

[Ghaz]

We also have a Hobby Lobby here, that might work too.

The Hobby Lobby website shows a few items from Evergreen Scale Models.

[Wolf72]

Thanks, Ghaz.

I'm all about simple

[StCptMara]

bound to happen sooner or later ... I've permanently lost my stands for my Warriors ... all it took was one day and a not a thorough double check! RIP

Any ideas on replacement or rigging new ones?

Pick up some model railroad scenery, and attach the Warrior to it, like it is doing a close fly-by?

[ActionButler]

**Mod Notice**

Folks, I am once again asking everyone to save their Kickstarter-related ire for the social media platforms that CGL employees actually frequent.

Yes, this is the CGL forum. No, we do not have many CGL employees posting here. Yes, I do think it’s weird. No, I cannot explain why that is. But that’s just the truth of the matter.

None of the forum admins or mods can help with this. We just can’t. We can’t answer your questions, elevate your concerns to actual CGL employees, or make your stuff move any faster. We know just as much as, if not less, than any of you guys do because we are, for all practical purposes, regular folks just like the rest of you guys.

I am sorry that you don’t have answers. I really, truly am. But coming here to be angry about something you read someplace else is not going to change anything apart from maybe earning you a Rule 7 warning for coming here to be angry about something you read someplace else.

All of that to say, every time you get (justifiably) pissed off about the state of this Kickstarter and post here to loudly announce just how (justifiably) pissed off you are, all you’re doing is creating a hostile environment that people not employed by CGL have to defuse. Please don’t put us in that situation.

[Mendrugo]

bound to happen sooner or later ... I've permanently lost my stands for my Warriors ... all it took was one day and a not a thorough double check! RIP

I almost tossed my liquid core dice bag - blended in with the bubble wrap and I was looking for the kind of brown box the other dice set came in.  Glad I double checked. 

I've put most of my flying stuff on Armskeeper hexagonal flying bases, trimming the pin off the top and gluing on small rare earth magnets.  That lets me remove them easily for storage then reassemble them without scraping off any paint.  (Did that for the rotors, too, after too many instances of the rotors popping off in storage and having to be reglued - plus it lets me spin the rotors with my fingertip and make "whup whup whup" noises.)

[Lorcan Nagle]

I've got a bunch of metal helicopter rotors to repair/replace and I'm sorely tempted to magnet them on,