Front Page

Content

Authors

Game Index

Forums

Site Tools

Submissions

About

KK
Kevin Klemme
March 09, 2020
35136 2
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
January 27, 2020
20816 0
Hot
KK
Kevin Klemme
August 12, 2019
7404 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 19, 2023
3964 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
December 14, 2023
3485 0
Hot

Mycelia Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 12, 2023
2074 0
O
oliverkinne
December 07, 2023
2582 0

River Wild Board Game Review

Board Game Reviews
O
oliverkinne
December 05, 2023
2250 0
O
oliverkinne
November 30, 2023
2494 0
J
Jackwraith
November 29, 2023
3009 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
November 28, 2023
1971 0
S
Spitfireixa
October 24, 2023
3690 0
Hot
O
oliverkinne
October 17, 2023
2617 0
O
oliverkinne
October 10, 2023
2460 0
O
oliverkinne
October 09, 2023
2288 0
O
oliverkinne
October 06, 2023
2504 0

Outback Crossing Review

Board Game Reviews
×
Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)

Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.

× Buy your army to crush your enemies.

Imperial Aces

More
02 Jan 2014 13:30 #168946 by edulis
Imperial Aces was created by edulis
[url=http://]http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4572[/url]

Seems like the trend 'round here is away from X-wing, which I guess I can forgive. It is still my favorite miniatures game right now. And these new TIE Interceptor pilots are freakin' awesome.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 14:09 #168957 by Sagrilarus
Replied by Sagrilarus on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I don't think I've ever seen the bottom fall out of a game so quickly. What's up with X-Wing?

My local game store guy said that they don't have good tournament support, but this game is selling in Target so I can't imagine that's the majority of their intended audience.

S.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 14:29 #168959 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Re: Imperial Aces
Bottom fell out? Huh? I still play it...we played a game last week, enjoyed the hell out of it. I don't play in stores so I can attest to what the situation is there, but it does appear that Wizkids' in-store support for Attack Wing looks better than FFG's and that may be luring folks away. But X-Wing is still great, still much-loved as far as I can tell.

If there is a problem, it may actually be that all of the really iconic, familiar ships are now out and there's a sense of uncertainty about what direction the game is going to go from here. Interest in the giant $100 ships doesn't seem to really be there, and who knows what's up with those space tiles they announced. So it almost seems like the game is at an impasse...especially for folks that have everything they want out of the OT releases. Do they just do repaints, do more EU stuff, start on the Prequel ships (that virtually no one wants)...or do they do products like a widely wanted scenario book, terrain, boards, etc.? It almost seems like FFG doesn't quite know what to do with the game from here, I don't know that there was a five year plan in place for it, so to speak.

I'm in for the Imperial Aces, they look good. And I'll buy whatever Rebel aces they do as well. That said, if they suddenly ended the line I'd be completely happy with my set and it will continue to be played for years to come.
The following user(s) said Thank You: bendgar, Gary Sax, jpat, VonTush, Msample

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 14:38 #168961 by Sagrilarus
Replied by Sagrilarus on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I suppose it went up the pop charts and came back down as expected. But it just seemed to drop off of the scope right around the beginning of December after being the golden child all year long.

It's now one of five games using the same core mechanic, and Attack Wing is very similar overall. Word from my local retailer is that Wizkids is supporting the heck out of Attack Wing.

$20 at Target should give it some more attention, but I had to scan the box to see the discount price at my local store.

S.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 15:06 - 02 Jan 2014 15:07 #168963 by edulis
Replied by edulis on topic Re: Imperial Aces
We recently started a league at my FLGS and it is growing. Sure it went from 4 to 9 players, but we are a small town so that is huge.

I don't think interest is falling in X-wing in general; interest seems to be waning on this site in particular. Or maybe it was just SuperFly.

FFG could do a better job of keeping up with demand. Seems like their website is out of stock of half the items.

Also did everyone who cares see this: url=http://http://www.gametrademagazine.com/Home/1/1/58/580[/url]

I doubt I can justify buying the big ships, but I am excited about the description of the mechanics.
Last edit: 02 Jan 2014 15:07 by edulis.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 15:08 #168964 by edulis
Replied by edulis on topic Re: Imperial Aces
$20 at target? I'll have to take a look.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 15:45 #168967 by jpat
Replied by jpat on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I wonder what the sales have been like on the HWK-290 pack, which would be some sort of indication of how EU or other ships would do. I didn't buy any because I'm not particularly interested in EU (let alone prequel) ships, but I may be unusual in that.

If momentum is slackening, my guess is that it's due exactly to what Michael has said. I suspect FFG could've kept up momentum more had it pushed out the OT ships a little more slowly, but I suspect their market research said they'd gain more by shoving them out faster while people were still enthusiastic and were willing to keep buying before they realized they already had too much.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:00 - 02 Jan 2014 16:01 #168968 by Sagrilarus
Replied by Sagrilarus on topic Re: Imperial Aces

jpat wrote: but I suspect their market research said they'd gain more by shoving them out faster while people were still enthusiastic and were willing to keep buying before they realized they already had too much.


With a new movie coming out? They should be looking at 18 months from now. They should be looking to publish future ships.

I don't know what the licensing allows but they should be publishing ships that didn't exist in the movies. The variety would be invaluable even if it's largely about appearance. People dig that stuff.

S.
Last edit: 02 Jan 2014 16:01 by Sagrilarus.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:03 #168970 by edulis
Replied by edulis on topic Re: Imperial Aces
jpat- I think you have a good point, the HWK is the only ship I do not have at least one copy of. I never played or even saw the video games, so I am not familar with the characters or the ship, so it is less interesting.

On the other hand I am sure I will pick one or two up at some point. For me, I think the game itself has trumped the fact that it is Star Wars.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:05 #168971 by VonTush
Replied by VonTush on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I think in general FFG is seeing what WizKids is doing with their licensed mechanics and it has given them pause. FFG thought they were printing money with XWing, now they're seeing WizKids running circles around them as far as product release, tourney support...etc. Basically they're seeing what you can do as a company when you don't cater to the whiny people online needing perfect models, perfect balance, perfect production, bitching about exclusives...

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:10 #168973 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I would expect the HWK-290 to sell about a third or less of what the "top line" ships would. But that's a big cross section of customers. You're getting folks that want the ship for completion, folks that want it for competitive builds, and Jedi Knight fans. But I'd also expect that most HWK-290 purchases are of a single ship, whereas someone might buy 3+ B-Wings or whatever. It does seem like it was a test-the-waters choice, to see if customers would be receptive to non-OT ships but still staying in OT-era, canonical bounds.

I definitely agree that there's a sense that the momentum of the product line has slowed. This time last year, it was HOT. You couldn't buy it anywhere. There was rampant speculation about what the next releases would be. And now that we've had two more waves and they were more or less exactly what was expected...FFG doesn't seem to be providing customers with anything really exciting about the game beyond those big ships which are just not something that most players- even hardcore players- are going to buy en masse.

But we don't know what's going on, really. There could be licensing issues that are preventing other products coming out. For example, they may not be able to produce those starfield tiles because it would legally butt up against board game licensing held by Hasbro. Some of the EU stuff might be under different licensing packages or have different stakeholders involved. Then there's the whole question of Prequel ships- are they worth the risk, financially? Then, there are development issues of reconciling ships from different eras, creating all-new artwork, writing new rules/cards...all of which may not be worth the resources if a Naboo Starfighter sells a quarter as many units as an X-Wing.

The in-store play issue does seem to be substantial. Wizkids are old hands at store support. They know that offering storyline "seasons", having top-notch prize support, and fostering communities of play will sell the game even if its quality is poorer than X-Wing. If I'm into the competitive scene, the game that's giving me a huge fucking DS9 model as an incentive to go to a shop and play every week is the one I'm going to go with.

And Attack Wing has, I think, disrupted X-Wing quite a bit. I've heard here, on TOS, and elsewhere that folks have made the switch. I like both games, and I think the Trek/Wars flavors are different enough for me to have both. That said, I collect Attack Wing differently. I get one of everything, and that makes me happy. But I dont' even have any Dominion stuff yet. X-Wing, three of everything and one each of the larger ships. I can't imagine going mulitples on Attack Wing AND X-Wing.

I think it's too early to declare X-Wing in crisis, but I do think that one of FFG's top 1Q priorities should be to form up a solid plan of what to do with the game over 2014. It's pretty clear that the "wow" factor of the big ships is actually pretty muted (mostly due to those $100 price tags) and the things I've heard people asking for like a scenario book/cards, maps, and terrain don't seem to be materializing. They need to come in strong BEFORE the summer conventions with public plans about what they're doing with the game. Are they going prequels, EU, or repaints? How are they going to improve tournament support?

I mean, hell...I'd buy a set of deluxe templates if they made them. There's all kinds of things they could be doing, but just releasing more ships is actually about the LEAST appealing thing they can do with it right now.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Msample

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:31 #168974 by VonTush
Replied by VonTush on topic Re: Imperial Aces
I want to play more XWing, but Attack Wing is just demanding my attention. I'm in two OP events and I'll be running a third which is starting on the 12th (San if you want in let me know I'll provide ships!) So that's all I have time for. And I WILL win one of those DS9 models damn it!

As far as ship purchases, I'm at 3 of each for XWing excluding Ties (6) and XWings (4) and one of each of the large ships. Two more Ties and I'm content until whatever else comes down the pipe.

Attack Wing, I'm targeting two of each, there might be an exception here or there, and one is plenty but a second gives some nice options.

From what I recall, I don't think they have the license for the Prequel stuff. I'm likely wrong, but I think I read that somewhere when they announced they had the license bit it was only for the Original Trilogy. And I'm too lazy to source it now.

They do need to do something and perhaps what that something is is to just polish off a few things, round out with a Rebel Aces and then cash licensing money from WizKids.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 16:52 #168977 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Re: Imperial Aces
VT, that's a great point about the licensing. It could be that licensing the system to Wizkids winds up generating more profit than developing and manufacturing new X-Wing material. If that happens, FFG is less likely to invest capital in it, regardless of the license. And that's an odd situation, to have a competing game on the shelf that's not only competing for sales but also for in-store play with another game that you're earning licensing fees from.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 17:15 - 02 Jan 2014 17:16 #168979 by VonTush
Replied by VonTush on topic Re: Imperial Aces
Imperial Aces is slated for release Feb '14 and is labeled at Wave 3.5. After that everything is up in the air. The big ships at some point. Restocks will come out...sometime...

Feb '14 we will see Wave 3 launch for Attack Wing. OP5 should be mostly in the books and people starting to claim OP6 DS9 prizes. Kits should be on order, if not shipping, for the two Single Episode Organized Plays. Wave 4 just a few weeks later. And then Wave 5 a few months after that.

The pace that WizKids is setting is actually breathtaking and invigorating. The pace that FFG is setting is...well...not.
Last edit: 02 Jan 2014 17:16 by VonTush.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
02 Jan 2014 17:34 #168980 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Re: Imperial Aces
If there's one thing I've learned about selling games, it's that if you can ensure to the customer that they're going to have someone else to play with then you're halfway to closing the sale. That's the strength of in-store play and the importance of tournament support for any kind of CCG/LCG/collectible/a la carte/serial release product. You've got to have that momentum to keep people assured of continuance and of something new always about to come out or happen.

I would have thought that FFG would understand this with their support for Netrunner and their other LCG releases. But yes, Wizkids is definitely outpacing them on that front and it may be impacting how X-Wing is played or even selling.

Of course, if you just play at home with friends, it's a different dynamic. But these kinds of games HAVE to have support to be sustainable. I've seen many games come and go that had faltering or practically non-existant in-store support and the same thing happens every time. People stop buying because they feel like if they get into the game and invest then their opportunities to actually play it will dry up.

Hecatomb and Dreamblade are prime examples. Great games. Dreamblade was actually very great. But if you bought a couple of boxes of it, who were you going to play it with if your friends weren't into it? Not at an FLGS, because you'd either go and there'd be nobody there or they wouldn't be supporting it at all.

There may be a perception among the X-Wing player base that it's in decline because Wizkids is supporting Attack Wing so well. If you go to the Android's Dungeon for X-Wing night and there's three people, and then the next night you go for Attack Wing and there's 20, there's two different pictures of health and you're naturally going to want to be with the better supported game because there's more people to play with.

This is one of the reasons that Magic has never declined. You can go into a store and drop $500 on cards and feel assured that you'll have someone to play with. But you might buy a $50 board game and have no one to play with.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: Gary Sax
Time to create page: 0.254 seconds