Fight Klub

Well...
In my email this morning:

"If you are reading this email, you have been selected into the Founding Mentor program or the Connector program for Fight Klub TCG! Congratulations and thank you for your interest. Please be patient with us as we move into this next phase of the game. We will be posting the locations of all of our initial Founding Mentors and Connectors on the site starting next week. "

What does it mean? Well, I dunno just yet but I will report here as I find out (and am able).

Aren't you breaking the first two rules of Fight Klub?

Yea, but that is how much I love you guys...

I would note BTW - I have zero interest in their selling scheme and I explicitly stated that on the application. So I was somewhat surprised they picked me. We'll see what there is to see I guess.

So is anybody playing?

What's the F:AT rating?

(Disclosure: I have nothing to gain and I'm not selling it to anybody, I won't get on board untill after I'm certain it's not gonna insta-fail)

I note the one review at TOS is headlined "not trying to sell the game" and a lot of the message board is about the 'referrals'. This is a terrible idea.

I've ordered cards but have not received them yet. I haven't bothered to read the rules yet. That just doesn't seem to work for me. I need to have the cards and what not in front of me and play to really grok instructions.

A couple of notes. In order to go into various forum areas on the website you must have a CC on file. This is an outrageously bad idea. I am currently in a back and forth with one of the Decipher folks on that. She trying to tell me how I am wrong and me trying to point out how I am right.

I hate, hate, hate, HATE the selling model. In the back and forth emails right now, one good point was made. You don't have to sell stuff. That is a valid point. However, I think the issue is that people will always assume you have a hidden agenda. That stinks.

I am trying to figure out a way to make sure that it is not possible to use me as a "referral" so that if I write anything about it, there can be no doubt that it is shill free baby, shill free.

Anyhoo, more as it develops.
el Van

I was all registered and ready to poke around untill I got to the credit card thing too.

I will not give them my credit card just to surf a forum.

I tried to remove my account, but every link I tried required a credit card registration.....so I can't even cancel without giving my CC info!!!!

I'm not dead set against the kickbacks or viral marketing, but I'd like to be able to poke about the website without giving them my credit card info.

The more I hear of this the more I hate it.

The premise is highly iffy to me, and the execution is like a convergence of every shitty marketing scam ever.

Credit Card on file to browse your website? Not even remotely happening. I think I'd rather pay for real porn than geekporn like "My Hannibal Lecter bites your Elwood Blues' face off!".

At least I'd cream some hamburger there.

Van,

I'm beginning to feel like you're in need of an intervention. We love you, we're here for you, and we want you to get better.

I am currently in a back and forth with one of the Decipher folks on that. She trying to tell me how I am wrong and me trying to point out how I am right.

Ye gods. It's like nothing's changed.


This brought back nightmares of arguing with Mark Tuttle on the SWCCG mailing list, where he would maim rulings or just flat out say the most outlandish shit, you'd call him on it, and he would argue till he was blue in the face.

Until, of course, a month later where they'd re-rule it and it would match what the players thought it was.

Last I heard Mark Tuttle was off driving UDE or Wizkids into a flaming pile.

Ken B. wrote:

Last I heard Mark Tuttle was off driving UDE or Wizkids into a flaming pile.

One anagram for Decipher is "chide rep." Another is "creep hid."

I despise Decipher. They repeatedly got good licenses and crapped on them. Even by CCG standards, they shamelessly exploited the gamers, forcing them to buy entire booster boxes (back when they were pretty big and expense, too) just to get one famous character. Fuck Decipher, I sincerely hope that this Fight Klub Amway crap is their last desperate gasp before bankruptcy.

Ken B. wrote:

I am currently in a back and forth with one of the Decipher folks on that. She trying to tell me how I am wrong and me trying to point out how I am right.

Ye gods. It's like nothing's changed.


This brought back nightmares of arguing with Mark Tuttle on the SWCCG mailing list, where he would maim rulings or just flat out say the most outlandish shit, you'd call him on it, and he would argue till he was blue in the face.

Until, of course, a month later where they'd re-rule it and it would match what the players thought it was.

Last I heard Mark Tuttle was off driving UDE or Wizkids into a flaming pile.

Actually it has been a great conversation. I may have some news soon.

I am trying to get permission to relate part of the conversation publicly. I can report that I have found a way to keep anyone from using me as a referral. It is not bullet proof but it is a pretty good compromise.

re: intervention - I am for it! I'll be the first one to admit I need help. Lots and lots of it.

Hey guys. I re-read Michael's "You call that a review" article. Let me say first, I know that I am not in the same league or even the same game as Barnes. I mostly do short bits sometime funny bits etc., but I still took what Michael had to say, particularly in that article, to heart. At the same time I am a terribly OCD gamer who loves to try new games...

Enter Fight Klub.

Interesting licensed properties battling each other, while not terribly a terribly innovative idea, appeals to me. Rambo vs. Ash. Nice. Sure there are a ton of battling card games but on the face of it this game just has some appeal. Also, as I've mentioned I was a fan of the LOTR and Star Trek games from Decipher. So I'd like to see where how this game plays. It it is the first new CCGesque card game I will have bought into in recent memory. The last was Raw Deal. Thanks Ken.

But...

The selling model.

As mentioned I have been conversing with one of the Decipher folks. To their credit they had some very reasonable suggestions for me and I am tentatively hopeful that I can talk about this game and no one will be able to say with any credibility that I am just trying to "sell" the game.

I do believe that, to Decipher's credit, they are legitimately trying to foster a game community. Sort of an "in crowd" for the game. I'm not sure that I agree with how they are doing it but given my discussions I am convinced they are trying something legitimately different in model and spirit. I believe they honestly believe they have a model that will foster a gaming community. In fact, I think they are pretty much banking on this working.

For as much as we, especially FA:tties, decry the "same old, same old," retread games, and lack of innovation, all of us have been pretty quick to damn this model. I admit I was quick to jump up and down and say NO! NO! NO! But in my discussions with Decipher, I really think that they are going out on a limb to try something really different here. Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to deem it unworthy? I have serious reservations. I believe I have made that abundantly clear, but at the same time, I am curious to see what will happen here.

Innovation is not just for game designers after all. This IS an innovation in game marketing and selling. Granted Fantasy Flight has done viral marketing as well, but I would argue that this is pretty much the pinnacle of viral-marketingpalooza. Will it work? Do I want it to work? I don't *think* so, but... we shall see.

One idea that was discussed vis a vis the selling model and my abhorrence of it, was to allow founding mentors who do not wish to receive any personal income from having their handle used to allow folks to get into the game, to have any money received be donated to a charity instead. Their profile could be marked with some sort of icon to indicate such.

There is of course still the "hidden agenda" issue to some degree, but I think that it would help mitigate the "shill! shill!" cries. Between this and the approach I have adopted, which is to essential obfuscate my FK handle I hope that once I get my cards I will be able to write about the game, Decipher in general and the community they are working on building and be able to convey what I think to you, gentle readers, without you feeling as if I have any hidden motives.

What do you think?

This is the wrong kind of innovation, especially requiring a credit card number in their forums. What are they going to do with that card number? Charge a penalty fee every time somebody breaks a rule or annoys a moderator?

Just for once, why the hell can't Decipher work on creating a playable game that doesn't ruthlessly exploit fans and gamers? I'm an accountant, so I don't have objection to capitalism, but Decipher has repeatedly shat all over their players. Stop encouraging them Van, they will only take your money and laugh behind your back. There are other companies out there offering better CCGs or even games that don't require an ongoing investment to stay competitive.

Shellhead wrote:

This is the wrong kind of innovation, especially requiring a credit card number in their forums. What are they going to do with that card number? Charge a penalty fee every time somebody breaks a rule or annoys a moderator?

Just for once, why the hell can't Decipher work on creating a playable game that doesn't ruthlessly exploit fans and gamers? I'm an accountant, so I don't have objection to capitalism, but Decipher has repeatedly shat all over their players. Stop encouraging them Van, they will only take your money and laugh behind your back. There are other companies out there offering better CCGs or even games that don't require an ongoing investment to stay competitive.

I agree that the CC requirement is wrong. I will pass that along. FWIW I'm not exactly encouraging them so much as semi-harassing them