Wave 2 KS terms announced

[fredmiracle]

The awaited kickstarter announcement is out



The full suggested retail cost of this collection of 12 ships is $ 244.80 ($ 17.90 each for SGN105 A-B-C, $ 23.90 each for SGN106 A-B-C and SGN108 A-B-C, $ 15.90 each for SGN107 A-B-C).

However, the collection of twelve new models is offered exclusively to our Kickstarter backers at $ 163.20 (+ $ 10.00 for freight charges if you live in Canada, + $ 20.00 in any other country). Essentially, we are offering you 4 out of 12 models free of charge.

On top of that, your existing Victory & Constitution pledge credit will be fully deducted from this amount.

If you want, you have the option to purchase multiple collections. You will pay $ 163.20 for each collection beyond the first, without additional shipping charges.

Please note that - if you choose to purchase Wave 2 ships - you will not lose your right to receive the Victory & Constitution at the terms they were offered to you before. We will ask you to reconfirm your interest in these ships before they release, and you will have another chance to request them.


As far as I can see it's basically the online store price, but without the flexibility of choosing which ships you want. I guess Ares wants to skim some retail profit without blatantly undercutting their channel. But I don't see any benefit for the customers ... best case it's a wash.

[KeithS]

You do seem to save quite a bit on shipping though, particularly international, I don't know what Anchorage charge but the Coolstuff shipping costs were $73 to the UK.

[Пилот]

Having in mind you have to take all 12 ships (and, as Fred said, you can't choose nothing) - deal isn't that perfect.

[DeRuyter]

Only good for those who intended to get the full set.

[longagoigo]

Having in mind you have to take all 12 ships (and, as Fred said, you can't choose nothing) - deal isn't that perfect.
The fact that they are going with online prices is rather nice and the international shipping is lower than online, so for those wanting a full set, I'd say it is perfect. Since it is only full sets, turnaround time is going to be much simpler and faster than packing custom orders, so few complaints expected on that issue. For picking and choosing there are online alternatives, since this is only an olive branch to those disappointed with delays to those other ships, and obviously not meant as a full service shopping experience.

[Naharaht]

It sounds like a good offer to me.

[fredmiracle]

Honestly I had hoped that there would be some benefit to buying through kickstarter. Maybe that was an unrealistic assumption, but why make the offer if there's not some upside for the person it's being offered to?

Anyway it took 2 minutes to see that there was no benefit. Easy to find online sellers that i trust and have used often, offer a *lower* price, allow me to mix & match, and offer free shipping on sizeable orders. Theoretically the KS could get to you first, but after watching the slow-motion fumbling of Ares' distributor in December and January, I'm just as happy to be out of that. I guess at least I can say they made the decision easy for me to make :wink:

Having said that, if there's no benefit, I kind of wish Ares wasn't distracting themselves doing fulfillment (which they don't seem good at), and just let their normal game distributor channels handle that end of things. Then they would have more time and bandwidth to invest in making the game itself.

I'm in the US though. Maybe the benefit is for international buyers.

[Andy Blozinski]

Sooooo, the only offer we get is for the whole set? Looks like I'll be asking for my money back.

[7eat51]

I have not thought about the Constitution/Victory combo much, if at all. I am not sure what the current benefit is to staying with that as opposed to purchasing them later.

[fredmiracle]

I have not thought about the Constitution/Victory combo much, if at all. I am not sure what the current benefit is to staying with that as opposed to purchasing them later.

well they've already said you can commit to them at the same terms later. So I guess there's no benefit other than just less moving money around--presumably you could get your money out now and put it back in when they are ready.

My guess is that like the other ships, they will turn out to be a bit more expensive than the best online prices. I hope they don't end up being a LOT more expensive than the best online prices, but that seems unlikely

[7eat51]

well they've already said you can commit to them at the same terms later. So I guess there's no benefit other than just less moving money around--presumably you could get your money out now and put it back in when they are ready.

My guess is that like the other ships, they will turn out to be a bit more expensive than the best online prices. I hope they don't end up being a LOT more expensive than the best online prices, but that seems unlikely

I was trying to type more, but my computer froze.

I didn't enter the KS thinking too much about deals, though the stretch goals ended up being very nice. The same for this combo pack - more to fund the gig than save. In fact, there is only one KS I think I was a part of in which it was a good deal financially, again due to stretch goals.

As for not seeing much in the way of current benefit - sans funding - there is not much benefit in getting a refund only to re-buy later, all to save a buck or two.

[David Manley]

Not attractive to someone likd me who really only wants 2-3 of the snaller ships and maybe a single first rate, but great if you want the full set

[fredmiracle]

I didn't enter the KS thinking too much about deals, though the stretch goals ended up being very nice. The same for this combo pack - more to fund the gig than save. In fact, there is only one KS I think I was a part of in which it was a good deal financially, again due to stretch goals.


I agree. I'm not as mercenary as I sound. I happen to have many years good experiences with certain online retailers, otherwise I'd gladly pay a few bucks more to buy here or somewhere else that makes me feel good.

But I wouldn't feel particularly "good" about buying into this wave 2 deal. The "real" kickstarter was a different beast. There was a hard-to-value mix of bonuses and add-ons, the feeling of helping something awesome get off the ground that might otherwise not happen, the enjoyment of being part of a group of excited people. I don't see any of those intangibles accruing from buying some already-in-production wave 2 ships direct from Ares vs. any other retailer.

That said, I wouldn't feel "bad" about this offer either, if it happened to exactly match what I wanted anyway, was easier than filling out an order form somewhere else, and I trusted them to deliver it promptly without problems. I wonder how many people fit that description...

All this makes me feel Ares hasn't figured out how to capitalize on this incredible resource they have of the kickstarter group.



As for not seeing much in the way of current benefit - sans funding - there is not much benefit in getting a refund only to re-buy later, all to save a buck or two.

I agree, that's why I'm keeping my Victory/Constitution order as-is: inertia plus trust that we won't get *badly* screwed in the deal

[Gunner]

Outside of giving the stuff away, it's not a bad deal for The US and a very good deal for the rest of the world.

[Cmmdre]

I'm in for wave 2 and will probably get the Victory and Constitution when they come around. I like the easy access and was pleased with my commodore package.

[Diamondback]

I'd need to know if it's gonna include the mats too... otherwise, well, at the moment here's what I have penciled out:
SGN Wave 2 1st set: 12-7, ~$159
WGF Ser 7 scouts and 3 of 6 tandems: Cool Stuff Inc., $100
WGF Ser 7 remaining 3 tandems: Anchorage Accessories

SGN Wave 2 2nd set, supplies and WGS Heavy Bombers still undecided.

[fredmiracle]

I wasn't expecting them to give it away! But I don't *think* I was nutty to hope there might be some small (tangible or intangible) INCENTIVE to do it via KS, rather than modest DISINCENTIVES (slightly higher price, less flexibility).

Anyway, I ordered the 11 ships I want for $126, so all's good! :beer:

EDIT: just to clarify, I don't have some magic source of ships--I am skewing toward more sloops and less first-rates for my order, so this price is just a few dollars below the equivalent price would have been on KS if they were broken out by ship

[Beowulf03809]

I too am excited about Wave 2 but I don't see myself wanting as many First Rates as the KS bundle has, while maybe wanting more of the smaller ships. So as others have said I'm going to pass on the Wave 2 bundle but not pass on Wave 2 itself.

:rum:

[7eat51]

I'm going to pass on the Wave 2 bundle but not pass on Wave 2 itself.

My experience has been that whenever I hesitate on picking up something game related during the past two years, I have regretted it - same with not knowing what I will want to use in the future. I will, therefore, pick up the whole wave, and duplicates of the smaller ships. With my luck, whatever I pass on will go out of print, become the very ships I will want, and will end up paying significantly more on ebay for them. I might as well feel the pain now. It's times like this that I appreciate even more the talent of you modelers; you're not a hostage like the rest of us.

[Gunner]

My experience has been that whenever I hesitate on picking up something game related during the past two years, I have regretted it - same with not knowing what I will want to use in the future. I will, therefore, pick up the whole wave, and duplicates of the smaller ships. With my luck, whatever I pass on will go out of print, become the very ships I will want, and will end up paying significantly more on ebay for them. I might as well feel the pain now. It's times like this that I appreciate even more the talent of you modelers; you're not a hostage like the rest of us.

Like Eric, I will order one of everything plus a few extra white sided SGN105C's that will be transferred to Alexander's navy.

[Berthier]

I'll order one of everything probably with the KS deal as the shipping works out better for Australia and it still comes in about 20% than they will sell for here. My only indecision is the two sided cards for each model would make it nice to have two of everything and never need to switch the card over. But what would I do with 4 French first rates...apart from donate them tot he British at a bulk discount :sad:

I dont think there was ever a battle with more than two French first rates? Actually maybe only one? What about British first rates, what is the maximum that partook together...DB this is the sort of question you could answer in your sleep :wink:

[Berthier]

As to the Constitution/Victory, I'm still a little confused at Ares apparent desire to shift money out of this pledge to other product. Have they hit production problems making these a long way off, is there a cost blowout they are trying to ameliorate, is this just a sign of impending paranoia on my part?

[Berthier]

Oh I think the British had 3 first rates at the Glorious 1st of June (Royal George, Royal Sovereign and Queen Charlotte) and the French had 3 as well (Terrible, Montagne and Republicain).

Trafalgar again British had three Victory, Britannia and Royal Sovereign & the French had none (Spanish had 4)

[Gunner]

As to the Constitution/Victory, I'm still a little confused at Ares apparent desire to shift money out of this pledge to other product. Have they hit production problems making these a long way off, is there a cost blowout they are trying to ameliorate, is this just a sign of impending paranoia on my part?

I'm hoping that they think the V&C will look so good when they come out that all the people that switched their money to wave 2 products will end up buying them at a higher price. (who said I don't have an imagination)

[Berthier]

But Ed
Please note that - if you choose to purchase Wave 2 ships - you will not lose your right to receive the Victory & Constitution at the terms they were offered to you before.

so they aren't intending to charge more for those who have pre-ordered but want to shift their money to the new Wave2 now but still keep open the pre-order for V/C. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me

[Gunner]

That was just my imagination running wild. But I am going to add a couple more Constitution's to my KS.

[The Royal Hajj]

But Ed
Please note that - if you choose to purchase Wave 2 ships - you will not lose your right to receive the Victory & Constitution at the terms they were offered to you before.

so they aren't intending to charge more for those who have pre-ordered but want to shift their money to the new Wave2 now but still keep open the pre-order for V/C. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me

They are simply trying to give people options since the V&C ships are taking longer. The only benefit for them by doing this is that some people will opt to buy the entire Wave 2 via them directly, there by getting some of the profit that normally goes to the distributor and retail stores. I would thing that most people that pick up Wave 2 via KS will still pick up V&C when the do come out via KS as well.