News

January 25, 2010

January Chat Transcript Pt. 2

 

17:28:56 azoxystrobin thx
17:29:15 garek365 any news as to when the "rules" changes (like fire burst needing LoS) and clarifications will be realsed?
17:29:28 jgolbez I do think league play is a bit unfocused. its basically left entirely to the venue to organize and administrate, and the website, while functional, isnt great for it
17:29:45 Helatus speeking of standards across the board.  Many of us are playing with "House Rules"  are there any plans to make a dedicated set of rules that everyone should follow for tournaments?
17:29:50 Ying Zheng I sucess factor might be good support/website where people sind info and not only dicussions about "Blue overpowered". I ve learned that this confuses new players
17:29:58 AL_Tyler Culven- I'm thinking we need to make new players aware with a broad promotion, which helps local stores that can't afford advertising. The promotion pushes them to stores & their groups.
17:30:07 Larkin_Vain a bit more focus would help. also my lgs is not getting word from the distributors on how league kits work etc.
17:30:11 loucksj The technical rules are scheduled to come out mid to late February.  Updated rules text on all abilities should be released simultaneously.
17:30:19 jgolbez Also four boosters a month seems a bit much, I dont know if the average player can play multiple scenarios in a week, but I cant
17:30:46 jgolbez I do love the alternate paint figs tho
17:30:49 AL_Tyler We are radically overhauling Organized Play starting in March.
17:30:55 jgolbez LOVE them
17:31:03 AL_Tyler Feb will have a similar feel to Jan
17:31:04 azoxystrobin getting the release schedules right has gotta be hard
17:31:05 Culven I would think that allowing demos to be more flexible with more standardized league and tournament proceedures would be the best way to go.
17:31:06 jgolbez if you just released boosters with painted alt figs, I'll buty that
17:31:09 garek365 really? can you say anything now on the upcomming changes?
17:31:10 maverickman5 What will the changes be Tyler?
17:31:12 spacemonkeymafi Really Tyler?
17:31:22 azoxystrobin too slow and lose interest, too fast (like GW) and kill interest
17:31:26 Grim6 Recommendation for RLE edition rule book - add in a section for optional/advanced rules that are standardized - for example, some of the concepts for blue, or having standard command radius rule (3 formation lengths...)
17:31:31 mad monkey Soooo, what's the next big figure or special figure after the Roman Ballista?
17:31:39 loucksj As far as tournament rules go, the technical rules should clear up any rules questions.  Tournament procedure and guidlines, however, will not be in the technical rules.  We should have tournament guidlines after we get the technical rules throguh.
17:31:44 azoxystrobin Chariots !
17:32:53 Larkin_Vain chariots would be really cool 
17:32:58 Imperator We will not be standardizing any house rules. We will clarify the existing ones, but those will be the standard rules.
17:33:03 Ying Zheng And: Please also support gaming groups not only local stores. Here in Germany we have a different retailing landscape...
17:33:04 Grim6 Another recommendation for league play here - posting the scenarios online so that they can be looked at by all ahead of time - for army building
17:33:11 jgolbez Truth
17:33:17 Imperator We will clarify existing rules, I meant to say. NOT existing house rules.
17:33:33 Ying Zheng Grim: Excellent idea!
17:33:34 Culven Would it be in the budget to have some kind of figure/sortie to be given to new players who play a demo game?
17:33:49 azoxystrobin yes online scenarios is very nice
17:33:50 jgolbez at least post rules if not the scenario map, i realize something should be left to buy the boosters for
17:33:59 Larkin_Vain when AL first came out LGS got bags of single figures to give out.
17:34:09 azoxystrobin i'm not sure that freebies for newbies is any use
17:34:25 AL_Tyler Re: OP - The focus for the next "season," like Mar - May, will be to get more people playing period. Much like what Culven suggests. But it will reward the groups that recruit as well.
17:34:26 azoxystrobin i mean a starter is cheap compared to any other game
17:34:26 Larkin_Vain i have to a gree
17:34:47 Larkin_Vain my lgs ended up giving me all the extras they had left over as no one wanted them.
17:34:48 azoxystrobin why did that double post??
17:35:20 jgolbez If I need to have Arcane figures, I need to know while i have the Unit Builder and a printer, not when I get to the shop
17:35:22 Imperator yeah, azox – free single-figs are great for conventions, but they had little impact in game stores when we did that the first time.
17:35:24 jgolbez gnomesain?
17:35:32 azoxystrobin I think people may be waiting for the next wave
17:35:49 azoxystrobin once people try it, they usually like it
17:35:53 AL_Tyler jgolbez - We will be addressing that with the new OP season
17:35:56 Larkin_Vain i think having a formal volunteer program that people can sign up for with the recommendation of their LGS will help as you will have motive people to do in store demos which really sell the game.
17:36:01 jgolbez Awesome.
17:36:05 azoxystrobin I remember watching the videos thinking, is this gunna be worth it
17:36:17 azoxystrobin and the girl who played the egyptian was nice
17:36:23 AL_Tyler Larkin - Yes! We need to hook up people who want to play but aren
17:36:23 Imperator in-store demos are the single most effective way to get a new player into the game that we've found.
17:36:27 Larkin_Vain all the folks i know didn't get into the game until they actually saw how it was played and then it clicked.
17:36:31 loucksj 
17:36:35 Larkin_Vain and then they bought.
17:36:37 garek365 I know that locally a lot of people tried the game and liked it but are holding off until the next set to see where the game is going and what to expect from the future before puttin more money in
17:36:38 AL_Tyler in a group with a group
17:36:44 azoxystrobin word
17:36:55 Imperator She was a very nice girl. You kids be nice... 
17:36:58 TheKeeper Large scale, strategic game may be a viable option. Use AL as a optional tactical system.
17:37:05 jgolbez Not to kiss the proverbial hindquarters, but I want you guys to know that as much as you rely on us to get the word out about AL, we (well, me at least) appreciate the reciprocation in answers and transparency of info coming back our way
17:37:16 Grim6 Agree with Garek, some people are only willing to join once they have confidence in the viability of the game
17:37:18 AL_Tyler Repost:  Larkin - Yes! We need to hook up people who want to play but aren't in a group with an existing group
17:37:22 azoxystrobin we can try shouting on rooftops
17:37:31 AL_Tyler Az- Yay!
17:37:47 Larkin_Vain yep
17:37:53 azoxystrobin but yeah i think ppl want to know where it's gonna go from here
17:37:54 Imperator heh. I tried that, but I got was a citation for disturbing the peace...
17:38:08 azoxystrobin lol Imperator, lol
17:38:30 Larkin_Vain AL is a great product and I think now the cent exclusive will be available to the public soon may get more folks in as the pre-painted infnatry and cav packs iwll be made available later.
17:38:31 AL_Tyler We need to support the LGS (and gaming groups outside of stores) with what we can. Tools to connect players together, tools to make your own units, tools to recruit newbs, etc
17:38:41 azoxystrobin is it going to go more fantasy or more historical, more techno, more monsters?
17:38:45 azoxystrobin new factions?
17:38:46 loucksj @Imperator that was for the nudity, not the shouting
17:38:46 Larkin_Vain oh yeah speaking outside groups
17:38:55 Larkin_Vain prize support for them will be great too
17:39:03 Larkin_Vain for those without an lgs.
17:39:22 Imperator nice Jon
17:39:39 Larkin_Vain if tehre was a means to do this I think that would great... especially for those with lgs that aren't willing to get the prize support too.
17:40:09 jgolbez We have had a lot of success recruiting at our FLGS by playing the game when people are around and offering to give them a starter army to try it out. I think theres a lull because AL kind of has iots first wave of players and I think when it gets an xpac we'll see a mix of people who checked it out before, and people who have been hesitant to commit, buy into it
17:40:25 garek365 to be honest the organized play for AL is week, there really is no organized to it, will the changes in march address this or will it be more of the same; here is what we think you should do but do anything you want with it cause we just want you to have fun...
17:40:31 Imperator oh, and @jgolbez: that's not kissing up, that's letting us know you like what we're doing. Believe me, we like to know that's the case.
17:40:31 azoxystrobin Some people get the impression that it isn't really very m### warfare either, but that could be just because they don't have enough infantry boxes
17:40:53 azoxystrobin ma ss got wordfiltered ? fffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
17:41:03 Imperator m###
17:41:07 Helatus lol
17:41:09 Imperator i'll be damned
17:41:11 AL_Tyler m###hole
17:41:11 Larkin_Vain m a s s i ###ume 
17:41:19 Larkin_Vain hahha a s s ume 
17:41:23 loucksj wow
17:41:32 AL_Tyler fun with filterz
17:41:38 Imperator ok, i need to give somebody crap about that one...
17:41:40 azoxystrobin it could be worse, we could actually have really tried to swear.
17:41:43 jgolbez M A S S action minis.com filtered the word m a s s
17:41:54 loucksj roflm###o
17:41:54 Larkin_Vain irony 
17:42:08 azoxystrobin OK, so chariots or not?
17:42:14 Helatus We dont believe in self promotion
17:42:18 azoxystrobin more factions ?
17:42:19 Larkin_Vain say yes pls. 
17:42:22 AL_Tyler Az- Stay tuned
17:42:28 azoxystrobin 
17:42:31 Larkin_Vain hahah
17:42:40 azoxystrobin even just character chariots would be hella kewl
17:42:56 Larkin_Vain chariots, siege engines.... flying machines? 
17:43:07 Ying Zheng Any release date of the siege engines?
17:43:08 azoxystrobin OK, more factions? i noticed, 3 types of dice, 3 factions, each sort of specialising
17:43:26 azoxystrobin so where would more factions fit anyway?
17:43:30 Larkin_Vain spells 
17:43:40 Larkin_Vain that would be cool.
17:43:43 azoxystrobin a choice of spells?
17:43:49 Culven I think that the three main factions work fine with the sub-factions within them.  I played a Greek army, and had a blast.  I think it would be easier to just add more groups that join the major factions over time.  Chariots would be nice, but the figures would probably be rather expensive to produce.
17:43:52 azoxystrobin now that would be nice
17:43:54 Larkin_Vain yeah to fill in the 25 - 50 points 
17:44:03 Larkin_Vain that seems to get left over for me 
17:44:27 Larkin_Vain spells attached to a yellow colored figure or osmething.
17:44:38 azoxystrobin Culven, why/how could they be more expensive to produce than any of the other minis?
17:44:41 Larkin_Vain er yellow slot.
17:44:48 AL_Tyler Larkin- Hmmm....
17:44:54 Culven I think the Han need to have Indian Elephant cavalry. 
17:44:57 jgolbez Oh what did you guys think about the banner/card idea for orders or effects? ie, the 'spend points to modify units with banners, or buy cards with points pre-game to play during the game
17:45:04 azoxystrobin and more spells would be nice so that cleopatra is actually useful
17:45:19 Larkin_Vain Tyler cause ya know i need to fill in the 25 to 50 points I"m usually short 
17:45:19 azoxystrobin i would rly have liked death touch to be on par with fireburst
17:45:20 jgolbez I think thatd add a huge depth for practically no investment on your end
17:45:44 Larkin_Vain exactly... just a card pack.
17:45:45 Grim6 Banners were cool to look at, but sort of a let down, ultimately, when people figures out you can't really do anything with them
17:45:55 Larkin_Vain make a faction card back for ###ort spells or osmething.
17:45:58 jgolbez Oh the league banners.. yeah
17:46:11 azoxystrobin yes but -banners- ! guys, bannnnnneers
17:46:19 jgolbez I meant what we were talkinga bout before when you showed me that other game
17:46:26 Grim6 Suggestion, let banners make a stand in for a figure , sort of like nexus concept...
17:46:27 azoxystrobin and musicians too
17:46:30 Larkin_Vain make a faction card pack for an a s s ort spells or osmething.
17:46:37 AL_Tyler OK, you can'
17:46:38 * TheKeeper quit
17:46:42 loucksj AZO We've announced our plan to do alternate stats for figures in the future, is that what you're looking for in Cleopatra?
17:46:43 spacemonkeymafi I agree with Grim and the first thing I did is mod the Participation banners into VP counters
17:46:49 azoxystrobin the units seem empty without banners and such tomfoolery
17:47:02 Grim6 SMM, what you did looks awesome!
17:47:21 AL_Tyler OK, you can't hold me to this but the Siege Engines should be around the end of June.
17:47:22 spacemonkeymafi thx! it was pretty easy too
17:47:29 jgolbez I ike the alternate stats thing too. I wouldnt have thought of it and its a free wya to expand your figs
17:47:38 azoxystrobin even playmobil legionaries have banner bearers
17:47:38 Larkin_Vain awesome! Tyler... cat' wait
17:47:46 garek365 any changes to cleo would be great... as it stands now she is 700pts of eye candy..
17:47:49 Grim6 People are excited about the alternate stats here
17:48:03 Larkin_Vain cleo with spell options   would be awesome 
17:48:06 azoxystrobin i would like alternate stats for achilles
17:48:13 mad monkey Siege Engines? Nice. Thanks for the info.
17:48:37 azoxystrobin shouldn't all factions have big siege weapons available though?
17:48:44 loucksj jgo - the unit builder lets us do things that no other game can do, like alternate stat figures.  Another reason why opening it up to the public is a good thing.
17:48:49 jgolbez They may in the future
17:48:52 azoxystrobin the roman scorpio was pretty common apparently
17:48:54 jgolbez Han siege engine is a dragon
17:49:05 AL_Tyler RE: Alternate stats. There is a thread going already with people's suggestions. You guys should *really* tell us what you want to see. And be very specific. There is a good chance your designs will make it in if they aren't crazy.
17:49:11 spacemonkeymafi Tyler, so with the Siege engines coming out later, will you be changing the "every month release" model or do you guys have things lined up in between?
17:49:28 azoxystrobin but they all knew how to make and use catapults at the time didn't they? even without the nioght of mists
17:49:41 jgolbez PLease for the love of the Emperor, bring Devoted back to Terracotta. I have like 500 of them and no reason to ever field them
17:49:42 AL_Tyler Mafia- We're going to try and stay in that range/
17:49:54 azoxystrobin i only want achilles to lose his suicidal special rule...
17:50:03 garek365 isnt there a worry that with too many stats the unit builder will become hard to use? Its allready a pain to find figs in it has it stands now
17:50:11 Imperator Aww come on – I love my cannonfodder... I mean, terracotta soldiers
17:50:24 * Grim6 quit
17:50:24 jgolbez Terracotta in a formation are free VP and order point soaks.. Terracotta ina  sortie are... well, suicide
17:50:27 azoxystrobin no, they are right, terracotta need it back
17:50:30 AL_Tyler Garek - We are addressing this already
17:50:31 spacemonkeymafi Tyler- thanks  also, how specific are you wanting on the alt stats?
17:50:32 * Grim6 joins Arcane Legions
17:50:39 Grim6 oops
17:50:47 Grim6 devoted = more foddery
17:50:50 azoxystrobin i bet they mean you propose, they will dispose
17:50:55 loucksj jgo - that's really interesting, bringing back old Demo figures.  I mean, we changed them for a reason, but taking a look back with more experience under our belt just might work...
17:50:59 azoxystrobin sounds fair

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