Dissapointed in the lack of Hype for the release ACTA:SF

[Apep]

19 players each spending $50-100 is not much profit when you have to consider taxes, rates, rental, floor space, storage, supplier costs, transport, utilities, .........etc... :roll:

It is sad to hear that your local store is not very supportive – most of the stores I know in the UK do run exhibition games and are very helpful, but they have to target the audience – which means it is the popular games that get the most table time.

(My advice if you don’t like the store is “!”£$%^ it – go elsewhere or buy online and don’t give them your trade)

We do however have individuals who are snobbish about games (TCG’s and CMG’s are the prime victims) and are driving people out of the hobby. I know a couple of clubs which are dying because they are not encouraging younger players by being “selective” about games.

The best way ACTA:SF will be advertised will be through magazine adverts and articles, news groups, websites, social media, etc. where people can look and think – that may be fun lets buy it!!…

 

[Garydee]

19 players each spending $50-100 is not much profit when you have to consider taxes, rates, rental, floor space, storage, supplier costs, transport, utilities, .........etc... :roll:

Yeah, grossing an extra $1900 a month is just chump change for a small business. :roll: I've been a small businessman for a good part of my life and it's not hard to turn 10%-15% of that into profit.

 

[Apep]

It comes down on whether it's worth the effort - In the UK some shops are operating either to just break even or just make a profit. Most of the smaller gameshops no longer exist – Mail order is the only option for most of us.

I have had the same discussion about another game and it turned out that the potential profit for the shop was outweighed by the effort that would have to be put in for a very limited market.

It was easier and more profitable to concentrate on more popular items.

 

[Finlos]

I like to support my local gaming store but the ones within easy travel are in the same boat as others have described, won't give shelf space to stock that they may sell to a handful of people so it's actually more convenient to buy online myself than it is to order through them. Unfortunate but that's the way it is.

I haven't been down to Sentry Box in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) recently but I suspect they'd be one of the few places that would stock ACTA / SFB. It's quite the commute from Red Deer, however, if I'm only going down for that.

 

[Apep]

I haven't been down to Sentry Box in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) recently but I suspect they'd be one of the few places that would stock ACTA / SFB. It's quite the commute from Red Deer, however, if I'm only going down for that.

Feel you pain on that - The only shop which may stock ACTA:SF is 4 hours drive (5 hours by train) for me - even then I strongly suspect they won't stock the game.

The next store is another 2 hours after that.

Back to mail order (Free P&P - except if you live in the Highlands (Scotland) :lol: )

Hang on did this not all start about the lack of hype for the release ACTA:SF - Mr Sprange / Jean some Hype please

 

[Whitehaven]

I know the feeling....I recently wanted to buy a game..(Death Angel by FFG)and no that is the company not a frigate...lol,I also wanted to support my FLGS of witch their are 2 within a 40 min drive of me.However neither shop had it in stock...both could order it in but neither could be sure of delivery within 5 days and as i was traverling that was a deadline,So i went online and found the game and it was delivered withine 2 days...for £18.99 including pp. £3-4 cheaper than either FLGS.
now i`m not knocking them because they have to make their margines to survive, and i would personaly much prefere to buy instore even at the greater cost....but when you look at it that way you can see why stores struggle.

 

[Jean]

Folks, I'm hyping as I am able. Our page on FB is busy and growing. I've posted on the boards where I will be heard as someone other than a virtual booth babe pushing games. I've spent hours posting pictures so they'll get wide coverage in both the US and Europe. I've done links to our pictures both to here and to the FC Forum. When we are certain of the street date, then I'm sure that SVC will be sending an alert to retailers who want to know what we put out. It's on ADB's website and in its newsletters. I'm getting hits from gaming sites and search engines.

I have more pictures, but Mongoose has asked us to hold them for the big campaign splash. Until we have a firm release date I'm honestly not sure what else I can do.

Jean
Who is wearing her marketing hat

 

[Finlos]

19 players each spending $50-100 is not much profit when you have to consider taxes, rates, rental, floor space, storage, supplier costs, transport, utilities, .........etc... :roll:

Something that occurred to me about the above quote is that the store owner is paying those costs anyways. If a group of guys (19 in the above example) came to me as a storeowner and indicated they'd like to spend their coin at my store bringing in an extra $1k - $2k gross each month my first response would likely be "what would you guys like to order?".

After several months of this I'd give serious consideration to stocking at least the basic products for each line (in this case Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, Federation & Empire, ACTA, and Traveller) and, space permitting, let those guys play their games in my store. Visibility can only increase the odds of new people getting into the game and -more- people buying from me.

On a related note, Jean, I'm confident I'm not the only one waiting for you to get permission to post the remaining pictures you have. This is going to be one long month....

 

[Lincolnlog]

I think we as interested players need to help spread the word about, and I know we have been doing that. I placed a word up on the Axis & Allies Forumini Forum. We need to get out there and spread the word!

 

[Jean]

Lincolnlog, thanks! Your help and support are appreciated!

Jean

 

[Shadow Queen]

I have quite a few on dakka interested

 

[Jean]

Shadow Queen, thanks! I wondered how we were getting hits from that site and now I know!

Jean

 

[Shadow Queen]

As a friend of mine says "The Shadow knows everything."

 

[Jean]

You may be interested in reading this blog entry since it includes a lot of information on ACTASF: http://federationcommander.blogspot.com/2011/11/looking-ahead.html

Jean

 

[AdmiralGrafSpee]

That's a great update, thanks for linking it Jean.

I'm excited to be getting back into the SF universe after being away from it for so long.

I have a question, not sure if you can answer it or not. I noticed SC made reference to a set of ship reference cards. What are these? I assume there is ship data in the ACTASF rulebook. Do these cards provide more ship data? Do they organize the ship data differently so that its more like a traditional SF style SSD?

Thanks
-Tim

 

[Iain McGhee]

Thanks, Jean. I'd missed that.

Great to see that the Border Boxes (and blister packs) will be out along with the initial releases, IMO the mix of ships in those are a better basis than the squadron packs if you're putting together a few mid-sized fleets (although that's without knowing what's going to be in the Fleet Boxes).

Any word on decals yet ? I don't know about anyone else, but that's going to be a major factor in deciding whether I pick up a Federation fleet or not (whatever else I go for) now that the two existing sources of SFU decals have seemingly ruled themselves out.

 

[Jean]

Tim, I am not sure what they are -- I had assumed they were an ACTA thing. I'll see if I can rustle up an answer (or answerer).

Iain, decals are apparently going to be a Mongoose thing. I haven't heard anything except over on the FC Forum where they have discussed how to make your own.

Jean

 

[Myrm]

Ship cards proliferated for ActA and the historicals based on the system.

The SSD in SFB needs only be copied multiple times and you have an SSD for each ship - it contains stats and markable damage spaces. The Stat blocks in ActA books so far are just that - the numbers. The Ship cards produced copy that info over to a gaming format including space for damage, crew losses etc. Its a slight change - saves space in the fleet books but requires players to use a slightly altered format for actual play.

 

[AdmiralGrafSpee]

Ship cards proliferated for ActA and the historicals based on the system.

The SSD in SFB needs only be copied multiple times and you have an SSD for each ship - it contains stats and markable damage spaces. The Stat blocks in ActA books so far are just that - the numbers. The Ship cards produced copy that info over to a gaming format including space for damage, crew losses etc. Its a slight change - saves space in the fleet books but requires players to use a slightly altered format for actual play.

Great, that's what I was hoping for. So raw ship data in the book but ship cards are a play aid. Hopefully there will be a preview of one of the ship cards at some point!

-Tim

 

[SFU_FEAR]

A ship card is a play aid that takes the Ship data and displays it in a chart type format allowing the player to mark damage and keep track of the status of their ship(s).

We have used several different kinds in playtest and I am not sure of what the final product with be, but I guarantee I get a set!

Mike Curtis, FEAR (F&E answer guy)
ADB, assistant BBS admin
FC Playtester
ACTA:SF Playtester