Why does mongoose release an incomplete game?

[Yautja]

I am surprised to why Mongoose decided to release only a handful models and no rule book for Battlefield Evolution, why indeed i believe the game has great potential and will most likely play it once it is fully released.

What was the reasoning behind releaseing only 1 troop and 1 tank for each army and not wait until a full game could be released?

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

Look a little more closely. The initial releases include the rules and unit cards in the box. The "rulebook" is actually a set of advanced rules to cover things like air units and such, which will be released at a later time.

The complete game has already been released. Consider anything else an expansion of sorts.

 

[Dorb]

Welcome aboard Yautja.
It really works out nice this way. You can mess around with some core units with limited rules to see if you want to get into the game. Just imagine if they released everything right away...what would you buy? Or made you buy a $200.00 army box! This slow release is nice, plus gives you time to save some money the last month or so.

 

[fluffy05]

It is also a bit like Warmachine in that each army gets a release each month.

Fo me this make collecting more affordable. I splurge & get the basic units then expand from there.

The Advanced Rulebook comes out in May 2007. All units come with their own Unit card like in Warmachine but the advanced rulebook will also have complete Army lists.

"This rulebook provides many advanced rules such as battles involving emplacements, air units, artillery, minefields, lots of new scenarios to test your tactical capabilities, army lists, and a complete campaign system." MGP.

I also think by releasing the models in stages MGP has managed to work on improvements to the details on the models to gradually improve there quality.

I plan on getting, EFTF, USMC and PLA for this game some of the upcoming units for each Army will fit nicely into the current range and change an armies tactics & choices of playing styles.

To date Matt @ MGP has kept promises to improve model quality and provide previews of upcoming releases. S&P magazine - Wargamer has also supported BF: Evo with Battle reports and extra mission that can be played.

 

[Mr Evil]

also is there any such thing as a complete game ? flames of war are always adding new stuff every month or so.

 

[Voracioustigger]

Well...

For SST, they only release Powersuits and Arachnid Warriors at first... That's only 1 unit for 2 different armies and I don't remember anyone complaining about that.

It is the inital release of the game! Do you think GW waited for all of their current armies to be complete! Of course not! At the beginning, they had what? Eldar, Orks, and Space Marines? No game is going to start out with ALL the options available because if a miniature game manufacturer put all that money into so many different models right away, the game would have to be a HUGE success IMMEDIATELY after release.

It just wouldn't make sense for MGP to wait until they have 4 complete armies AND an advanced rulebook to release the game. They'd go out of business 1) because players would get sick of waiting and 2) because their startup costs would be so high (which would also lead to larger and more usurous loans).

Be happy with what you have! :wink:

 

[Greg Smith]

Even 40k only started out with a box of plastic marines and a a box of metal orcs. I know cos I bought 'em.

 

[DM]

also is there any such thing as a complete game ?

Complete rules, yes
Complete board games, yes

Complete miniatures "game" - I don't think its possible!

 

[Major Chaos]

Even 40k only started out with a box of plastic marines and a a box of metal orcs. I know cos I bought 'em.

Ahhh my first wargaming purchase.... A box of Marines with 40k Rouge Trader! Now that game was incomplete.

 

[Elvis in Combat]

This kind of release worked for Privateer Press I think it will work just fine for Mongoose Publishing.

Besides, my FLGS, Eagle and Empireis sold out of BF:Evo miniatures right now. We need more BF:Evo! :lol:

 

[Major Chaos]

It is a really cool game and Im not surprised it is selling out. But being prepainted they should have given us more. :wink:

OK... and im addicted... so they really should have given us more....

 

[DoomOnYou72]

Yeah but using 40K and WM as examples there were rulebooks with stats and army lists with the initial release. :wink:

 

[Elvis in Combat]

Warmachine was release without a rulebook at first. I distinctly remember getting "quick start rules" in my Cygnar Starter set.

They then sold out for almost two months.

That almost killed the game right there. I hope MP doesn't have the same problem getting product to stores.

 

[shmitty]

Yep, in the FLGS I work at the game is popular, but the owner and I both feel that if they can't get the first wave to stay in stock, the game won't do well. Without the ability to pick up the basic infantry squads new players will have a tough time entering the game.

It really hurt Warmachine when there were no starter sets available.

 

[PilGrim]

I think they did sort of screw up a bit by releasing the way they did. I am not sure just having the 2 packs per faction in wave 1 was enough. I would have thought they would have been better releasing 4 each from PRC and US in wave 1, then similar for the Brits and MEA in w2. It would give the players more options

 

[Elvis in Combat]

I think availability of the product is the most important. I'm confident that Mongoose will come through on this in late March early April.

I'm glad they released something for all three factions. Otherwise there would be complaints that two factions have "preference" over the others.

 

[docrailgun]

I think the way BFE was released was a good balance for both Mongoose and for players. Mongoose didn't have to shell out a huge amount of money for a game that might not go anywhere, and the players don't have to spend $400+ USD to "be competitive" right away.
While we wait for more units and for more players to appear, we can use our infantry to kill zombies!

I think they did sort of screw up a bit by releasing the way they did. I am not sure just having the 2 packs per faction in wave 1 was enough. I would have thought they would have been better releasing 4 each from PRC and US in wave 1, then similar for the Brits and MEA in w2. It would give the players more options

 

[tneva82]

I would have thought they would have been better releasing 4 each from PRC and US in wave 1, then similar for the Brits and MEA in w2. It would give the players more options

Would have left Brits and MEA waiting for their first units kinda long don't you agree? Especially concidering the delay that hit BF:Evo...

Zulu war syndrome...

 

[PilGrim]

True, but at least when it arrived it would be a bit more playable.

At the moment the factions are very limited in what they can field (assuming you are Joe Bloggs walking into the shop, which is sort of the point of ready to go minis). There is a very limited choice of units to achieve "balance" in points terms.

As a "for instance", a USMC player can field forces that are either 185 pts or 420 pts. If the came is set at 500 pts he can only take one of 2 options - all infantry, or an M1 and a fireteam (not a squad). His is choice is pretty lousy, take a tank and kill everything in range and LOS, but on no account get your grunts shot at cos your shatter point is too low (3?), or take two and a half fireteams and hope the oppo takes no tanks. With the releases as they currently stand the PLA can be guaranteed a win against both the USMC and EF at any level up to 400 pts simply by taking a tank AND NO INFANTRY. Even in a 500 pt game unless the USMC player decides to take the risk and bring his M1, the PLA player can win by leaving his infantry at home.

A game decided before a die has been cast. Surely this can't be right?

I'm not taking a cheap shot at the game - the rules are good. I'm not even having a poke at the figure cost \ quality (my opinion, for what it is worth is stated elsewhere),but I think the release schedule has not been thought through. It makes games difficult to set up and therefore makes propagating the system difficult

 

[rvrratt]

As a previous Press Ganger for Privateer I can tell you it is very similiar to when PP released WARMACHINE. There was no rulebook (Prime) until the second wave of minis. I do agree it would of been great if they released the book in both instances.

The reason they released the kind of troops in wave 1 is because these are your "core" units that you will want lots of. The backbone of your army. The MEA got screwed in my opinion this wave, but that was a manufacturer problem I hear. It is very easy to proxy the MEA so no problems here.

Bottom line, the game is very playable now and my group are playing weekly having a blast. We do yearn for more units and anxiously await them. Until then, we have been going terrain happy!