Currently just reading through the rules.
Sounds interesting and quick, but still on the fence due to some parts of the game not being polished.
I saw Foote on this so was wondering if anyone else is backing it.
Yeah I have an Early Bird slot locked in. I think the rules are polished in Eric's head, but they were not laid out very clearly. The rule book PDF they released was obviously rushed and not copy edited at all. But I think that was due to that 4 day loss where it wasn't searchable on KS. they needed to get back on track quickly. But it sounds like everything has been extensively playtested from his interviews in a few podcasts I've heard, so I expect the actual gameplay to be rather fast and simple.
I'd like more teams to unlock, but once the zombies team unlocks, it'll be very hard to pass over the game just in value alone. You do get a lot of plastic for your buck.
I was never a "minis" guy. But after being more active on KS, it's hard not to love the amazing production value we have been seeing. I hate the micro management of mini games, so something like kaosballs macro focus is very appealing.
I have also had my eye on this. My money is a little tight right now so unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to back but it is definitely a game I'm going to keep my eye on when it's released. I'm always a sucker for fantasy style sports games and the teams look really cool. I agree that the rules need to be fleshed out however the miniatures look nice and if I had the money available, I would strongly consider backing this project.
I backed it. I think it looks sweet. I've had something similar in my mind for my own game for a while, so even though money's tight I'm filing it under research. :)
Yet another minis game I did not back, due to the fact that there are only 8 female sculpts (or really, 16 boob sculpts) and 24 male sculpts. Playing with the group I do, that won't go unnoticed, as my group is made up of mostly women and gay men.
Side note: This game prompted me to contact The Hawkeye Initiative about a side project for video and board gaming. No response yet.
Boob sculpts. Lmao.
Honestly? I was surprised to see as many female characters as I did considering it is a blood bath sport. And considering the art style, all features of characters are over emphasized. While breasts are easy to jump on because of our cultures tendency to objectify and over sexualize the female form, I just have a hard time levying that charge against a game like this. As a white heterosexual male, my view point is not surprising and I realise that.
I think your issue is a valid one none the less. The alienation of female gamers due to the lack of relatable characters is a very real issue that I think more designers and developers are taking notice of. The state of gaming as it relates to women is light years ahead of where it was 10 years ago and I think it's only getting better.
I mean just look how >G has tackled the subject of gender in designing SotM. It's incredibly impressive and it has played no small part in its growing and loyal fan base I assure you.
Well I went off on a tangent huh? It's interesting because gaming has historically been a microcosm of a dominantly patriarchal society. Seeing that shift is a rather big deal and its a topic I find fascinating.
Since we are on this topic, the Starlit Citadel review of Pathfinder Beginner Box said that it comes with an unusually good selection of female characters (standups not minis). I think you have a male/female version of each class and race combo.
I agree and really appreciate >G for doing this in their games.
The recent Team cards released really showcased some of the diversity of the teams.
Sort of more liking the game after getitng a better understanding. Probably will wait for their second gameplay video to see how fighting is implemented.
Between this Xia, my wallet hates me this month. It wants stab my face everytime I click the Cuthulu Wars page to look at what could have been.
Luckily I ain't a Cthulu fan, the miniatures do look pretty cool.
Xia looks cool and definitely interesting, its just I am looking for a simpler competitive game. And I think Kaosball looks good, I just really want to check out a second game play video as I still have some concern like someone getting shut out early cause they lost bruisers etc.
I don't think that's as big a concern as you think. I think it's going to be very difficult to actively kill the other player's team on purpose. Not impossible, just difficult. in the whole gameplay video, we only saw one point of damage done after all. But it was a 2 player game.
Well the team they showcased had the Ogre with a high health of 4 making it hard to kill and Vampires that could heal. So it made more sense for them to tackle and take the person out for the period than to inflict damage.
While other teams contains units with only 2 HP.
So someone like the Amazon with a +2 Fighting might be brutal and I heard Demons can lay Fire which also does 1 damage. Which is why I am looking forward to a second game play video.
No kidding. Xia is killing me, but it must happen, despite the other projects that I had to back. Lol
Dropped my Dark Darker Darkest pledge today, though, so I could get in on VivaJava: The Coffee Game: The Dice Game.
I dropped my Early Bird slot for Dark Darker Darkest a while ago. A game with very little practical replay value probably will not get my money at this point with the quality of games we are seeing being developed. And I agree that Xia was a must. It is extremely hard to pass up on the value that well funded KS campaigns provide. Euphoria is another example of that. You are just getting so much for your money at that point. I was VERY sad that I missed the MYTH campaigne. Holy cow did you get A LOT for $100 and it was freaking amazing looking.
@Penta Have you seen the Butcher Ringer? I have a feeling units are going to be dieing at a much higher rate than you think.
Just a heads up to forum goers, there's a lot of great stretch goals reached for this game. If you're gonna hop on, nows the time
Ah. Missed it... but got on the late list. Haha, part of me hopes I don't make it as I've been dropping too much cash on games that ill seldom get a chance to play... but I know if the chance presents itself ill be all over it.
@Foote - I can't wait to play with the butcher with the amazons or cowboys. That'll be mass massacre on a grand scale. Knowing me, I'll probably go for the, kill everyone on the other team before I go for winning by score. I've been told i'm a tad too aggressive.
Just curious if anyone that backed this has received it and had a chance to play it. I got mine, but haven't gotten it to the table yet. Looks good though.
Yes I got this. I have found it to be a very simple but satisfying game. Mechanically its very simple at least, but the mind games that emerge in the meta-game for your group is pretty awesome. Lot of bluffing and predicting. Theres bidding phases and stuff. It really has a lot to like about it. Eric has a pretty decent of well designed games and this is not an exception.
Some teams are flat out better than others I think. There is not a great balance when talking every possible 1v1 matchup. Trolls vs Ogres for example, Trolls have such a distinct advantage in that matchup. Ogres will have to pay an arm and a leg to get on even footing through ability/ringer bidding, and I'd imagine Ogres would be happy to let them pay, take cheaper upgrades/ringers, and have a field day with cheat cards during a match. Barbarians vs Daemons? Yup. Barbarians will win that match every time given equal player skill. No question. Goblins vs Amazons? Again, Goblins stand little chance.
2v2 matches, however, are very fun and feel much more balanced, but thats expected. 4vAll is a bit of a mess since everyone is bashing everyone, but there are a lot of team abilities that are just more effective with more teams in the game.
Overall I'm very happy with the purchase.
Sounds like good times. I just got a group of friends to start playing dreadball... maybe I'll bring kaosball to the next league game day