Ummm…what in the world are you talking about? I highly doubt any PDF file from >G would have restrictive use DRM and could easily be opened with Adope Reader and printed.
See, I like digital things myself. I feel that it's grossly wasteful of resources and money to make something out of paper in China, wrap it in plastic, ship it thousands of miles to the US, repackage it, and then ship it thousands of different miles to the UK, when I could enjoy it just as well in non-dead-tree form almost instantly with no shipping fees or fuel or paper required.
I do buy board games in analogue form because the physicality of such a game is important, especially in a social context. But a comic that I'm just going to read? No need for the paper.
I agree, the pairing seemed weird to me too, and Paul's confirmed that it was for financial reasons rather than because they "belonged" together.
I meant the move to digital in general. Even without DRM- say a site like GOG- it's still little more than a rental. There's no way to transfer ownership, I can't sell or trade it, and even if I just want to lend it out, I essentially have to let them borrow my computer/console/phone/tablet/laptop/etc.
I just wrote a blog post going into detail about why the project failed and how GTG could relaunch just the comic and be succseful. I don't feel like the comic had a fair test with the last campain because the comic wasn't promoted at all. There was no video and the comic was shoved to the bottom of the page where most people don't get because they don't like storytelling games. If there was a relaunch the comic would fund but only if it was by itself and was pomoted as well as every other GTG kickstarer project exept the last one. The chatter I'm hear is people were backing at the highest level not because they wanted both but because they wanted the campain to fund so they could get the comic and the bundle was the highest level. What risk is there to GTG to try a relaunch in May? If it fails at least it will make most of the complainers be quite. 
More detail if you follow the link.
I ran into a similar situation as DefeatedDust: my Louisville people just figured they'd borrow my copy of the comic. When I tried explaining to them why that was a bad idea and hurt chances of the comic being funded at all, they didn't listen. It does seem pretty absurd to think "Eh, GtG should just make comics for me for free." But maybe this will show them the problem that causes. If there's a next time chance for a comic to be printed, maybe people will get the picture that physical comics don't come free.
I guess our "Who would win" discussions will have to stay here on the forums instead of on the table. Shame.
I'm as confused as Foote. I can transfer ownership of a non-DRMed PDF as easily as emailing a copy to a friend. In fact, I'd say the problem is that it would be too easy to distribute for free without GtG getting paid for it, rather than the other way around.
CTL+C / CTL+V
Now your friends have it too. Welcome to the beauty and burden of the Digital Age.
A smaller digital only campain just for the comic could be a way to bring down cost and risk with maybe an actuall print run as a streach goal or seprate campain. I understand not wanting to jump into another indursty but comics and board games are so close to each other I thinking GTG could make it work. In Austin we have a game store that is 60% board games 40% comics for example.
While I believe such should be fully legal, it isn't. But copyright law is an entirely different beast altogether, and I don't want to derail the topic any more than I already have.
I don't agree that >G should have included promos for seperate games in this campaign. People might well have thought the only way they could get the promos would be to buy a game they had no interest in, and I don't think that's a good way to foster loyalty in your customers.
I wouldn't buy a box of doughnuts to get the cookies I really wanted, if I didn't intend to buy the doughnuts in the first place.
Another thought - a simple print and play demo version might have helped to sell Conflict as well. That's usually a great way to convince fence-sitters one way of the other - they tend to either love the game enough to want a production copy, or they don't like it and don't back it (but they probably weren't going to back it anyway).
A file with limited art (perhaps Adam's line sketches) and even limited cards, just enough for a trial game or two maybe, could get people interested in the game and champing at the bit for a "real" copy, with final art.
It seems to work absolutely fine for the likes of the Tiny Epic line, Coin Age, Burgoo, This Town Ain't Big Enough for the 2-4 of Us, Scoville, Dead Drop, Cards Against Humanity, and lots of other things Kickstarted recently.
It's no different than burning a CD and giving it to a friend. Not too many FBI raids on 1995 chevys confiscating the disk collection strapped to their visor these days. Unless you are reselling it for money you are well within common sense copyright. We are talking about a digitally distributed and open PDF file here remember.
I will take a bit of the blame here for the comic not happening; sorry, everyone. I really wanted the comic, but my adamant distaste for the game forced me not to back. I just really didn't like the idea of my pledge for something I wanted, going toward the funding of something I really didn't want. It was probably wise of them to cancel the kickstarter, but as others have said, I don't see the wisdom in judging a lack of interest in the comic based on this. I can't imagine that there aren't others like me, who specifically did not back to send the exact message they received, "We don't want Story Wars with a Sentinels paint job."
I hope they try the kickstarter route again, but solely for the comic. I'll back that. I promise.
That's exactly how I feel, right down to the promise to pledge for the comic. Exactly.
I mean I wouldn't want to speculate on whether another 600 people would want the comic than have already pledged for it, but with some networking and advertising, who knows? It doesn't seem out of the question.
I'm with Silverleaf. I remembered I was going to pledge for the pdf, but then the kickstarter ended. I have played story wars, and I hated it. I do improv so it seems like it would be a game that I would enjoy, but it turned to squabbling, and I hate that. I loved the premise of the comic, and I still want to know why Parse was the only released hero not on the cover. Guise may not have been on it either, but I can't remember.
Point of clarification, GTG has never included promos that weren't for the game being Kickstartered (this was a big point during GSF because many folks had no interest in GSF but would have pledged just for the promos) and they have clearly stated they will not do this despite knowing it would fund a great deal more.
I'm sorry that this didn't fund, mainly because it could mean that a comic may now never end up being made. I really want to read Sentinels Comics, so I hope this doesn't end up being their deathknell. I get what Paul said about the business aspect, but I feel like this wasn't a fair test for the comic. It didn't seem like there was a huge amount of promotion for it. The people who introduced me to Sentinels never even heard about it. :(
For the record, in the context of discussion over .pdf issues: personally, the .pdf version suited me down to the ground, as a way of getting around expensive global shipping.
Exactly, it not only provides a false sense of demand and instills false faith for a project that won't do well, but it also defeats the purpose of the incentive.
I remember back when Apple used to include a free iPod with the Macbooks (not the pros). I thought the regular Macbooks paled in comparison to the Pros, but I wanted an iPod. If the original product didn't sell me, why would I buy it anyway for something that I would have paid money for separately? This isn't a good comparison to the Kickstarter, since you COULD have bought that iPod separately. But ultimately the funds went toward a bundle deal.
I fully agree with you there. However, for the purpose of supporting a product that would otherwise not be funded and ultimately fail, I could not bring myself to share or ask others for a copy of a Sentinels comic book in PDF form. I'm not holding everyone to the same moral compass, but that's the stance I feel would be more beneficial for supporting an awesome indie company.